Habakkuk 3 15

Habakkuk 3:15 kjv

Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.

Habakkuk 3:15 nkjv

You walked through the sea with Your horses, Through the heap of great waters.

Habakkuk 3:15 niv

You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

Habakkuk 3:15 esv

You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters.

Habakkuk 3:15 nlt

You trampled the sea with your horses,
and the mighty waters piled high.

Habakkuk 3 verses

Habakkuk 3 15 Meaning

Habakkuk 3:15 vividly portrays God's majestic power and victorious triumph over the formidable forces of chaos and opposition. The verse evokes imagery of a divine warrior effortlessly dominating the raging sea, specifically recalling the Red Sea deliverance during the Exodus. It assures the reader of God's unparalleled sovereignty, His historical intervention on behalf of His people, and His unyielding ability to overcome all obstacles. This act underscores God's active involvement in human history, demonstrating His capacity to execute judgment and bring about salvation with overwhelming might.

Habakkuk 3 15 Context

Habakkuk 3 is a psalm of Habakkuk, a prayer or hymn that functions as the prophet's awe-filled response to God's revelation. Earlier in the book, Habakkuk questions God about injustice within Judah (Hab 1:2-4) and the perplexing plan to use the even more wicked Babylonians to judge Judah (Hab 1:5-11). God reveals that though judgment is certain, the righteous will live by faith (Hab 2:4) and the oppressor will eventually fall.

Chapter 3 is a magnificent theophany, describing God's coming as a mighty warrior from the south, reminiscent of Sinai. It reviews God's glorious deeds of the past— His terrifying majesty and interventions, especially the Exodus events—as a basis for future hope and trust amidst impending national destruction. Verse 15 is part of this powerful portrayal of God's arrival to rescue His people, highlighting His overwhelming mastery over natural and chaotic forces, thereby assuring the prophet of God's capacity to deliver even from the gravest threats.

Habakkuk 3 15 Word analysis

• You (אַתָּה - ʾattāh): The personal pronoun emphasizes God's direct, personal agency in the action. It's a direct address from Habakkuk to Yahweh.
• trampled (דָּרַכְתָּ - dārakətā): From the verb darak, meaning "to tread, step, march on, stamp." It conveys a sense of ease and dominance. God effortlessly asserts His authority, walking over or subduing a powerful entity, akin to a victorious general treading on a vanquished foe.
• the sea (יָם - yām): Refers directly to the Red Sea from the Exodus narrative, a well-known historical event for Israel. The term "sea" also functions as a symbol of chaos, disorder, and powerful, unmanageable forces in ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cosmology.
• with Your horses (בְּסוּסֶ֙יךָ֙ - bə·sū·sey·ḵā): Poetic, anthropomorphic imagery. God, being Spirit, doesn't literally have horses. This imagery depicts His swift, irresistible, and overwhelming movement and power, like an unstoppable cavalry. It suggests a rapid, forceful advance, highlighting the ease with which God carries out His will.
• the surging (חֹ֣מֶר - ḥōmer): Refers to a "heaving mass," "abundance," "foaming" or "rushing" quality. It intensifies the description of the water, not just as calm liquid, but as a violent, tumultuous, overwhelming torrent, thus emphasizing the magnitude of God's triumph.
• waters (מַיִם - mayim): Generic term for water, here combined with ḥōmer to depict their agitated and powerful state.
• with Your chariots (מַרְכְּבֹתֶֽיךָ - mar·kə·ḇō·ṯe·ḵā): Similar to "horses," this is a metaphor for divine power, speed, and majesty. Chariots were ancient implements of war, symbolizing might and a devastating charge. God uses these to convey His battle-readiness and the certainty of His victory against opposition.
• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "You trampled the sea with Your horses": This phrase emphasizes the complete and effortless subjugation of a mighty natural force by God's divine power, drawing on imagery of conquest. It signifies overwhelming might, suggesting that what appears impassable to humans is easily navigated by God.
  • "the surging waters with Your chariots": This second part functions as a poetic parallel to the first, reinforcing the imagery of God's triumphal procession through chaos. By naming the waters as "surging," the phrase amplifies the sense of danger and power God subdues, indicating that even the most chaotic and threatening forces are under His ultimate control. The repetition underscores the deliberate and forceful nature of God's action. The entire verse uses military metaphors to describe a divine campaign, with God as the supreme commander conquering obstacles for His people.

Habakkuk 3 15 Bonus section

The theophanic description in Habakkuk 3 (starting from verse 3) is steeped in ancient Near Eastern traditions of a "storm god" who rides the clouds and wields power over nature, yet it redefines these in exclusively monotheistic terms, celebrating Yahweh's unique, historical, and saving power. This serves not only as a hymn of praise but also as a powerful act of faith, reminding God's people that the same power which divided the sea for their forefathers is available to face their contemporary trials. It reassures Habakkuk that even if Babylon is used as an instrument of judgment, God retains absolute control and will ultimately bring about salvation for the faithful.

Habakkuk 3 15 Commentary

Habakkuk 3:15 is a potent declaration of God's omnipotent dominion over creation and chaos. The poetic language, employing military and storm-god imagery (common in the ancient Near East but here distinctly Yahwistic), portrays God not struggling, but effortlessly trampling and moving through the tumultuous sea. This imagery primarily alludes to the Exodus narrative, where God opened the Red Sea, a foundational act of deliverance for Israel. By invoking "horses" and "chariots," the prophet attributes overwhelming force and speed to God's movements, without suggesting that God needs such literal conveyances. Rather, they are symbols of irresistible power and sovereign rule, implicitly polemicizing against nations who trusted in their own chariots and horses against God's people. The "surging waters" highlight the terrifying, chaotic nature of the opposition God overcame, demonstrating that no barrier, however immense or turbulent, can thwart His purpose for salvation and judgment. This verse functions as an assurance that the same powerful God who delivered Israel in the past will surely act again on behalf of His faithful in their current distress, even in the face of the Babylonian threat.