Habakkuk 3:10

3:3-15 God's people, when in distress, and ready to despair, seek help by considering the days of old, and the years of ancient times, and by pleading them with God in prayer. The resemblance between the Babylonish and Egyptian captivities, naturally presents itself to the mind, as well as the possibility of a like deliverance through the power of Jehovah. God appeared in his glory. All the powers of nature are shaken, and the course of nature changed, but all is for the salvation of God's own people. Even what seems least likely, shall be made to work for their salvation. Hereby is given a type and figure of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ. It is for salvation with thine anointed. Joshua who led the armies of Israel, was a figure of Him whose name he bare, even Jesus, our Joshua. In all the salvations wrought for them, God looked upon Christ the Anointed, and brought deliverances to pass by him. All the wonders done for Israel of old, were nothing to that which was done when the Son of God suffered on the cross for the sins of his people. How glorious his resurrection and ascension! And how much more glorious will be his second coming, to put an end to all that opposes him, and all that causes suffering to his people!

(10-18) All the verbs in these verses are misrendered as regards tense. (See note on 3-15.) (10) The mountains saw thee.—The earthquake at Sinai and the dividing of the Red Sea, the waters of which were lifted up “as a wall on the right hand and on the left” of Israel, lie at the basis of this description. This imagery, however, of sweeping floods and quaking mountains is usual in poetical accounts of Divine interposition.

The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water {n} passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. (n) He alludes to the Red Sea and Jordan, which gave passage to God's people, and showed signs of their obedience as it were by the lifting up of their hands.

10. The mountains—repetition with increased emphasis of some of the tremendous phenomena mentioned in Hab 3:6. overflowing of the water passed by—namely, of the Red Sea; and again, of the Jordan. God marked His favor to His people in all the elements, causing every obstacle, whether mountains or waters, which impeded their progress, to "pass away" [Calvin]. Maurer, not so well, translates, "torrents (rains) of water rush down." lifted … hands on high—namely, its billows lifted on high by the tempest. Personification. As men signify by voice or gesture of hand that they will do what they are commanded, so these parts of nature testified their obedience to God's will (Ex 14:22; Jos 3:16; Ps 77:17, 18; 114:4).

10 . The mountains saw thee , and] the mountains see thee, they tremble . The other verbs in the verse should also be in the present. The overflowing of the water ] the rainflood of waters passeth (driveth) along . Ch. Habakkuk 1:11 ; the reference is to a rainstorm. The deep uttered ] uttereth . The “deep” ( tehôm , Assyr. tiamat ) is properly the primal ocean, subterranean source of the visible sea, but here the latter itself. The reference is probably to the Red Sea; Psalm 106:9 , “he led them through the depths”; so Isaiah 63:13 . The roaring of the troubled and smitten sea is described. lift up his hands ] lifteth up . The reference appears to be to the mounting heavenwards of the waves. It is doubtful, however, if uttering its voice and lifting up its hands are meant to express an appeal on the part of the sea for mercy (Ew.). Comp. Psalm 77:16 .

The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God’s power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18 , are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3 ; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalm 68:8 114:4,6 ; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea. Uttered his voice; with dreadful roaring, like a mighty voice, parted its waters; divided, but with great and terrible noise, in this unusual commotion.

Lifted up his hands; testified its obedience to the command of God, as by lifting up the hand one doth at distance signify his ready compliance with the command, or direction: or hands, i.e. sides; so when the upper waters stood on a heap, both in Jordan and the Red Sea, they appeared as with sides or flankers unto the Israelites. On high; like a mountain, visible and conspicuous to all. The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God’s power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18 , are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3 ; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalm 68:8 114:4,6 ; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea.

Verse 10. - The mountains saw thee, and they trembled; literally, were in pain, Septuagint, ὠδινήσουσι . The words point to the phenomena of an earthquake, as Sinai shook at the presence of the Lord ( Exodus 19:18 ; Psalm 114:6 ). So Virgil, 'AEn.,' 6:256 - "Sub pedibus mugire solum, et juga coepta moveriSilvarum... Adventante des." For "mountains," the LXX. reads, "peoples" The overflowing of the water passed by ; the talent of water passed along. Cataracts of rain fell, as in the Deluge. "The windows on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake" ( Isaiah 24:18 ). Those who confine the reference to past events see here an intimation of the passage of the Jordan ( Joshua 3:15, 16 ). The deep uttered his voice. The mass of waters in the ocean and under the earth rears mightily as it bursts forth ( Genesis 49:25 ; Deuteronomy 33:13 ). His hands. Its waves ( Psalm 98:8 ). Septuagint, ὕψος φαντασίας αὐτῆς , "the height of its form." Habakkuk 3:10

The mountains saw Thee and they trembled - literally, "they tremble." While man is insensate, inanimate nature feels and attests the presence of its Maker. "It saw it trembles." To see, feel, tremble were one. The prophet does not follow a bare order of events, or bind himself to miracles which actually took place. The mountains tremble with earthquakes, or seem to be shaken by the thunders which they re-echo. And so they are signs, how what is firmest and closes up the way to man, trembles at the Presence of God. Whatever is lifted up shall be bowed down before Him. (See Zechariah 4:7 .). But the word "trembled" is that which is especially used of travail pangs and so it may spiritually denote that "they who conceive the fear of God shall bring forth unto salvation." "The overflowing," i. e., the impetuous, sweeping, flow, of the water (or, of waters), such as in themselves would bear all before them, pass by harmless. The more they swell, the more they expend themselves, and pass away. "The whole force of persecution, wherewith they vexed Thy people, at sight of Thee passed away," like a torrent which rages and disappears, and, by raging, the sooner wastes itself. The deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands - רום equals מרום mârôm which stands as the accusative of direction with "lifted up the eyes" Isaiah 37:23; Isaiah 40:26.