Christian Standard Bible
Habakkuk 1:8
8Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
Habakkuk 1:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
- New International Version (NIV)Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
- English Standard Version (ESV)Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
Context of Habakkuk 1:8
6Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own. 7They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like eagles, swooping to devour. 9All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination. They gather prisoners like sand. 10They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it.
Read all of Habakkuk 1Habakkuk 1:8 word by word
וְקַלּ֨וּ מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים סוּסָ֗יו וְחַדּוּ֙ מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב וּפָ֖שׁוּ פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ מֵרָח֣וֹק יָבֹ֔אוּ יָעֻ֕פוּ כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר חָ֥שׁ לֶאֱכֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Their horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- also are swifterקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
- than the leopardsנָמֵרnâmêr · leopardH5246
- and are more fierceחָדַדchâdad · be sharpH2300
- than the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
- wolvesזְאֵבze'êb · wolfH2061
- and their horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- shall spreadפּוּשׁpûsh · to leapH6335
- shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- from farרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
- they shall flyעוּף‛ûph · to flyH5774
- as the eagleנֶשֶׁרnesher · eagleH5404
- hastethחוּשׁchûsh · to hastenH2363
- to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:8
- Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will bring a nation from far away, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down on you like an eagle, a nation whose language you won’t understand,
- Isaiah 5:26He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look — how quickly and swiftly they come!
- Jeremiah 5:6Therefore, a lion from the forest will strike them down. A wolf from arid plains will ravage them. A leopard stalks their cities. Anyone who leaves them will be torn to pieces because their rebellious acts are many, their unfaithful deeds numerous.
- Zephaniah 3:3The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
- Jeremiah 4:13Look, he advances like clouds; his chariots are like a storm. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
- Lamentations 4:19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
- Ezekiel 17:3You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A huge eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
- Hosea 8:1Put the ram’s horn to your mouth! One like an eagle comes against the house of the Lord, because they transgress my covenant and rebel against my law.
- Matthew 24:28Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
- Luke 17:37“Where, Lord?” they asked him. He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Their horses also are swifter than the leopards - The Chaldean cavalry are proverbial for swiftness, courage, etc. In Jeremiah, Jeremiah 4:13, it is said, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar, "His chariots are as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles." Oppian, speaking of the horses bred about the Euphrates, says, "They are by nature warhorses, and so intrepid that neither the sight nor the roaring of the lion appals them; and, besides, they are…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Their horses are swifter - literally, lighter, as we say “light of foot” Than leopards - The wild beast intended is the panther, the lightest, swiftest, fiercest, most bloodthirsty of beasts of prey “It runs most swiftly and rushes brave and straight. You would say, when you saw it, that it is borne through the air.” Cyril: “It bounds exceedingly and is exceedingly light to spring down on whatever it pursues.” More fierce - o Than the evening wolves…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The vivid images of cheetahs, wolves, and eagles show how fast and violent the Babylonian attacks against Judah were. These animals also show that the Babylonians hunted their enemies like prey (see Jeremiah 4:13; 48:40; 49:22).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. swifter than the leopards--Oppian [Cynegeticks, 3.76], says of the leopard, "It runs most swiftly straight on: you would fancy it was flying through the air." more fierce--rather, "more keen"; literally, "sharp." evening wolves--wolves famished with fasting all day and so most keen in attacking the fold under covert of the approaching night (Jr 5:6; Zep 3:3; compare Ge 49:27). Hence "twilight" is termed in Arabic and Persian "the wolf's tail"; and in…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 1:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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