New Living Translation
Habakkuk 3:13
13You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe.
Habakkuk 3:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
- New International Version (NIV)You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah
- New King James Version (NKJV)You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah
Context of Habakkuk 3:13
11The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your brilliant arrows flew and your glittering spear flashed. 12You marched across the land in anger and trampled the nations in your fury. You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe. 14With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey. 15You trampled the sea with your horses, and the mighty waters piled high.
Read all of Habakkuk 3Habakkuk 3:13 word by word
יָצָ֙אתָ֙ לְיֵ֣שַׁע עַמֶּ֔ךָ לְיֵ֖שַׁע אֶת־מְשִׁיחֶ֑ךָ מָחַ֤צְתָּ רֹּאשׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית רָשָׁ֔ע עָר֛וֹת יְס֥וֹד עַד־צַוָּ֖אר סֶֽלָה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thou wentest forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- for the salvationיֵ֫שַׁעyesha‛ yêsha‛ · salvationH3468
- of thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- with thine anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
- thou woundedstמָחַץmâchats · to woundH4272
- the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- out of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- by discoveringעָרָה‛ârâh · to uncoverH6168
- the foundationיְסוֹדyesôd · foundationH3247
- unto the neckצַוָּארtsavvâ'r tsavvâr tsavvârôn tsavvâ'râh · neckH6677
- Selahסֶ֫לָהselâh · SelahH5542
Cross-references for Habakkuk 3:13
- Exodus 14:13But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.
- Exodus 15:1Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
- Psalms 68:7O God, when you led your people out from Egypt, when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
- Psalms 77:20You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
- Psalms 89:19Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people. You said, “I have raised up a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.
- Psalms 99:6Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.
- Psalms 105:15“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
- Isaiah 63:11Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people?
- Exodus 12:29And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.
- Joshua 10:11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
- Joshua 11:8And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive.
- Psalms 18:37I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
- Psalms 68:21But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
- Psalms 74:13You split the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
- Psalms 110:6He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
Commentaries on Habakkuk 3:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people - Their deliverance would not have been effected but through thy interference. For salvation with thine anointed - That is, with Joshua, whom God had anointed, or solemnly appointed to fill the place of Moses, and lead the people into the promised land. If we read, with the common text, משיחך meshichecha, "thy anointed," the singular number, Joshua is undoubtedly meant, who was God's instrument to put the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Thou wentest forth - Even a Jew says of this place, Kimchi: “The past is here used for the future; and this is frequent in the language of prophecy; for prophecy, although it be future, yet since it is, as it were, firmly fixed, they use the past concerning it.” The prophet speaks again in the past, perhaps to fix the mind on that signal going-forth, when God destroyed Pharaoh, the first enemy who essayed to destroy the chosen line. This stands at the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-15Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-15The Lord acts as a divine warrior for his people, using his power to save them. This picture of God as a divine warrior appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it is seen in Israel’s escape from Egypt and their journey to Mount Sinai (Exodus 15:1–18). It also appears as Israel approached the promised land from the south and during their early victories in the land (for example, Judges 5:4–5; Psalms 18:8–16…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. with thine anointed--with Messiah; of whom Moses, Joshua, and David, God's anointed leaders of Israel, were the types (Psa 89:19, 20, 38). God from the beginning delivered His people in person, or by the hand of a Mediator (Is 63:11). Thus Habakkuk confirms believers in the hope of their deliverance, as well because God is always the same, as also because the same anointed Mediator is ready now to fulfil God's will and interpose for Israel, as of old…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Habakkuk 3
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries