Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryHabakkuk 3

The Prophet's PrayerThis chapter is a prayer from Habakkuk. It is both a personal meditation and an intercession for God’s people. Habakkuk, like other prophets, was a man of prayer. Even when he had to announce hard messages, he still prayed for those under judgment. He had learned to trust God’s answers and continued to seek God’s help, especially in difficult times. This prayer shows how, even when we know trouble is coming, we can still ask God for mercy and help for His people.v. 1: The chapter begins by calling this a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. It shows that prophets did not just speak for God, but also prayed for the people and the church.

v. 2: Habakkuk says, O Lord

God’s Glorious Coming to Save His People In this section, Habakkuk remembers how God has powerfully helped His people in the past. He describes God’s coming as awesome and full of majesty, using poetic images from earlier times when God rescued Israel. This shows that, even when things look bad, God is still mighty and will come to save. The prophet’s prayer gives hope by looking back at what God has done before and trusting Him for the future. v. 3: God is described as coming from Teman and Mount Paran, regions near where the Israelites wandered after leaving Egypt (Deuteronomy 33:2 ). This reminds us of how God appeared to His people in the wilderness. His glory covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. This means that God’s presence is awesome and fills the whole world, showing that He is greater than any problem His people face.

v. 4: God’s brightness is compared to the sunlight. Rays come from His hand, and His power is hidden there. This poetic image shows how powerful and pure God is. Even though we cannot see all of God’s power, it is always at work behind the scenes.

v. 5: Before God goes “pestilence,” and “plague follows at His feet.” This means God has the power to send sickness and disaster as judgments on His enemies, as He did in Egypt with the plagues (Exodus 7:14–12:30 ). It shows God can use any force in nature to accomplish His will.

v. 6: God stands and measures the earth. He looks and shakes the nations. The ancient mountains and hills collapse before Him, but His ways last forever. This means that all the powers and problems of the world are nothing compared to God’s eternal strength. He is in control of history and will always achieve His purpose.

v. 7: Habakkuk sees the tents of Cushan in distress and the curtains of Midian trembling. These were nations near Israel that trembled when God acted in power. This shows that when God rises to help His people, even other nations are afraid.

The Conquest of Canaan; Devout Confidence.In this section, the prophet Habakkuk shows both deep fear and great joy. He describes how God's people can feel troubled by what is coming but can also trust and rejoice in God. This passage reminds us that life on earth is full of ups and downs, but in heaven there will be only joy. Habakkuk teaches us how to respond when we see trouble coming—by trusting God and remembering His faithfulness in the past.v. 16: Habakkuk says, I have heard thy speech and was afraid . The prophet had seen that enemy nations would attack God's people and that hard times were coming. This made him so scared that his whole body shook. He says, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice—he felt weak, like rottenness had entered into his bones. He could not even stand up. He trembled inside and out because he cared deeply for his people and feared what might happen to them. He did not hide his fear but admitted that he trembled at God's word. Habakkuk knew that it is good to fear God's warnings, because those who respect God will find rest, even in times of trouble. Just as Noah was moved with fear and found safety in the ark (Hebrews 11:7 ), Habakkuk hoped to find peace. He feared that when the Chaldeans invaded, they would destroy the people of Israel. Sometimes, when things look bad, we think the worst will happen.

v. 17: Habakkuk imagines losing everything—food, drink, and even the basic things needed for life. He says, though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food, the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls . These are all things people depended on to live. War or bad weather could take them away, or people might lose them when they are taken captive. Habakkuk warns us that we should not trust too much in what we have, because we could lose it all one day (1 Corinthians 7:29–30 ).

v. 18: Even if all these things are gone, Habakkuk decides to rejoice in God. He says, yet I will rejoice in the Lord

v. 19: Habakkuk explains why he can rejoice: The Lord