Habakkuk 3:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, "men shall see you and be sick of you," having partaken from Your fountain and the waters of the Gospel. They eagerly approached Him who declares, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me" (John 7:37); for He was abundant in mercy and goodness, providing life-giving water, which is the instructive word of the Gospel. As Matthew describes, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness" (Matthew 9:35). This, I believe, aligns with the phrase "wasting the waters of thy procession." The divinely inspired Scriptures frequently refer to the word as water—how could this be doubted? The abyss cries out while the heights echo in response. This reflects the countless nations that give birth to virtue; indeed, such is the abyss. The multitude of holy angels is similarly denoted as "the hosts" by Ezekiel. God, in the persona of the prince of Tyre, lamented the descent of Satan into hell, declaring, "The abyss cried for him" (Ezekiel 31:15), because he was exalted above all and filled with glory, residing between the Cherubim, only to meet his downfall. It is understandable that the spiritual abyss, representing the highest divine hosts, felt deep sorrow, mourning for the one who faced such a fate and transgressed against the Almighty. Thus, the abyss, symbolizing the vast multitude of believers, and the "haunted height" within, embodying all that is magnificent and radiant in the world, both "gave their voice." Christ is exalted by every nation, visible to all—from the humble to the distinguished, from the rich to the learned—each acknowledging Him readily. All of these are rightly considered phantoms, as they perceive it merely as an illusion, given that "all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of the grass" (Isaiah 40:6). The declaration that "the abyss will give its voice" and both small and great will offer praise to the Lord Jesus Christ is also reflected in David's words, "Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths," and further reiterating, "mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars; wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds," he concludes with, "Let them praise the name of the Lord" (Psalm 148:7, 9-13). Furthermore, the prophet Isaiah prophesied, "Kings shall see him, and princes shall arise and worship him" (Isaiah 49:7), illustrating why "the abyss and the heights shall give voice," adding, "The sun shall be raised, and the moon shall align in the light."

When the earth trembles, these waters surge forth, transforming into rivers.

In recognizing this, we can see that the soul inherently harbors flows and currents, though they remain obscured by our own apathy. Yet, when stirred by the proclamation of God’s Word and elevated from its stagnant condition, the hidden streams within are released and begin to flow, restoring vitality to those who partake. (Gen. 26:15-18) While Abraham lived, his wells remained intact; however, after his passing, disputes arose when his wells were filled and his servants endeavored to dig anew, met with opposition from the Philistines. Conversely, if Isaac himself were to dig a well and discover water, the Philistines could not resist.

Consider Peter and Paul, and you will have no reason to doubt the flowing rivers of Christ. Observing all the apostles, it becomes evident that the four rivers no longer flow from the paradise of Scriptures, but rather twelve streams emerge. Before the earth was stirred, these rivers were concealed; their location within the earth’s veins rendered them unable to satisfy the thirsty. However, following the upheaval of the earth and the cosmos at Christ's coming, they burst forth, realizing the prophecy: "He turned the rivers into a desert, and the springs of waters into dry land, the fertile land into salt marsh, because of the wickedness of those who dwell therein" (Psalm 106:38, 34). He transformed the wilderness into flourishing marshes and barren lands into springs, providing shelter to the thirsty, who established a city in that place.

Thus, after the Lord entered the world and accomplished what was proclaimed in the Gospel, "For judgment I came into the world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind" (John 9:39), the land of Israel, where once rivers nourished the people of Judah, dried up, and all its springs ceased to flow. The entire world, once desolate and barren, devoid of divine preaching, was renewed with swamps teeming with waters, as many springs arose, producing teachers. It is insufficient for these rivers and springs merely to quench the thirst of all nations; rather, by uniting those who had long suffered in various locations due to a famine of God’s Word, they established a church, referred to as a city of refuge, invigorated by the flow of the stream (Psalm 45:5).