Habakkuk 3:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In these remarks, the prophet illustrates the devastation of the land inhabited by the Jewish people, as well as the ruin of the nations that resided there. Due to their refusal to accept faith in Christ, their rebellion against Him, and their act of slaying the Author of Life, they were given over to desolation. Isaiah warned them of this, stating, "Woe unto the lawless one: for evil shall befall him according to the work of his hands" (Isaiah 3:11).

You will strike the earth with disdain, and with wrath obliterate the voices, meaning You will bring low those who are proud by intimidating them; and those who lift themselves up, You will bring down with discipline.

The text we've provided focuses on our interpretation exclusively to lay out the flow of this section as found in the Hebrew scripture, allowing for a detailed examination of the Septuagint's text, tackling it section by section based on punctuation cues. The mountains beheld You, O God, and were troubled, representing the high kingdoms and the esteemed rulers of this world. The four chariots described by Zechariah emerged from the brass mountains (Zech. 6:1). They gazed upon You with astonishment. The depths of the waters receded, symbolizing the relentless ambitions and persecutions that tormented Your people, which faded away upon witnessing Your presence. Subsequently, the abyss, meaning hell, offered praise to You; and then the angels, representing the exalted beings, began to applaud as if showcasing the victorious through gestures and rejoicing in unison.

Your sun, moon, and all sources of light that once shone before Your people became obscured by the weight of wickedness but have now regained their brilliance, radiating with their original glory. Your arrows and lightning bolts, representing Your plagues and corrections, illuminated light to Your people. In the radiance of these arrows and the brilliance of the spear that struck them for their redress, Your people started to walk in reverence towards You. Thus, when You bring forth vengeance upon the injustices of Your people, You will tread on earthly kingdoms, leaving all nations in awe of You, for You have acted for the redemption of Your people and have approached them through Your Anointed One.

Indeed, the book of Hebrews states, "Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people with Jesus Christ Thy Christ," since "Jesus" means "Savior." At the arrival of Jesus Christ Your Son, You have struck down the Antichrist within this wicked age; indeed, You have vanquished the devil, the head of wickedness, laying open his very foundations not temporarily but eternally, as signified by the term sela, meaning forever. The nations will behold You and lament, or rather “shall be distressed by the pains of childbirth,” as both meanings of ὠδινήσουσι imply. Therefore, once the earth is divided, and rivers break forth from it, those nations that partook of the streams of God will witness You and will be afflicted as if in labor. By seeing You, they will understand and declare, “In fear of You, O Lord, we conceived, we labored in distress, and we gave birth: the spirit of Thy salvation we will bring forth upon the earth” (Is. 26:17, 18). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). These nations, cleansed by the waters, have yet to perceive God but will soon do so, and upon seeing, they will conceive, ready to yield the fruits of doctrine.

However, since they are termed nations, it seems implausible that they should view the divine countenance. The expressions “shall see” and “shall conceive” thus refer to future events; it is more fitting to interpret figuratively the Hebrew text which states, “The mountains have seen Thee and have borne Thee.” The mountains are distinctive in their vision of God and in bearing children birthed through the Word of God.

Regarding the phrase “Dissolve the waters of the way,” various kinds of waters exist; some are eternal while others are fleeting. Concerning the everlasting waters that flow from springs in Israel, it is noted, “By rivers shall the earth be cut up.” However, for those transient waters that surge quickly yet only for a short while, it is stated, “All streams flow into the sea,” leading to their eventual extinction. God will scatter all the waters tainted by perverse doctrines after dismantling the schemes of rulers and the wisdom of this world. If you witness some heresy thriving briefly, then dispersed by God’s grace, proclaim that the directives, “Thou shalt scatter the waters of the way,” have been fulfilled.

The phrase “of the way” might imply “of the devil,” indicating that those waters, wherein the devil walked and which facilitated many errors, shall be divided and scattered by the Lord. Hence, other interpreters, attempting to depict the turmoil of heretics, have translated it as “The blow” or “The rush of the waters shall pass by.” They are swept away in the swift flow of eloquence, spiraling out of control when encountering frivolous individuals.

The term “abyss” appears frequently with varying implications—sometimes positive, often negative, and occasionally neutral. Positively, it is referenced in, “Thy judgments are a multitude of abysses” (Psalms 35:7), and “The abyss calls to the abyss” (Psalms 41:8). Negatively, in, “The waters have seen Thee, O God” (Ps. 76:17). Furthermore, demons entreat the Lord not to cast them into the abysses (Luke 8:31). In Genesis, “the abyss was over which darkness lay” (Gen. 1:2), and whether this holds a positive meaning is uncertain. When utilized in a neutral context, the phrase appears in, “The fountains of the abyss were opened, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Gen. 7:11). In Psalm 148: “Dragons and all abysses: fire, hail, and stormy winds” (Ps. 148:7-8), unless the mentioned elements symbolize negative aspects. Regardless, all creation praises the Lord.

If the abyss is understood positively, we could say that after the waters of wickedness were dispersed, the wise among Your people saw You and the heights of knowledge acquired by contemplating You (for indeed, the mountains saw You and bore witness to You) and proclaimed with joyful shouts what they knew of You. The sudden ascent of thought He aptly refers to as “the heights,” echoing the words of Jesus, Son of Sirach: “Who explores the abyss and wisdom?” (Sir. 1:2; Eccl. 1:2). Thereafter, from the mystical mountain (Ps. 41:8; Phlp. 2:7), that is, the assumption of the human body, as Daniel describes—a stone cut from the mountain without human hands—(Dan. 2:37, 45), the Abyss, which Christ calls the Father, is another abyss manifesting through the thunder of His windows opening, bestowing authority upon those who preach the Gospel with great power.

The New Testament may also refer to the abyss, serving as a witness to the small mountain from which the prince of Tyre was cast, invoking the abyss of the Old Testament, that through the mighty openings of Christ, i.e., His Apostles, the preaching may gain strength and efficacy. But should anyone interpret, “The abyss has given its voice, the height of its imagination,” negatively, let him note that after the division of the sinful waters, these terms must also be understood in an opposing context. Notably, it says, “the height of imagination,” rather than “his own,” implying a shadow or image. While possessing an appearance of height and scriptural understanding, such elevation pales in comparison to the truth, resulting in mere illusion, and with their voices raised in vain, as the “waters of the way” have already been scattered.

We might ask: Is there ever a beneficial notion of imagination in scripture? Given that it is seldom found or occasionally mentioned, we might thus interpret both “abyss” and “imagination” negatively.

According to a straightforward interpretation, the assertion, “The sun rose, and the moon became in her rank,” implies an increase in the light of these celestial bodies. As noted by Isaiah, during the age to come, the sun will shine sevenfold and the moon will illuminate like the sun (Isaiah 30:26). For creation will be released from its bondage to corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:21); the creation bound to futility by the one who subjected it shall find hope in freedom at the world's end, when all creation is liberated. Then both sun and moon will be freed and restored to their rightful positions.

Should we interpret the sun as the embodiment of truth—Christ—and the moon, reflecting this light, representing the Church, it is apparent that this Church is illuminated through the light of truth, the light of humanity, the radiance of God's glory, and the splendor of eternal light, fluctuating in the current era depending on its condition of oppression or favor. When the sun rises, as the Apostle asserts, and God glorifies Him, granting Him a name above every name (Phil. 2:9), then, the Church, momentarily unable to maintain its rightful status, will align itself properly, adopting an unchanging posture, hearing with Moses: “But thou shalt stand here with Me” (Exodus 34:2).

In “In brightness or light, Thy arrows shall go forth, and in the splendor of Thy weapons like lightning,” God’s arrows or continually flying spears are sent not for destruction but to bring illumination. In contrast to these arrows and spears, there is the chosen arrow—Christ—who declares through Isaiah, “He has made me a chosen arrow; in His quiver, He concealed me and said unto me, Great shall be the value of thy being called My servant” (Isaiah 29:2-3). The chosen arrow shall send forth many arrows into the world. Therefore the bride, struck by this chosen arrow, expresses, “I am wounded with love” (Song 2:5); thus we could articulate, “I am wounded with integrity, I am equal with wisdom.” By this arrow of wisdom, the Queen of the South was also pierced, amazed by realizing more existence in the actual Solomon than in the one she had heard rumors about (3 Kings 10:7).

Thus, these illuminating arrows are propelled forth in the brilliant lightning of His mystical weapons, i.e., God. Indeed, whoever is properly equipped to resist the devil’s snares, clad in the whole armor mentioned by the Apostle (Eph. 4:11), shall have the light arrows directed at him, to hear, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). Conversely, those entrenched in sin, lamenting in the villages of Kedar, will receive sharp arrows enhanced with burning coals (Ps. 119:4-5) to initially strike them with divine words, prompting: “I was in tribulation when the thorny thorn pierced me” (Ps. 31:4); afterwards, having been smitten by the Seraphim, a purifying burning coal was delivered to him, that is, the fiery word of God—to cleanse not only his mouth—you know, Isaiah referred to them as unclean (Isaiah 4)—but all parts of his being, leading to an absence of sin.

The words, “In threatening Thou wilt diminish the earth, and in fury Thou wilt carry away the nations,” may signify the world’s conclusion when countless wars and violent deaths leave only a few behind. Those unwilling to become part of God’s people, remaining in disbelief, will be cast down to the depths of hell by the anger of God’s wrath. However, a preferable understanding concerns the earthly actions of sinful individuals who, while present in church, do not await their removal carried off by His fury; rather, they recognize from scripture what penalties await sinners, repent, and gradually cease their earthly pursuits, aspiring towards heaven. When any of us feel compelled by the fear of the Lord’s warnings, the earthly attachments will lessen for them; conversely, those who remain among the Gentiles, disinclined to join the people of God, regarding whom it is said, “The nations shall see Thee, and mothers shall be tormented with pains,” shall together with the Gentiles be drawn to a place of punishment.

Then, reflecting on the phrase, “Thou hast gone forth to save Thy people, to save Thy anointed ones," let us first discern the various anointed figures, and afterwards consider how the Lord sought to save them. In the Old Testament, the anointed ones encompassed primarily the patriarchs, noted in the Psalms with the reprimand, “You shall not touch My anointed ones, nor do harm to My prophets” (Psalm 114:14-15). Additionally, in 1 Chronicles, all who departed from Egypt are labeled anointed (1 Chron. 16:22). In Exodus, there is also the procedure for anointing the priests (Exod. 30:23-30), which is further elaborated in Leviticus (Lev. 8:12 ff.).

In the brilliance of Your light, Your arrows will be launched, and with the flash of Your weaponry. You will bring low the earth with contempt and annihilate the speech of the rebellious. Amidst these insurrections against the messengers sent by You to the nations, the prophet declares that You possess unfathomable might and are rich in means of judgment. While You could bring affliction upon all the earth and its people with a single strike, You remain patient. Yet, Your patience shall be manifested because... (Hab. 3:13)