Habakkuk 3:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, the Hebrew text uses ‘steadfastness’ in place of ‘fulfilment.’ Feet equipped for steadfastness must guide us towards perseverance in godliness, stability in virtue, tenacity in faith, and love for Christ. Furthermore, the existence of those justified in Christ is devoid of anything mundane and trivial; it transcends all earthly and physical concerns and embodies the utmost virtue, as expressed in the assertion, ‘unto the high He lifteth me up.’ The virtues of a life lived in accordance with the gospel are truly esteemed in the eyes of God. And that we shall triumph over our foes and vanquish our adversaries by extolling Him is made clear by His declaration, ‘I will overcome in my song.’

While the Septuagint translates this as “my Saviour,” the same truth is echoed by the angel Gabriel when he proclaims, “And Jesus shall be called, for He shall save His people” (Matt. 1:21). God the Lord is my fortress; my only strength lies in Christ, rendering all legal justifications as meaningless. He will guide my steps like a deer, enabling me to overcome all peril, and I am as a child who can safely engage with danger without fear, for my Beloved resembles a wild goat or a young deer, as expressed in the Song of Songs (Song 2:9).

Since He is indeed a deer, He allows me to be a deer too, with strong horns, sure-footedness, and a diet that sustains me, using my fragrance to repel serpents. As stated in the seventeenth Psalm, “Who hath made my feet like the feet of deer, and on the heights shall He set me” (Psalm 17:34), and in the twenty-eighth Psalm, “The voice of the Lord who perfects the deer” (Psalm 28:9). Thus, He will place my feet among His other deer and elevate me to celestial realms, so that amidst the angels I may sing His glory and proclaim peace to those of good will. I will celebrate His triumphs, the victories, and conquests gained through the cross.

All of this, as referenced in the book of Hebrews, correlates with the time of the Jewish fall and the advent of the Lord. However, when interpreted concerning the end of the world, we can understand it in the context of how the Israelites rejoiced in the Lord and in their God during their deliverance in Egypt, as recounted in Exodus (Exod. 9). The Israelites rejoiced when God shook Egypt, struck down their vineyards and fig trees, and judged the firstborn of both people and animals with severe plagues, leading to devastation in Egypt, where the fig tree bore no fruit, the vineyards had no shoots, and the olive trees were scarce. The fields saw no provision, all because the livestock had no feed. Similarly, at the final days, when iniquity abounds and love grows cold (Matt. 24:12), when the fig tree bears no fruit and the vines are bare, then those found righteous and chosen by God will joyfully proclaim: I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will find joy in God my Saviour. The Lord is my fortress. As if placed by God above the world's ruin, to ascend to the heights, the faithful will say: He will establish my feet at the end of time, lifting me to high places.

When the victorious Jesus, who first triumphed in the contest, appoints me to join in the song of victory, I will prevail in praising Him, and my hands will create beautiful melodies on strings, harps, and all forms of instruments, composing a song of adoration for the Victor. In that day, I who once cried out, “How long, O Lord, shall I cry out, and Thou wilt not hear?” while enduring wrath and seeking deliverance, will in joy proclaim His righteousness and outshine the other singers with my song.