Habakkuk 3:9 You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

◄ Habakkuk 3:9 ►

New International Version
You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers;

New Living Translation
You brandished your bow and your quiver of arrows. You split open the earth with flowing rivers.

English Standard Version
You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

Berean Standard Bible
You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

King James Bible
Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

New King James Version
Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers.

New American Standard Bible
You removed Your bow from its holder, The arrows of Your word were sworn. Selah You divided the earth with rivers.

NASB 1995
Your bow was made bare, The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah. You cleaved the earth with rivers.

NASB 1977
Thy bow was made bare, The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

Legacy Standard Bible
Your bow was made bare; Rods were sworn unto battle by word. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.

Amplified Bible
Your bow was made bare; The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah (pause, calmly think of that). You split the earth with rivers [bringing waters to dry places].

Christian Standard Bible
You took the sheath from your bow; the arrows are ready to be used with an oath. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You took the sheath from Your bow; the arrows are ready to be used with an oath. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

American Standard Version
Thy bow was made quite bare; The oaths to the tribes were a sure word. [Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

Contemporary English Version
Your arrows were ready and obeyed your commands. You split the earth apart with rivers and streams;

English Revised Version
Thy bow was made quite bare; the oaths to the tribes were a sure word. Selah Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You get your bow ready for action, for the arrows [you] promised. [Selah] You split the land with rivers.

Good News Translation
You got ready to use your bow, ready to shoot your arrows. Your lightning split open the earth.

International Standard Version
Your bow was exposed, and your arrows targeted by command. Interlude You split the earth with rivers.

Majority Standard Bible
You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

NET Bible
Your bow is ready for action; you commission your arrows. Selah. You cause flash floods on the earth's surface.

New Heart English Bible
You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

World English Bible
You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
You make Your bow utterly naked, "" The tribes have sworn, saying, “Pause!” You cleave the earth [with] rivers.

Young's Literal Translation
Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes -- saying, 'Pause!' With rivers Thou dost cleave the earth.

Smith's Literal Translation
In nakedness thou shalt raise thy bow, the oaths of the tribes, he said. Silence. Thou wilt divide the earth with rivers.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Being stirred up, you will take up your bow, the oaths you have spoken to the tribes. You will split apart the Rivers of the earth.

New American Bible
You readied your bow, you filled your bowstring with arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers;

New Revised Standard Version
You brandished your naked bow, sated were the arrows at your command. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Thy bow was made ready, the arrows were abundant at the command of thy glorious word. Thou didst furrow the earth with rivers.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Your bow will wake up to awake and the arrows will be filled with your glorious Word, and you ploughed the Earth with rivers!

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thy bow is made quite bare; Sworn are the rods of the word. Selah. Thou dost cleave the earth with rivers.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Surely thou didst bend they bow at scepters, saith the Lord. Pause. The land of rivers shall be torn asunder.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Habakkuk's Prayer
…8Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation? 9You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers. 10The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Psalm 7:12-13
If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow. / He has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire.

Psalm 45:3-5
Strap your sword at your side, O mighty warrior; appear in your majesty and splendor. / In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth and humility and justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds. / Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet.

Isaiah 49:2
He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.

Deuteronomy 32:41-42
when I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me. / I will make My arrows drunk with blood, while My sword devours flesh—the blood of the slain and captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”

Psalm 18:14
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.

Psalm 77:17
The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.

Isaiah 34:5-6
When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, then it will come down upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. / The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

Zechariah 9:13-14
For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. / Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

Revelation 6:2
So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.

Revelation 19:11-15
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Corinthians 10:4
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.” / Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? / “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. ...

Jeremiah 47:6-7
‘Alas, O sword of the LORD, how long until you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still!’ / How can it rest when the LORD has commanded it? He has appointed it against Ashkelon and the shore of its coastland.”

Treasury of Scripture

Your bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even your word. Selah. You did split the earth with rivers.

bow.

Deuteronomy 32:23
I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

Psalm 7:12,13
If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready…

Psalm 35:1-3
A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me…

according.

Genesis 15:18-21
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: …

Genesis 17:7,8
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee…

Genesis 22:16-18
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: …

Selah.

Habakkuk 3:9
Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

Psalm 143:6
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Thou.

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Psalm 78:15,16
He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths…

the earth with rivers.

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Habakkuk 3

1. Habakkuk, in his prayer, trembles at God's majesty.
17. The confidence of his faith.

Berean Study Bible

Your bow was uncovered
In this phrase, the imagery of a bow being uncovered suggests preparation for battle or action. In the Hebrew context, the bow is often a symbol of God's power and readiness to execute judgment or deliverance. The uncovering signifies a revelation of divine strength and intent. Historically, bows were essential weapons in ancient warfare, and their mention here underscores God's might and readiness to intervene on behalf of His people.

The rods of discipline were sworn
The term "rods of discipline" can be understood as instruments of correction or judgment. In Hebrew, the word for "rod" often symbolizes authority and correction, as seen in Proverbs 13:24, where discipline is associated with love and guidance. The swearing of these rods indicates a divine promise or covenant, emphasizing God's commitment to uphold justice and righteousness. This reflects the historical context of God's covenant relationship with Israel, where discipline was a means of guiding His people back to faithfulness.

Selah
This term, often found in the Psalms, is a pause or interlude, inviting the reader to reflect on the preceding words. In the context of Habakkuk, "Selah" serves as a moment to meditate on the profound truths of God's power and justice. It encourages believers to pause and consider the weight of God's actions and promises, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of His divine nature.

You split the earth with rivers
This phrase highlights God's sovereign control over creation. The imagery of splitting the earth with rivers evokes the power of God to shape and transform the natural world. In the Hebrew tradition, water is often a symbol of life and blessing, but also of chaos and judgment, as seen in the Flood narrative. This duality underscores God's ability to bring both life and judgment, reflecting His ultimate authority over all creation. Historically, rivers were vital for sustaining life in ancient cultures, and their mention here reinforces the idea of God's provision and dominion.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Thy bow was made quite naked.--Better, Thy bow shall be bared, even the chastisements sworn by Thy word. Selah. With rivers shalt thou cleave the earth. God's chastisements, which are compared in Psalm 21:12 to arrows fitted to the string, are here represented as a bow taken out of the case, and so "made naked," or "bared." The word matteh, "rod," "stem" (hence, also, "tribe"), used to denote an instrument of chastisement in Micah 6:9, Isaiah 30:32, here apparently means the punishment, or chastisement, of heathen iniquities, which God has sworn (see Deuteronomy 32:40-41) to execute. On the term Selah see Psalm 3:4 note. With rivers shalt thou cleave the earth, i.e., the rocks shall send forth new watercourses at Jehovah's bidding, so that "rivers run in the dry places." (See Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11.) . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - The prophet continues his description of the Lord as "a man of war" (Exodus 15:3). Thy bow was made quite naked. The sheath of the bow was laid aside to make it ready for use. In the Assyrian monuments the bow case forms part of the quiver, and holds only the lower half of the bow (Rawlinson, 'Anc. Mon.,' 2:55, edit. 1864). It was fastened to the side of the chariot or carried at the back of the archer. (For the general sense, comp. Deuteronomy 32:40, etc.; Psalm 45:5.) In the Revelation (Revelation 6:2) he that sits on the white horse has a bow. According to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word; i.e. thou doest all this to confirm the promises of deliverance and salvation made to the tribes of Israel This sense is satisfactory; but the Hebrew text is corrupt, and cannot be explained with any certainty. The Revised Version gives," The oaths to the tribes were a sure word;" in the margin, "Sworn were the chastisements (Hebrew, 'rods') of thy word." Thus Dr. Briggs: "Sworn are the rods of thy word." Orelli translates," Oaths, rods of the word," and explains the clause to mean that the Lord comes to execute the denounced punishment, which proceeds from his mouth like chastising rods. The word mattoth is translated "tribes" (as in 2 Chronicles 5:2) or "rods." Keil contends for the latter, as instruments of chastisement, rendering," Rods are sworn by word" Henderson, taking the words as a military signal, curiously translates, "'Sevens of spears' was the word." Pusey supports the Authorized Version, which, indeed. gives a good sense, and is probably correct It is virtually supported by Jerome, who has, "Suscitans suscitabis arcum tuum, juramenta tribubus quae locutus es," "Thou wilt awaken the oaths," which, so long as the evil prospered, seemed to be forgotten and sleeping. The LXX. emits the word rendered "oaths," and translates mattoth, σκῆπτρα, thus: Ἐντείνων ἐνέτεινας τόξον σου ἐπὶ σκῆπτρα λέγει Κύριος, "Thou didst surely bend thy bow against sceptres." Selah. A pause ensues before the introduction of a new series of natural phenomena, accompanying the Lord's epiphany (see on ver. 3). The next clause would be more fitly joined with ver. 10. Thou didst cleave the earth with (or, into) rivers. This refers to some catastrophe like that which happened at the Flood, when "the fountains of the great deep were broken up" (Genesis 7:11; comp. Psalm 77:16). Others think that the allusion is to the miracles at the Red Sea, or Sinai, or Rephidim in the wilderness, as in Psalm 74; Psalm 78; Psalm 105. But though the prophet glances at such particular circumstances, his scope is more general.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

You brandished
עֶרְיָ֤ה (‘er·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6181: Nakedness

Your bow;
קַשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ (qaš·te·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7198: A bow, for, shooting, the iris

You called for
אֹ֣מֶר (’ō·mer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 562: Promise, speech, thing, word

many arrows.
מַטּ֖וֹת (maṭ·ṭō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

Selah
סֶ֑לָה (se·lāh)
Interjection
Strong's 5542: Suspension, pause

You split
תְּבַקַּע־ (tə·ḇaq·qa‘-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1234: To cleave, to rend, break, rip, open

the earth
אָֽרֶץ׃ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

with rivers.
נְהָר֖וֹת (nə·hā·rō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity

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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 3:9 You uncovered your bow (Hab Hb)