Habakkuk 3:14

¹² Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.

¹³ Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

¹⁵ Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.

¹⁶ When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak.
KJV: Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
WEB: You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.
ASV: Thou didst pierce with his own staves the head of his warriors: They came as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
DARBY: Thou didst strike through with his own spears the head of his leaders: They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me, Whose exulting was as to devour the afflicted secretly.
BLB: You pierced the head of his warriors with his staves; they stormed out to scatter me, [in] their rejoicing as one who devours the afflicted in [his] hiding place.

ÅB: Du gjennomborer med hans[^5] eget spyd hodene på hans skarer, som stormer fram for å sprede meg og gleder seg slik som de skulle til å fortære en fattig i skjul.
OTB: Med hans eget spyd gjennomboret Du
hodet til hans krigere.
De stormet ut for å spre oss,
hoverende som om de skulle sluke de undertrykte i hemmelighet.
B1930: Du gjennemborer med hans eget spyd hodene på hans skarer, som stormer frem for å sprede mig og gleder sig likesom de skulde til å opete en arming i lønndom. / < den ugudeliges; HAB 3, 13.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Zechariah 9:14
And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
Read in context
Daniel 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Read in context
Psalms 118:10–12
All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
Read in context
Exodus 11:4–7
And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
Read in context
Exodus 1:10–16
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Read in context
Exodus 12:12–13
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Read in context
Judges 7:22
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.
Read in context
Psalms 10:8
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Read in context