Habakkuk 3:14
New International Version
With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.

New Living Translation
With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey.

English Standard Version
You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
You thrust through with his own arrows The head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret.

New American Standard Bible
You pierced with his own arrows The head of his leaders. They stormed in to scatter us; Their arrogance was like those Who devour the oppressed in secret.

NASB 1995
You pierced with his own spears The head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; Their exultation was like those Who devour the oppressed in secret.

NASB 1977
Thou didst pierce with his own spears The head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; Their exultation was like those Who devour the oppressed in secret.

Legacy Standard Bible
You pierced with his own sharpened rods The head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; Their exultation was like those Who devour the afflicted in secret.

Amplified Bible
With the enemy’s own spears, You pierced The head of his hordes. They stormed out to scatter us, Rejoicing like those Who secretly devour the oppressed [of Israel].

Christian Standard Bible
You pierce his head with his own spears; his warriors storm out to scatter us, gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You pierce his head with his own spears; his warriors storm out to scatter us, gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
You shattered with his staves the heads of his Authorities who trusted in their savagery, because they would devour the poor in a secret place

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou didst cut asunder the heads of princes with amazement, they shall tremble in it; they shall burst their bridles, they shall be as a poor man devouring in secret.

Contemporary English Version
His troops had come like a storm, hoping to scatter us and glad to gobble us up. To them we were refugees in hiding--but you smashed their heads with their own weapons.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You pierce the leader of his gang with his own arrows. His soldiers come like a violent storm to scatter me. They are arrogant like those who secretly eat up the poor.

Good News Translation
Your arrows pierced the commander of his army when it came like a storm to scatter us, gloating like those who secretly oppress the poor.

International Standard Version
With his own lances you pierced the heads of his warriors, who came out like a windstorm to scatter us — their joy is to devour the afflicted who are in hiding.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast stricken through with his own rods the head of his rulers, That come as a whirlwind to scatter me; Whose rejoicing is as to devour the poor secretly.

Literal Standard Version
You have pierced the head of his leaders with his own rods, | They are tempestuous to scatter me, | Their exultation [is] as to consume the poor in secret.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
You pierced his head with your shafts; his princes you scattered with your stormwind, as food for the poor in unknown places.

NET Bible
You pierce the heads of his warriors with a spear. They storm forward to scatter us; they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition.

New Revised Standard Version
You pierced with their own arrows the head of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter us, gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in hiding.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou didst strike through with his staffs the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou hast pierced with his staves the head of his leaders, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation is as to consume the poor in secret.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Habakkuk's Prayer
13You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe. Selah 14With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak. 15You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters.…

Cross References
Judges 7:22
And when the three hundred rams' horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

Psalm 10:8
He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.

Psalm 64:2
Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of workers of iniquity,

Daniel 11:40
At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood.

Zechariah 9:14
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.


Treasury of Scripture

You did 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.

the head.

Exodus 11:4-7
And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: …

Exodus 12:12,13,29,30
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…

Exodus 14:17,18
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen…

they.

Exodus 14:5-9
And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? …

Exodus 15:9,10
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them…

Psalm 83:2,8
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…

came out.

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.

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.

their.

Exodus 1:10-16,22
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…

Psalm 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.

Psalm 64:2-7
Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: …

Jump to Previous
Afflicted Devour Driving Dry Exultation Exulting Flight Head Heads Horsemen Joy Leaders Making Meal Oppressed Pierce Pierced Poor Rejoicing Rods Rulers Scatter Secret Secretly Spears Staffs Staves Stems Stormed Stricken Strike Throngs Villages Warriors Whirlwind Wretched
Jump to Next
Afflicted Devour Driving Dry Exultation Exulting Flight Head Heads Horsemen Joy Leaders Making Meal Oppressed Pierce Pierced Poor Rejoicing Rods Rulers Scatter Secret Secretly Spears Staffs Staves Stems Stormed Stricken Strike Throngs Villages Warriors Whirlwind Wretched
Habakkuk 3
1. Habakkuk, in his prayer, trembles at God's majesty.
17. The confidence of his faith.














(14) Thou dost strike through with his staves . . .--Better, Thou dost pierce with his (scil., thine anointed people's) spears the head of his (the enemy's) princes, when they sweep by to scatter me abroad, when they exult as if to devour the afflicted secretly. The first clause is very obscure. Matteh means not only "spear," but also "rod," "stem," "tribe" (see on Habakkuk 3:9); and the word which we translate "princes" may also, perhaps, mean "villages." (See on Judges 5:7.) It is also uncertain to whom the possessive pronouns attached to these substantives refer the last clause we are reminded of several passages in the Psalms, notably, Psalm 10:9; Psalm 14:4; Psalm 17:12.

Verse 14. - Thou didst strike through with his staves; thou didst pierce with his own spears. Thou dost turn on the Chaldeans and all thine enemies the destruction which they intended for others. The people meet with the same fate as the royal house (ver. 13); Vulgate, maledixisti sceptris ejus, which seems to be a mistranslation. The head of his villages (פרזים). There is a difficulty in arriving at the meaning of this last word. The LXX. renders it, "mighty men;" Jerome, "warriors;" Chaldee, "army;" Delitzsch and many modern critics, "hordes" or "inhabitants of the plain;" others again, "rulers" or "judges." The most probable version is either "warriors" or "hordes." The head, i.e. collectively the heads of his warlike troops. They came out (or, who rush) as a whirlwind to scatter me (see the description of the Chaldees, Habakkuk 1:6, etc.). The prophet identifies himself with his people. (For the figure of the whirlwind, comp. Isaiah 41:16; Jeremiah 13:24; Hosea 13:3.) Dr. Briggs renders, "Thou dost pierce with his rods the chief, when his rulers are rushing in to scatter me." Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly; or, as in ambush, to devoter the helpless. They exult in acting the part of robbers and murderers, who lurk for the defenceless and afflict the poor (Psalm 10:8, etc.). As is equivalent to "as it were." Vulgate, Sicut ejus qui. "The poor" are primarily the Israelites, and then all meek worshippers of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
With his own spear
בְמַטָּיו֙ (ḇə·maṭ·ṭāw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

You pierced
נָקַ֤בְתָּ (nā·qaḇ·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5344: To puncture

his head,
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

when his warriors
פְּרָזָ֔יו (pə·rā·zāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6518: Decide, a chieftain

stormed out
יִסְעֲר֖וּ (yis·‘ă·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5590: To rush upon, to toss

to scatter us,
לַהֲפִיצֵ֑נִי (la·hă·p̄î·ṣê·nî)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

gloating
עֲלִ֣יצֻתָ֔ם (‘ă·lî·ṣu·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5951: Exultation

as though ready
כְּמוֹ־ (kə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

to secretly
בַּמִּסְתָּֽר׃ (bam·mis·tār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4565: A secret place, hiding place

devour
לֶאֱכֹ֥ל (le·’ĕ·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat

the weak.
עָנִ֖י (‘ā·nî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6041: Poor, afflicted, humble


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 3:14 You pierced the heads of his warriors (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 3:13
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