The Meaning of Habakkuk 3:10 Explained

Habakkuk 3:10

KJV: The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.

YLT: Seen thee -- pained are mountains, An inundation of waters hath passed over, Given forth hath the deep its voice, High its hands it hath lifted up.

Darby: The mountains saw thee, they were in travail: Torrents of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, Lifted up its hands on high.

ASV: The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The mountains  saw  thee, [and] they trembled:  the overflowing  of the water  passed by:  the deep  uttered  his voice,  [and] lifted up  his hands  on high. 

What does Habakkuk 3:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Habakkuk personified the mountains and described them as shaking when they saw the Lord. Torrential rainstorms that resulted in flooding swept by Him (cf. Genesis 7:11; Genesis 7:19-20). The sea lifted up its waves like hands in response to His command (cf. Psalm 77:15-17; Psalm 77:19).

Context Summary

Habakkuk 3:1-19 - The Faith That Is Invincible
This psalm was intended to be sung by the captives during the Exile, which was near. In Habakkuk 3:3-15 there is a recital of the great events in the past. First Sinai, then the victories and deliverances of the book of Judges, the passage of the Red Sea and Jordan, the divine vengeance on the oppressors. But the prophet could not contemplate the future of the Chosen People without dismay. He longed to be at rest before those terrible Chaldean hosts burst upon the land. At the close he breaks into a sublime refrain which has been the solace and song of myriads of believers. If all God's gifts failed he would still possess the Giver. He could still triumph in God. Indeed, the divine Savior and Friend is often more apparent when the fields and the farmsteads are bare [source]

Chapter Summary: Habakkuk 3

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

What do the individual words in Habakkuk 3:10 mean?

Saw You [and] trembled the mountains the overflowing of the water passed by uttered the deep its voice on high its hands [And] lifted
רָא֤וּךָ יָחִ֙ילוּ֙ הָרִ֔ים זֶ֥רֶם מַ֖יִם עָבָ֑ר נָתַ֤ן תְּהוֹם֙ קוֹל֔וֹ ר֖וֹם יָדֵ֥יהוּ נָשָֽׂא

רָא֤וּךָ  Saw  You 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יָחִ֙ילוּ֙  [and]  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חוּל 
Sense: to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained.
הָרִ֔ים  the  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
זֶ֥רֶם  the  overflowing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרֶם  
Sense: rain-shower, thunderstorm, flood of rain, downpour, rain-storm.
מַ֖יִם  of  the  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
עָבָ֑ר  passed  by 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
נָתַ֤ן  uttered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
תְּהוֹם֙  the  deep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: תְּהֹום  
Sense: deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea.
קוֹל֔וֹ  its  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
ר֖וֹם  on  high 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹום  
Sense: on high, upwards.
יָדֵ֥יהוּ  its  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נָשָֽׂא  [And]  lifted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.