Habakkuk 3:5

Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.

Before {H6440} him went {H3212} the pestilence {H1698}, and burning coals {H7565} went forth {H3318} at his feet {H7272}.

Before him goes pestilence, and close behind, the plague.

Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps.

Before him went the pestilence, And fiery bolts went forth at his feet.

Habakkuk 3:5 is part of a magnificent prayer and psalm (Habakkuk chapter 3) where the prophet Habakkuk describes a glorious and terrifying vision of God's coming. This verse vividly portrays the Lord's majestic and fearsome presence as He approaches to execute judgment and bring salvation for His people. It emphasizes His absolute power and the devastating consequences for those who oppose Him.

Context

The prophet Habakkuk initially grappled with profound questions about God's justice in the face of Judah's wickedness and the impending Babylonian invasion. His prayer in Habakkuk 3 is a profound response, moving from complaint to a declaration of faith and awe in God's sovereign power. This chapter functions as a theophany, a grand revelation of God Himself, drawing on ancient imagery of divine appearances, often associated with storm, fire, and natural phenomena, signifying His overwhelming might and holiness.

Key Themes

  • Divine Majesty and Power: The verse paints a picture of God as an unstoppable force, with destructive elements preceding and following Him. "Pestilence" and "burning coals" are manifestations of His irresistible might, demonstrating His control over creation and destruction.
  • Judgment and Wrath: These elements are not random but instruments of divine judgment. "Pestilence" (often associated with plagues and disease) and "burning coals" (fiery destruction) indicate God's holy wrath against sin and His enemies, highlighting the seriousness of opposing Him.
  • God's Presence: The imagery underscores the terrifying nature of standing in the presence of a holy God, particularly when He comes in judgment. It speaks to the utter inability of anything to withstand His advance.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "pestilence" is deber (דֶּבֶר), which commonly refers to plague, disease, or epidemic, often used as a direct instrument of God's judgment (e.g., in the plagues of Egypt). The phrase "burning coals" translates the Hebrew resheph (רֶשֶׁף), which can mean "flame," "fire," "lightning," or even "fiery darts" or "pestilence" in a broader sense. Here, it conveys intense heat and destructive power, akin to fiery arrows or flashes of divine lightning, signifying the immediate and devastating impact of God's presence.

Practical Application

Habakkuk 3:5 serves as a powerful reminder of God's absolute sovereignty and holiness. For believers, it reinforces the awe and reverence due to God, encouraging a deep trust in His ultimate control, even amidst chaos and uncertainty. While terrifying for His adversaries, this depiction of God's power is a source of comfort for His people, knowing that the same mighty God who brings judgment also fights for them and delivers them, as seen in Habakkuk's concluding declaration of joy in the Lord. It calls us to live in reverent submission to the One before whom even the forces of nature are instruments.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Exodus 12:29

    ¶ And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

  • Exodus 12:30

    And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for [there was] not a house where [there was] not one dead.

  • Numbers 16:46

    And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

  • Numbers 16:49

    Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

  • Psalms 78:50

    He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

  • Psalms 78:51

    And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

  • Psalms 18:7

    Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
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