The prophets
Habakkuk's Psalm: God Comes from Teman
A powerful prophetic vision in which God appears as a warrior coming from Teman and the mountains of Paran to save His people. Nature trembles, the eternal mountains crumble, and nations quake as God advances with lightning, arrows, and flashing spears. The prophet Habakkuk reacts with trembling and fear, yet concludes with unwavering trust: even if the fig tree does not blossom, crops fail, and livestock disappear, he will rejoice in the Lord, his saving God, who makes his feet like those of a deer.
Habakkuk 3,3-19
3God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.
אֱל֙וֹהַ֙ מִתֵּימָ֣ן יָב֔וֹא וְקָד֥וֹשׁ מֵֽהַר־פָּארָ֖ן סֶ֑לָה כִּסָּ֤ה שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ הוֹד֔וֹ וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
4His brightness is like the dawn; rays flash from his hand, and there his power lies hidden.
וְנֹ֙גַהּ֙ כָּא֣וֹר תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה קַרְנַ֥יִם מִיָּד֖וֹ ל֑וֹ וְשָׁ֖ם חֶבְי֥וֹן עֻזֹּֽה׃
5Before him goes pestilence, and plague follows at his heels.
לְפָנָ֖יו יֵ֣לֶךְ דָּ֑בֶר וְיֵצֵ֥א רֶ֖שֶׁף לְרַגְלָֽיו׃
6He stood and measured the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled, the everlasting hills sank low—his ways are eternal.
עָמַ֣ד ׀ וַיְמֹ֣דֶד אֶ֗רֶץ רָאָה֙ וַיַּתֵּ֣ר גּוֹיִ֔ם וַיִּתְפֹּֽצְצוּ֙ הַרְרֵי־עַ֔ד שַׁח֖וּ גִּבְע֣וֹת עוֹלָ֑ם הֲלִיכ֥וֹת עוֹלָ֖ם לֽוֹ׃
7I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the curtains of the land of Midian trembling.
תַּ֣חַת אָ֔וֶן רָאִ֖יתִי אָהֳלֵ֣י כוּשָׁ֑ן יִרְגְּז֕וּן יְרִיע֖וֹת אֶ֥רֶץ מִדְיָֽן׃ ס
8Was the LORD angry with the rivers? Was your wrath against the streams, your fury against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?
הֲבִנְהָרִים֙ חָרָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אִ֤ם בַּנְּהָרִים֙ אַפֶּ֔ךָ אִם־בַּיָּ֖ם עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י תִרְכַּב֙ עַל־סוּסֶ֔יךָ מַרְכְּבֹתֶ֖יךָ יְשׁוּעָֽה׃
9You uncovered your bow; you called for many arrows. Selah. You split the earth open with rivers. [Footnote: The Hebrew of this line is obscure; it may also be read "the oaths sworn to the tribes were a sure word."]
עֶרְיָ֤ה תֵעוֹר֙ קַשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ שְׁבֻע֥וֹת מַטּ֖וֹת אֹ֣מֶר סֶ֑לָה נְהָר֖וֹת תְּבַקַּע־אָֽרֶץ׃
10The mountains saw you and writhed; torrents of water swept by. The deep raised its voice and lifted its hands on high.
רָא֤וּךָ יָחִ֙ילוּ֙ הָרִ֔ים זֶ֥רֶם מַ֖יִם עָבָ֑ר נָתַ֤ן תְּהוֹם֙ קוֹל֔וֹ ר֖וֹם יָדֵ֥יהוּ נָשָֽׂא׃
11Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of your flying arrows, at the gleam of your lightning spear.
שֶׁ֥מֶשׁ יָרֵ֖חַ עָ֣מַד זְבֻ֑לָה לְא֤וֹר חִצֶּ֙יךָ֙ יְהַלֵּ֔כוּ לְנֹ֖גַהּ בְּרַ֥ק חֲנִיתֶֽךָ׃
12In fury you marched across the earth; in anger you trampled the nations.
בְּזַ֖עַם תִּצְעַד־אָ֑רֶץ בְּאַ֖ף תָּד֥וּשׁ גּוֹיִֽם׃
13You went out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying it bare from foundation to neck. Selah.
יָצָ֙אתָ֙ לְיֵ֣שַׁע עַמֶּ֔ךָ לְיֵ֖שַׁע אֶת־מְשִׁיחֶ֑ךָ מָחַ֤צְתָּ רֹּאשׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית רָשָׁ֔ע עָר֛וֹת יְס֥וֹד עַד־צַוָּ֖אר סֶֽלָה׃ פ
14With his own spears you pierced the head of his warriors, who stormed out to scatter us, gloating as if to devour the poor in secret.
נָקַ֤בְתָּ בְמַטָּיו֙ רֹ֣אשׁ *פרזו **פְּרָזָ֔יו יִסְעֲר֖וּ לַהֲפִיצֵ֑נִי עֲלִ֣יצֻתָ֔ם כְּמוֹ־לֶאֱכֹ֥ל עָנִ֖י בַּמִּסְתָּֽר׃
15You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the mighty waters.
דָּרַ֥כְתָּ בַיָּ֖ם סוּסֶ֑יךָ חֹ֖מֶר מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃
16I heard, and my body trembled; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay crept into my bones, and my legs shook beneath me. Yet I will wait quietly for the day of distress, for the day when it comes upon the people who attack us.
שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי ׀ וַתִּרְגַּ֣ז בִּטְנִ֗י לְקוֹל֙ צָלֲל֣וּ שְׂפָתַ֔י יָב֥וֹא רָקָ֛ב בַּעֲצָמַ֖י וְתַחְתַּ֣י אֶרְגָּ֑ז אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנ֙וּחַ֙ לְי֣וֹם צָרָ֔ה לַעֲל֖וֹת לְעַ֥ם יְגוּדֶֽנּוּ׃
17Though the fig tree does not blossom and the vines bear no fruit, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls—
כִּֽי־תְאֵנָ֣ה לֹֽא־תִפְרָ֗ח וְאֵ֤ין יְבוּל֙ בַּגְּפָנִ֔ים כִּחֵשׁ֙ מַעֲשֵׂה־זַ֔יִת וּשְׁדֵמ֖וֹת לֹא־עָ֣שָׂה אֹ֑כֶל גָּזַ֤ר מִמִּכְלָה֙ צֹ֔אן וְאֵ֥ין בָּקָ֖ר בָּרְפָתִֽים׃
18yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
וַאֲנִ֖י בַּיהוָ֣ה אֶעְל֑וֹזָה אָגִ֖ילָה בֵּאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃
19The LORD God is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me upon the heights. For the choirmaster, with my stringed instruments.
יְהוִ֤הּ אֲדֹנָי֙ חֵילִ֔י וַיָּ֤שֶׂם רַגְלַי֙ כָּֽאַיָּל֔וֹת וְעַ֥ל בָּמוֹתַ֖י יַדְרִכֵ֑נִי לַמְנַצֵּ֖חַ בִּנְגִינוֹתָֽי׃