Habakkuk 3:8
הֲבִנְהָרִים֙ חָרָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אִ֤ם בַּנְּהָרִים֙ אַפֶּ֔ךָ אִם־בַּיָּ֖ם עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י תִרְכַּב֙ עַל־סוּסֶ֔יךָ מַרְכְּבֹתֶ֖יךָ יְשׁוּעָֽה׃
Opening Rhetorical Question: הֲבִנְהָרִים חָרָה יְהוָה
הֲבִנְהָרִים (“was it against the rivers?”) uses the interrogative particle הֲ attached to the noun נְהָרִים (“rivers”). חָרָה is a Qal perfect 3ms of ח־ר־ה (“to burn, be angry”), with יְהוָה (“YHWH”) as subject.
- The question implies: Was YHWH’s anger directed at inanimate creation (the rivers)?
The structure initiates a poetic and theological reflection on divine action.
Parallel Question: אִם בַּנְּהָרִים אַפֶּךָ
אִם (“or”) introduces an alternative. בַּנְּהָרִים (“against the rivers”) again identifies the object, with אַפֶּךָ (“your anger”) specifying divine wrath. The repetition intensifies the interrogation: not mere natural forces are the true object of divine emotion.
Further Expansion: אִם בַּיָּם עֶבְרָתֶךָ
אִם again introduces a third alternative.
- בַּיָּם (“against the sea”) — moving from rivers to the vast sea
- עֶבְרָתֶךָ (“your fury”) — noun from ע־ב־ר (“overflowing rage, fury”) with 2ms suffix
The parallelism elevates the emotional intensity and cosmological scale of the questioning.
Answer through Purpose: כִּי תִרְכַּב עַל־סוּסֶיךָ
כִּי (“because”) introduces explanation.
- תִרְכַּב (“you ride”) is a Qal imperfect 2ms of ר־כ־ב (“to ride”) — emphasizing ongoing or repeated action
- עַל־סוּסֶיךָ (“upon your horses”) — divine chariot imagery, symbolizing victorious intervention
Thus, YHWH’s activity is not wrath against nature but a movement of salvation for His people.
Climax: מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ יְשׁוּעָה
מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ (“your chariots”) paired with יְשׁוּעָה (“salvation”) explains the true purpose: divine chariots are instruments of deliverance, not destruction.
- יְשׁוּעָה — noun meaning “salvation, victory”
Thus, the divine cavalry brings rescue, not blind devastation.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Habakkuk 3:8
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| חָרָה | ח־ר־ה | Qal perfect (3ms) | “Was angry” — divine emotional state questioned |
| תִרְכַּב | ר־כ־ב | Qal imperfect (2ms) | “You ride” — description of divine movement |
| עֶבְרָתֶךָ | ע־ב־ר | Noun (fs + 2ms suffix) | “Your fury” — divine wrath imagery |
| יְשׁוּעָה | י־שׁ־ע | Noun (fs) | “Salvation” — ultimate purpose of divine action |
The Grammar of Salvation through Fury
Habakkuk 3:8 orchestrates intense emotional questions through rhetorical syntax, framing divine action as purposeful salvation rather than chaotic destruction. The Hebrew grammar drives the poetry: perfect verbs, parallel infinitives, and conditional questioning converge to emphasize that even divine wrath serves the end of deliverance, not doom.
