Habakkuk 3:10
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Creation itself reacts to God — mountains tremble, floods surge, and the deep lifts up its voice and hands.
What Does Habakkuk 3:10 Mean?
Creation is portrayed as responding to its Maker with something like awe. The mountains see God and writhe; torrents of water sweep past; the deep roars out its voice and lifts its waves like hands raised on high. The whole natural world is caught up in trembling acknowledgment of the Lord's presence.
This poetic vision shows that all creation answers to God. Even the mighty deep, often a symbol of chaos, lifts its hands as if in submission or praise. Nothing in the created order stands indifferent before its Creator. For Habakkuk, this universal response confirms God's absolute supremacy over every force, including the powers that threaten his people. When the whole earth bows and the seas raise their hands before God, the faithful can be sure their God is supreme over all.
In the Original Language
tehom (תְהוֹם), 'the deep' — the great primeval waters, here lifting its voice in awe before its Creator.