Habakkuk 3:10 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God's power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18, are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalms 68:8, Psalms 114:4,6; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea. Uttered his voice; with dreadful roaring, like a mighty voice, parted its waters; divided, but with great and terrible noise, in this unusual commotion. Lifted up his hands; testified its obedience to the command of God, as by lifting up the hand one doth at distance signify his ready compliance with the command, or direction: or hands, i.e. sides; so when the upper waters stood on a heap, both in Jordan and the Red Sea, they appeared as with sides or flankers unto the Israelites. On high; like a mountain, visible and conspicuous to all. The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God's power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18, are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalms 68:8, Psalms 114:4,6; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea. Uttered his voice; with dreadful roaring, like a mighty voice, parted its waters; divided, but with great and terrible noise, in this unusual commotion. Lifted up his hands; testified its obedience to the command of God, as by lifting up the hand one doth at distance signify his ready compliance with the command, or direction: or hands, i.e. sides; so when the upper waters stood on a heap, both in Jordan and the Red Sea, they appeared as with sides or flankers unto the Israelites. On high; like a mountain, visible and conspicuous to all. The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God's power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18, are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalms 68:8, Psalms 114:4,6; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea. Uttered his voice; with dreadful roaring, like a mighty voice, parted its waters; divided, but with great and terrible noise, in this unusual commotion. Lifted up his hands; testified its obedience to the command of God, as by lifting up the hand one doth at distance signify his ready compliance with the command, or direction: or hands, i.e. sides; so when the upper waters stood on a heap, both in Jordan and the Red Sea, they appeared as with sides or flankers unto the Israelites. On high; like a mountain, visible and conspicuous to all. The mountains; literally taken, it is an elegant hyperbole, expressing to us the glorious effects of God's power and presence; and thus Sinai and the contiguous hills, the whole mount, Exodus 19:18, are intended: or if you take it figuratively, these are kings and states, whose hieroglyphics in Scripture are mountains. Saw; were sensible of, showed they were sensible of his approach and presence. Trembled; were grieved; so it will well suit to mountains metaphorically taken, it was grief to the kings and states to see God own, conduct, and prosper Israel, Numbers 22:3; Josh. it. 9-11: or trembled, i.e. were shaken as with an earthquake, Exodus 19:18 Psalms 68:8, Psalms 114:4,6; so it suits the letter of the text. The overflowing; the inundation, which at that season was wont to be very great, the mighty floods on Jordan. Passed by; passed away, i.e. at the word of God the waters below flowed and ran away from those above, which stood on a heap, to make a path for Israel. The deep; either the deep channel in which Jordan flowed, the very bottom of the river, appeared; or the deep, i.e. the Red Sea. Uttered his voice; with dreadful roaring, like a mighty voice, parted its waters; divided, but with great and terrible noise, in this unusual commotion. Lifted up his hands; testified its obedience to the command of God, as by lifting up the hand one doth at distance signify his ready compliance with the command, or direction: or hands, i.e. sides; so when the upper waters stood on a heap, both in Jordan and the Red Sea, they appeared as with sides or flankers unto the Israelites. On high; like a mountain, visible and conspicuous to all.