Habakkuk 3:4
New International Version
His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

New Living Translation
His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden.

English Standard Version
His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.

Berean Standard Bible
His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden.

King James Bible
And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

New King James Version
His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

New American Standard Bible
His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And the hiding of His might is there.

NASB 1995
His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.

NASB 1977
His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.

Legacy Standard Bible
His brightness is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His strength.

Amplified Bible
His brightness is like the sunlight; He has [bright] rays flashing from His hand, And there [in the sunlike splendor] is the hiding place of His power.

Christian Standard Bible
His brilliance is like light; rays are flashing from his hand. This is where his power is hidden.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
His brilliance is like light; rays are flashing from His hand. This is where His power is hidden.

American Standard Version
And his brightness was as the light; He had rays coming forth from his hand; And there was the hiding of his power.

Contemporary English Version
Your glory shone like the sun, and light flashed from your hands, hiding your mighty power.

English Revised Version
And his brightness was as the light; he had rays coming forth from his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His brightness is like the sunlight. Rays of light [stream] from his hand. That is where his power is hidden.

Good News Translation
He comes with the brightness of lightning; light flashes from his hand, there where his power is hidden.

International Standard Version
His radiance is like sunlight; beams of light shine from his hand, where his strength lays hidden.

Majority Standard Bible
His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden.

NET Bible
He is as bright as lightning; a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. This is the outward display of his power.

New Heart English Bible
His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.

Webster's Bible Translation
And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand; and there was the hiding of his power.

World English Bible
His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the brightness is as the light, "" He has rays out of His hand, "" And there—the hiding of His strength.

Young's Literal Translation
And the brightness is as the light, He hath rays out of His hand, And there -- the hiding of His strength.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the brightness will be as the light; horns to him from his hand; and he set the hiding of his strength.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:

Catholic Public Domain Version
His brightness shall be like the light; horns are in his hands. There, his strength has been hidden.

New American Bible
his splendor spread like the light. He raised his horns high, he rejoiced on the day of his strength.

New Revised Standard Version
The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And his brightness was as the light; in the city which his hands had established shall he store his power.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And his brightness shall be as the light; in the city of his hands he shall establish his strength in the region
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And a brightness appeareth as the light; Rays hath He at His side; And there is the hiding of His power.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
His excellence covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness shall be as light; there were horns in his hands, and he caused a mighty love of his strength.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Habakkuk's Prayer
3God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. 4His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. 5Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps.…

Cross References
Exodus 34:29-30
And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was unaware that his face had become radiant from speaking with the LORD. / Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him.

Matthew 17:2
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Revelation 1:16
He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 104:2
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Ezekiel 1:27-28
From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. / The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.

Acts 9:3
As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

John 1:4-5
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

Daniel 10:6
His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Luke 2:9
Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Revelation 21:23
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Psalm 18:12
From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced—hailstones and coals of fire.

Isaiah 6:1-4
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

brightness.

Exodus 13:21
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Exodus 14:20
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

Nehemiah 9:12
Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

horns coming out of his hand.

Job 26:14
Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

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Appeareth Brightness Flashed Flashing Forth Hand Hidden Hiding Horns Kept Light Power Radiance Rays Secret Shine Shining Side Splendor Strength Sunlight Sunrise Veiled
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Habakkuk 3
1. Habakkuk, in his prayer, trembles at God's majesty.
17. The confidence of his faith.














His radiance
The Hebrew word for "radiance" is "nogah," which conveys a sense of brightness or splendor. This term is often used in the Old Testament to describe the glory of God, reflecting His divine presence and majesty. In the context of Habakkuk, this radiance signifies God's overwhelming holiness and purity, which is both awe-inspiring and fearsome. Historically, the imagery of light is frequently associated with God's presence, as seen in the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites (Exodus 13:21) and the Shekinah glory in the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11).

was like the sunlight
The comparison to "sunlight" emphasizes the intensity and brilliance of God's glory. The sun, being the most powerful source of light known to humanity, serves as a fitting metaphor for God's unmatched power and presence. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the sun was often revered as a deity, but here, the prophet Habakkuk uses it to illustrate the supremacy of the one true God over all creation. This imagery also evokes the idea of God as the ultimate source of life and truth, dispelling darkness and bringing clarity.

rays flashed from His hand
The "rays" or "horns" (Hebrew: "qeren") that flash from God's hand symbolize His active power and might. In the ancient world, horns were symbols of strength and authority, often used to depict kings and deities. The hand of God is a common biblical motif representing His action and intervention in the world. This phrase suggests that God's power is not only inherent but also dynamic and effective, reaching out to accomplish His purposes. It is a reminder of God's sovereignty and His ability to intervene in human history with decisive force.

where His power is hidden
The notion of God's power being "hidden" speaks to the mystery and incomprehensibility of His divine nature. While God's actions and presence can be perceived, the full extent of His power remains beyond human understanding. This hiddenness underscores the transcendence of God, who operates beyond the limits of human perception and comprehension. It also invites believers to trust in God's unseen hand at work, even when His ways are not immediately apparent. This concept is echoed in other scriptural passages, such as Isaiah 55:8-9, which remind us that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

(4) And his brightness was as the light. . . .--Better, And a brightness shall there be, like sunlight, and rays are at His side; and there [i.e., in this radiance] is the tabernacle of His power.

Verse 4. - His brightness was as the light; brightness appeareth like light, The sunlight is meant, as Job 31:26; Job 37:21; Isaiah 18:4. He had horns coming out of his hand; i.e. rays of light on either side. The comparison of the first rays of light to the horns of the gazelle, according to Keil, is common in Arabic poetry (comp. Exodus 34:29, 30). In the original passage, Deuteronomy 33:2, we read, "At his right hand was a fiery Law unto them" - a reference to the two tables of stone, perhaps resplendent with light. The "hand" in our text is a general expression, and is not to be taken with any special reference to lightning launched by the hand (which is not a scriptural expression), nor to works effected by God's agency, but simply as signifying that the light of his presence streamed forth from both sides, i.e. everywhere. There was the hiding of his power. There, in that ineffable light, was the hiding place of his majesty. He clothes himself with light as with a garment (Psalm 104:2), and the splendour is the mantle of that presence which eye of man cannot behold (Exodus 24:17; 1 Timothy 6:16). Farrar quotes Psalm 18:11, "He made darkness his secret place;" and Milton -

"Dark with excess of light his skirts appear." Septuagint, Αθετο ἀγάπησιν κραταιὰν ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, which rendering has arisen from taking the adverb sham as a verb (sam), and mistaking the meaning of the following word.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[His] radiance
וְנֹ֙גַהּ֙ (wə·nō·ḡah)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5051: Brilliancy

was
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה (tih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like the sunlight;
כָּא֣וֹר (kā·’ō·wr)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

rays [flashed]
קַרְנַ֥יִם (qar·na·yim)
Noun - fd
Strong's 7161: A horn, a flask, cornet, an elephant's tooth, a corner, a peak, a ray, power

from His hand,
מִיָּד֖וֹ (mî·yā·ḏōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

where
וְשָׁ֖ם (wə·šām)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

His power
עֻזֹּֽה׃‪‬‪‬ (‘uz·zōh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5797: Strength, might

is hidden.
חֶבְי֥וֹן (ḥeḇ·yō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2253: A hiding, hiding place


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 3:4 His splendor is like the sunrise (Hab Hb)
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