Habakkuk 3:14

You pierce the heads of his warriors ¹  with a spear. ²  They storm forward to scatter us; ³  they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. ⁴ 

Ex 1:10-16,22; Ex 11:4-7; Ex 12:12,13,29,30; Ex 14:5-9; Ex 14:17,18; Ex 15:9,10; Ps 10:8; Ps 64:2-7; Ps 78:50,51; Ps 83:2,8; Ps 83:9-11; Ps 118:10-12; Da 11:40; Zec 9:14; Ac 4:27,28

¹ tn Some take “warriors” with the following line, in which case one should translate, “you pierce [his] head with a spear; his warriors storm forward to scatter us” (cf. NIV). The meaning of the Hebrew term פְּרָזוֹ (pÿrazo), translated here “his warriors,” is uncertain.

² tc Heb “his shafts.” Some emend to “your shafts.” The translation above assumes an emendation to מַטֶּה (matteh, “shaft, spear”), the vav-yod (ו-י) sequence being a corruption of an original he (ה).

³ tn Heb “me,” but the author speaks as a representative of God’s people.

⁴ tn Heb “their rejoicing is like devouring the poor in secret.”