GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Habakkuk's declaration, "He makes me tread on my high places," isn't just about reaching a destination, but about the secure, confident stride God grants, turning even daunting heights into navigable paths for His people. This isn't about finding high places, but about God enabling us to walk upon them, demonstrating a freedom and superiority that transcends our own abilities.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After pouring out his fears and laments about God's judgment and the coming invasion, Habakkuk concludes his prayer with a powerful declaration of faith. This final verse shifts from prophetic vision and lament to personal trust and a triumphant outlook, looking beyond the immediate devastation to ultimate deliverance and God's enduring strength.
Feeling weak or overwhelmed? Habakkuk shows us where true, unshakeable strength comes from. It's not about what you can do, but who God is.
Habakkuk begins this powerful declaration by proclaiming, 'The LORD God is my strength.' This isn't just a statement of personal power; it's an acknowledgment of the Lord's absolute sufficiency.
God's Strength is Imparted
The commentators highlight that this strength isn't something we generate ourselves. It’s given by God. It's a divine enablement that allows us to face challenges, perform spiritual duties, and live a life pleasing to Him. When we feel we have no strength of our own, we can rely on His.
Strength for Every Situation
This strength is the very source of our spiritual warfare, our swiftness in the race of faith, and our success in overcoming obstacles. It's the power that allows us to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Imagine being able to leap over obstacles with effortless grace and find sure footing on the highest peaks. Habakkuk uses this vivid imagery to describe God's transformative power.
Habakkuk's declaration, 'he makes my feet like the deer’s,' is a powerful metaphor for the agility, speed, and security God provides.
Agility to Escape and Advance
The imagery of a deer's feet speaks to the ability to quickly escape danger and advance toward safety. In the context of Habakkuk's prophecy, this means God enables His people to flee from spiritual enemies and reach a place of security and refuge. It's about being nimble enough to navigate tricky situations and swift enough to reach God's appointed safety.
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Treading on High Places
The phrase 'he makes me tread on my high places' signifies overcoming challenges and reaching positions of victory and dominance. It's not just about escaping danger, but about conquering territory, standing firm on 'high places' that were once inaccessible or dangerous. This represents a spiritual superiority and freedom from hindrances, allowing believers to stand tall in their faith.
Why does this profound declaration end with musical directions? Habakkuk's final words reveal that faith isn't meant to be silent, but sung.
The concluding phrase, 'To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments,' is more than just a musical note; it's a testament to the purpose and destiny of Habakkuk's prophetic song.
Public Declaration of Faith
This direction indicates that Habakkuk’s ode was intended for public worship, to be sung in the Temple. It signifies that faith and trust in God are not meant to be private, internal experiences but are to be proclaimed and celebrated corporately. This elevates the prophet's personal triumph into a shared expression of God's faithfulness.
A Pattern for Worship
The inclusion of musical instructions suggests that this hymn was composed for liturgical use. It served as a pattern for the community, showing them how to articulate their fears, their faith, and their ultimate reliance on God through music and song. This communal singing of God's praises reinforces faith and memorializes His powerful acts.
Understand the original words
chayil · Hebrew Noun
The inherent power, stability, or refuge that God provides to His people. It is the spiritual enablement that allows a believer to stand firm and move forward despite overwhelming circumstances.
bamah · Hebrew Noun
High or secure elevated places, often representing positions of spiritual victory, safety, or strategic advantage provided by God. It denotes the ability to overcome obstacles and exist above the level of mundane struggles.
Habakkuk's powerful declaration of trust in God's strength, even amidst the ruins of Jerusalem and the trauma of exile, echoes the deep faith needed to navigate national disaster and personal suffering, finding refuge in God's ultimate sovereignty.
c. 630 BC
Habakkuk's prophetic ministry begins
Habakkuk begins prophesying in Judah, likely during a period of rising internal weakness and external threats, particularly from Babylon.
609 BC
Josiah killed at Megiddo
King Josiah, a righteous ruler, is killed in battle against the Egyptians, plunging Judah into political turmoil and spiritual decline.
605 BC
First Babylonian deportation
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and deports a group of elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon following a rebellion.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining Judeans into exile.
c. 580-570 BC— this verse
Habakkuk composes his prophecy
Habakkuk likely writes his prophecy during or shortly after the devastation of Jerusalem, wrestling with God's justice and His people's suffering.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire under Cyrus conquers Babylon, opening the door for the Jewish exiles to eventually return to Judah.
This passage directly parallels Habakkuk's imagery of being made like a deer, specifically mentioning God granting swiftness and strength to tread on high places, highlighting the consistent theme of divine enablement for overcoming obstacles.
Psalm 73:26This verse emphasizes that God is the strength of the heart, echoing Habakkuk's declaration that 'The LORD God is my strength,' showing that this reliance on God for inner fortitude is a long-standing biblical concept.
Deuteronomy 32:13This verse speaks of God enabling His people to ride on the high places of the earth, connecting with Habakkuk's vision of treading on 'my high places' and illustrating the idea of divine provision for secure and elevated living.
Isaiah 35:8-9This passage describes a future highway where the redeemed walk, with the unclean not passing over but the foolish not straying, painting a picture of a secure and elevated path provided by God, similar to the 'high places' Habakkuk envisions.
Philippians 4:13This New Testament verse powerfully states 'I can do all things through him who strengthens me,' which is a direct echo of Habakkuk's confident assertion of God's strength enabling him to overcome, showing the enduring nature of this truth.
barnesHabakkuk 3:19: "The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
The Lord God is my strength - The prophet does not inwardly only exult and triumph in God, but he confesses also in words of praise, that in Him he hath all things, that He is All things in him. And as he had confessed the Father, under the Name whereby He revealed Himself to Moses, and the Son, "the Lord God…
bensonHabakkuk 3:19: "The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
Habakkuk 3:19 . The Lord God is my strength — He that is the God of our salvation in another world, will be our strength in this world, to carry us on in our journey thither, and help us over the difficulties and oppositions we meet with in our way, even then when provisions are cut off, to make it appear that…
Habakkuk's declaration, "He makes me tread on my high places," isn't just about reaching a destination, but about the secure, confident stride God grants, turning even daunting heights into navigable paths for His people. This isn't about finding high places, but about God enabling us to walk upon them, demonstrating a freedom and superiority that transcends our own abilities.
After pouring out his fears and laments about God's judgment and the coming invasion, Habakkuk concludes his prayer with a powerful declaration of faith. This final verse shifts from prophetic vision and lament to personal trust and a triumphant outlook, looking beyond the immediate devastation to ultimate deliverance and God's enduring strength.
After pouring out his fears and laments about God's judgment and the coming invasion, Habakkuk concludes his prayer with a powerful declaration of faith. This final verse shifts from prophetic vision and lament to personal trust and a triumphant outlook, looking beyond the immediate devastation to ultimate deliverance and God's enduring strength.
"GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments." — Habakkuk's declaration, "He makes me tread on my high places," isn't just about reaching a destination, but about the secure, confident stride God grants, turning even daunting heights into navigable…
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Last reviewed October 2026