Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse doesn't just describe divine judgment; it paints a picture of God's terrifying, overwhelming power as a tangible force that precedes Him. Pestilence and burning plagues aren't just consequences, but almost like advance scouts or messengers, ensuring that wherever God goes, destruction and judgment are already making their presence known.
Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Habakkuk is praying, reflecting on God's past mighty acts of judgment and deliverance, specifically recalling the Exodus from Egypt and God's powerful intervention. He's asking God to reveal His power again amidst the current turmoil and fear, likening God's approach to a fearsome display of divine power that sweeps away enemies. This vivid imagery of God's unstoppable advance, bringing destruction to His foes, sets the stage for Habakkuk's plea for intervention.
When God appears, it's not a quiet entrance. What's always present when the Almighty shows up?
This verse describes a terrifying procession. Before God Himself arrives, 'pestilence' and 'plague' go ahead of Him.
Divine Judgment Manifest
These aren't just random diseases; they are instruments of God's judgment. Throughout the Old Testament, plagues and pestilence were often signs of God's powerful, and often wrathful, presence as He moved to execute judgment on His enemies or discipline His people. Think of the plagues in Egypt, or the consequences for Israel's disobedience in the wilderness.
God's Sovereignty Over All Things
The imagery emphasizes that nothing escapes God's notice or His control. Even the most destructive forces in the natural world are His messengers, going before Him. This is a profound reminder that God is not only the Creator but also the sovereign Lord over all creation, including its darkest aspects.
The verse doesn't stop with pestilence. What else accompanies God's powerful arrival, and what does it signify?
The second part of the verse speaks of 'burning coals' or 'plague-fire' going forth at His feet. This imagery intensifies the sense of divine power and judgment.
Destructive Power Unleashed
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'Burning coals' or 'flashes of fire' can represent intense heat, destruction, and a consuming judgment. It's like the very ground God walks on is set ablaze with His power. This can allude to various forms of divine judgment, from consuming fire (like that which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) to severe fevers and destructive illnesses.
God's Implacable Advance
This imagery conveys an unstoppable, overwhelming force. The 'burning coals' following at His heels suggest that wherever God moves, judgment and purification follow closely. It’s a picture of God’s inexorable advance against all that opposes Him, leaving destruction in His wake as He makes His path.
Understand the original words
deber · Hebrew Noun
An infectious disease or deadly calamity, often used in Scripture as a sign of judgment or a herald of God’s arrival in a way that humbles human pride.
resheph · Hebrew Noun
A stinging, burning, or lethal affliction; it represents a sharp, destructive force that accompanies divine intervention when God addresses human rebellion.
Habakkuk's vision of God's terrifying power, marked by pestilence and fiery destruction, draws on a rich history of God's judgments and interventions, from the plagues in Egypt and the destruction of enemies, to the devastating events surrounding the Babylonian and Roman destructions of Jerusalem.
~1440 BC
Israel's Exodus from Egypt
God leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, a foundational event marked by divine judgments against their oppressors and miraculous provisions for His people.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. The city is miraculously spared overnight as an angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and deport many Israelites into exile, marking a period of profound national crisis.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Prophecy of Habakkuk
Habakkuk prophesies during a time of great turmoil and injustice in Judah, grappling with God's judgment and seeking understanding of His ways.
c. AD 30-70
Early Church Persecutions
Following Jesus's death and resurrection, believers face persecution from both Jewish and Roman authorities, with accounts of divine judgment upon persecutors.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem
Roman armies under Titus destroy Jerusalem and its Second Temple, fulfilling prophecies of judgment against the city for its rejection of the Messiah.
This verse speaks of God sending His fear before the Israelites to destroy nations in Canaan, mirroring the idea of divine judgment preceding His people.
Psalm 78:49This Psalm describes God unleashing His anger through swarms of insects and plagues upon the Egyptians, aligning with the destructive forces mentioned in Habakkuk.
Deuteronomy 32:24This passage mentions 'burning pests' as instruments of God's judgment, which directly connects to the 'burning coals' imagery in Habakkuk.
2 Kings 19:35This account describes the destruction of the Assyrian army by a plague sent by God, illustrating a historical instance of divine judgment preceding an enemy's downfall.
Matthew 24:7Jesus speaks of pestilences as signs of the end times, linking the ancient concept of plague as a divine instrument to future prophetic events.
clarkeHabakkuk 3:5: "Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet."
Before him went the pestilence - This plague was several times inflicted on the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness; see Numbers 11:33 ; Numbers 14:37 ; Numbers 16:46 ; and was always the proof that the just God was then manifesting his power among them. Burning coals event forth at his feet - Newcome translates, "And flashes of fire went forth after him." The disobedient Israelites were consumed by a…
gillHabakkuk 3:5: "Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet."
Before him went the pestilence,.... Either in the land of Egypt, when he marched through that, and slew all their firstborn, Psalm 78:50 or rather which he sent before him, and Israel his people among the nations of the land of Canaan, with other diseases and judgments, and destroyed them to make way for his people, which may be here alluded to, Exodus 23:27 and may point at the judgments of God, and those…
This verse doesn't just describe divine judgment; it paints a picture of God's terrifying, overwhelming power as a tangible force that precedes Him. Pestilence and burning plagues aren't just consequences, but almost like advance scouts or messengers, ensuring that wherever God goes, destruction and judgment are already making their presence known.
Habakkuk is praying, reflecting on God's past mighty acts of judgment and deliverance, specifically recalling the Exodus from Egypt and God's powerful intervention. He's asking God to reveal His power again amidst the current turmoil and fear, likening God's approach to a fearsome display of divine power that sweeps away enemies. This vivid imagery of God's unstoppable advance, bringing destruction to His foes, sets the stage for Habakkuk's plea for intervention.
Habakkuk is praying, reflecting on God's past mighty acts of judgment and deliverance, specifically recalling the Exodus from Egypt and God's powerful intervention. He's asking God to reveal His power again amidst the current turmoil and fear, likening God's approach to a fearsome display of divine power that sweeps away enemies. This vivid imagery of God's unstoppable advance, bringing destruction to His foes, sets the stage for Habakkuk's plea for intervention.
"Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels." — This verse doesn't just describe divine judgment; it paints a picture of God's terrifying, overwhelming power as a tangible force that precedes Him. Pestilence and burning plagues aren't just conse…
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Last reviewed October 2026