Habakkuk 1:8
New International Version
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;

New Living Translation
Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey.

English Standard Version
Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.

Berean Standard Bible
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.

King James Bible
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

New King James Version
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

New American Standard Bible
“Their horses are faster than leopards, And quicker than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen charge along, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

NASB 1995
“Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

NASB 1977
“Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Legacy Standard Bible
Their horses are swifter than leopards And sharper than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping; Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Amplified Bible
“Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than [hungry] wolves in the evening, Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from far away; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Christian Standard Bible
Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like an eagle, swooping to devour.

American Standard Version
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen press proudly on: yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
His horses are swifter than eagles and more severe than wolves of the evening, and his horsemen shall fly and his horsemen shall come from a distance and they shall fly as an eagle that hungers for food

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And his horses shall bound more swiftly than leopards, and they are fiercer than the wolves of Arabia: and his horsemen shall ride forth, and shall rush from far; and they shall fly as an eagle hasting to eat.

Contemporary English Version
Their cavalry troops are faster than leopards, more ferocious than wolves hunting at sunset, and swifter than hungry eagles suddenly swooping down.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Their horses are lighter than leopards, and swifter than evening wolves; and their horsemen shall be spread abroad: for their horsemen shall come from afar, they shall fly as an eagle that maketh haste to eat.

English Revised Version
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen spread themselves: yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their horses will be faster than leopards and quicker than wolves in the evening. Their riders will gallop along proudly. Their riders will come from far away. They will fly like an eagle that swoops down for its prey.

Good News Translation
"Their horses are faster than leopards, fiercer than hungry wolves. Their cavalry troops come riding from distant lands; their horses paw the ground. They come swooping down like eagles attacking their prey.

International Standard Version
Their horses are swifter than leopards, and more cunning than wolves that attack at night. Their horsemen are galloping as they approach from far away. They swoop in like ravenous vultures.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And are more fierce than the wolves of the desert; And their horsemen spread themselves; Yea, their horsemen come from far, They fly as a vulture that hasteth to devour.

Literal Standard Version
His horses have been swifter than leopards, | And sharper than evening wolves, | And his horsemen have increased, | Even his horsemen from afar come in, | They fly as an eagle, hastening to consume.

Majority Standard Bible
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour.

New American Bible
Swifter than leopards are their horses, and faster than desert wolves. Their horses spring forward; they come from far away; they fly like an eagle hastening to devour.

NET Bible
Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey.

New Revised Standard Version
Their horses are swifter than leopards, more menacing than wolves at dusk; their horses charge. Their horsemen come from far away; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.

New Heart English Bible
His horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen press proudly on, and their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

Webster's Bible Translation
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

World English Bible
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

Young's Literal Translation
Swifter than leopards have been its horses, And sharper than evening wolves, And increased have its horsemen, Even its horsemen from afar come in, They fly as an eagle, hasting to consume.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD's Answer
7They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty. 8Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour. 9All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.…

Cross References
Matthew 24:28
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Job 9:26
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

Isaiah 11:14
They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east. They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he advances like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!

Jeremiah 5:6
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

Jeremiah 48:40
For this is what the LORD says: "Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads his wings against Moab.

Jeremiah 50:42
They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Babylon.


Treasury of Scripture

Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

horses.

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

Isaiah 5:26-28
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: …

fierce.

Jeremiah 5:6
Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Zephaniah 3:3
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

they.

Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

Lamentations 4:19
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 17:3,12
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: …

Jump to Previous
Afar Agile Cavalry Cruel Desert Devour Dusk Eagle Eat Evening Far Fierce Fiercer Flight Fly Food Galloping Hasteth Horsemen Horses Hurries Keener Prance Press Proudly Quicker Rushing Spread Swift Swifter Swooping Themselves Vulture Wolves
Jump to Next
Afar Agile Cavalry Cruel Desert Devour Dusk Eagle Eat Evening Far Fierce Fiercer Flight Fly Food Galloping Hasteth Horsemen Horses Hurries Keener Prance Press Proudly Quicker Rushing Spread Swift Swifter Swooping Themselves Vulture Wolves
Habakkuk 1
1. Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land,
5. is shown the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans.
12. He complains that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.














(8) Are more fierce.--Better, are sharper. This is the literal meaning of the verb. The ideas intended are those of activity and ferocity, both prompted by hunger. The evening wolf coming out of his lair to find prey is elsewhere an illustration of ravenous greediness. (See Zephaniah 3:3 and Psalm 59:7). In Jeremiah 5:6 God's punishment is likened to "a wolf of the evening," "a lion out of the forest." Jeremiah 4:13 "his chariots shall be as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles," is similar to Habakkuk 1:8, but it is not necessary to regard it either as its original or its echo. Both passages are to some extent based on 2Samuel 1:23. . . . Verse 8. - Their horses, etc. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:13) compares their horses to eagles (comp. Job 39:19, etc.). The punishment predicted in Deuteronomy 28:49, etc., is to come upon the Jews. We often read of the cavalry and chariots of the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 4:29; Jeremiah 6:23; Ezekiel 23:23, 24). Evening wolves. Wolves that prowl for food in the evening, and are then fiercest (Jeremiah 5:6; Zephaniah 3:3). Septuagint (with a different pointing), "wolves of Arabia." Their horsemen shall spread themselves. The verb is also rendered, "bear themselves proudly," or "gallop." Septuagint, ἐξιππάσονται. The Anglican Version seems correct implying that the cavalry, like Cossacks or Uhlans, swept the whole country for plunder. The verbs throughout vers. 8-11 should be rendered in the present tense. From far. From Babylonia (Isaiah 39:3). The preceding clause was of general import; the present one refers to the invasion of Judaea. As the eagle. This is a favourite comparison of Jeremiah, as quoted above (comp. also Jeremiah 48:40; Jeremiah 49:22; Lamentations 4:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their horses
סוּסָ֗יו (sū·sāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)

are swifter
וְקַלּ֨וּ (wə·qal·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

than leopards,
מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים (min·nə·mê·rîm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5246: A leopard

fiercer
וְחַדּוּ֙ (wə·ḥad·dū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2300: To be, sharp, severe

than wolves
מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי (miz·zə·’ê·ḇê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2061: A wolf

of the night.
עֶ֔רֶב (‘e·reḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6153: Evening

Their horsemen
פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו (pā·rā·šāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6571: A steed, a driver, cavalry

charge ahead,
וּפָ֖שׁוּ (ū·p̄ā·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6335: Probably to spring about

and their cavalry
וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ (ū·p̄ā·rā·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6571: A steed, a driver, cavalry

comes
יָבֹ֔אוּ (yā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from afar.
מֵרָח֣וֹק (mê·rā·ḥō·wq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

They fly
יָעֻ֕פוּ (yā·‘u·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5774: To fly, to faint

like a vulture,
כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר (kə·ne·šer)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5404: The eagle

swooping down
חָ֥שׁ (ḥāš)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2363: To hurry, to be eager with excitement, enjoyment

to devour.
לֶאֱכֽוֹל׃ (le·’ĕ·ḵō·wl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat


Links
Habakkuk 1:8 NIV
Habakkuk 1:8 NLT
Habakkuk 1:8 ESV
Habakkuk 1:8 NASB
Habakkuk 1:8 KJV

Habakkuk 1:8 BibleApps.com
Habakkuk 1:8 Biblia Paralela
Habakkuk 1:8 Chinese Bible
Habakkuk 1:8 French Bible
Habakkuk 1:8 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Habakkuk 1:8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 1:7
Top of Page
Top of Page