Albert Barnes Commentary Habakkuk 3:10

"The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high." — Habakkuk 3:10 (ASV)

The mountains saw You and they trembled - literally, "they tremble." While man is unfeeling, inanimate nature feels and testifies to the presence of its Maker. "It saw it trembles." To see, feel, and tremble were one.

The prophet does not follow a mere order of events or restrict himself to miracles that actually took place. The mountains tremble with earthquakes or seem to be shaken by the thunders they re-echo. And so they are signs of how even the firmest things, which block man's way, tremble at the Presence of God. Whatever is lifted up shall be bowed down before Him .

But the word "trembled" is that which is especially used for birth pangs, and so it may spiritually signify that "they who conceive the fear of God shall bring forth to salvation." The "overflowing," that is, the impetuous, sweeping flow of the water (or, of waters), such as in themselves would sweep everything before them, passes by harmlessly.

The more they swell, the more they expend themselves and pass away. "The whole force of persecution, with which they afflicted Your people, at the sight of You passed away," like a torrent which rages and disappears, and, by raging, sooner exhausts itself.

The deep uttered its voice, and lifted up its hands - רום = מרום mârôm, which stands as the accusative of direction with "lifted up the eyes" (Isaiah 37:23; Isaiah 40:26).

On high - The noise of the waves, when God brought the strong East wind over it (Psalms 106:9) and rebuked it, was like a cry to God; the waves, as they swelled, were like hands lifted up to Him, and striking one against the other.

There is no clear reason against rendering it slightly differently: "the deep uttered its voice, the height lifted up its hands"—that is, to One yet higher, whom height and depth acknowledged as their Lord and worshipped.