Albert Barnes Commentary Habakkuk 3:11

"The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, At the light of thine arrows as they went, At the shining of thy glittering spear." — Habakkuk 3:11 (ASV)

Sun and moon stood still (as one act retiring into) in their habitation - They withdrew, as it were, in the midst of the great tempest, in which (Joshua 10:11–13) God cast down great stones from heaven upon His enemies and they died; and the sun stood still, and the moon stayed. The sun too withdrew itself in the great darkness at the crucifixion, as not bearing to look upon the death of its Maker, when the majesty of the Sun of Righteousness was darkened over; and signs in the sun and in the moon there shall be to the end.

At the light of Thine arrows they went - A. E.: “There was no need of the sun by day, nor of the moon by night; for by the light of Thine arrows can the sons of men hold their way.” Tanchum: “This is a mystical interpretation, as you see; this is like the promise of the Most High (Isaiah 60:19): The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, and the Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light.” The judgments of God are a light to His people, while they are the destruction of His enemies; in them they learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). The arrows are God’s judgments, as they threaten and wound from afar;

The shining of Thy glittering spear - literally, of the lightning of Thy spear, when close at hand. When all other light is withdrawn, and the Sun, our Lord, is hardly beheld in the darkness of the last days, and the moon, the Church, shall not give her light, Christ not shining upon her as before because iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold, and stars—many who seem to shine with the light of grace—shall fall from heaven, His own shall walk on and advance in holiness. Dion.: “From strength to strength (Psalms 84:7), from good to better, from the way to their home,” by the bright light of the lightning of God’s judgments, in which His glory shall be manifested. Arrows and spears are part of the spiritual armory of God, with which the people are subdued to Him.

Cyril: “Armory, not with which He is girded but which He gives to those who are worthy; bright and as it were full of lightning. For most transparent is virtue.” They went then at the light of Thine arrows.

Cyril: “Because to those who love sin, virtue has no beauty, nor, as yet, any brightness. But to those who know her, she is nothing less than lightning, bright and transparent, so that whoever has her is easily known to all around. The disciples then, first having the lightning of Thine arms, will lead others also to its Light. Admiring and conceiving in themselves those virtues which are the arms of Christ, they shine forth to others, a gleam, as it were, of the bright flash of light inherent in those graces.”

Rup.: “They were enlightened and began, by preaching, to send forth shining words of truth. But those words are Thine arrows, shining arrows, showing by their light the way of life, and by their sharp point pricking the hearts of people to repentance.”