John Calvin Commentary Habakkuk 3:12

"Thou didst march though the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger." — Habakkuk 3:12 (ASV)

The Prophet here relates the entrance of the people into the land of Canaan, so that the faithful might know that their fathers would not have obtained so many victories if God had not put forth the power and strength of his hand. Therefore, he says, that God himself had trampled on the land in anger.

For how could the Israelites have dared to attack so many nations, who had recently come forth from such miserable bondage? They had indeed been in the desert for forty years, but they were always trembling and fearful, and we also know that they were weak and feeble. How then did they overcome most powerful kings? How did they wage war against nations accustomed to war? Doubtless, God himself trod down the land in his wrath and also threshed the nations, as it is said in Psalm 44:5:

It was not by their own sword that they got the land of Canaan; neither their own power, nor their own hand saved them; but the Lord showed favor to them, and became their Deliverer.

The Prophet, therefore, justly ascribes this to God—that he himself walked over the land; for otherwise, the Israelites would never have dared to move a foot. Doubtless, they could never have been settled in that land if God had not gone before them. Therefore, when God trod on the land in his anger, it then became a quiet habitation for the children of Abraham. Warlike nations were then easily and without much trouble conquered by the Israelites, even though they were previously very weak.

We now see that the Prophet here sets forth before the eyes of the people their entrance into the land, so that they might know that God did not put so many nations to flight at one time in vain, but so that the land of Canaan might be the perpetual inheritance of his chosen people.

The Prophet often changes the tenses of the verbs, inconsistently with the common usage of the Hebrew language. However, it must be observed that he refers to those histories as though God were continually carrying on his operations, and as though his presence was to be looked for in adversities, just as he had granted it previously to the fathers. Therefore, this change of tenses does not obscure the meaning but, on the contrary, shows us the Prophet's design and helps us understand his message. What follows then is—