חבקוק, פרק ג׳, פסוק ח׳

A dramatic vision unfolds, portraying God's absolute control over the forces of nature, particularly the world's waters. A series of rhetorical questions explores the purpose behind this overwhelming display of power, asking whether such a cosmic storm is driven by destructive anger against the physical world or by a profound desire to bring redemption. The wrath described is an overflowing anger that crosses boundaries and impacts the entire surrounding environment [מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון].

The primary approach among commentators is that this imagery poetically recalls the historical miracles of the Exodus from Egypt and the entry into the Land of Israel. The splitting of the waters refers directly to the parting of the Jordan River and the Red Sea. Some note a specific historical pattern where rivers are referenced twice to hint at the two separate miracles that occurred at the Jordan River, first during the time of Joshua, and later in the days of Elijah and Elisha. The sea, however, is mentioned only once, reflecting the single occurrence of the splitting of the Red Sea [אברבנאל]. Conversely, others view this repetition simply as a rhetorical tool used for emphasis [מצודת דוד].

The core question remains whether God was truly angry at the waters when He dried them up. The answer is no. The parting of the waters was not an act of rage against nature. Rather, it was a forceful, warlike appearance designed specifically to bring salvation to the Israelites [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The divine horses and chariots are invoked as a direct contrast to Pharaoh's horses and chariots that drowned in the sea, emphasizing that true victory and rescue come only from God [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. In a striking poetic image, salvation itself is personified as a living entity, riding swiftly upon God's chariots to rescue the people [מלבי״ם]. Beyond the literal parting of waters, there is also a tradition that interprets the rivers and the sea as metaphors for enemy kings and their vast armies [רד״ק].

In contrast to this historical perspective, a completely different approach focuses on the natural world and God's constant, ongoing providence. In this view, the imagery does not describe miracles of the past, but rather God's continuous power in providing water to the earth. The divine horses represent the clouds that God commands to bring rain. Here, salvation is understood as the physical survival and sustenance of the earth's inhabitants, achieved through the natural cycle of rain rising from the seas and rivers into the clouds [אבן עזרא].