Habakkuk 3:5 (GNV)

Passage

Before him went the pestilence, and burning coales went forth before his feete.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 3:3 God commeth from Teman, and the holy one from mount Paran, Selah. His glory couereth the heauens, and the earth is full of his prayse,

Habakkuk 3:4 And his brightnes was as the light: he had hornes comming out of his hands, and there was the hiding of his power.

Habakkuk 3:5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coales went forth before his feete.

Habakkuk 3:6 He stoode and measured the earth: he behelde and dissolued the nations and the euerlasting mountaines were broken, and the ancient hilles did bowe: his wayes are euerlasting.

Habakkuk 3:7 For his iniquitie I sawe the tentes of Cushan, and the curtaines of the land of Midian did tremble.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "before", "went", "pestilence", "burning", "coales", and "forth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "before" and "went", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And his brightnes was as the light..." into verse 6's "He stoode and measured the earth he...", so "before" and "went" belong inside that flow. In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "before" and "went" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.