The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: as the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, there are some uncertainties in the Hebrew text of this line. The sun and the moon are both mentioned, but the verb is in the singular. Some scholars have suggested that there should be a second verb to complete the line, and have tried to supply this verb by linking The sun with the last line of the previous verse. Such a course of action requires some changes in the last line of the previous verse but is followed by New American Bible (“The sun forgets to rise, the moon remains in its shelter”) and New English Bible (“The sun forgets to turn in his course, and the moon stands still at her zenith”). This has some support from certain manuscripts of the Septuagint. However, it is not necessary to accept this change in order to make sense of the Hebrew, and translators are recommended to follow the traditional Hebrew text as represented by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project).

Good News Translation translates “the sun and the moon stood still” and puts this main clause at the end of the verse, following the two prepositional phrases, and in many languages this will be the best translation option. In their habitation has no equivalent in Good News Translation, but New International Version makes it clear that this means “in the heavens.” In many languages which cannot talk about the sun and moon “standing still,” this clause may be expressed as “The sun and moon stopped moving through the sky.” Jerusalem Bible has “Sun and moon stay in their houses.”

The reference to the sun and moon standing still may be an allusion to the story of Joshua’s long day (Josh 10.12-13).

The second and third lines in Revised Standard Version are parallel to each other and say similar things in different words: at the light of thine arrows as they sped, at the flash of thy glittering spear. Good News Translation has “At the flash of your speeding arrows and the gleam of your shining spear.” The arrows and the spear are further symbolic references to the lightning of the thunderstorm. It is as though the sun and moon are hiding from God’s power demonstrated in the storm (compare Jerusalem Bible “avoiding the flash of your arrows, the gleam of your glittering spear”). In natural terms, they were hidden by the clouds (compare verse 8), and their normal brightness was surpassed by the dazzling brightness of the lightning. In some languages the expression at the flash of will be difficult to translate. In such cases one may render these lines as “When your speeding arrows flashed and your shining (or, glittering) spear gleamed….”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .