Judges5
New American Standard
1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2“For the leaders leading in Israel, For the people volunteering, Bless the Lord!
3Hear, you kings; listen, you dignitaries! I myself—to the Lord, I myself will sing, I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!
4Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, The clouds also dripped water.
5The mountains flowed with water at the presence of the Lord, This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
6“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the roads were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways.
7The peasantry came to an end, they came to an end in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8New gods were chosen; Then war was in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel.
9My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the people; Bless the Lord!
10You who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, And you who travel on the road—shout in praise!
11At the sound of those who distribute water among the watering places, There they will recount the righteous deeds of the Lord, The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.
12“Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, son of Abinoam.
13Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.
14From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down, Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office.
15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his heels; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great determinations of heart.
16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.
17Gilead remained across the Jordan; And why did Dan stay on ships? Asher sat at the seashore, And remained by its landings.
18Zebulun was a people who risked their lives, And Naphtali too, on the high places of the field.
19“The kings came and fought; Then the kings of Canaan fought At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo; They took no plunder in silver.
20The stars fought from heaven, From their paths they fought against Sisera.
21The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. My soul, march on with strength!
22Then the horses’ hoofs beat From the galloping, the galloping of his mighty stallions.
23‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord, ‘Utterly curse its inhabitants, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the warriors.’
24“Most blessed of women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed is she of women in the tent.
25He asked for water, she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26She reached out her hand for the tent peg, And her right hand for the workmen’s hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple.
27Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell dead.
28“Out of the window she looked and wailed, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, ‘Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots delay?’
29Her wise princesses would answer her, Indeed she repeats her words to herself,
30‘Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoils? A concubine, two concubines for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed cloth, A spoil of dyed cloth embroidered, Dyed cloth of double embroidery on the neck of the plunderer?’
31May all Your enemies perish in this way, Lord; But may those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.” And the land was at rest for forty years.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Judges 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Praise and glory ascribed to God. (1–5). The distress and deliverance of Israel. (6–11). Some commended, others censured. (12–23). Sisera's mother disappointed. (24–31).
vv1-5
No time should be lost in returning thanks to the Lord for his mercies; for our praises are most acceptable, pleasant, and profitable, when they flow from a full heart. By this, love and gratitude would be more excited and more deeply fixed in the hearts of believers; the events would be more known and longer remembered. Whatever Deborah, Barak, or the army had done, the Lord must have all the praise. The will, the power, and the success were all from Him.
vv6-11
Deborah describes the distressed state of Israel under the tyranny of Jabin, that their salvation might appear more gracious. She shows what brought this misery upon them. It was their idolatry. They chose new gods, with new names. But under all these images, Satan was worshipped. Deborah was a mother to Israel, by diligently promoting the salvation of their souls. She calls on those who shared the advantages of this great salvation, to offer up thanks to God for it. Let such as are restored, not only to their liberty as other Israelites, but to their rank, speak God's praises. This is the Lord's doing. In these acts of his, justice was executed on his enemies. In times of persecution, God's ordinances, the walls of salvation, whence the waters of life are drawn, are resorted to at the hazard of the lives of those who attend them. At all times Satan will endeavour to hinder the believer from drawing near to the throne of grace. Notice God's kindness to his trembling people. It is the glory of God to protect those who are most exposed, and to help the weakest. Let us notice the benefit we have from the public peace, the inhabitants of villages especially, and give God the praise.
vv12-23
Deborah called on her own soul to be in earnest. He that will set the hearts of other men on fire with the love of Christ, must himself burn with love. Praising God is a work we should awake to, and awake ourselves unto. She notices who fought against Israel, who fought for them, and who kept away. Who fought against them. They were obstinate enemies to God's people, therefore the more dangerous. Who fought for them. The several tribes that helped are here spoken of with honour; for though God is above all to be glorified, those who are employed must have their due praise, to encourage others. But the whole creation is at war with those to whom God is an enemy. The river of Kishon fought against their enemies. At most times it was shallow, yet now, probably by the great rain that fell, it was so swelled, and the stream so deep and strong, that those who attempted to pass, were drowned. Deborah's own soul fought against them. When the soul is employed in holy exercises, and heart-work is made of them, through the grace of God, the strength of our spiritual enemies will be trodden down, and will fall before us. She observes who kept away, and did not side with Israel, as might have been expected. Thus many are kept from doing their duty by the fear of trouble, the love of ease, and undue affection to their worldly business and advantage. Narrow, selfish spirits care not what becomes of God's church, so that they can but get, keep, and save money. All seek their own, Php 2:21. A little will serve those for a pretence to stay at home, who have no mind to engage in needful services, because there is difficulty and danger in them. But we cannot keep away from the contest between the Lord and his enemies; and if we do not actively endeavour to promote his cause in this wicked world, we shall fall under the curse against the workers of iniquity. Though He needs no human help, yet he is pleased to accept the services of those who improve their talents to advance his cause. He requires every man to do so.
Key Words
דְּבּוֹרָה: Deborah, the name of two Hebrewesses
בָּרָק: Barak, an Israelite
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אֲבִינֹעַם: Abinoam, an Israelite
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
פַּרְעָה: leadership (plural concretely, leaders)
פָּרַע: to loosen; by implication, to expose, dismiss; figuratively, absolve, begin
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
נָדַב: to impel; hence, to volunteer (as a soldier), to present spontaneously
Cross References
Judges 5Poetic imagery of God's majestic march from Seir and Edom to deliver His people.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct verbal parallel regarding the earth trembling and heavens dropping at God's presence.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Refers to Mount Sinai melting/shaking before the Lord, a key comparison in Deborah's song.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prose account of Jael giving Sisera milk and driving the tent peg.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the days of Shamgar son of Anath, the preceding deliverer in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains choosing 'new gods' and the consequent judgment of war in the gates.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament fulfillment of leading captivity captive, applied typologically to Christ's ascension.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel blessing 'above/among women' pronounced on Mary, echoing Jael's blessing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The prototypical triumphal song led by Moses and Miriam after victory.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the people 'willingly offering themselves' in the day of battle.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophetic parallel of God marching from Teman/Paran and the mountains trembling.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates Israel's lack of shield and spear under foreign oppression and disarmament.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reuben's choice to stay among the sheepfolds, prioritizing livestock over national battle.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The literal battlefield defeat of Sisera which Deborah attributes to heaven's intervention.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the enemy's premature boast of dividing the spoil before being destroyed.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Describes the righteous as being like the clear shining of the sun.
Supported by Matthew Henry