Shìshījì 5

1 Nàshí , Dǐbōlā hé yà bǐ nuó ān de érzi Bālā zuò gē , shuō ,

2 Yīnwei Yǐsèliè zhōng yǒu jūnzhǎng shuaìlǐng , bǎixìng yĕ gānxīn xī shēng zìjǐ , nǐmen yīngdāng sòngzàn Yēhéhuá .

3 Jūnwáng a , yào tīng . wáng zǐ a , yào cè ĕr ér tīng . wǒ yào xiàng Yēhéhuá gē chàng , wǒ yào gēsòng Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén .

4 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ cóng Xīĕr chūlai , yóu Yǐdōng dì xíng zǒu . nàshí dìzhèn tiān lòu , yún yĕ luō yǔ .

5 Shān jiàn Yēhéhuá de miàn jiù zhèndòng , Xīnǎi shān jiàn Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè shén de miàn yĕ shì rúcǐ .

6 Zaì Yàná zhī zǐ shān jiā de shíhou , yòu zaì yǎ yì de rìzi , dà dào wú rén xíng zǒu , dōu shì rǎo dào ér xíng .

7 Yǐsèliè zhōng de guān cháng tíng zhí , zhídào wǒ Dǐbōlā xīngqǐ , dĕng wǒ xīngqǐ zuò Yǐsèliè de mǔ .

8 Yǐsèliè rén xuǎnzé xīn shén , zhēng zhàn de shì jiù líndào chéng mén . nàshí , Yǐsèliè sì wàn rén zhōng qǐnéng jiàn dùnpái qiāng maó ne .

9 Wǒ xīn qīng xiàng Yǐsèliè de shǒulǐng , tāmen zaì mín zhōng gānxīn xī shēng zìjǐ . nǐmen yīngdāng sòngzàn Yēhéhuá .

10 Qí bái lü de , zuò xiùhuā tǎn zǐ de , xíng lù de , nǐmen dōu dāng chuányáng .

11 zaì yuǎn lí gōng jiàn xiǎngshēng dá shuǐ zhī chù , rén bì shùshuō Yēhéhuá gōngyì de zuòwéi , jiù shì tā zhìlǐ Yǐsèliè gōngyì de zuòwéi . nàshí Yēhéhuá de mín xià dào chéng mén .

12 Dǐbōlā a , xīngqǐ . xīngqǐ . nǐ dāng xīngqǐ , xīngqǐ , chàng gē . yà bǐ nuó ān de érzi Bālā a , nǐ dāng fèn xīng , lǔlǜe nǐde dírén .

13 Nàshí yǒuyú shèng de guìzhòu hé bǎixìng yītóng xià lái . Yēhéhuá jiànglín , wèi wǒ gōngjī yǒng shì .

14 Yǒu gēnbĕn zaì Yàmǎlì rén de dì , cóng Yǐfǎlián xià lái de . Biànyǎmǐn zaì mín zhōng gēnsuí nǐ . yǒu zhǎngquán de cóng Machir xià lái . yǒu chí zhàng jiǎn diǎn mín shǔ de cóng Xībùlún xià lái .

15 Yǐsàjiā de shǒulǐng yǔ Dǐbōlā tóng lái . Yǐsàjiā zĕnyàng , Bālā yĕ zĕnyàng . zhòngrén dōu gēnsuí Bālā chōng xià píngyuán . zaì lǚ biàn de xī shuǐ páng yǒu xīn zhōng déng dà zhì de .

16 Nǐ wèihé zuò zaì yángjuàn neì tīng qún zhōng chuī dí de shēngyīn ne . zaì lǚ biàn de xī shuǐ páng yǒu xīn zhōng shè dà móu de .

17 Jīliè rén ān jū zaì Yuēdànhé waì . dàn rén wèihé dĕng zaì chuán shàng . Yàshè rén zaì hǎikǒu jìng zuò , zaì gǎng kǒu ān jū .

18 Xībùlún rén shì pīn méng gǎn sǐ de . Náfútālì rén zaì tiānyĕ de gāo chù yĕ shì rúcǐ .

19 Jūnwáng dōu lái zhēng zhàn . nàshí Jiānán zhū wáng zaì Mǐjíduō shuǐ páng de Tānà zhēng zhàn , què wèi dé lǔlǜe yínqián .

20 Xīng xiù cóng tiān shàng zhēng zhàn , cóng qí guǐ dào gōngjī Xīxīlā .

21 Jī shùn gǔ hé bǎ dírén chōng mò . wǒde líng a , yīngdāng nǔlì qián xíng .

22 Nàshí zhuàng mǎ chí qū , tī tiào , bēn téng .

23 Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ shuō , yīngdāng zhòuzǔ mǐ luó sī , dàdà zhòuzǔ qízhōng de jūmín . yīnwei tāmen bù lái bāngzhu Yēhéhuá , bù lái bāngzhu Yēhéhuá gōngjī yǒng shì .

24 Yuàn Jīnírén xī bǎi de qī yǎ yì bǐ zhòng fùrén duō dé fúqi , bǐ zhù zhàngpéng de fùrén gèng méng fú zhǐ .

25 Xī Xīlā qiú shuǐ , yē3 yì gĕi tā nǎi zǐ , yòng bǎoguì de pánzi gĕi tā nǎi yóu .

26 Yǎ yì zuǒshǒu ná zhe zhàngpéng de juézi , yòushǒu ná zhe jiàngrén de chuí zǐ , jī dá Xīxīlā , dá shāng tāde tóu , bǎ tāde bìn jiǎo dǎpò chuān tōng .

27 Xī Xīlā zaì tā jiǎo qián qǔ shēn pú dǎo , zaì tā jiǎo qián qǔ shēn dǎo wò . zaì nàli qǔ shēn , jiù zaì nàli sǐwáng .

28 Xī Xīlā de mǔqin cóng chuānghu lǐ wǎng waì guānkàn , cóng chuāng líng zhōng hūjiào shuō , tāde zhàn chē wèihé dān yán bù lái ne . tāde chēlún wèihé xíng dé màn ne .

29 Cōngming de gōng nǚ ānwèi tā ( yuánwén zuò huídá tā ) , tā yĕ zìyánzìyǔ de shuō ,

30 Tāmen mòfēi dé cái ér fēn . mĕi rén dé le yī liǎng gè nǚzi . Xīxīlā dé le cǎi yǐ wéi lǔ wù , dé xiùhuā de cǎi yǐ wéi lüè wù . zhè cǎi yǐ liǎng miàn xiùhuā , nǎi shì pī zaì beìlǔ zhī rén jǐngxiàng shàng de .

31 Yēhéhuá a , yuàn nǐde chóudí dōu zhèyàng mièwáng . yuàn aì nǐde rén rú rìtou chūxiàn , guāng huī liè liè . zhèyàng , guó zhōng taìpíng sì shí nián .

Shìshījì 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

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)

1-5. 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.

6-11. 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.

Verses 12-23 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, ( Philippians 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.

Verses 24-31 Jael had a special blessing. Those whose lot is cast in the tent, in a low and narrow sphere, if they serve God according to the powers he has given them, shall not lose their reward. The mother of Sisera looked for his return, not in the least fearing his success. Let us take heed of indulging eager desires towards any temporal good, particularly toward that which cherishes vain-glory, for that was what she here doted on. What a picture does she present of an ungodly and sensual heart! How shameful and childish these wishes of an aged mother and her attendants for her son! And thus does God often bring ruin on his enemies when they are most puffed up. Deborah concludes with a prayer to God for the destruction of all his foes, and for the comfort of all his friends. Such shall be the honour, and joy of all who love God in sincerity, they shall shine for ever as the sun in the firmament.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 5

This chapter contains a song of praise on account of the victories obtained over Jabin, and his kingdom; after an exhortation to praise is given, and kings excited to attend to it, the majestic appearance of God at Seir, on Sinai, is observed, to raise in the mind a divine veneration of him, Jud 5:1-5; then the miserable state and condition Israel was in before these victories, and therefore had the more reason to be thankful, Jud 5:6-8; the governors, and judges, and the people that were delivered, together with Deborah and Barak, are stirred up to rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, and bless his name, Jud 5:9-13; and those who willingly engaged in the war are praised, and such who were negligent reproved, and some even cursed, Jud 5:14-23; but Jael, Heber's wife, is particularly commended for her exploit in slaying Sisera, Jud 5:24-27; and the mother of Sisera, and her ladies, are represented as wondering at his long delay, and as assured of his having got the victory, Jud 5:28-30; and the song is concluded with a prayer for the destruction, of the enemies of the Lord, and for the happiness and glory of them that love him, Jud 5:31.