Judges 5:1-8

The Song of Deborah and Barak

1 1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2 "2That the leaders led in Israel, That 3the people volunteered, Bless the LORD!
3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! 4I-to the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 "5LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, 6The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water.
5 "7The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, 8This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 "In the days of 9Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of 10Jael, the highways were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways.
7 "The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 "11New gods were chosen; Then war was in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel.

Judges 5:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 11

Footnotes 5

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