Shofetim 5:12

12 Awake, awake, Devorah; awake, awake, break out in song; arise, Barak, and lead captive thy captives, thou ben Avinoam.

Shofetim 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:12

Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song,
&c] Either perceiving some languor and remissness in her spirits, while she was delivering this song, and therefore arouses herself to attend to this service with more ardour and zeal; or rather finding herself more impressed with a sense of the great and good things the Lord had done for Israel, calls upon her soul to exert all its powers in celebrating the praises of the Lord, and therefore repeats the word awake so often as she does:

arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam;
for though the whole army of Sisera was destroyed, that not a man was left, ( Judges 4:16 ) yet as Barak pursued to Harosheth of the Gentiles, many there and in other places which fell into his hands, that belonged to Jabin, might be taken captive by him; and though the Canaanites were to be slain, yet they might first be led captive in triumph; and besides, there might be some of other nations that were taken by him in this war; see ( Psalms 68:18 ) .

Shofetim 5:12 In-Context

10 Reflect, ye that ride on white donkeys, ye that sit on saddle blankets, and walk on the derech.

11 The voice of the singers in the place of drawing mayim, there shall they rehearse the Tzidkot Hashem, even the Tzidkot of His warriors in Yisroel; then shall HaAm Hashem go down to the she’arim.

12 Awake, awake, Devorah; awake, awake, break out in song; arise, Barak, and lead captive thy captives, thou ben Avinoam.

13 Then came down a sarid (remnant) to the nobles; the people of Hashem came down to me as gibborim.

14 Out of Ephrayim was their shoresh against Amalek; after thee, Binyamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down mekhokekim (law givers), and out of Zevulun they that hold the shevet of the sofer (scribe).