Judges 5:2-9

2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves— praise the LORD!
3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to[a] the LORD; I will praise the LORD, the God of Israel, in song.
4 “When you, LORD, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
7 Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!

Judges 5:2-9 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 18

  • 1. 2 Chronicles 17:16; Psalms 110:3
  • 2. ver 9
  • 3. S Exodus 15:1
  • 4. Psalms 27:6
  • 5. S Exodus 13:21
  • 6. S Numbers 24:18; S Deuteronomy 33:2
  • 7. 2 Samuel 22:8; Psalms 18:7; Psalms 77:18; Psalms 82:5; Isaiah 2:19,21; Isaiah 13:13; Isaiah 24:18; Isaiah 64:3; Jeremiah 10:10; Jeremiah 50:46; Jeremiah 51:29; Joel 3:16; Nahum 1:5; Habakkuk 3:6
  • 8. Psalms 68:8; Psalms 77:17
  • 9. S Exodus 19:18; Psalms 29:6; Psalms 46:3; Psalms 77:18; Psalms 114:4; Psalms 68:8; Psalms 97:5; Isaiah 64:3
  • 10. Judges 3:31
  • 11. S Judges 4:17
  • 12. Leviticus 26:22; Isaiah 33:8
  • 13. Psalms 125:5; Isaiah 59:8
  • 14. S Judges 4:4
  • 15. Deuteronomy 32:17; S Judges 2:13
  • 16. ver 11; S Joshua 2:5
  • 17. S Numbers 25:7
  • 18. S ver 2

Footnotes 1

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