Judges 4:8

8 dixitque ad eam Barac si venis mecum vadam si nolueris venire non pergam

Judges 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 4:8

And Barak said unto her
To Deborah, after she had delivered the words of the Lord unto him:

if thou wilt go with me, then I will go;
which showed faith hi the word of the Lord, for which he is commended, and a readiness to do the will of God, and courage to engage in such a work with a powerful adversary, and is therefore reckoned among the heroes for faith, ( Hebrews 11:32 ) ;

but if thou wilt not go with me, [then] I will not go;
which though it might discover some weakness in him, yet showed the high opinion he had of Deborah as a judge of Israel, and prophetess of the Lord; being desirous that he might have her with him to pray to God for him, to give him advice and counsel on any emergency, she being as the oracle God; and whereby he testified his regard to the Lord, and to his presence, which he concluded he should have, the prophetess being with him; and more especially his reason for insisting on her going with him might be to prevail upon the inhabitants of Naphtali and Zebulun to go with him, who he might fear would not believe him, or pay any regard to his words, and be in dread of engaging with the enemy, unless she was present; which he supposed would satisfy them as to the mind of God in it, and animate them, and give them heart and spirit.

Judges 4:8 In-Context

6 quae misit et vocavit Barac filium Abinoem de Cedes Nepthalim dixitque ad eum praecepit tibi Dominus Deus Israhel vade et duc exercitum in montem Thabor tollesque tecum decem milia pugnatorum de filiis Nepthalim et de filiis Zabulon
7 ego autem ducam ad te in loco torrentis Cison Sisaram principem exercitus Iabin et currus eius atque omnem multitudinem et tradam eos in manu tua
8 dixitque ad eam Barac si venis mecum vadam si nolueris venire non pergam
9 quae dixit ad eum ibo quidem tecum sed in hac vice tibi victoria non reputabitur quia in manu mulieris tradetur Sisara surrexit itaque Debbora et perrexit cum Barac in Cedes
10 qui accitis Zabulon et Nepthalim ascendit cum decem milibus pugnatorum habens Debboram in comitatu suo
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.