Judges 5:23

23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; ¹Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'

Judges 5:23 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:23

Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord
Not Barak, as the Targum and Jarchi, but Deborah herself said this under a spirit of prophecy, not from her own spirit in a revengeful way, but from the Spirit of God; or this was suggested to her by an angel, not a created, but the uncreated one, the Angel of the covenant, by whom she was inspired, and an impulse made by him on her to denounce a curse on Meroz; which some say was a star, Sisera's star; others the name of a mighty man ^F16, so Jarchi; but rather it is some name of a city or place near where the battle was fought, so Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech: some take Meroz to be the same with Merom, at the waters of which Joshua fought with Jabin, ( Joshua 11:5 ) and supposed to be the same with the waters of Megiddo, and the river Kishon, where this battle was fought; and Jerom ^F17, under the word Merom, observes, that there was in his time a village called Merrus, twelve miles from the city Sebaste near Dothaim, and that Meroz here is the name of a place is clear from what follows:

curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;
or "curse cursing" ^F18; repeat it, give them curse upon curse, curse them most vehemently: the reason of which follows:

because they came not to the help of the Lord;
that is, of the people of the Lord, whose cause was the Lord's; for though he stood in no need of their help, yet their negligence and neutrality were highly resented by him, and therefore repeated:

to the help of the Lord against the mighty;
the mighty Canaanites, and their mighty kings, and mighty hosts; or "with the mighty" ^F19, Barak and his 10,000: now though others, who did not come into their assistance, are only discommended, being at a distance, yet those are cursed, being very near, and saw the peril their brethren were in, and yet would not lend an helping hand.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 16. 1.
F17 De loc. Heb. fol. 93. D.
F18 (rwra wra) "maledictie maledicendo", Pagninus, Montanus.
F19 (Myrwbgb) "cum fortibus", Pagninus, Tigurine version; so Patrick.

Judges 5:23 In-Context

21 "The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22 "Then the horses' hoofs beat From the dashing, the dashing of his valiant steeds.

23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD , 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the LORD , To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'

24 "Most blessed of women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed is she of women in the tent.

25 "He asked for water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 5:13