Judges 5:6

6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.

Judges 5:6 in Other Translations

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

6 "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways.

6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways.

6 In the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the time of Jael, Public roads were abandoned, travelers went by backroads.

6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the main ways were deserted, because travelers kept to the side roads.

Judges 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:6

In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath
Of whom see ( Judges 3:31 ) ; who succeeded Ehud as a judge, but lived not long, and did not much; at least wrought not a perfect deliverance of the children of Israel; but during his time till now, quite through the twenty years of Jabin's oppression, things were as they are after described:

in the days of Jael;
the wife of Heber the Kenite, spoken of in the preceding chapter, ( Judges 4:17-22 ) , who appears to be a woman of masculine spirit, and endeavoured to do what good she could to Israel, though not a judge among them, as Jarchi suggests; and who before this affair of Sisera had signalized herself by some deeds of hers in favour of Israel, and against their enemies; yet far from putting a stop to the outrages committed; for in the times of both these persons,

the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through
byways;
the public roads were so infested with thieves and robbers, who stopped all they met with, and robbed them of what they had, that travellers and merchants with their carriages were obliged either to quit their employments, and not travel at all; or, if they did, were obliged to go in private roads, and roundabout ways, to keep clear of those rapparees the highways and public roads abounded with.

Judges 5:6 In-Context

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.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 3:31
• 2. S Judges 4:17
• 3. Leviticus 26:22; Isaiah 33:8
• 4. Psalms 125:5; Isaiah 59:8