Judges 5:3-13

3 Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes; I, [even] I, will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

4 Yahweh, when you went forth out of Seir, When you marched out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the sky also dropped, Yes, the clouds dropped water.

5 The mountains quaked at the presence of Yahweh, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, The travelers walked through byways.

7 The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, Who offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless you Yahweh.

10 Tell [of it], you who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, You who walk by the way.

11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Yahweh, [Even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.

13 Then came down a remnant of the nobles [and] the people; Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.

Judges 5:3-13 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.