Judges 5:12

12 Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou, and speak a song; rise thou, Barak, and thou, son of Abinoam, take thy prisoners. (Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou up, and sing a song; rise thou up, Barak, thou son of Abinoam, and take thy prisoners.)

Judges 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:12

Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song,
&c] Either perceiving some languor and remissness in her spirits, while she was delivering this song, and therefore arouses herself to attend to this service with more ardour and zeal; or rather finding herself more impressed with a sense of the great and good things the Lord had done for Israel, calls upon her soul to exert all its powers in celebrating the praises of the Lord, and therefore repeats the word awake so often as she does:

arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam;
for though the whole army of Sisera was destroyed, that not a man was left, ( Judges 4:16 ) yet as Barak pursued to Harosheth of the Gentiles, many there and in other places which fell into his hands, that belonged to Jabin, might be taken captive by him; and though the Canaanites were to be slain, yet they might first be led captive in triumph; and besides, there might be some of other nations that were taken by him in this war; see ( Psalms 68:18 ) .

Judges 5:12 In-Context

10 speak ye, that ascend on shining asses, and sit above in doom, and go in the way. (speak ye, who ride on shining donkeys, and sit in judgement, and go on the way.)

11 Where the chariots were hurled down (al)together, and the host of [the] enemy's was strangled, there the Lord's rightwiseness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord's people came down to the gates, and got the princehood. (Where the chariots were altogether hurled down, and the enemy's army was strangled, there the Lord's righteousness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord's people came down to the gates, and got the victory.)

12 Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou, and speak a song; rise thou, Barak, and thou, son of Abinoam, take thy prisoners. (Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou up, and sing a song; rise thou up, Barak, thou son of Abinoam, and take thy prisoners.)

13 The remnants of the people be saved; the Lord fought against strong men of Ephraim. (The remnant of the people were saved; the Lord's people fought against the strong men.)

14 He did away them into Amalek, and after him from Benjamin into thy peoples, thou Amalek. Princes of Machir and of Zebulun went down, that led the host to fight. (From out of Ephraim, they came into the valley, behind the tribe of Benjamin and its people. The leaders of Machir and of Zebulun went down, they who led the army to fight.)