Judges 5:18

18 And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to the death, in the country of Meromei, that is interpreted, high. (And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives unto the death, in the high places of the countryside.)

Judges 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:18

Zebulun and Naphtali were a people
These two tribes were chiefly concerned in this war; out of them were the 10,000 men that followed Barak, who willingly offered themselves, and were the most active and vigorous:

[that] jeoparded themselves unto the death;
exposed them to the utmost danger, fearless of death itself: or reproached F11 their lives; were careless of them, valued them not; they were not dear to them, but were ready to part with them freely, in the cause of liberty in which they were engaged:

in the high places of the field;
on the top of Mount Tabor, where they were mustered, and from whence they beheld the vast host of Sisera surrounding them; and yet, with an undaunted bravery and courage, descended the hill to fight with them. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "in the country of Merome"; in the plains and fields of it, near which were the waters of Merom, where Joshua fought Jabin, a former king of Canaan, and supposed by some to be the same with Kishon here, ( Joshua 11:5 ) ( Psalms 83:9 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (Prx) "probris affecit", Pagninus; so the Targum.

Judges 5:18 In-Context

16 Why dwellest thou betwixt twain ends (Why stayest thou by the stalls), (so) that thou (mayest) hear the hissings of (the) flocks? (Yea,) While Reuben was parted against himself, the strife of great hearted men was found.
17 Gilead rested beyond (the) Jordan, and Dan gave attention to ships. Asher dwelled in the brink of the sea, and dwelled in havens (Asher stayed by the seashore, and lived in safe coves).
18 And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to the death, in the country of Meromei, that is interpreted, high. (And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives unto the death, in the high places of the countryside.)
19 Kings came, and fought; kings of Canaan fought in Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo; and nevertheless they took nothing by prey (but they took nothing of prey).
20 From heaven, it was fought against them (They fought against them from the heavens); (the) stars dwelled in their order, and in their course, and they fought against Sisera.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.