Judges 5:6

6 In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, [the] paths rested (the ways were empty), and they that entered by those (ways), went [away] by paths out of the way.

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 Lord, when thou wentest out from Seir, and passedest by the countries of Edom (and passedest by the countryside of Edom), the earth was moved, and (the) heavens and (the) clouds dropped with waters;
5 (the) hills flowed from the face of the Lord, and Sinai from the face of the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, [the] paths rested (the ways were empty), and they that entered by those (ways), went [away] by paths out of the way.
7 Strong men in Israel ceased, and rested, till Deborah (a)rose, a mother in Israel.
8 The Lord chose new battles, and he destroyed the gates of (their) enemies; shield and spear appeared not in forty thousand of Israel. (They chose new gods, and then there was war at the gates; but shields and spears did not appear among the forty thousand of Israel.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.