King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot [so] long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Sisra's mother looks out the window; peering out through the lattice she wonders, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are his horses so slow to return?'
Berean Standard Bible:
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
American Standard Version:
Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Siseracriedthrough the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
The mother{H517} of Sisera{H5516} looked{H8259} out at a window{H2474}, and cried{H2980} through the lattice{H822}, Why is his chariot{H7393} so long{H954} in coming{H935}? why tarry{H309} the wheels{H6471} of his chariots{H4818}?
Cross-References (KJV):
Song of Solomon 8:14
- Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Proverbs 7:6
- ¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
2 Kings 1:2
- And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that [was] in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
Judges 4:15
- And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all [his] chariots, and all [his] host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off [his] chariot, and fled away on his feet.
James 5:7
- Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Song of Solomon 2:9
- My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
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Commentary for Judges 5:28
Judges 5:28 is a verse from the Song of Deborah, an ancient Hebrew poem that celebrates the victory of the Israelites over the Canaanite general Sisera and his forces. This song is found in the Book of Judges, which recounts the history of Israel from the settlement in the Promised Land until the time of the monarchy. The book describes a cyclical pattern where the Israelites fall into apostasy, are oppressed by foreign nations, cry out to God, and are subsequently delivered by judges whom God raises up.
In the broader narrative, Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, has been defeated by the Israelites led by the prophetess and judge Deborah and the military leader Barak. The verse in question provides a poignant glimpse into the personal impact of the battle from the perspective of Sisera's mother. As she waits anxiously at a window, looking out for her son's return, she wonders why his chariot is delayed. The lattice through which she cries suggests both her privileged status and her emotional distress. Her questions reflect the tension and uncertainty of war, as well as the human cost on both sides of the conflict.
The themes present in this verse include the poignancy of war, the grief of those waiting for loved ones in battle, and the contrast between the victorious celebration of the Israelites and the personal tragedy of their enemies. It also underscores the role of women in the biblical narrative, both as leaders (like Deborah) and as individuals affected by the outcomes of war (like Sisera's mother). The verse serves as a reminder that behind every military account, there are personal stories of waiting, hope, and potential loss. Historically, this verse reflects the ancient Near Eastern context where chariots were a symbol of military power and prestige, and the delay of Sisera's chariot foreshadows his defeat and death at the hands of another woman, Jael, as recounted earlier in Judges 4.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H517
There are 387 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵם
Transliteration: ʼêm
Pronunciation: ame
Description: a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father)); dam, mother, [idiom] parting. - Strong's Number: H5516
There are 19 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סִיסְרָא
Transliteration: Çîyçᵉrâʼ
Pronunciation: see-ser-aw'
Description: of uncertain derivation; Sisera, the name of a Canaanitish king and of one of the Nethinim; Sisera. - Strong's Number: H8259
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁקַף
Transliteration: shâqaph
Pronunciation: shaw-kaf'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to lean out (of a window), i.e. (by implication) peep or gaze (passively, be a spectacle); appear, look (down, forth, out). - Strong's Number: H2474
There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חַלּוֹן
Transliteration: challôwn
Pronunciation: khal-lone'
Description: a window (as perforated); window. - Strong's Number: H2980
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָבַב
Transliteration: yâbab
Pronunciation: yaw-bab
Description: a primitive root; to bawl; cry out. - Strong's Number: H822
There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶשְׁנָב
Transliteration: ʼeshnâb
Pronunciation: esh-nawb'
Description: apparently from an unused root (probably meaning to leave interstices); a latticed window; casement, lattice. - Strong's Number: H7393
There are 104 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֶכֶב
Transliteration: rekeb
Pronunciation: reh'-keb
Description: from רָכַב; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper millstone; chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the margin), wagon. - Strong's Number: H954
There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוּשׁ
Transliteration: bûwsh
Pronunciation: boosh
Description: a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed; (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H309
There are 442 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָחַר
Transliteration: ʼâchar
Pronunciation: aw-khar'
Description: a primitive root; to loiter (i.e. be behind); by implication to procrastinate; continue, defer, delay, hinder, be late (slack), stay (there), tarry (longer). - Strong's Number: H6471
There are 108 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּעַם
Transliteration: paʻam
Pronunciation: pah'-am
Description: or (feminine) פַּעֲמָה; from פָּעַם; a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow); anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel. - Strong's Number: H4818
There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶרְכָּבָה
Transliteration: merkâbâh
Pronunciation: mer-kaw-baw'
Description: feminine of מֶרְכָּב; a chariot; chariot. See also בֵּית הַמַּרְכָּבוֹת.