Judges5

Deborah and Barak sing a song of victory, praising the Lord for delivering Israel from Canaanite oppression. The song recounts the nation's former distress, the willing participation of some tribes, and the divine intervention that led to Sisera's defeat. It concludes by blessing Jael for slaying Sisera and wishing destruction upon God's enemies.
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The Song of Deborah and Barak

1
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, ​
2
Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. ​
3
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

The Majestic Power of Yahweh

4
LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. ​
5
The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. ​

Israel's Decline and Deborah's Rise

6
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. ​
7
The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, 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, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10
Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. ​
11
They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. ​

Rallying the Tribes of Israel

12
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. ​
13
Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
14
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. ​
15
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. ​
16
Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. ​
17
Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. ​
18
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. ​

The Battle at Megiddo

19
The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. ​
20
They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. ​
21
The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. ​
22
Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

The Curse of Meroz

23
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. ​

The Praise of Jael

24
Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. ​
25
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. ​
26
She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. ​
27
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

The Lament of Sisera's Mother

28
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? ​
29
Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30
Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? ​
31
So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. ​

Study Notes for Judges 5

Verse 1

This chapter is one of the oldest recorded pieces of Hebrew poetry, offering a spontaneous and passionate celebration of the victory described in Judges 4. Its poetic structure differs significantly from the prose narrative.

Verse 2

The phrase 'when the people willingly offered themselves' highlights a key theme: the victory was not just God’s intervention, but relied on the courageous and voluntary participation of the Israelite militia.

Verse 4

This section employs theophany language, describing God’s appearance to fight for Israel. The imagery of trembling earth and dropping heavens recalls Exodus accounts of God manifesting His presence, often associated with the storm god motif.

Verse 5

The reference to Sinai serves to connect this deliverance to the foundational covenant event, demonstrating that the God who established Israel is the same God who actively intervenes in their history.

Verse 6

This verse describes the extreme insecurity during the period of oppression: the main roads were too dangerous due to enemy control, forcing travelers onto hidden, unsafe byways.

Verse 7

Deborah refers to herself as a 'mother in Israel,' emphasizing her role not just as a judge or prophetess, but as a nurturing, protective, and foundational leader of the nation.

Verse 8

Israel's weakness is attributed both to the choice of 'new gods' (idolatry) and the resulting disarmament by their oppressors, leaving even 40,000 men without basic weaponry.

Verse 10

Deborah addresses three groups: the wealthy elite ('ride on white asses'), the officials ('sit in judgment'), and the common people ('walk by the way'), calling all strata of society to acknowledge God's victory.

Verse 11

The places of drawing water were highly vulnerable, yet crucial. Their deliverance means that life-sustaining activities can resume safely, allowing the people to openly rehearse God's righteous acts.

Verse 12

This verse transitions from reflection to command, urging the leaders, Deborah and Barak, to complete the victory by capturing the remaining enemy forces.

Verse 14

Machir (the name for the eastern half of Manasseh) and Zebulun are praised for supplying leadership and organization ('governors' and 'they that handle the pen'), showing diverse types of necessary contribution to the war effort.

Verse 15

Reuben is the first tribe condemned for its failure to participate. The 'great thoughts of heart' signifies internal deliberation that resulted in inaction rather than commitment to the covenant.

Verse 16

This verse mocks Reuben for prioritizing agricultural life and the comfort of the flocks over the covenant responsibility to fight, emphasizing their selfish concerns.

Verse 17

Gilead (Gad/East Manasseh), Dan, and Asher are also criticized for staying home, focused on their own affairs (trans-Jordanian security, shipping, and coastal trade, respectively) rather than helping their brethren.

Verse 18

In sharp contrast to the abstainers, Zebulun and Naphtali receive high praise for having risked their lives fully, establishing them as models of covenant loyalty.

Verse 19

Taanach and Megiddo were strategic locations controlling the Jezreel Valley. The Canaanite kings fought not for plunder ('no gain of money') but to maintain regional dominance, making their defeat absolute.

Verse 20

The victory is attributed directly to divine intervention, where even the celestial bodies ('stars in their courses') participate in the battle, suggesting a powerful, supernatural storm aiding Israel.

Verse 21

The storm turned the Kishon River into a flash flood, washing away Sisera’s chariots. The river is personified as an instrument of divine judgment, destroying the mighty enemy army.

Verse 23

Meroz, an unidentified location, is cursed not for fighting against Israel, but for failing to come to the aid of the Lord. This emphasizes that neutrality in the face of God’s war is considered active disobedience.

Verse 24

Jael, a Kenite (a neutral tribe), is blessed above all women. Her action, though deceitful by human standards, is celebrated because it completed the divine victory by eliminating the primary enemy commander.

Verse 25

Sisera requested water, a sign of urgent need and hospitality. Jael offered him milk (curds/butter), which would induce drowsiness, making his subsequent murder easier and more shocking.

Verse 26

This verse describes Jael's brutal act in detail, using common household tools (tent peg and hammer). This highlights the unconventional nature of the victory achieved by a non-combatant woman.

Verse 28

The scene shifts dramatically to Sisera's home, where his mother waits anxiously. This poignant lament uses dramatic irony, contrasting the mother’s hopeful expectation with the reality of her son’s ignominious death.

Verse 30

The mother and her ladies discuss the expected spoils of war, including female captives and rich garments. This reinforces the brutality of the Canaanite regime and justifies the severity of God's judgment.

Verse 31

This concluding prayer serves as a theological summary for the entire episode: the prayer for the destruction of God’s enemies is balanced by the blessing promised to those who faithfully love Him, resulting in peace ('rest') for the land.

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