|
Judges 5
[Judges 5:1] THEN SANG DEBORAH AND BARAK THE SON OF ABINOAM ON THAT DAY, SAYING, [Judges 5:2] PRAISE YE THE LORD FOR THE AVENGING OF ISRAEL, WHEN THE PEOPLE WILLINGLY OFFERED THEMSELVES. [Judges 5:3] 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. [Judges 5:4] 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. [Judges 5:5] THE MOUNTAINS MELTED FROM BEFORE THE LORD, EVEN THAT SINAI FROM BEFORE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL. [Judges 5:6] IN THE DAYS OF SHAMGAR THE SON OF ANATH, IN THE DAYS OF JAEL, THE HIGHWAYS WERE UNOCCUPIED, AND THE TRAVELLERS WALKED THROUGH BYWAYS. Jael was ultimately to kill Sisera. Before that she had been a kind of leader amongst the people so Sisera had probably been acquainted with her and that is why he fled to her tent. She belonged to the Kenites group neither openly Israelite nor pagan. At this sate Israel was downtrodden and persecuted so they would have tended to distance themselves so Sisera assumed that he would find common cause with them. [Judges 5:7] THE INHABITANTS OF THE VILLAGES CEASED, THEY CEASED IN ISRAEL, UNTIL THAT I DEBORAH AROSE, THAT I AROSE A MOTHER IN ISRAEL. The people moved into fortified cities and were afraid to live in open villages or take pathways in uncertain areas. The situation today is similar for the Jews in the Land of Israel. If a Jew strays into an Arab area he is liable to be lynched. He almost certainly will have stones thrown at him and gangs of youths, adults, and even schoolchildren attempt to attack him. [Judges 5:8] THEY CHOSE NEW GODS; THEN WAS WAR IN THE GATES: WAS THERE A SHIELD OR SPEAR SEEN AMONG FORTY THOUSAND IN ISRAEL? These were those who stood defiantly in the valley before the Mount of Tabor to lure Javin out. [Judges 5:9] MY HEART IS TOWARD THE GOVERNORS OF ISRAEL, THAT OFFERED THEMSELVES WILLINGLY AMONG THE PEOPLE. BLESS YE THE LORD. According to the tradition these "governors" were from the Tribe of Issachar and apparently included in the forty thousand. [Judges 5:10] SPEAK, YE THAT RIDE ON WHITE ASSES, YE THAT SIT IN JUDGEMENT, AND WALK BY THE WAY. [Judges 5:11] 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. When the Canaanites were about to attack them the waters swept them away. [Judges 5:12] AWAKE, AWAKE, DEBORAH: AWAKE, AWAKE, UTTER A SONG: ARISE, BARAK, AND LEAD THY CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, THOU SON OF ABINOAM. [Judges 5:13] THEN HE MADE HIM THAT REMAINETH HAVE DOMINION OVER THE NOBLES AMONG THE PEOPLE: THE LORD MADE ME HAVE DOMINION OVER THE MIGHTY [Judges 5:14] 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. <<OF EPHRAIM WAS THERE A ROOT OF THEM AGAINST AMALEK>>: Ephraim is part of Joseph who has a special mission against Esau amongst whose descendants were the Amalekites. The Amalekites had linked up with the Canaanites to fight against Israel. The volunteers from Ephraim amongst the Israelites fought against the Amalekites in the forces allied with Sisera the Caaanite. [Judges 5:15] 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.. [Judges 5:16] WHY ABODEST THOU AMONG THE SHEEPFOLDS, TO HEAR THE BLEATINGS OF THE FLOCKS? FOR THE DIVISIONS OF REUBEN THERE WERE GREAT SEARCHINGS OF HEART.. [Judges 5:17] GILEAD ABODE BEYOND JORDAN: AND WHY DID DAN REMAIN IN SHIPS? ASHER CONTINUED ON THE SEA SHORE, AND ABODE IN HIS BREACHES. <GILEAD ABODE BEYOND JORDAN> Gilead was far away and did not want to be involved. Descendants of Gilead were to become prominent in the USA and in the early stages of both World War I and WWII the USA distanced itself and tried to keep out of the conflict even though her own kith and kin were fighting for their very existence against a cruel and vicious enemy. <<DAN REMAIN IN SHIPS>> The tribe of Dan were seafarers and involved with the Phoenicians in their maritime enterprises. [Judges 5:18] ZEBULUN AND NAPHTALI WERE A PEOPLE THAT JEOPARDED THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH IN THE HIGH PLACES OF THE FIELD. [Judges 5:19] THE KINGS CAME AND FOUGHT, THEN FOUGHT THE KINGS OF CANAAN IN TAANACH BY THE WATERS OF MEGIDDO; THEY TOOK NO GAIN OF MONEY. [Judges 5:20] THEY FOUGHT FROM HEAVEN; THE STARS IN THEIR COURSES FOUGHT AGAINST SISERA. [Judges 5:21] THE RIVER OF KISHON SWEPT THEM AWAY, THAT ANCIENT RIVER, THE RIVER KISHON. O MY SOUL, THOU HAST TRODDEN DOWN STRENGTH. [Judges 5:22] THEN WERE THE HORSEHOOFS BROKEN BY THE MEANS OF THE PRANSINGS, THE PRANSINGS OF THEIR MIGHTY ONES. [Judges 5:23] 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. Those of Israel who could help their fellow Israelites and did not do so were cursed. If you help Israel it is as if you help God Almighty Himself. [Judges 5:24] BLESSED ABOVE WOMEN SHALL JAEL THE WIFE OF HEBER THE KENITE BE, BLESSED SHALL SHE BE ABOVE WOMEN IN THE TENT. [Judges 5:25] HE ASKED WATER, AND SHE GAVE HIM MILK; SHE BROUGHT FORTH BUTTER IN A LORDLY DISH. [Judges 5:26] 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. [Judges 5:27] 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. Some understood this verse to hint at Jael having physically "comforted". the fleeing Canaanite general and wearied him into sleeping. [Judges 5:28] 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? [Judges 5:29] HER WISE LADIES ANSWERED HER, YEA, SHE RETURNED ANSWER TO HERSELF [Judges 5:30] 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? They assumed the Israelites would be easy prey and that their warriors would return laden with the spoils of war including young women for themselves. [Judges 5:31] 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. |