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.
 



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