Judges 5

King James Version

Full text for Judges Chapter 5

1¶ Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3Hear, 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.

4LORD, 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.

5The mountains melted from before the LORD, [even] that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

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.

8They chose new gods; then [was] war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9My heart [is] toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

10Speak, 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.

12¶ Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

14Out 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.

15And 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.

16Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben [there were] great searchings of heart.

17Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

18Zebulun and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19The kings came [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

22Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23Curse 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.

24¶ Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25He asked water, [and] she gave [him] milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

26She 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.

27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28The 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?

29Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30Have 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?

31So 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

The chapter presents the triumphant song of Deborah and Barak, celebrating Israel's victory over King Jabin of Canaan and his captain Sisera. It begins by praising the Lord for avenging Israel and recalling His mighty acts at Sinai. The song then contrasts Israel's previous desolate state, marked by deserted roads and a lack of weaponry, with the renewed courage inspired by Deborah's leadership. It commends the tribes that willingly participated in the battle, while rebuking those who remained aloof. The narrative vividly describes the battle itself, highlighting divine intervention as the stars and the River Kishon fought against Sisera's forces. Jael is highly praised for her decisive act of killing Sisera, while Sisera's mother is depicted anxiously awaiting his return, unaware of his demise. The song concludes with a prayer for the perishing of God's enemies and a blessing for those who love Him, noting a subsequent period of peace.

Long Summary

Judges chapter 5 records the "Song of Deborah and Barak," a poetic celebration of Israel's victory over the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The song opens with an invocation to praise the Lord for His avenging of Israel, recalling His powerful manifestation from Seir and Sinai that caused the earth to tremble. It then vividly describes the dire conditions in Israel before Deborah's rise, where highways were abandoned, villages were deserted, and the people lacked weapons due to their idolatry. Deborah credits her emergence as "a mother in Israel" for inspiring a change. The song commends the governors and people who willingly offered themselves for battle, urging all, from the powerful to the common traveler, to recount the Lord's righteous acts. It then calls upon Deborah and Barak to fully embrace their victory. The song enumerates the tribes that responded to the call—Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali—who "jeoparded their lives unto the death." In contrast, it sharply rebukes Reuben, Gilead, Dan, and Asher for their inaction and internal divisions, questioning why they remained by their flocks or ships. The battle itself is described as a divine conflict, where the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach and Megiddo, but the very stars in their courses fought against Sisera, and the ancient River Kishon swept away his forces. A curse is pronounced upon Meroz for failing to assist the Lord. The song then shifts to a specific blessing for Jael, Heber the Kenite's wife, who is lauded above all women for her cunning and decisive act of killing Sisera with a tent peg and hammer after offering him hospitality. The narrative concludes with a poignant scene of Sisera's mother anxiously looking out her window, wondering why his chariot delays, and her ladies-in-waiting imagining the spoils of war he would bring. The song ends with a powerful imprecation against the Lord's enemies and a blessing for those who love Him, followed by the statement that the land had rest for forty years.

Core Concepts

  • Divine InterventionThe chapter highlights God's direct involvement in the battle, where 'the stars in their courses fought against Sisera' and the River Kishon swept away the enemy, demonstrating His power over creation to aid His people.
  • Leadership of DeborahDeborah is portrayed as a prophetess and judge who arose as 'a mother in Israel,' inspiring and leading the people out of their desolate state and into battle, demonstrating spiritual and military authority.
  • Tribal Participation and DivisionThe song details the varying responses of the Israelite tribes to the call to arms, commending those who fought bravely (e.g., Zebulun, Naphtali) and rebuking those who remained aloof or divided (e.g., Reuben, Dan, Asher).
  • Jael's HeroismJael, a Kenite woman, is celebrated for her cunning and decisive act of killing Sisera, the enemy general, by offering him hospitality and then striking him dead with a tent peg, thereby securing Israel's victory.
  • Praise and ThanksgivingThe entire chapter is a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His deliverance, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging God's righteous acts and His role in Israel's salvation.
  • Desolation and RestorationThe chapter contrasts the period of severe oppression and insecurity in Israel, where roads were unsafe and villages deserted, with the restoration of peace and security achieved through God's intervention and the people's willingness to fight.
  • Consequences of InactionThe curse pronounced upon Meroz serves as a stark warning against failing to come to the aid of the Lord and His people in times of conflict.