Judges 5:31

The Cry of Triumph (Judges 5:31).

Judges 5:31 a

“So let all your enemies perish, Oh Yahweh.

But let those who love him be as the sun when he goes out in his might.”

Deborah finishes with a cry to Yahweh, that all His enemies will also be dealt with in the same way, that all might so perish. For only then can Israel be free. But for those who love Him she desires that they shine like the sun as it comes up in its strength, a picture of splendour and glory.

Judges 5:31 b

‘And the land had rest forty years.'

A comment added at the end of the song. The result of the victory of Yahweh was a generation of peace. But a period also of waiting and testing for the next episode in the story.

It is significant in the song that there is no mention of Judah and Simeon. They were clearly either not called on or not expected to respond to the call. This may have been because it was recognised that they could not because they were facing their own problems, the keeping at bay of the Philistine threat. Shamgar may have been connected with Judah (Joshua 15:59 - there was a Beth Anoth in the territory of Judah). This partial separation from the other tribes (although they assisted against Cushan-rishathaim (Judges 3:9) and in the Gibeah incident (Judges 20:18)) would come to fruition later on in the establishing of Israel and Judah as separate nations.

It is interesting to note the use of ‘Gilead' to represent tribes across the Jordan, possibly a sign that territorial position was beginning partially to replace tribal designation, unless the reference is to the sub-tribe of Gilead (Numbers 26:29).