CHAPTER 5. DEBORAH'S SONG. This chapter contains a song of praise by Deborah and Barak over the victories gained over Jabin and his kingdom. An exhortation to praise is offered, and kings stirred to listen to it. Then the majestic appearance of God at Seir and on Sinai is described in awe-inspiring... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 5. DEBORAH'S SONG. This chapter contains a song of praise by Deborah and Barak over the victories gained over Jabin and his kingdom. An exhortation to praise is offered, and kings stirred to listen to it. Then the majestic appearance of God at Seir and on Sinai is described in awe-inspiring... [ Continue Reading ]
“In that the leaders took the lead in Israel, In that the people offered themselves willingly. Bless you Yahweh.” That leaders and people had responded to Yahweh's command through Deborah was an occasion for ‘blessing', that is giving praise and worship to, Yahweh. Without their willing response... [ Continue Reading ]
“Hear, O you kings, Give ear, O you princes, I even I will sing to Yahweh, I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.” The call now goes out for all princes and kings around, all who can hear, to hear her song, and to learn what Yahweh, the God of Israel, has done, and why she sings His pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREATNESS OF YAHWEH (JUDGES 5:4). Judges 5:4 “Yahweh, when you went out of Seir, When you marched out of the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dropped, Yes, the clouds dropped water. The mountains flooded down at the presence of Yahweh, Even yon Sinai, at the presence of Y... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL AND THE RISE OF DEBORAH (JUDGES 5:6). Judges 5:6 “In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, The highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.” In the days, that is, before they acted (Judges 3:31;... [ Continue Reading ]
DEBORAH PRAISES THOSE WHO RESPONDED TO THE CALL TO ARMS (JUDGES 5:9). Judges 5:9 “My heart is towards the governors of Israel, Who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you Yahweh.” Deborah expresses her gratitude to those leaders who willingly offered themselves to fight for Ya... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CALL TO ACTION AND THE RESPONSE (JUDGES 5:12). Judges 5:12 “Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, utter a song. Arise Barak, and lead your captivity captive, You son of Abinoam.” Accordingly there now comes the call to the leaders to do their duty. Deborah, the prophetess, is to ‘utter a so... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VICTORY OF YAHWEH (JUDGES 5:18). Judges 5:18 “Zebulun were a people who jeopardised their lives unto death, And Naphtali on the high places of the field.” These (including Issachar with Naphtali) formed the main bulk of the units which climbed Mount Tabor, ‘the high places of the earth', fr... [ Continue Reading ]
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 wealth.” Jabin's confederacy, led by the kings of Canaan under Sisera, came to the fight, their hearts filled with the thought of booty. They fought in Taanach by t... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 5:20 a. “They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon.” Earth and heaven combined to destroy their armies. Compare Joshua 10:13. The river Kishon was a river bed that wended its way throu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CURSED AND THE BLESSED (JUDGES 5:23). Judges 5:23 “Curse you Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh, Curse you bitterly (literally ‘curse cursing') its inhabitants, Because they came not to the help of Yahweh, To the help of Yahweh against the mighty.' Meroz is cursed because it was of the tribe... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOTHER OF SISERA, A STARK CONTRAST TO JAEL (JUDGES 5:28). Looking back through the ages we rightly feel pity for this poor woman waiting for her son. But then they were not our daughters whom her husband would have raped and enslaved, decked in stolen finery (Judges 5:30). She had had no pity f... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]