1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: 2When commanders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless Jehovah! 3Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will make music unto Jehovah the God of Israel. 4Jehovah, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, even the clouds dropped water; 5the mountains flowed before Jehovah, this Sinai, before Jehovah the God of Israel. 6In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways. 7Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel. 8They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. 9My heart is with the governors of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah! 10Sing out, you who ride on white donkeys, who sit on carpets, and who walk along the road. 11At the sound where they divide the flocks among the places to draw water, there they shall recount the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts to His village dwellers in Israel; then the people of Jehovah shall go down to the gates. 12Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives captive, O son of Abinoam! 13Then the remnant came down and had dominion over the kings of the nations; for me Jehovah trod down the mighty. 14Out of Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, from Machir came down governors, and from Zebulun those who bear the staff of scribes. 15And the commanders of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak, sent on foot into the valley. Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart. 16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart. 17Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, and stayed by his landings. 18Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their souls even to death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the field. 19The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver. 20They fought from the heavens; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera. 21The torrent of Kishon swept them away, that ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread on in strength! 22Then the horses' hooves pounded, the galloping, galloping of his steeds. 23Curse Meroz, said the Angel of Jehovah, curse its inhabitants bitterly, because they did not come to the help of Jehovah, to the help of Jehovah against the mighty. 24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed is she among women in the tent. 25He asked for water, she gave milk; she brought out curds in a lordly bowl. 26She stretched her hand to the tent peg, her right hand to the workman's hammer; she has hammered Sisera, she has destroyed his head, she has pierced and struck through his temple. 27At her feet he has bowed down, he has fallen, he has lain down; at her feet he has bowed down, he has fallen; where he has bowed down, there he has fallen destroyed. 28The mother of Sisera has looked through the window, and cried out through the lattice, Why has his chariot delayed to come? Why have the hoof beats of his chariot waited? 29Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she answers herself: 30Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: to each chief warrior a girl to love; for Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, two pieces of dyed embroidery for the necks of the plunderers? 31Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Jehovah! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it goes forth in its might. Thus the land was quiet forty years.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DEBORAH AND BARAK'S SONG OF THANKSGIVING. (Jdg. 5:1-31)
Then sang Deborah and Barak . . . on that day--This noble triumphal ode was evidently the composition of Deborah herself.
2 The meaning is obscurely seen in our version; it has been better rendered thus, "Praise ye Jehovah; for the free are freed in Israel--the people have willingly offered themselves" [ROBINSON].
4 Allusion is here made, in general terms, to God's interposition on behalf of His people.
Seir . . . the field of Edom--represent the mountain range and plain extending along the south from the Dead Sea to the Elanitic Gulf.
thou wentest out--indicates the storm to have proceeded from the south or southeast.
6 The song proceeds in these verses to describe the sad condition of the country, the oppression of the people, and the origin of all the national distress in the people's apostasy from God. Idolatry was the cause of foreign invasion and internal inability to resist it.
9 expresses gratitude to the respective leaders of the tribes which participated in the contest; but, above all, to God, who inspired both the patriotic disposition and the strength.
10 Speak--that is, join in this song of praise.
white asses--Those which are purely white are highly prized, and being costly, are possessed only by the wealthy and great.
Ye that sit in judgment--has been rendered, "ye that repose on tapestries."
11 The wells which are at a little distance from towns in the East, are, in unsettled times, places of danger. But in peace they are scenes of pleasant and joyous resort. The poetess anticipates that this song may be sung, and the righteous acts of the Lord rehearsed at these now tranquil "places of drawing water." Deborah now rouses herself to describe, in terms suitable to the occasion, the preparation and the contest, and calls in a flight of poetic enthusiasm on Barak to parade his prisoners in triumphal procession. Then follows a eulogistic enumeration of the tribes which raised the commanded levy, or volunteered their services--the soldiers of Ephraim who dwelt near the mount of the Amalekites, the small quota of Benjamin; "the governors," valiant leaders "out of Machir," the western Manasseh; out of Zebulun.
15 Then comes a reproachful notice of the tribes which did not obey the summons to take the field against the common enemy of Israel. By the
divisions--that is, the watercourses which descend from the eastern hills unto the Jordan and Dead Sea.
For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart--They felt the patriotic impulse and determined, at first, to join the ranks of their western brethren, but resiled from the purpose, preferring their peaceful shepherd songs to the trumpet sound of war.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan--that is, Both Gad and the eastern half to Manasseh chose to dwell at ease in their Havoth-jair, or "villages of tents," while Dan and Asher, both maritime tribes, continued with their ships and in their "breaches" ("havens"). The mention of these craven tribes (
Judg 5:18) is concluded with a fresh burst of commendation on Zebulun and Naphtali.
19 describes the scene of battle and the issue. It would seem (
Judg 5:19) that Jabin was reinforced by the troops of other Canaanite princes. The battlefield was near Taanach (now Ta'annuk), on a tell or mound in the level plain of Megiddo (now Leijun), on its southwestern extremity, by the left bank of the Kishon.
they took no gain of money--They obtained no plunder.
20 the stars in their courses fought--A fearful tempest burst upon them and threw them into disorder.
21 the river of Kishon swept them away--The enemy was defeated near "the waters of Megiddo"--the sources and side streams of the Kishon: they that fled had to cross the deep and marshy bed of the torrent, but the Lord had sent a heavy rain--the waters suddenly rose--the warriors fell into the quicksands, and sinking deep into them, were drowned or washed into the sea [VAN DE VELDE].
22 Then were the horse hoofs broken by the means of the prancings--Anciently, as in many parts of the East still, horses were not shod. The breaking of the hoofs denotes the hot haste and heavy irregular tramp of the routed foe.
23 Curse ye Meroz--a village on the confines of Issachar and Naphtali, which lay in the course of the fugitives, but the inhabitants declined to aid in their destruction.
24 is a most graphic picture of the treatment of Sisera in the tent of Jael.
25 butter--curdled milk; a favorite beverage in the East.
28 In these verses a sudden transition is made to the mother of the Canaanite general, and a striking picture is drawn of a mind agitated between hope and fear--impatient of delay, yet anticipating the news of victory and the rewards of rich booty.
the lattice--a lattice window, common to the houses in warm countries for the circulation of air.
29 her wise ladies--maids of honor.
30 to every man a damsel or two--Young maidens formed always a valued part of Oriental conquerors' war-spoils. But Sisera's mother wished other booty for him; namely, the gold-threaded, richly embroidered, and scarlet-colored cloaks which were held in such high esteem. The ode concludes with a wish in keeping with the pious and patriotic character of the prophetess.