1 The Song of Deborah and Barak

sang Deborah. This verse briefly recites the subject of this inspired song, which consists of eight stanzas: The first opens with a devout thanksgiving. The second describes the magnificent scenes at Mount Sinai. The third states the apostasy and consequent punishment of the Israelites. The fourth contrasts their present happy state. The fifth censures the recreant?? tribes of Reuben, Gad. The sixth records the defeat of the confederate kings of Canaan. The seventh contains a panegyric on Jael. And the eight describes the fond anticipations and disappointment of the mother of Sisera. Ex 15:1,21 Nu 21:17 1Sa 2:1 2Ch 20:21,27 Job 38:7 Ps 18:1

is 12:1-6 25:1 26:1 lu 1:46,67,68 re 15:3,4 19:1-3

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

for the avenging De 32:43 2Sa 22:47,48 Ps 18:47 48:11 94:1 97:8 136:15,19,20 149:6-9 Re 16:5,6 18:20 19:2

when Jud 5:9 2Ch 17:16 Ne 11:2 Ps 110:3 1Co 9:17 2Co 8:12 9:7 Php 2:13 Phm 1:14

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.

o ye kings De 32:1,3 Ps 2:10-12 49:1,2 119:46 138:4,5

I, even I Jud 5:7 Ge 6:17 9:9 Ex 31:6 Le 26:28 1Ki 18:22 19:10,14 Ezr 7:21

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.

Lord De 33:2 Ps 68:7,8 Hab 3:3-6

the earth 2Sa 22:8 Job 9:6 Ps 18:7-15

dropped Ps 77:17

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

mountains De 4:11 Ps 97:5 114:4 Isa 64:1-3 Na 1:5 Hab 3:10

melted. Heb. flowed. that Sinai Ex 19:18 20:18 De 4:11,12 5:22-25 Heb 12:18

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.

Shamgar Jud 3:31

Jael Jud 4:17,18

the highways Le 26:22 2Ch 15:5 Isa 33:8 La 1:4 4:18 Mic 3:12

travellers. Heb. walkers of paths. by-ways. Heb. crooked ways Ps 125:5

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

the villages Es 9:19

a mother Jud 4:4-6 2Sa 20:19 Isa 49:23 Ro 16:13

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

new gods Jud 2:12,17 De 32:16,17

was there Jud 4:3 1Sa 13:19-22

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

offered Jud 5:2 1Ch 29:9 2Co 8:3,4,12,17 9:5

10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

speak. or meditate Ps 105:2 145:5,11

ride Jud 10:4 12:14

ye that sit Ps 107:32 Isa 28:6 Joe 3:12

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.

the noise La 5:4,9

in the places. Dr. Shaw mentions a beautiful rill of water in Barbary, which runs into a large bason, called shrub we krub, 'drink and be off,' because of the danger of meeting with robbers and assassins in this place, who fall upon those who come to drink. Ge 26:20-22 Ex 2:17-19 Isa 12:3

righteous acts. Heb. righteousnesses 1Sa 12:7 Ps 145:7 Mic 6:5

villages Jud 5:7

go down De 22:24 Job 29:7 Isa 28:6 Jer 7:2

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

awake, Deborah Ps 57:8 103:1,2 108:2 Isa 51:9,17 52:1,2 60:1 Jer 31:26 1Co 15:34 Eph 5:14

lead Ps 68:18 Isa 14:2 33:1 49:24-26 Eph 4:8 2Ti 2:26

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

he made Ps 49:14 Isa 41:15,16 Eze 17:24 Da 7:18-27 Ro 8:37 Re 2:26,27 3:9

the Lord Ps 75:7

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 Jud 3:27 4:5,6

Amalek Jud 3:13 Ex 17:8-16

after Jud 4:10,14

Machir Nu 32:39,40

Handle the pen. heb. draw with the pen.

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.

the princes 1Ch 12:32

Barak Jud 4:6,14

foot. Heb. his feet. Beraglaiv, rather, 'with his footmen:' Ac 20:13

for the. or in the divisions Ac 15:39

thoughts. Heb. impressions Pr 22:13 2Co 11:2

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.

sheepfolds Nu 32:1-5,24 Php 2:21 3:19

for, or in Jud 5:15

great Ps 4:4 77:6 La 3:40,41

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

Gilead Jos 13:25,31

Asher Jos 19:24-31

sea shore. or sea-port. breaches or creeks

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

Zebulun Jud 4:10

jeoparded. Heb. exposed to reproach. their lives Es 4:16 Ac 20:24 1Jo 3:16 Re 12:11

in the high Jud 4:6,10,14

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.

kings Jos 10:22-27 11:1 Ps 48:4-6 68:12-14 118:8-12 Re 17:12-14 19:19

Taanach Jud 1:27 1Ki 4:12

they took Jud 5:30 Ge 14:22 4:16 Ps 44:12

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

fought Jos 10:11 1Sa 7:10 Ps 77:17,18

the stars Jud 4:15

courses. Heb. paths

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

Kishon Jud 4:7,13 1Ki 18:40 Ps 83:9,10

O my soul Ge 49:18 Ps 44:5 Isa 25:10 Mic 7:1

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

horsehoofs. Anciently, horses were not shod; nor are they at the present day in some parts of the East. The flight was so rapid that the hoofs of their horses were splintered and broken by the roughness of the roads; in consequence of which they became lame, and could not carry off their riders. Ps 20:7 33:17 147:10,11 Isa 5:28 Jer 47:4 Mic 4:13

pransings. or tramplings. or plungings. mighty ones. or as Dr. Waterland renders, 'mighty horses,' or 'strong steeds,' as Dr. Kennicott, i.e. their war-horses, which gives great energy to the text, and renders it perfectly intelligible.

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.

curse ye 1Sa 26:19 Jer 48:10 1Co 16:22

meroz. This city of Meroz seems to have been, at this time, a place of considerable importance, since something great was expected from it; but probably, after the angel of the Lord had pronounced this curse, it dwindled and like the fig-tree which Christ cursed, withered away; so that we never read of it after this in Scripture. the angel Jud 2:1 4:6 6:11 13:3 Mt 25:41

they came Jud 21:9,10 Ne 3:5

to the help 1Sa 17:47 18:17 25:28 Ro 15:18 1Co 3:9 2Co 6:1

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

Jud 4:17 Ge 14:19 Pr 31:31 Lu 1:28,42

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

asked Jud 4:19-21

butter. Chemah, may signify buttermilk, which is made by the Arabs by agitating the milk in a leathern bag; and is highly esteemed because of its refreshing and cooling qualities.

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.

with the. Heb. She hammered. she smote off. or rather, 'she smote his head, then she struck through and pierced his temples;' which is more consonant to the original, and to fact, as it does not appear that she smote off his head. 1Sa 17:49-51 2Sa 20:22

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.

at Heb. between. where Ps 52:7 Mt 7:2 Jas 2:13

dead. Heb. destroyed

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?

through 2Ki 1:2 So 2:9

why is Jud 4:15 So 8:14 Jas 5:7

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

answer. Heb. her words

30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

have they not sped Ex 15:9 Job 20:5

every man. Heb. the head of a man. of divers Ge 37:3 2Sa 13:18 Ps 45:14

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.

so let Ps 48:4,5 58:10,11 68:1-3 83:9-18 92:9 97:8 Re 6:10 18:20 19:2,3

them that Ex 20:6 De 6:5 Ps 91:14 97:10 Ro 8:28 1Co 8:3 Eph 6:24 Jas 1:12 2:5 1Pe 1:8 1Jo 4:19-21 5:2,3

the sun 2Sa 23:4 Ps 19:4,5 37:6 Pr 4:18 Da 12:3 Ho 6:3 Mt 13:43

And the land. The victory here celebrated in this song, was of such happy consequence to Israel, that for the principal part of one age, they enjoyed the peace to which it had been the means of opening the way. The land had rest forty years, that is, so long it was from this victory to the raising up of Gideon. And well would it have been for the Israelites, if while the tribes had rest, they had taken advantage of the cessation from war, and had walked in the fear of the Lord. Jud 3:11,30