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Chapter 5

Song of Deborah. (A)On that day Deborah sang this song—and Barak, son of Abinoam:

[a]When uprising broke out in Israel,
    when the people rallied for duty—bless the Lord!
Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!
    I will sing, I will sing to the Lord,
    I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.
[b](B)Lord, when you went out from Seir,
    when you marched from the plains of Edom,
The earth shook, the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured rain,
The mountains streamed,
    before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.
In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,(C)
    in the days of Jael, caravans ceased:
Those who traveled the roads
    now traveled by roundabout paths.(D)
Gone was freedom beyond the walls,
    gone indeed from Israel.
When I, Deborah, arose,
    when I arose, a mother in Israel.[c]
New gods were their choice;
    then war was at the gates.
No shield was to be found, no spear,
    among forty thousand in Israel!
My heart is with the leaders of Israel,
    with the dedicated ones of the people—bless the Lord;
10 Those who ride on white donkeys,
    seated on saddle rugs,
    and those who travel the road,
Sing of them
11     to the sounds of musicians at the wells.
There they recount the just deeds of the Lord,
    his just deeds bringing freedom to Israel.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah!
    Awake, awake, strike up a song!
Arise, Barak!
    Take captive your captors, son of Abinoam!
13 Then down went Israel against the mighty,
    the army of the Lord went down for him against the warriors.
14 [d]From Ephraim, their base in the valley;
    behind you, Benjamin, among your troops.
From Machir came down commanders,
    from Zebulun wielders of the marshal’s staff.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah,
    Issachar, faithful to Barak;
    in the valley they followed at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
    great were the searchings of heart!
16 Why did you stay beside your hearths
    listening to the lowing of the herds?
Among the clans of Reuben
    great were the searchings of heart!
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
    Why did Dan spend his time in ships?
Asher remained along the shore,
    he stayed in his havens.
18 Zebulun was a people who defied death,
    Naphtali, too, on the open heights!(E)
19 The kings came and fought;
    then they fought, those kings of Canaan,
At Taanach by the waters of Megiddo;
    no spoil of silver did they take.
20 From the heavens the stars[e] fought;
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.(F)
21 The Wadi Kishon swept them away;
    the wadi overwhelmed them, the Wadi Kishon.(G)
    Trample down the strong![f]
22 Then the hoofs of the horses hammered,
    the galloping, galloping of steeds.
23 “Curse Meroz,”[g] says the messenger of the Lord,
    “curse, curse its inhabitants!
For they did not come when the Lord helped,
    the help of the Lord against the warriors.”
24 Most blessed of women is Jael,(H)
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    blessed among tent-dwelling women!
25 He asked for water, she gave him milk,
    in a princely bowl she brought him curds.(I)
26 (J)With her hand she reached for the peg,
    with her right hand, the workman’s hammer.
She hammered Sisera, crushed his head;
    she smashed, pierced his temple.
27 At her feet he sank down, fell, lay still;
    down at her feet he sank and fell;
    where he sank down, there he fell, slain.

28 [h]From the window she looked down,
    the mother of Sisera peered through the lattice:
“Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    why are the hoofbeats of his chariots delayed?”
29 The wisest of her princesses answers her;
    she even replies to herself,
30 “They must be dividing the spoil they took:
    a slave woman or two for each man,
Spoil of dyed cloth for Sisera,
    spoil of ornate dyed cloth,
    a pair of ornate dyed cloths for my neck in the spoil.”

31 So perish all your enemies, O Lord!(K)
    But may those who love you be like the sun rising in its might!

And the land was at rest for forty years.(L)

Footnotes

  1. 5:2–31 This canticle is an excellent example of early Hebrew poetry, even though some of its verses are now obscure.
  2. 5:4–5 The Lord himself marches to war in support of Israel. Storm and earthquake are part of the traditional imagery of theophany; cf. Ex 19:16, 18–20; Dt 33:2–3; Ps 18:7–15; 77:17–20; 144:5–7.
  3. 5:7 A mother in Israel: the precise meaning of the term “mother” is unclear, except that it seems to indicate Deborah’s position of leadership, and so may be a title (cf. 2 Sm 20:19).
  4. 5:14–22 The poet praises the tribes that participated in the war against Sisera: Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (later regarded as a clan of Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, the tribe of Barak (cf. 4:6). By contrast, the tribes of Reuben, Gilead (elsewhere a region occupied by Reubenites and Gadites), Dan, and Asher are chided for their lack of participation. The more distant tribes of Judah and Simeon are not mentioned, and some historians believe they were not part of Israel at this time.
  5. 5:20–21 Stars: the heavenly host, or angelic army. The roles played by the stars and the flash floods underscore the divine involvement in the battle (cf. 5:4–5).
  6. 5:21 Trample down the strong!: the meaning of these words is obscure. If this interpretation is correct, Deborah is the one addressed.
  7. 5:23 Meroz: an unknown locality in which Israelites probably resided, since its inhabitants are cursed for their failure to participate in the battle.
  8. 5:28–30 The scene shifts to the household of the slain Canaanite general, where the anxious foreboding of Sisera’s mother is countered by the assurances of the noblewomen.

The Song of Deborah

Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:

“When locks are long in Israel,
    when the people offer themselves willingly—
    bless[a] the Lord!

“Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;
    to the Lord I will sing,
    I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Lord, when you went out from Seir,
    when you marched from the region of Edom,
the earth trembled,
    and the heavens poured,
    the clouds indeed poured water.
The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
    in the days of Jael, caravans ceased
    and travelers kept to the byways.
The peasantry prospered in Israel,
    they grew fat on plunder,
because you arose, Deborah,
    arose as a mother in Israel.
When new gods were chosen,
    then war was in the gates.
Was shield or spear to be seen
    among forty thousand in Israel?
My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
    who offered themselves willingly among the people.
    Bless the Lord.

10 “Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys,
    you who sit on rich carpets[b]
    and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians[c] at the watering places,
    there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord,
    the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel.

“Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.

12 “Awake, awake, Deborah!
    Awake, awake, utter a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
    O son of Abinoam.
13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
    the people of the Lord marched down for him[d] against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim they set out[e] into the valley,[f]
    following you, Benjamin, with your kin;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
    and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal’s staff;
15 the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah,
    and Issachar faithful to Barak;
    into the valley they rushed out at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.
16 Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds,
    to hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
    and Dan, why did he abide with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
    settling down by his landings.
18 Zebulun is a people that scorned death;
    Naphtali too, on the heights of the field.

19 “The kings came, they fought;
    then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
    they got no spoils of silver.
20 The stars fought from heaven,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away,
    the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon.
    March on, my soul, with might!

22 “Then loud beat the horses’ hoofs
    with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.

23 “Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord,
    curse bitterly its inhabitants,
because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
    to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24 “Most blessed of women be Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 He asked water and she gave him milk,
    she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
26 She put her hand to the tent peg
    and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet;
she struck Sisera a blow,
    she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 He sank, he fell,
    he lay still at her feet;
at her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell dead.

28 “Out of the window she peered,
    the mother of Sisera gazed[g] through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest ladies make answer,
    indeed, she answers the question herself:
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil?—
    A girl or two for every man;
spoil of dyed stuffs for Sisera,
    spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered,
    two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?’

31 “So perish all your enemies, O Lord!
    But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might.”

And the land had rest forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:2 Or You who offer yourselves willingly among the people, bless
  2. Judges 5:10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. Judges 5:11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. Judges 5:13 Gk: Heb me
  5. Judges 5:14 Cn: Heb From Ephraim their root
  6. Judges 5:14 Gk: Heb in Amalek
  7. Judges 5:28 Gk Compare Tg: Heb exclaimed

The Song of Deborah and Barak

On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

Praise the Lord!
    The Israelites were determined to fight;
    the people gladly volunteered.
Listen, you kings!
    Pay attention, you rulers!
I will sing and play music
    to Israel's God, the Lord.
Lord, when you left the mountains of Seir,
    when you came out of the region of Edom,
    the earth shook, and rain fell from the sky.
    Yes, water poured down from the clouds.
(A)The mountains quaked before the Lord of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
    in the days of Jael,
caravans no longer went through the land,
    and travelers used the back roads.
The towns of Israel stood abandoned, Deborah;
    they stood empty until you came,[a]
    came like a mother for Israel.
Then there was war in the land
    when the Israelites chose new gods.
Of the forty thousand men in Israel,
    did anyone carry shield or spear?
My heart is with the commanders of Israel,
    with the people who gladly volunteered.
    Praise the Lord!
10 Tell of[b] it, you that ride on white donkeys,
    sitting on saddles,
    and you that must walk wherever you go.
11 Listen! The noisy crowds around the wells
    are telling of the Lord's victories,
    the victories of Israel's people!

Then the Lord's people marched down from their cities.[c]
12 Lead on, Deborah, lead on!
    Lead on! Sing a song! Lead on!
Forward, Barak son of Abinoam,
    lead your captives away!
13 Then the faithful ones came down to their leaders;
    the Lord's people came to him[d] ready to fight.
14 They came[e] from Ephraim into the valley,[f]
    behind the tribe of Benjamin and its people.
The commanders came down from Machir,
    the officers down from Zebulun.
15 The leaders of Issachar came with Deborah;
    yes, Issachar came and Barak too,
    and they followed him into the valley.
But the tribe of Reuben was divided;
    they could not decide to come.
16 Why did they stay behind with the sheep?
    To listen to shepherds calling the flocks?
Yes, the tribe of Reuben was divided;
    they could not decide to come.
17 The tribe of Gad stayed east of the Jordan,
    and the tribe of Dan remained by the ships.
The tribe of Asher stayed by the seacoast;
    they remained along the shore.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali
    risked their lives on the battlefield.

19 At Taanach, by the stream of Megiddo,
    the kings came and fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
    but they took no silver away.
20 The stars fought from the sky;
    as they moved across the sky,
    they fought against Sisera.
21 A flood in the Kishon swept them away—
    the onrushing Kishon River.
I shall march, march on, with strength!
22 Then the horses came galloping on,
    stamping the ground with their hoofs.

23 “Put a curse on Meroz,” says the angel of the Lord,
    “a curse, a curse on those who live there.
They did not come to help the Lord,
    come as soldiers to fight for him.”

24 The most fortunate of women is Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite—
    the most fortunate of women who live in tents.
25 Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk;
    she brought him cream in a beautiful bowl.
26 She took a tent peg in one hand,
    a worker's hammer in the other;
she struck Sisera and crushed his skull;
    she pierced him through the head.
27 He sank to his knees,
    fell down and lay still at her feet.
At her feet he sank to his knees and fell;
    he fell to the ground, dead.

28 Sisera's mother looked out of the window;
    she gazed[g] from behind the lattice.
“Why is his chariot so late in coming?” she asked.
    “Why are his horses so slow to return?”
29 Her wisest friends answered her,
    and she told herself over and over,
30 “They are only finding things to capture and divide,
    a woman or two for every soldier,
    rich cloth for Sisera,
    embroidered pieces for the neck of the queen.”[h]

31 So may all your enemies die like that, O Lord,
    but may your friends shine like the rising sun!

And there was peace in the land for forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:7 abandoned, Deborah … you came; or abandoned; they stood empty until I, Deborah, came.
  2. Judges 5:10 Tell of; or Think about.
  3. Judges 5:11 from their cities; or to their gates.
  4. Judges 5:13 One ancient translation him; Hebrew me.
  5. Judges 5:14 Probable text They came; Hebrew Their root.
  6. Judges 5:14 One ancient translation into the valley; Hebrew in Amalek.
  7. Judges 5:28 Some ancient translations gazed; Hebrew cried out.
  8. Judges 5:30 Probable text queen; Hebrew plunder.

The Song of Deborah and Barak

(A)Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

(B)For [a]the leaders leading in Israel,
For (C)the people volunteering,
Bless the Lord!
Hear, you kings; listen, you dignitaries!
(D)I myself—to the Lord, I myself will sing,
I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!
(E)Lord, when You went out from Seir,
When You marched from the field of Edom,
(F)The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped,
The clouds also dripped water.
(G)The mountains [b]flowed with water at the presence of the Lord,
(H)This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of (I)Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of (J)Jael, the roads [c]were deserted,
And travelers went by [d]roundabout ways.
The [e]peasantry came to an end, they came to an end in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
(K)New gods were chosen;
Then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or a spear was seen
Among forty thousand in Israel.
My heart goes out to (L)the commanders of Israel,
The volunteers among the people;
Bless the Lord!
10 (M)You who ride on [f]white donkeys,
You who sit on rich carpets,
And you who travel on the road—shout in praise!
11 At the sound of those who distribute water among (N)the watering places,
There they will recount (O)the righteous deeds of the Lord,
The righteous deeds for His [g]peasantry in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord went down (P)to the gates.

12 (Q)Awake, awake, Deborah;
Awake, awake, [h]sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and (R)lead away your captives, son of Abinoam.
13 Then survivors came down to the nobles;
The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.
14 From Ephraim those whose root is (S)in Amalek came down,
Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples;
From Machir commanders came down,
And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of [i]office.
15 And the [j]princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As was Issachar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed (T)at his [k]heels;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great determinations of heart.
16 Why did you sit among (U)the [l]sheepfolds,
To hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.
17 (V)Gilead [m]remained across the Jordan;
And why did Dan stay on ships?
Asher sat at the seashore,
And [n]remained by its landings.
18 (W)Zebulun was a people who risked their lives,
And Naphtali too, on the high places of the field.

19 (X)The kings came and fought;
Then the kings of Canaan fought
(Y)At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo;
(Z)They took no plunder in silver.
20 (AA)The stars fought from heaven,
From their paths they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
(AB)My soul, march on with strength!
22 (AC)Then the horses’ hoofs beat
From the galloping, the galloping of his mighty stallions.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord,
‘Utterly curse its inhabitants,
(AD)Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the warriors.’

24 (AE)Most blessed of women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Most blessed is she of women in the tent.
25 He asked for water, she gave him milk;
In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 She reached out her hand for the tent peg,
And her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head;
And she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;
Between her feet he bowed, he fell;
Where he bowed, there he fell [o]dead.

28 “Out of the window she looked and wailed,
The mother of Sisera through the [p]lattice,
‘Why does his chariot delay in coming?
Why do the [q]hoofbeats of his chariots delay?’
29 Her wise princesses would answer her,
Indeed she repeats her words to herself,
30 (AF)Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoils?
A concubine, two concubines for every warrior;
To Sisera a spoil of dyed cloth,
A spoil of dyed cloth embroidered,
Dyed cloth of double embroidery on the [r]neck of the plunderer?’
31 (AG)May all Your enemies perish in this way, Lord;
(AH)But may those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.”

And the land was at rest for forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:2 Or the hair hanging free in
  2. Judges 5:5 As in MT; LXX quaked
  3. Judges 5:6 Lit had ceased
  4. Judges 5:6 Lit twisting
  5. Judges 5:7 Or rural dwellers
  6. Judges 5:10 Or tawny
  7. Judges 5:11 Or rural dwellers
  8. Judges 5:12 Lit speak
  9. Judges 5:14 Lit a scribe
  10. Judges 5:15 As in ancient versions; MT My princes
  11. Judges 5:15 Lit feet
  12. Judges 5:16 Or saddlebags
  13. Judges 5:17 Or dwelt
  14. Judges 5:17 Or dwelt
  15. Judges 5:27 Lit destroyed
  16. Judges 5:28 Or window
  17. Judges 5:28 Lit steps
  18. Judges 5:30 Lit necks of the spoil

The Song of Deborah

On that day Deborah(A) and Barak son of Abinoam(B) sang this song:(C)

“When the princes in Israel take the lead,
    when the people willingly offer(D) themselves—
    praise the Lord!(E)

“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
    I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;(F)
    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.(G)

“When you, Lord, went out(H) from Seir,(I)
    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,(J) the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.(K)
The mountains quaked(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,(M)
    in the days of Jael,(N) the highways(O) were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.(P)
Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah,(Q) arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.
God chose new leaders(R)
    when war came to the city gates,(S)
but not a shield or spear(T) was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers(U) among the people.
    Praise the Lord!

10 “You who ride on white donkeys,(V)
    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.
    They recite the victories(W) of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord
    went down to the city gates.(X)
12 ‘Wake up,(Y) wake up, Deborah!(Z)
    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(AA)
    Take captive your captives,(AB) son of Abinoam.’

13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(AC) whose roots were in Amalek;(AD)
    Benjamin(AE) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(AF) captains came down,
    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(AG) were with Deborah;(AH)
    yes, Issachar was with Barak,(AI)
    sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d](AJ)
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?(AK)
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(AL) stayed beyond the Jordan.
    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(AM) remained on the coast(AN)
    and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(AO) risked their very lives;
    so did Naphtali(AP) on the terraced fields.(AQ)

19 “Kings came(AR), they fought,
    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(AS)
    they took no plunder of silver.(AT)
20 From the heavens(AU) the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(AV) swept them away,
    the age-old river, the river Kishon.
    March on, my soul; be strong!(AW)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(AX)
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
    ‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

24 “Most blessed of women(AY) be Jael,(AZ)
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,(BA)
    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;(BB)
    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.(BC)
27 At her feet he sank,
    he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell—dead(BD).

28 “Through the window(BE) peered Sisera’s mother;
    behind the lattice she cried out,(BF)
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:(BG)
    a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
    colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments(BH) for my neck—
    all this as plunder?(BI)

31 “So may all your enemies perish,(BJ) Lord!
    But may all who love you be like the sun(BK)
    when it rises in its strength.”(BL)

Then the land had peace(BM) forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:3 Or of
  2. Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags