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Jueces 5
Reina-Valera 1960
Jueces 5
Reina-Valera 1960
Cántico de Débora y de Barac
5 Aquel día cantó Débora con Barac hijo de Abinoam, diciendo:
2 Por haberse puesto al frente los caudillos en Israel,
Por haberse ofrecido voluntariamente el pueblo,
Load a Jehová.
3 Oíd, reyes; escuchad, oh príncipes;
Yo cantaré a Jehová,
Cantaré salmos a Jehová, el Dios de Israel.
4 Cuando saliste de Seir, oh Jehová,
Cuando te marchaste de los campos de Edom,
La tierra tembló, y los cielos destilaron,
Y las nubes gotearon aguas.
5 Los montes temblaron delante de Jehová,
Aquel Sinaí, delante de Jehová Dios de Israel.(A)
6 En los días de Samgar hijo de Anat,
En los días de Jael, quedaron abandonados los caminos,
Y los que andaban por las sendas se apartaban por senderos torcidos.
7 Las aldeas quedaron abandonadas en Israel, habían decaído,
Hasta que yo Débora me levanté,
Me levanté como madre en Israel.
8 Cuando escogían nuevos dioses,
La guerra estaba a las puertas;
¿Se veía escudo o lanza
Entre cuarenta mil en Israel?
9 Mi corazón es para vosotros, jefes de Israel,
Para los que voluntariamente os ofrecisteis entre el pueblo.
Load a Jehová.
10 Vosotros los que cabalgáis en asnas blancas,
Los que presidís en juicio,
Y vosotros los que viajáis, hablad.
11 Lejos del ruido de los arqueros, en los abrevaderos,
Allí repetirán los triunfos de Jehová,
Los triunfos de sus aldeas en Israel;
Entonces marchará hacia las puertas el pueblo de Jehová.
12 Despierta, despierta, Débora;
Despierta, despierta, entona cántico.
Levántate, Barac, y lleva tus cautivos, hijo de Abinoam.
13 Entonces marchó el resto de los nobles;
El pueblo de Jehová marchó por él en contra de los poderosos.
14 De Efraín vinieron los radicados en Amalec,
En pos de ti, Benjamín, entre tus pueblos;
De Maquir descendieron príncipes,
Y de Zabulón los que tenían vara de mando.
15 Caudillos también de Isacar fueron con Débora;
Y como Barac, también Isacar
Se precipitó a pie en el valle.
Entre las familias de Rubén
Hubo grandes resoluciones del corazón.
16 ¿Por qué te quedaste entre los rediles,
Para oír los balidos de los rebaños?
Entre las familias de Rubén
Hubo grandes propósitos del corazón.
17 Galaad se quedó al otro lado del Jordán;
Y Dan, ¿por qué se estuvo junto a las naves?
Se mantuvo Aser a la ribera del mar,
Y se quedó en sus puertos.
18 El pueblo de Zabulón expuso su vida a la muerte,
Y Neftalí en las alturas del campo.
19 Vinieron reyes y pelearon;
Entonces pelearon los reyes de Canaán,
En Taanac, junto a las aguas de Meguido,
Mas no llevaron ganancia alguna de dinero.
20 Desde los cielos pelearon las estrellas;
Desde sus órbitas pelearon contra Sísara.
21 Los barrió el torrente de Cisón,
El antiguo torrente, el torrente de Cisón.
Marcha, oh alma mía, con poder.
22 Entonces resonaron los cascos de los caballos
Por el galopar, por el galopar de sus valientes.
23 Maldecid a Meroz, dijo el ángel de Jehová;
Maldecid severamente a sus moradores,
Porque no vinieron al socorro de Jehová,
Al socorro de Jehová contra los fuertes.
24 Bendita sea entre las mujeres Jael,
Mujer de Heber ceneo;
Sobre las mujeres bendita sea en la tienda.
25 Él pidió agua, y ella le dio leche;
En tazón de nobles le presentó crema.
26 Tendió su mano a la estaca,
Y su diestra al mazo de trabajadores,
Y golpeó a Sísara; hirió su cabeza,
Y le horadó, y atravesó sus sienes.
27 Cayó encorvado entre sus pies, quedó tendido;
Entre sus pies cayó encorvado;
Donde se encorvó, allí cayó muerto.
28 La madre de Sísara se asoma a la ventana,
Y por entre las celosías a voces dice:
¿Por qué tarda su carro en venir?
¿Por qué las ruedas de sus carros se detienen?
29 Las más avisadas de sus damas le respondían,
Y aun ella se respondía a sí misma:
30 ¿No han hallado botín, y lo están repartiendo?
A cada uno una doncella, o dos;
Las vestiduras de colores para Sísara,
Las vestiduras bordadas de colores;
La ropa de color bordada de ambos lados, para los jefes de los que tomaron el botín.
31 Así perezcan todos tus enemigos, oh Jehová;
Mas los que te aman, sean como el sol cuando sale en su fuerza.
Y la tierra reposó cuarenta años.
Jueces 5
Dios Habla Hoy
Jueces 5
Dios Habla Hoy
El canto de Débora y Barac
5 Aquel día, Débora y Barac, hijo de Abinóam, cantaron así:
2 «Alaben todos al Señor,
porque aún hay en Israel
hombres dispuestos a pelear;
porque aún hay entre el pueblo
hombres que responden al llamado de la guerra.
3 ¡Escúchenme, ustedes los reyes!
¡Óiganme, ustedes los gobernantes!
¡Voy a cantarle al Señor!,
¡voy a cantar al Dios de Israel!
4 »Cuando tú, Señor, saliste de Seír;
cuando te fuiste de los campos de Edom,
tembló la tierra, se estremeció el cielo,
las nubes derramaron su lluvia.
5 Delante de ti, Señor,
delante de ti, Dios de Israel,
temblaron los montes, tembló el Sinaí.
6 En los tiempos de Samgar, hijo de Anat,
y en los tiempos de Jael,
los viajeros abandonaron los caminos
y anduvieron por senderos escabrosos;
7 las aldeas de Israel
quedaron del todo abandonadas.
Fue entonces cuando yo me levanté,
¡yo, Débora, una madre de Israel!
8 »No faltó quien se escogiera nuevos dioses
mientras se luchaba a las puertas de la ciudad,
pero no se veía un escudo ni una lanza
entre cuarenta mil israelitas.
9 »¡Yo doy mi corazón
por los altos jefes de Israel,
por la gente de mi pueblo
que respondió al llamado de la guerra!
¡Alaben todos al Señor!
10 »Díganlo ustedes, los que montan asnas pardas;
y ustedes, los que se sientan en tapetes;
también ustedes, los viajeros:
11 ¡allá, entre los abrevaderos,
y al son de sonoros platillos,
proclamen las victorias del Señor,
las victorias de sus aldeas en Israel!
12 »¡Despierta, Débora, despierta,
despierta y entona una canción!
¡Y tú, Barac, hijo de Abinoan,
levántate y llévate a tus prisioneros!
13 »Entonces bajaron los israelitas
a luchar contra los poderosos;
bajaron por mí las tropas del Señor
a luchar contra los hombres de guerra.
14 Algunos hombres de Efraín bajaron al valle,
y tras ellos fueron las tropas de Benjamín.
De los de Maquir, bajaron sus jefes,
y de los de Zabulón, sus gobernantes.
15 También acompañaron a Débora
los jefes de Isacar;
Isacar fue el apoyo de Barac,
pues se lanzó tras él al valle.
»Si en los escuadrones de Rubén
hay grandes hombres de corazón resuelto,
16 ¿por qué se quedaron entre los rediles,
oyendo a los pastores llamar a sus ovejas?
¡En los escuadrones de Rubén
hay grandes hombres de corazón miedoso!
17 »Galaad se quedó acampando
al otro lado del río Jordán;
Dan se quedó junto a los barcos,
y Aser se quedó en la costa
y no se movió de sus puertos;
18 pero en las alturas de los campos,
Zabulón y Neftalí arriesgaron la vida.
19 »Entonces los reyes vinieron a Taanac,
junto a las aguas de Meguido;
los reyes cananeos vinieron en plan de guerra,
pero no obtuvieron plata ni riquezas.
20 Desde el cielo, desde sus órbitas,
las estrellas lucharon contra Sísara;
21 el arroyo, el arroyo antiguo,
el arroyo de Quisón los barrió a todos ellos.
¡Tú aplastarás la garganta de los poderosos!
22 »¡Resuenan los cascos de los caballos!
¡Galopan, galopan los briosos corceles!
23 Y el ángel del Señor anuncia:
“¡Que caiga una dura maldición
sobre Meroz y sus habitantes!”
Pues no acudieron, como los valientes,
en ayuda del Señor.
24 »¡Bendita sea entre las mujeres Jael,
la esposa de Héber el quenita!
¡Bendita sea entre las mujeres del campamento!
25 Agua pidió Sísara; leche le dio Jael.
¡Crema le dio en un tazón especial!
26 Mientras tanto, tomó la estaca con la izquierda
y el mazo de trabajo con la derecha,
y dando a Sísara un golpe en la cabeza
le rompió y atravesó las sienes.
27 Sísara se retorcía a los pies de Jael;
retorciéndose de dolor cayó al suelo,
y allí donde cayó, allí quedó muerto.
28 »La madre de Sísara, afligida,
se asoma a la ventana y dice:
“¿Por qué tarda tanto en llegar su carro?
¿Por qué se retrasa su carro de guerra?”
29 Algunas damas sabihondas le responden,
y aun ella misma se repite:
30 “Seguramente se están repartiendo
lo que ganaron en la guerra.
Una esclava, y aun dos, para cada guerrero;
para Sísara las telas de colores:
una tela, y aun dos,
bordadas de varios colores,
para el cuello del vencedor.”
31 »¡Que así sean destruidos, Señor,
todos tus enemigos,
y que brillen los que te aman,
como el sol en todo su esplendor!»
Después de eso hubo paz en la región durante cuarenta años.
Jueces 5
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Jueces 5
Traducción en lenguaje actual
La canción de Débora y Barac
5 Aquel día Débora y Barac cantaron esta canción:
2 «¡Den gracias a Dios, jefes israelitas!
¡Den gracias a Dios todos ustedes,
pues se dispusieron a luchar por él!
3 »¡Préstenme atención
reyes y gobernantes!
Mi canto y mi música
son para el verdadero Dios,
el Dios de Israel.
4 »Cuando tú, mi Dios,
te fuiste de Seír,
cuando te marchaste
de los campos de Edom,
la tierra tembló,
el cielo se estremeció,
y las nubes dejaron caer su lluvia.
5 El monte Sinaí
y todas las montañas
temblaron ante el Dios de Israel.
6 »En la época de Samgar y de Jael,
eran muy peligrosos los caminos,
la gente andaba por veredas angostas;
7 los campesinos no podían cultivar sus tierras.
Entonces yo, Débora,
me levanté para defender a Israel,
como defiende una madre a sus hijos.
8 »Dios mío,
cuando nos enviaste la guerra
por haber adorado a otros dioses,
de entre cuarenta mil soldados
no se levantó ningún valiente.
9 »Te doy gracias, Dios mío,
y felicito a los jefes de Israel,
a los pocos valientes
que se ofrecieron a luchar.
10 »¡Canten victoria todos ustedes,
los pobres y los ricos de Israel!
11 ¡En todo rincón de la ciudad
el pueblo celebra los triunfos de Dios,
y las victorias de su pueblo Israel!
12 »¡Arriba, Débora, vamos!
¡Canta una canción!
¡Vamos, Barac hijo de Abinóam!
¡Encierra a tus prisioneros!
13 »Los jefes israelitas bajaron,
y se unieron al pueblo de Dios
para luchar contra el poderoso enemigo.
14 De la tierra de los amalecitas
bajaron los de Efraín;
detrás de ti, Débora,
marcharon los de Benjamín.
Se te unieron los jefes de Maquir,
y los gobernantes de Zabulón.
15 Los jefes de Isacar te acompañaron,
y apoyaron a Barac
en la batalla del valle.
Pero los de la tribu de Rubén
16 prefirieron quedarse a cuidar las ovejas,
que acompañarte a la batalla.
17 Las tribus al otro lado del Jordán
se quedaron en sus tierras de Galaad.
Los de Dan y de Aser
se quedaron en los puertos,
cuidando sus barcos.
18 Pero los de Zabulón y Neftalí
arriesgaron sus vidas
en los campos de batalla.
19 »Luego, en Taanac,
junto al arroyo Meguido,
vinieron a pelear los reyes cananeos.
Pero volvieron con las manos vacías.
20 ¡Hasta las estrellas del cielo
lucharon contra Sísara!
21 El antiguo arroyo de Quisón
barrió con todos nuestros enemigos.
»¡Adelante, siempre adelante!
¡Yo, Débora, marcharé con poder!
22 »Los caballos de Sísara
salieron a galope tendido;
¡sus cascos retumbaban como relámpagos!
23 Y anunció el ángel de Dios:
“¡Que Dios castigue
a los habitantes de Meroz!
Porque no vinieron a ayudar
al ejército de Dios,
¡no quisieron luchar por él!”
24 »¡Bendita seas Jael,
esposa de Héber el quenita!
¡Bendita entre todas las mujeres de Israel!
25 Sísara te pidió agua y tú le diste leche
para hacerlo caer en un sueño profundo.
26 Con una mano tomaste una estaca,
y con la otra, un martillo.
De un golpe le aplastaste la cabeza.
27 Sísara se desplomó entre tus piernas.
¡Quedó tendido en el piso!
28 »La madre de Sísara, afligida,
se asoma por la ventana y pregunta:
“¿Por qué tarda tanto mi hijo?
¿Por qué no se oyen sus caballos?”
29 Las sirvientas más sabias le responden;
y ella misma se repite estas palabras:
30 “Seguramente se están repartiendo
lo que ganaron en la guerra:
Una o dos mujeres para cada capitán,
telas de muchos colores para Sísara,
uno o dos pañuelos bordados en colores
para adornarse el cuello...”.
31 »Y Débora y Barac
terminaron su canto así:
¡Dios mío,
que sean destruidos tus enemigos,
pero que tus amigos brillen
como el sol de mediodía!»
Después de eso hubo cuarenta años de paz en todo el territorio.
Judges 5
New King James Version
Judges 5
New King James Version
The Song of Deborah
5 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam (A)sang on that day, saying:
2 “When[a] leaders (B)lead in Israel,
(C)When the people [b]willingly offer themselves,
Bless the Lord!
3 “Hear,(D) O kings! Give ear, O princes!
I, even (E)I, will sing to the Lord;
I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
4 “Lord, (F)when You went out from Seir,
When You marched from (G)the field of Edom,
The earth trembled and the heavens poured,
The clouds also poured water;
5 (H)The mountains [c]gushed before the Lord,
(I)This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.
6 “In the days of (J)Shamgar, son of Anath,
In the days of (K)Jael,
(L)The highways were deserted,
And the travelers walked along the byways.
7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose (M)new gods;
Then there was war in the gates;
Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel
Who offered themselves willingly with the people.
Bless the Lord!
10 “Speak, you who ride on white (N)donkeys,
Who sit in judges’ attire,
And who walk along the road.
11 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord,
The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;
Then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates.
12 “Awake,(O) awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,
O son of Abinoam!
13 “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;
The Lord came down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in (P)Amalek.
After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,
From Machir rulers came down,
And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.
15 And [d]the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As Issachar, so was Barak
Sent into the valley [e]under his command;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.
17 (Q)Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
And why did Dan remain [f]on ships?
(R)Asher continued at the seashore,
And stayed by his inlets.
18 (S)Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “The kings came and fought,
Then the kings of Canaan fought
In (T)Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
They took no spoils of silver.
20 They fought from the heavens;
The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
21 (U)The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
O my soul, march on in strength!
22 Then the horses’ hooves pounded,
The galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the [g]angel of the Lord,
‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly,
Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’
24 “Most blessed among women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
(V)Blessed is she among women in tents.
25 He asked for water, she gave milk;
She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg,
Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head,
She split and struck through his temple.
27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;
At her feet he sank, he fell;
Where he sank, there he fell (W)dead.
28 “The mother of Sisera looked through the window,
And cried out through the lattice,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest [h]ladies answered her,
Yes, she [i]answered herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil:
To every man a girl or two;
For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments,
Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed,
Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’
31 “Thus let all Your enemies (X)perish, O Lord!
But let those who love Him be (Y)like the (Z)sun
When it comes out in full (AA)strength.”
So the land had rest for forty years.
Footnotes
- Judges 5:2 Or When locks are loosed
- Judges 5:2 volunteer
- Judges 5:5 flowed
- Judges 5:15 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT And my princes in Issachar
- Judges 5:15 Lit. at his feet
- Judges 5:17 Or at ease
- Judges 5:23 Or Angel
- Judges 5:29 princesses
- Judges 5:29 Lit. repeats her words to herself
Judges 5
New English Translation
Judges 5
New English Translation
Celebrating the Victory in Song
5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:[a]
2 “When the leaders took the lead[b] in Israel,
When the people answered the call to war—
Praise the Lord!
3 Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord![c]
I will sing[d] to the Lord God of Israel!
4 O Lord, when you departed[e] from Seir,
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain.[f]
5 The mountains trembled[g] before the Lord, the God of Sinai;[h]
before the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravans[i] disappeared;[j]
travelers[k] had to go on winding side roads.
7 Warriors[l] were scarce;[m]
they were scarce in Israel,
until you[n] arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protector[o] in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders,[p]
then fighters appeared in the city gates;[q]
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found[r]
among forty military units[s] in Israel.
9 My heart went out[t] to Israel’s leaders,
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord!
10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,[u]
you who walk on the road, pay attention!
11 Hear[v] the sound of those who divide the sheep[w] among the watering places;
there they tell of[x] the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors[y] in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates—
12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war,[z] son of Abinoam!
13 Then the survivors[aa] came down[ab] to the mighty ones;[ac]
the Lord’s people came down to me[ad] as[ae] warriors.
14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek;[af]
they follow[ag] after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came[ah] the ones who march carrying[ai] an officer’s staff.
15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah;
the men of Issachar[aj] supported[ak] Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command.[al]
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense[am] heart searching.[an]
16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds,[ao]
listening to the shepherds playing their pipes[ap] for their flocks?[aq]
As for the clans of Reuben—there was intense searching of heart.
17 Gilead stayed put[ar] beyond the Jordan River.
As for Dan—why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards?[as]
Asher remained[at] on the seacoast;
he stayed[au] by his harbors.[av]
18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives;[aw]
Naphtali charged onto the battlefields.[ax]
19 Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but[ay] they took no silver as plunder.
20 From the sky[az] the stars[ba] fought,
from their paths in the heavens[bb] they fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted them[bc]—the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong![bd]
22 The horses’[be] hooves pounded the ground;[bf]
the stallions galloped madly.[bg]
23 ‘Call judgment down on[bh] Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord;
‘Be sure[bi] to call judgment down on[bj] those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle,[bk]
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’[bl]
24 The most rewarded[bm] of women should be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
25 He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king,[bn]
she served him curds.
26 Her left[bo] hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered”[bp] Sisera,
she shattered his skull,[bq]
she smashed his head,[br]
she drove the tent peg through his temple.[bs]
27 Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limp and was lifeless;[bt]
between her feet he collapsed and fell,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell—violently killed![bu]
28 Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot horses[bv] delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies[bw] answer;
indeed she even thinks to herself,
30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder[bx]—
a girl or two for each man to rape![by]
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth,[bz]
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth,[ca]
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’[cb]
31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest.”[cc]
And the land had rest for forty years.
Footnotes
- Judges 5:1 tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 5:2 tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroaʿ peraʿot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqeqe) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (peraʿot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqeqe) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).
- Judges 5:3 tn Heb “I, to the Lord, I, I will sing!” The first singular personal pronoun is used twice, even though a first person finite verbal form is employed.
- Judges 5:3 tn Or “make music.”
- Judges 5:4 tn Or “went out.”
- Judges 5:4 tn Heb “water.”
- Judges 5:5 tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazal, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).
- Judges 5:5 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.
- Judges 5:6 tc The translation assumes the form אֳרְחוֹת (ʾorekhot, “caravans”) rather than אֳרָחוֹת (ʾorakhot, “roadways”) because it makes a tighter parallel with “travelers” in the next line.
- Judges 5:6 tn Or “ceased.”
- Judges 5:6 tn Heb “Ones walking on paths.”
- Judges 5:7 tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (ferazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.
- Judges 5:7 tn Or “ceased.”
- Judges 5:7 tn The translation assumes that the verb is an archaic second feminine singular form. Though Deborah is named as one of the composers of the song (v. 1), she is also addressed within it (v. 12). Many take the verb as first person singular, “I arose” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV).
- Judges 5:7 tn Heb “mother.” The translation assumes that the image portrays Deborah as a protector of the people. It is possible that the metaphor points to her prophetic role. Just as a male prophet could be called “father,” so Deborah, a prophetess, is called “mother” (B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239).
- Judges 5:8 tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.
- Judges 5:8 tn The translation of this difficult line is speculative because the second word, לָחֶם (lakhem), appears only here. The line in the Hebrew text literally reads, “Then [?] gates.” Interpretations and emendations of the Hebrew text abound (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40). The translation assumes a repointing of the form as a Qal participle לֹחֵם (lokhem) from the verbal root לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) and understands a substantival use (“fighter”). “Fighter” is a collective reference to the military leaders or warriors mentioned in the preceding line and in v. 9. (For other occurrences of the Qal of לָחַם, see Pss 35:1; 56:2-3.)
- Judges 5:8 tn Heb “A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim) introduces an oath of denial (see GKC 472 §149.e).
- Judges 5:8 tn Traditionally “forty thousand,” but this may be an instance where Hebrew term אֶלֶף (ʾelef) refers to a military unit. This is the view assumed by the translation (“forty military units”).
- Judges 5:9 tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 5:10 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִדִּין (middin, “saddle blankets”) in this context is uncertain.
- Judges 5:11 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 5:11 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.
- Judges 5:11 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
- Judges 5:11 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
- Judges 5:12 tn Heb “take captive your captives.” (The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative here.)
- Judges 5:13 tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).
- Judges 5:13 tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.
- Judges 5:13 sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.
- Judges 5:13 sn The speaker may be Deborah here.
- Judges 5:13 tn The translation assumes the preposition ב (bet) prefixed to “warriors” has the force of “in the capacity of.” For this use of the preposition, see GKC 379 §119.i.
- Judges 5:14 tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (ʿamaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).
- Judges 5:14 tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 5:14 tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 5:14 tn Or possibly “who carry.”
- Judges 5:15 tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 5:15 tn Or “were true to.”
- Judges 5:15 tn Heb “at his feet.”
- Judges 5:15 tn Heb “great was.”
- Judges 5:15 tc The great majority of Hebrew mss have “resolves of heart,” but a few mss read “searchings of heart,” which is preferable in light of v. 16.
- Judges 5:16 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpetayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”
- Judges 5:16 tn Or “whistling.”
- Judges 5:16 tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”
- Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”sn Apparently the people of Gilead remained on the other side of the river and did not participate in the battle.
- Judges 5:17 tn Heb “Dan, why did he live as a resident alien, ships.” The verb גּוּר (gur) usually refers to taking up residence outside one’s native land. Perhaps the Danites, rather than rallying to Barak, were content to move to the Mediterranean coast and work in the shipyards. For further discussion, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 262.
- Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived.”
- Judges 5:17 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
- Judges 5:17 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִפְרָץ (mifrats) is uncertain, but the parallelism (note “seacoast”) suggests “harbors.”
- Judges 5:18 tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”
- Judges 5:18 tn Heb “Naphtali was on the heights of the field.”
- Judges 5:19 tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.
- Judges 5:20 tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Judges 5:20 tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnakh (colon divider) and read the colon as indicated in the translation.
- Judges 5:20 tn The words “in the heavens” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 5:21 tn Possibly “the ancient river,” but it seems preferable in light of the parallel line (which has a verb) to emend the word (attested only here) to a verb (קָדַם, qadam) with pronominal object suffix.
- Judges 5:21 tn This line is traditionally taken as the poet-warrior’s self-exhortation, “March on, my soul, in strength!” The present translation (a) takes the verb (a second feminine singular form) as addressed to Deborah (cf. v. 12), (b) understands נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) in its well-attested sense of “throat; neck” (cf. Jonah 2:6), (c) takes the final yod (י) on נַפְשִׁי (nafshi) as an archaic construct indicator (rather than a suffix), and (d) interprets עֹז (ʿoz, “strength”) as an attributive genitive (literally, “necks of strength,” i.e., “strong necks”). For fuller discussion and various proposals, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 270-71.
- Judges 5:22 tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.
- Judges 5:22 tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 5:22 tn Heb “galloped, galloped.” The repetition is for emphasis and is more appropriately indicated in English with an adverb.
- Judges 5:23 tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”
- Judges 5:23 tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.
- Judges 5:23 tn Heb “[to] curse.”
- Judges 5:23 tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”
- Judges 5:23 tn Or “along with the other warriors.”
- Judges 5:24 tn Or “blessed.”
- Judges 5:25 tn Or “for mighty ones.”
- Judges 5:26 tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.
- Judges 5:26 tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.
- Judges 5:26 tn Or “head.”
- Judges 5:26 tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 5:26 tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”
- Judges 5:27 tn Heb “and he lay.
- Judges 5:27 tn Or “dead.”
- Judges 5:28 tn Heb “chariots.”
- Judges 5:29 tn Or “princesses.”
- Judges 5:30 tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”
- Judges 5:30 tn Heb “a womb or two for each man.” The words “to rape” are interpretive. The Hebrew noun translated “girl” means literally “womb” (BDB 933 s.v. I. רַחַם), but in this context may refer by extension to the female genitalia. In this case the obscene language of Sisera’s mother alludes to the sexual brutality which typified the aftermath of battle.
- Judges 5:30 tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”
- Judges 5:30 tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”
- Judges 5:30 tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”
- Judges 5:31 tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960) 
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