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Texts -- Judges 5:19-31 (NET)

Context
5:19 Kings came , they fought ; the kings of Canaan fought , at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo , but they took no silver as plunder . 5:20 From the sky the stars fought , from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera . 5:21 The Kishon River carried them off ; the river confronted them– the Kishon River . Step on the necks of the strong ! 5:22 The horses ’ hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly . 5:23 ‘Call judgment down on Meroz ,’ says the Lord’s angelic messenger ; ‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors .’ 5:24 The most rewarded of women should be Jael , the wife of Heber the Kenite ! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents . 5:25 He asked for water , and she gave him milk ; in a bowl fit for a king , she served him curds . 5:26 Her left hand reached for the tent peg , her right hand for the workmen’s hammer . She “hammered ” Sisera , she shattered his skull , she smashed his head , she drove the tent peg through his temple . 5:27 Between her feet he collapsed , he fell limp and was lifeless ; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp , in the spot where he collapsed , there he fell limp – violently murdered ! 5:28 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 delayed ?’ 5:29 The wisest of her ladies answer ; indeed she even thinks to herself, 5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder – a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth , he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth , two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth , for the neck of the plunderer !’ 5:31 May all your enemies perish like this , O Lord ! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest !” And the land had rest for forty years .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • WAR, MAN OF

    [isbe] WAR, MAN OF - ('ish milchamah): "Yahweh is a man of war: Yahweh is his name" (Ex 15:3). In early Israel the character of Yahweh as the war-God forms a prominent feature in the conception of God (Nu 10:35; 21:14; Josh 5:13; 1...

  • Songs

    [ebd] of Moses (Ex. 15; Num. 21:17; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3), Deborah (Judg. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2), David (2 Sam. 22, and Psalms), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79), the angels (Luke 2:13), Simeon (Luke 2:29), the redeemed...

  • RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY

    [isbe] RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY - re-la'-shun-ships: I. CONSANGUINITY 1. In General 2. Parents and Children 3. Brothers and Sisters 4. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Kinsmen II. AFFINITY 1. Husband and Wife 2. Father-in-Law, etc. 3. Brother-...

  • Poetry

    [ebd] has been well defined as "the measured language of emotion." Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man's relation to God. "Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon, redemption, repentance are the a...
    [nave] POETRY Lam. 1-5. Didactic Moses' song, Deut. 32. The Book of Job, the Proverbs, Solomon's Song, the books of prophecy. See: Psalms, Didactic. Elegy On the death of Saul, 2 Sam. 1:17, 19-27. Of Abner, 2 Sam. 3:33, 34. ...

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2A

    [isbe] PALESTINE EXPLORATION, 2A - III. Era of Scientific Excavation. 1. Southern Palestine: (1) Tell el-Chesy. (Palestine Exploration Fund).--Exploration must always continue, but excavation is a vast advance. The modern era in Pa...

  • Lattice

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'eshnabh, a latticed opening through which the cool breeze passes (Judg. 5:28). The flat roofs of the houses were sometimes enclosed with a parapet of lattice-work on wooden frames, to screen the women of the house...

  • Jabin

    [ebd] discerner; the wise. (1.) A king of Hazor, at the time of the entrance of Israel into Canaan (Josh. 11:1-14), whose overthrow and that of the northern chief with whom he had entered into a confederacy against Joshua was the ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • GOD, 2

    [isbe] GOD, 2 - II. The Idea of God in the Old Testament. 1. Course of Its Development: Any attempt to write the whole history of the idea of God in the Old Testament would require a preliminary study of the literary and historical...

  • Embroider

    [ebd] The art of embroidery was known to the Jews (Ex. 26:36; 35:35; 38:23; Judg. 5:30; Ps. 45:14). The skill of the women in this art was seen in the preparation of the sacerdotal robes of the high priest (Ex. 28). It seems that ...

  • Dwellings

    [ebd] The materials used in buildings were commonly bricks, sometimes also stones (Lev. 14:40, 42), which were held together by cement (Jer. 43:9) or bitumen (Gen. 11:3). The exterior was usually whitewashed (Lev. 14:41; Ezek. 13:...

  • Deborah

    [ebd] a bee. (1.) Rebekah's nurse. She accompanied her mistress when she left her father's house in Padan-aram to become the wife of Isaac (Gen. 24:59). Many years afterwards she died at Bethel, and was buried under the "oak of we...
    [nave] DEBORAH 1. Nurse to Rebecca, Gen. 24:59. Buried beneath an oak under Beth-el, Gen. 35:8. 2. The prophetess, a judge of Israel, Judg. 4:4, 5; 5:7. Inspires Barak to defeat Sisera, Judg. 4:6-16. Triumphant song of, Judg. 5...

  • DRESS

    [ebd] (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah's dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The Hebrews were early acquainted ...
    [smith] This subject includes the following particulars: Materials; Color and decoration; Name, form, and mode of wearing the various articles; Special usages relating thereto. Materials .--After the first "apron" of fig leaves, (Ge...

  • DISH

    [ebd] for eating from (2 Kings 21:13). Judas dipped his hand with a "sop" or piece of bread in the same dish with our Lord, thereby indicating friendly intimacy (Matt. 26:23). The "lordly dish" in Judg. 5:25 was probably the shall...
    [isbe] DISH - The rendering in English Versions of the Bible in some connections of three Hebrew and one Greek word. The qe`arah of Ex 25:29; 37:16; Nu 4:7 was apparently a kind of salver, in this case of gold, for holding the loav...

  • Country

    [nave] COUNTRY. Love of Judg. 5:1-31; 2 Sam. 10:12; Neh. 1:1-11; Neh. 2:1-20 chapters 3-6.Neh. 5:1-18; Psa. 137:1-6 The Jews held church and country as one, therefore See: Church, Love for. See also Patriotism.

  • Casement

    [ebd] a barrier of open-work placed before windows (Prov. 7:6). In Judg. 5:28 the Hebrew word is rendered "lattice," in the LXX. "network," an opening through which cool air is admitted.

  • Camon

    [ebd] full of stalks, a place (Judg. 10:5) where Jair was buried. It has usually been supposed to have been a city of Gilead, on the east of Jordan. It is probably, however, the modern Tell-el-Kaimun, on the southern slopes of Car...

  • Barak

    [ebd] lightning, the son of Abinoam (Judg. 4:6). At the summons of Deborah he made war against Jabin. She accompanied him into the battle, and gave the signal for the little army to make the attack; in which the host of Jabin was ...
    [nave] BARAK, a judge in Israel, Judg. 4; 5; Heb. 11:32.

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Dalam Rumah Yang Gembira [KJ.447]
  • [Jdg 5:31] I’ll Be A Sunbeam
  • [Jdg 5:31] Jesus, Let All Thy Lovers Shine
  • [Jdg 5:31] We’ll Outshine The Sun

Questions

  • It seems to me that the key to the answer to your question is to understand the unique role of the Book of Judges. The statement that is repeated in this book is, "there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in ...
  • The great songs of the Old Testament, besides the Psalms and certain metrical passages in Job, are: Lantech's Sword Song, Gen. 4:23,24; Noah's Song, Gen. 9:25-27; Moses' and Miriam's Song, Ex. 15:1-19,21; War Songs, etc., Num...
  • "What symbols are used for both Christ and his people?" is a frequent question. There are six symbols used for both Christ and his people.1. A BRANCH. For Christ, in Isa. 11:1-4, "A branch out of his roots shall bear fruit," ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Jacob blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to...
  • I. The reason for Israel's apostasy 1:1-3:6A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites after Joshua's death 1:1-2:51. Initial successes and failures ch. 12. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5B. Israel's c...
  • The first major section in the book (1:1-3:6) explains very clearly why the period of the judges was a dark chapter in Israel's history. God revealed the reasons for Israel's apostasy and consequent national problems in terms...
  • Israel's JudgesJudgeScriptureIsrael's OppressorsLength in YearsNation(s)King(s)OppressionJudgeshipPeaceOthniel3:7-11MesopotamiaCushan-rishathaim8(ca. 1358-1350 B.C.)40(ca. 1350-1310 B.C.)Ehud3:12-30Moab (with Ammon & Amal...
  • Chapters 4 and 5 are complementary versions of the victory God gave Israel over the Canaanites, first in prose and then in poetry (cf. Exod. 14-15).91...
  • 4:1-3 As long as Ehud lived he kept Israel faithful to God (v. 1). However after he died, God's people again turned from the Lord. In discipline God allowed the Canaanites in the North to gain strength and dominate the Israel...
  • One writer called this song "the finest masterpiece of Hebrew poetry"that "deserves a place among the best songs of victory ever written."116It is the equivalent of a victory celebration when the troops come home (cf. Exod. 1...
  • Deborah called all people of consequence to pay attention to the record of God's greatness that follows. "Kings"may refer to pagan kings and "rulers"to Israel's leaders. She compared God's revelation at Sinai, when He gave th...
  • God had to rouse Deborah to oppose the Canaanites; she did not initiate this action. God also aroused her to sing His praise after the victory. After God stimulated Deborah and Barak into action, several Israelite survivors o...
  • The great victory was due to God's supernatural intervention for Israel. He increased the effectiveness of the Israelite soldiers. The kings in verse 19 are probably all Canaanite kings, as the NIV translation suggests. Taana...
  • Meroz (v. 23) may refer to Merom, an Israelite village in Naphtali west of Hazor, the Canaanite stronghold. Evidently out of fear of reprisals the Israelites who lived there did not join their brethren in fighting their foe. ...
  • Deborah put herself in the shoes of Sisera's mother (cf. v. 7) and imagined what she must have been thinking as she anticipated his victorious return. However, deep in her heart the mother of the commander wondered if he woul...
  • The song concludes with a reminder that those who oppose Yahweh will perish. Those who love Him will prosper, as Israel did in this battle through His intervention for her.130Following this victory and the battles that follow...
  • The writer of Judges structured this book so the story of Gideon would be its focal center."Within the main body of the book, seven major narrative blocks can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between th...
  • ". . . the heroic women of the song [of Deborah, ch. 5] give way to an unheroic man of Israel' (7:14) who not only does all he can to evade the call of Yahweh but in the end abandons God. . . . In the person of Gideon the nar...
  • Gideon had not invited the men of Ephraim to join him when he recruited the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali (6:35). I assume he did this at the Lord's command since he did not need more soldiers. The men of E...
  • The supernatural victory God had given His people elevated Gideon into national recognition. Some of the men of Israel invited Gideon to be their king and to begin a dynasty of rulers (v. 22). Perhaps they were from the north...
  • The following two extended incidents (ch. 17-21) differ from the records of the judges just completed (chs. 3-16). They are not accounts of the activities of any of Israel's judges. They are the record of events that took pla...
  • The Danites' defeat of the inhabitants of Laish appears cruel and unjustified (cf. 9:45-49). The town that seemed so desirable to the spies was really vulnerable and isolated. Its advantages proved to be weaknesses. Since God...
  • The Book of Joshua recorded Israel's victory over her enemies through trust in and obedience to God. The Book of Judges shows the defeat of the nation by its enemies from without and within due to refusal to trust and obey Go...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. Land of the Bible. Phildelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The...
  • Verse 16 pictures the wicked eating his delicacies but finding that they have turned to poison in his stomach and are killing him (v. 14). Ancient Near Easterners considered honey and curds (the part of milk from which cheese...
  • 144:3-4 The exalted description of God in verses 1 and 2 led David to reflect in amazement that God would take interest in mere mortals. Man's existence is very brief compared to God who abides forever.144:5-8 The psalmist de...
  • 64:1 The prophet called on God to make another appearance among His people, as He had done at Mt. Sinai and at other times (cf. Exod. 19:18-20; Judg. 5; Ps. 18; Mic. 1:3-4; Hab. 3). The Israelites' condition was so desperate ...
  • 35:1 This oracle came to Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 B.C.) after the Babylonians had begun to invade Judah (v. 11). Second Kings 24:1-2 reads, "In his [Jehoiakim's] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came...
  • 12:1 "The burden . . . concerning Israel"introduces chapters 12-14 as "The burden . . . against the land of Hadrach"(9:1) did chapters 9-11. By describing Yahweh as the creator of the heavens, earth, and man, Zechariah remind...
  • A. Women served in the doorway of the Tabernacle (Exod. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22).The same word (saba) is used of their work as that of the Levites. These women were probably widows who devoted themselves to the service of God.B. Mi...
  • John turned to see the person who had given him his commission. These verses describe what he saw.1:12 When John turned to see the person who spoke to him he saw a majestic figure clothed in a long robe standing among seven l...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Judges 5:20, Job 5:23.These two poetical fragments present the same truth on opposite sides. The first of them comes from Deborah's triumphant chant. The singer identifies God with the cause of Israel, and declares that heave...
  • Judges 5:31These are the closing words of Deborah, the great warrior-prophetess of Israel. They are in singular contrast with the tone of fierce enthusiasm for battle which throbs through the rest of the chant, and with its s...
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