Judges 5 - Meaning, Themes & Application

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

" Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered "

Judges 5:2 means God is praised because He defended Israel when ordinary people willingly stepped up to help. It shows that God works powerfully when …

" 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. "

Judges 5:3 means Deborah boldly declares that even powerful rulers must listen as she praises God for victory. It shows that God deserves public praise, …

" 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. "

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

" In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. "

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

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

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

Judges 5:9 means Deborah deeply appreciates Israel’s leaders who stepped up willingly to fight for God’s people. She praises God for their courage and sacrifice. …

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

" 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. "

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

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

" Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. "

Judges 5:16 gently rebukes the tribe of Reuben for staying with their flocks instead of joining the battle. They felt torn, thought a lot, but …

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

Judges 5:17 rebukes tribes that stayed home or focused on business instead of joining the battle to help their brothers. Gilead, Dan, and Asher chose …

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

Judges 5:18 praises the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali for risking their lives in battle when God’s people needed help. It means real faith shows …

" The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. "

Judges 5:19 means Israel’s enemies, powerful kings of Canaan, attacked God’s people but gained nothing from the battle. God gave victory to Israel, not the …

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

Judges 5:20 means God was fighting for Israel in ways they couldn’t see, even using nature itself against Sisera. It shows that when we face …

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

Judges 5:21 means God used the flooded Kishon River to defeat Israel’s powerful enemies, showing He can fight for His people in surprising ways. For …

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

" 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. "

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

Judges 5:24 praises Jael for courageously doing what was right when others were afraid. She protected God’s people by stopping a dangerous enemy. For us …

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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? "

" Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer "

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

" 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. "