Judges 5:1-6

Judges 5:1

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

 

Once the Canaanites were defeated Barak and Deborah had begun to sing a song in celebration of the victory.  There was no envy between them as Barak was a very brave man but would not make a move without the prophetess Deborah in case she received a word from the Lord during the battle.

 

Judges 5:2

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

 

They sang praises to the Lord for they knew that it was He who gave the enemy into the hands of Barak and Deborah thus freeing the Israelites from oppression.  The people had obeyed God when He told them to take only ten thousand men with them to face the Canaanites and their 900 chariots of iron.  The people believed God and went into battle.  Christians must do the same, believe God and send forth the Gospel.

 

Judges 5:3

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.

 

Her song was a praise to God and she wanted all the kings and princes of the earth to know that it was He who has been the keeper of Israel, thus freeing them from bondage.  They will sing unto the Lord in joy and in worship.  They will also sing praises to the Lord who is the great potentate who not only rules in Israel but is the ruler of the entire world and universe.  She exalts the God of Israel above and beyond the false gods of the gentile nations which have no power or existence.

 

Judges 5:4

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.

 

Deuteronomy 33:2 (KJV)   And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.  Seir and Edom are the same place.  Edom was the home of the Edomites who were the descendants of Esau.  Here we have the event of God guiding His people into Canaan and as their leader, the gentile groups would pose no threat to the advancement of the people of God.  It also alludes to the time when God led Israel out of bondage from Egypt.  It speaks of the earth trembling especially at Sinai when Israel received the Law of God.  Exodus 19:18 (KJV)   And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.  The heavens and the clouds may also be allusions to the fact that Sisera’s army had discomfited the Canaanites.

 

Judges 5:5

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

 

The mountains were no hindrance to the leading of God when He told Israel to go down and pursue the enemy all the way back to the River Kishon.  It was as if Israel was back at Mt. Sinai when God had showed Himself with great power on the mountain.  Exodus 19:16 (KJV)   And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 

 

Judges 5:6

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 had slain 600 with an ox goad but the slaughter of the Canaanites were not altogether complete.  Not much else is known of Shamgar and his leading in Israel.  In both the days of Jael who was after Shamgar the highways of Israel were very dangerous and people would avoid going the way of these open roads since they were susceptible to robbery and even murder.  This was a dangerous place to walk or travel during these times.  It was especially dangerous during the times when Israel was in captivity to the Canaanites when these roads were also lonely and a person could almost count on being attacked.

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