Judg. 5 Deborah exhorts to praise; she begins; recounts the former wonders and mercies of God to his people, Judg. 5:1–5. From the miseries of former times glories in their present state, Judg. 5:6–9. Excites the governors, &c. to praise the Lord, Judg. 5:10–13.

Deborah was the composer of this song as may be gathered from Judg. 5:7.

Praise ye the Lord; give him the praise who hath done the work. For the avenging of Israel; or, for taking vengeance, to wit, upon his and their enemies, by Israel, or for Israel, for Israel’s benefit, or for the injuries and violences offered by them to Israel.

You especially that live near to Israel, and have evil minds and designs against Israel, know this for your instruction, and caution, and terror too, if you shall presume to molest them.

Seir and Edom are the same place; and these two expressions note the same thing, even God’s marching in the head of his people from Seir or Edom towards the land of Canaan.

Melted, or flowed, with floods of water poured out of the clouds upon them, and from them flowing down in a mighty stream upon the lower grounds, and carrying down some part of the mountain with it, as is usual in excessive showers.

In the days of Shamgar; whilst Shamgar lived, who was, if not a judge, yet an eminent person for strength and valour, Judg. 3:31. In the days of Jael: Jael, though an illustrious woman, and of great authority and influence upon the people, did effect nothing for the deliverance of God’s people till…

The villages ceased; the people forsook all their unfortified towns, as not being able to protect them from military insolence. A mother, i.e. to be to them as a mother, to instruct, and rule, and protect them, which duties a mother oweth to her children as far as she is able.

They did not only submit to idolatry when they were forced to it by tyrants, but they freely chose new gods; new to them, and unknown to their fathers, and new in comparison of the true and everlasting God of Israel, being but upstarts, and of yesterday. In the gates, i.e.

I greatly honour and love those, who being the chief of the people in wealth and dignity, did not withdraw themselves from the work, as such usually do; but did expose themselves to the same hazards, and joined with their meaner brethren in this noble but dangerous attempt, and by their examples…

Speak; celebrate the praises of our mighty God, whose hand hath done this. Ye that ride on white asses, i.e. magistrates and nobles, who used to do so, Judg. 10:4, Judg. 12:14; horses being in a manner forbidden there, Deut. 17:16. Ye that walk by the way, i.e.

From the noise of archers; either, 1. From the noise or sound, and consequently the force of those arrows which are shot at them; but she names the noise, because this epithet is frequently given to bows and arrows in poetical writings. Or, 2.

Awake, awake; stir up thyself and all that is within thee to admire and praise the Lord. Lead thy captivity captive: how could this be done when there was none of them left? Judg. 4:16. Answ. 1. None were left to make head against them. 2.

Thus God did not only preserve the poor and despised remnant of his people from the fury of the oppressor before this war, and from the destruction which Sisera designed and promised himself to bring upon them by this war; but also gave them the victory, and thereby the dominion over the princes…

Now she relates the carriage and miscarriage of the several tribes in this expedition; and she begins with Ephraim. Was there a root of them; either, first, Of the Ephraimites; or, secondly, Of them that came forth to this expedition.

Were with Deborah, i.e. ready to assist her. Even Issachar. Heb. and Issachar, i.e. the tribe or people of Issachar, following the counsel and example of their princes, and being now at their commandments, as they were afterwards upon another occasion, 1 Chron. 12:32.

Why wast thou so unworthy and cowardly, so void of all zeal for God, and compassion towards thy brethren, and care for the recovery of thy own liberties and privileges, that thou wouldst not engage thyself in so just, so necessary, and so noble a cause, but didst prefer the care of thy sheep, and…

Gilead is sometimes taken more largely, for all the land of the Israelites beyond Jordan, as Num. 32:1, Num. 32:26, Num. 32:29. So it is not here taken, because Gilead is here distinguished from Reuben and his land.

Jeoparded, Heb. despised, or reproached, or contemned, comparatively; they chose rather to venture upon a generous and honourable death, than to enjoy a shameful and servile life. In the high places of the field, i.e.

The kings; either confederate with him, or subject to him: for it is known that there were divers petty kings in those parts; which also ofttimes were subject to one greater and more potent king; and particularly this Hazor, where this Jabin now reigned, Judg.

Or, they from heaven, or the heavenly host fought, by thunder, and lightning, and hailstones, possibly mingled with fire. Compare Josh. 10:11, 1 Sam. 7:10.

The river of Kishon, though not great in itself, and therefore fordable, was now much swelled and increased by the foregoing storm and rain, as Josephus affirms; and therefore drowned those who being pursued by the hand of God, and by the Israelites, were forced into it, and thought to pass over…

Their horses, in which they put most confidence, had their hoofs, which is their support and strength, broken, either by dreadful hailstones, or rather, by their swift and violent running over the stony grounds, when they fled away with all possible speed from God and from Israel.

Meroz; a place then, no doubt, eminent and considerable, though now there be no remembrance of it left, which possibly might be the effect of this bitter curse; as God curseth Amalek in this manner, that he would utterly blot out their remembrance, &c., Ex. 17:14, Deut. 25:19.

Blessed above women; celebrated, and praised, and endowed with all sorts of blessings more than they. But of this fact of Jael’s, See Poole “Judg. 4:21”. In the tent; in her tent or habitation, in her house and family, and all her affairs; for she and hers dwelt in tents.

Butter, or, cream, i.e. the choicest of her milk; so the same thing is repeated in differing words. In a lordly dish; which you are not to understand of such a stately and costly dish as the luxury of after-ages brought in, which is not agreeable to the simplicity, either of this family, or of…

Her hand, i.e. her left hand, as appears from the nature of the thing; and from the right hand, which is opposed to it. Smote off, or, struck through, as the LXX. and Syriac render it; or brake, as the Chaldee hath it. When she had pierced, Heb. and she pierced; or, and the nail pierced.

Here is a lively representation of the thing done. At the first blow or wound he was awakened, and made some attempt to rise; but being astonished and very weak, she also following her first blow with others, he found himself impotent, and fell down dead; and then she struck the nail quite through…

Looked out at a window, expecting to see him returning; for she concluded that he went forth not so much to fight as to take the spoil.

Have they not divided the prey? i.e. it is certain they have got the prey, only they tarry to view it and distribute it, according to every man’s quality and merit. Of them that take the spoil, Heb.

So, i.e. so suddenly, so surely, so effectually and irrecoverably. When he goeth forth in his might; when he first riseth, and so goeth on in his course, which he doth with great might, even as a strong man that runneth a race, Ps.