Judges 5

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

“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD!

“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.

The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.

The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.

They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD!

“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.

Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people went down to the gates.

‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’

“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for me against the mighty.

Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.

The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.

Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.

Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.

“The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.

From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.

Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.

‘Curse Meroz,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

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

He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’

Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,

‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’

“So let all your enemies perish, LORD, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter records the song of Deborah and Barak after the defeat of Sisera and the Canaanite army, celebrating God’s decisive intervention in Israel’s deliverance. It combines poetic praise, theological reflection on God’s power, and a detailed account of the tribes’ response to the call to battle, emphasizing both faithfulness and failure among the people. Positioned after the narrative of the victory in chapter 4, this song deepens the theological meaning of the event and sets the tone for the period of peace that follows.

Flow.

The song opens with a call to worship and remembrance, praising God for His mighty acts and Israel’s willing consecration to Him.
It recounts the theophanic power of God’s movement in history, recalling His presence at Sinai and His disruption of nature in judgment.
The poem details which tribes answered the call to war, commending the zeal of some (like Zebulun and Naphtali) and rebuking others (like Reuben, Dan, and Asher) for their indecision or absence.
The climax centers on Jael’s heroic act, the curse on Meroz for its neutrality, and the poignant portrayal of Sisera’s mother, closing with a declaration of God’s ultimate triumph and a note on the ensuing peace.

Connections.
Following chapter 4, which narrates the military victory over Sisera through Deborah’s leadership and Jael’s action, this chapter offers a lyrical re-presentation of those events, elevating them as acts of divine judgment and salvation. The song’s emphasis on God’s sovereign power over armies and nature anticipates the need for ongoing faithfulness in the face of future failures, which chapter 6 takes up by exposing Israel’s cycle of apostasy. The forty years of rest echo earlier patterns of deliverance and decline, bridging this victory to the next phase of the judges’ cycle.

What it teaches.
The chapter reveals God’s supremacy in waging war for His people, demonstrating that deliverance comes not by human strength but by His sovereign hand, even using unexpected instruments like a woman (HC LD 10). The theophany in verses 4–5 echoes God’s majesty at Sinai (WCF 7.3), while the tribes’ varied responses highlight the moral and spiritual responsibility of God’s people to participate in His work. The blessing of Jael and the curse on Meroz underscore that faithfulness and obedience bring divine approval, whereas indifference incurs judgment (LC 121). The final line echoes the enduring hope for God’s enemies to perish and His people to flourish in His strength.

Apply.
In times of deliverance, lift up praise that credits God alone for victory and examine your own response to His call with honesty.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.