Judges 5:19 NIV

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 5:1-31

2. Deborah’s song of victory ch. 5One writer called this song "the finest masterpiece of Hebrew poetry" that "deserves a place among the best songs of victory ever written." [Note: Robert H. Pfeiffer, Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 326.] It is the equivalent of a victory celebration when the troops come home (cf. Exodus 15; Psalms 68)."Observe that each of the three major sections centers around a basic contrast: in Judges 5:2-11 c, the explosive God and humiliated people; in Judges 5:11... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 5:19-22

God’s defeat of the Canaanites 5:19-22The great victory was due to God’s supernatural intervention for Israel. He increased the effectiveness of the Israelite soldiers. The kings in Judges 5:19 are probably all Canaanite kings, as the NIV translation suggests. Taanach stood near Megiddo, which may have been in ruins at this time. [Note: W. F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, p. 117.] The stars (Judges 5:20) symbolize the forces of heaven that were more specifically the rains God sent.... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:1-31

Deborah’s Triumph SongThis song celebrates the victory of Judges 4 but from the point of view, not of a later annalist, but of a contemporary poet—very possibly (though see Judges 5:12) the prophetess herself. The lyric outburst is one of the finest in any language; its style (though many of the words are now very obscure) is typical of the best Hebrew poetry. Its independence of Judges 4 may be inferred from the variations it exhibits. Sisera is represented as king: the majority of the tribes,... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 5:19

(19) The kings.—Comp. Joshua 11:1. Jabin did not stand alone.In Taanach.—See Judges 1:27. The word means “sandy soil.”By the waters of Megiddo.—The affluents of the Kishon, or the swollen waves of the river itself. There is a copious spring at Lejjûn, the ancient Megiddo, which in rainy seasons rapidly turns the plain into a morass (Thomson’s Land and Book. ch. 29).They took no gain of money.—Literally, fragment of silver they did not take. They had doubtless hoped, if not for much actual... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Judges 5:1-31

Judges 5:1 Of the three main branches of poetry, the only feminine one is the lyrical, not the objective lyrical poetry, like that of Pindar and Simonides, and the choric odes of the Greek tragedians, but that which is the expression of individual, personal feeling, like Sappho's. Of this class we have noble examples in the songs of Miriam, of Deborah, of Hannah, and of the Blessed Virgin. Hare, Guesses at Truth (2nd Series). Reference. V. 1. H. Henley Henson, The Value of the Bible, p. 53.... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Judges 5:1-31

DEBORAH’S SONG: A DIVINE VISIONJudges 5:1-31THE song of Deborah and Barak is twofold, the first portion, ending with the eleventh verse, a chant of rising hope and pious encouragement during the time of preparation and revival, the other a song of battle and victory throbbing with eager patriotism and the hot breath of martial excitement. In the former part God is celebrated as the Helper of Israel from of old and from afar; He is the spring of the movement in which the singer rejoices, and in... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Judges 5:1-31

CHAPTER 5 The Song of Deborah and Barak 1. The praise of Jehovah (Judges 5:1-5 ) 2. The condition of the people and their deliverance (Judges 5:6-11 ) 3. The celebration of the victory and the victors (Judges 5:12-22 ) 4. The fate of the enemy (Judges 5:23-31 ) This is one of the prophetic songs of the Bible. It is full of the fire of passion and enthusiasm, reflecting the character of the woman through whom the deliverance had been wrought. It has been classed with the barbaric... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Judges 5:19

5:19 The kings came [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of {p} money.(p) They won nothing, but lost all. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:1-31

THE SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK (vv.1-31) To celebrate God's great victory over Canaan, Deborah and Barak sang a remarkable song. Since Deborah's name is mentioned first, it seems likely that she composed the song (v. 7). It begins with leaders in Israel taking their proper place to provide leadership as ordered by God. But what rightly accomplishes this is the willing response of the people in offering themselves to engage in warfare for the Lord's sake. Kings and princes are summoned to hear... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Judges 5:1-31

THE ERA OF DEBORAH THE SE RV ITUDE TO CANAAN (Judges 4:0 ) We met before with “Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor” (see Joshua 11:0 ), but this seems to have been a second of the name who built a new capitol on the ruins of the former one. The Israelites failed to exterminate these enemies on the north, who had now become strong enough to visit them with the severest oppression they had yet experienced, and which lasted twenty years (Judges 4:3 ). Deborah’s appearance on the... read more