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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 5:12-23

Here, I. Deborah stirs up herself and Barak to celebrate this victory in the most solemn manner, to the glory of God and the honour of Israel, for the encouragement of their friends and the greater confusion of their enemies, Jdg. 5:12. 1. Deborah, as a prophetess, must do it by a song, to compose and sing which she excites herself: Awake, awake, and again, awake, awake, which intimates the sense she had of the excellency and difficulty of the work; it needed and well deserved the utmost... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:18

Zebulun and Naphtali were a people ,.... These two tribes were chiefly concerned in this war; out of them were the 10,000 men that followed Barak, who willingly offered themselves, and were the most active and vigorous: that jeoparded themselves unto the death ; exposed them to the utmost danger, fearless of death itself: or reproached F11 חרף "probris affecit", Pagninus; so the Targum. their lives; were careless of them, valued them not; they were not dear to them, but were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:19

The kings came ,.... Who were with Sisera, as the Targum adds; unless Deborah can be thought to refer to the battle, supposed to be fought about the same place, between Joshua and the kings in confederacy with Jabin, Joshua 10:1 . then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo ; the other kings of Canaan, which came into the assistance of Jabin, either in the times of Joshua; or rather which now joined Sisera's army, in those places, which both belonged to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:20

They fought from heaven ,.... Either the angels of heaven, afterwards called stars; or the heavens, the elements, fought for Israel, and against Sisera; a violent storm of rain and hail falling at this time, which discomfited Sisera's army; See Gill on Judges 4:15 , or this victory was obtained in such a manner as plainly showed it was not of man, but of God from heaven; so the Targum,"from heaven war was made with them;'with the kings before mentioned; God fought against them, and no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:21

The river of Kishon swept them away ,.... To which Sisera's army was drawn, and where it was discomfited; and very probably many of them, in their confusion, endeavoured to make their escape by fording or swimming over the river, by which they were swept away and drowned, the waters of it at this time swelling in a miraculous manner, as Ben Gersom thinks; or were increased by the large showers of rain that fell, as some note from Josephus, though I find it not in him; however it is not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:22

Then were the horse hoofs broken by means of the pransings ,.... Either through the force of the waters of the river, where they pranced and plunged, and could have no standing; or through the swift haste they made to run away, striking the earth so quick, and with such force and vehemence, that their hoofs were broken thereby, especially on stony ground, and so their speed retarded: the pransings of the mighty ones ; either their riders, princes, and great personages, who made them... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:18

Zebulun and Naphtali - jeoparded their lives - The original is very emphatic, למות נפשו חרף chereph naphsho lamuth , they desolated their lives to death - they were determined to conquer or die, and therefore plunged into the thickest of the battle. The word jeoparded is a silly French term, and comes from the exclamation of a disappointed gamester: Jeu perdu ! The game is lost; or J'ai perdue ! I have lost. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:19

The kings came and fought - It is conjectured that Jabin and his confederates had invaded Manasseh, as both Taanach and Megiddo were in that tribe: and that they were discomfited by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali at Taanach and Megiddo; while Barak defeated Sisera at Mount Tabor. They took no gain of money - They expected much booty in the total rout of the Israelites; but they were defeated, and got no prey; or, if applied to the Israelites, They fought for... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:20

They fought from heaven - The angels of God came to the assistance of Israel: and the stars in their orbits fought against Sisera; probably some thunder storm, or great inundation from the river Kishon, took place at that time, which in poetic language was attributed to the stars. So our poet sung relative to the storms which dispersed the Spanish armada in 1588: - "Both winds and waves at once conspire To aid old England - frustrate Spain's desire." Perhaps it means no more than... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:21

The river of Kishon swept them away - This gives plausibility to the above conjecture, that there was a storm at this time which produced an inundation in the river Kishon, which the routed Canaanites attempting to ford were swept away. read more

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