Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 5:1-5

The former chapter let us know what great things God had done for Israel; in this we have the thankful returns they made to God, that all ages of the church might learn that work of heaven to praise God. I. God is praised by a song, which is, 1. A very natural expression of rejoicing. Isa. any merry? Let him sing; and holy joy is the very soul and root of praise and thanksgiving. God is pleased to reckon himself glorified by our joy in him, and in his wondrous works. His servants? joy is his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:2

Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel ,.... The injuries done to Israel by any of their enemies, and particularly what wrongs had been done them by Jabin, king of Canaan, for twenty years past; though some understand it of the vengeance God took on Israel for their sins; and though praise is not given directly for that, yet inasmuch as, when that was the case, there were some whose spirits were stirred up to engage voluntarily in the deliverance of them from the oppression of their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:3

Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes ,.... Not only the neighbouring ones, but all the kings and princes of the earth, far and near, then and in succeeding ages; Deborah desires and wishes that all potentates might hear of the wonderful works of God done for his people, that they might learn to know there is one that is higher than they, to whom all the amazing things done in the world are to be ascribed; and be cautious how they oppressed the people of God, since sooner or later he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:4

Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the fields of Edom ,.... Here properly begins the song, what goes before being but a preface to it; and it begins with an apostrophe to the Lord, taking notice of some ancient appearances of God for his people, which were always matter of praise and thankfulness; and the rather are they taken notice of here, because of some likeness between them and what God had now wrought; and this passage refers either to the giving of the... read more

John Gill

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

The mountains melted from before the Lord ,.... The inhabitants of them, through fear, the Lord going before Israel in a pillar of cloud and fire, and delivering mighty kings and their kingdoms into their hand: even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel ; or, "as that Sinai", the note of similitude being wanting; and the sense is, the mountains melted, just as the famous mountain Sinai in a literal sense did, when it trembled and quaked at the presence of God on it; the tokens... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:2

For the avenging of Israel - See the notes, etc., at the end of the chapter, Judges 5:28 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:4

When thou wentest out of Seir - Here is an allusion to the giving of the law, and the manifestation of God's power and glory at that time; and as this was the most signal display of his majesty and mercy in behalf of their forefathers, Deborah very properly begins her song with a commemoration of this transaction. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:2

Render “For the leading of the leaders in Israel (the princes), for the willingness of the people (to follow them) bless ye the Lord.” See Deuteronomy 32:42 note, and compare Judges 5:9 and Judges 5:13, where the nobles and the people are again contrasted. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:4

Compare Psalms 68:7-9, and Habakkuk 3:3-16. The three passages relate to the same events, and mutually explain each other. The subject of them is the triumphant march of Israel, with the Lord at their head, to take possession of Canaan, and the overthrow of Sihon, Og, and the Midianites. This march commenced from Kadesh, in the immediate neighborhood of Self, and the victories which followed were an exact parallel to the victory of Deborah and Barak, accompanied as it had been with the storm... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 5:2

Judges 5:2. Praise ye the Lord, &c. This verse seems to be no more than the exordium, or preface to the song, expressing the subject or occasion of it, namely, the avenging of Israel, or the deliverance of them from Canaanitish slavery, and the people’s willingly offering themselves to battle. Houbigant renders the verse thus “Because the leaders of Israel undertook the war, Because the people willingly offered themselves, Praise ye the Lord.” And Dr. Kennicott supposes that the... read more

Group of Brands