Verse 6
6. She sent and called Barak The prophetess has a higher divine calling and authority than the commander of the army, and, like Elisha in the war with Mesha, a later king of Moab, gives directions which the officers of the army must obey. The name Barak means lightning appropriate name for the hero of the flashing sword.
Kedesh-naphtali So called from being in the tribe territory of Naphtali. Joshua 19:37. It was a city of refuge, and the sacred city of the northern tribes. Joshua 20:7.
Hath not the Lord… commanded The interrogative form of expressing a most emphatic affirmation.
Draw toward Proceed in small companies, one after another, so as not to attract notice, or excite too sudden alarm. Mount Tabor is in several respects the most remarkable mountain of Palestine. It rises from the northeastern part of the great Plain of Esdraelon, and, according to Newman, its graceful form varies with the standpoint of the beholder. Viewed from the heights of Carmel, it resembles a truncated cone; as seen from the northern hills of Galilee, it reminds one of the pyramids of Egypt; from the mountains of Samaria it appears like the segment of a great circle; and from the hills just south, it is not unlike a terraced mound or woodland park. Its summit commands a magnificent view of the great Plain of Jezreel below, which from the time of Deborah and Barak has been the battlefield of the nations. The occupation of Tabor gave Barak an advantage over Sisera’s forces, which were at Harosheth, near the mouth of the Kishon valley, and must approach to meet him in the plain below.
Ten thousand men An even number, to indicate approximately the force required. It was not to be too large, so as to be unwieldy; nor too small, so as to lack the force and enthusiasm of a considerable host. Of…
Naphtali and… Zebulun These tribes, who had chiefly felt the bitter oppression of Jabin, braved most, and probably suffered most, in this war. Comp. note on chap. Judges 5:18. These tribes, too, were nearest to the field of battle, and most readily summoned by Barak, whose home was in Naphtali.
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