Judges 5:6

6. Shamgar See on Judges 3:31.

In the days of Jael Many scholars understand that this Jael was not the wife of Heber, mentioned in chap. Judges 4:17, and in Judges 5:24 of this chapter, for such a reference to a contemporary, and one so prominent in this very victory over Sisera, would be strange; besides, the context seems to refer to a period previous to the time when Deborah arose; and the prophetess carefully distinguishes her contemporary as “the wife of Heber, the Kenite.” They therefore understand by this Jael either another name for Shamgar, or Ehud, as Gideon is also called Jerubbaal, (Judges 6:32,) or else a judge (either male or female) who lived soon after the time of Shamgar, but of whom we have no other mention. But as this is all conjecture, it is, perhaps, safer to understand the Jael of this history, whom it is Deborah’s purpose to immortalize in song. Shamgar and Jael may be mentioned as bounding the age of misery and fear: as if she had said, From the days of Shamgar to those of Jael. She modestly names Jael here instead of herself, whom she names in the next verse in connexion with a similar thought.

Ceased the roads Ceased to be travelled, as explained in the next line. The highways were abandoned on account of the dangers to which travellers were exposed; and those who were obliged to travel turned aside from them, and stole from place to place by winding by-paths. “We have ourselves,” says Kitto, “known in the East, in unsettled times, persons afraid to stir, for months together, beyond their towns and villages; and for still longer periods travelling wholly abandoned, or undertaken only in large and well-armed bodies.”