Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

5:1-31 This song, a victory hymn usually credited to Deborah, presents a second, more poetic account of the entire battle with various details that supplement the prose account. It is one of the most ancient Hebrew poems. It blesses the Lord, those tribes who responded to the muster, and Jael. It curses those who remained at home, Sisera, and his mother’s entourage. It contrasts conditions before Barak’s victory, when the Lord’s curse was on the land, with the life of blessing in the wake of the warriors’ righteous acts. It ends with a prayer that the Lord’s enemies will perish like Sisera (5:31).

Verse 3

5:3 The victory song is primarily a hymn to the Lord, the God of Israel. It is also a wisdom song that gives instruction to kings and rulers, as other wisdom psalms do (see “Wisdom Psalms” Theme Note).

Verse 4

5:4-5 In the poem, the Lord is on the march from his home in the mountains of Edom (cp. Hab 3:3), or Mount Sinai (one tradition places Sinai east of the Jordan Valley, in the region of Edom; cp. Gal 4:25). The fire and earthquake that had so terrified Israel at the giving of the law (Exod 19:18) here symbolize God’s power and fury on the battlefield against his enemies. • Torrential rain would have created a quagmire, making Sisera’s chariots a liability rather than an asset (Judg 4:15-16).

Verse 6

5:6 During this period of chaos and uncertainty, there was little security for those living outside the main walled cities. Even Shamgar (see 3:31) did little to alleviate the misery of the common people, who suffered under the hand of the Canaanites and their cruel commander, Sisera.

Verse 7

5:7 Deborah was God’s agent in bringing relief during this general social breakdown. Deborah did not muster or command the troops, but she was Israel’s spiritual and emotional pillar; she is described as a mother in Israel.

Verse 8

5:8 Israel was in social chaos and also lacked defensive weapons. • Forty thousand warriors: The Hebrew word translated thousand could also be translated clans (see study note on Exod 12:37).

Verse 10

5:10 Both the rich (those who ride) and the poor (those who walk) were to listen and spread the song, which would have both a spiritual and a social impact as it was disseminated.

Verse 11

5:11 Listen to the village musicians: The picture is of divine exploits being recited where people gathered. Much Old Testament narrative and psalmody probably took shape in this way. “Remembering” in song and poetry is foundational to both Jewish and Christian worship.

Verse 13

5:13 The few were Barak’s army, marching down against the mighty warriors of Sisera’s army.

Verse 14

5:14-18 These verses honor those who volunteered and shame those who did not. • Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (represented by Makir) came from the south. Issachar, the territory where the battle actually took place, was joined by Zebulun and Naphtali, the two tribes closest to Barak’s home base. • The tribes that were too irresolute and fainthearted to join the fight included Reuben, Gad (represented by Gilead), Dan, and Asher.

Verse 19

5:19-23 The battle is described. The brave warriors who followed Deborah and Barak faded into the background as the Lord mustered the stars of heaven and the Kishon River to obliterate Sisera’s host.

5:19 Taanach was southeast of the great administrative center of Megiddo, so the battle took place in the lower part of the Jezreel Valley. The references to Taanach and Megiddo are probably poetic allusions to well-known places in the Jezreel Valley, rather than exact locations of any fighting, which appears to have taken place between Mount Tabor and the lowlands around the Kishon River.

Verse 23

5:23 The location of Meroz is unknown, but it should not be confused with Merom (Josh 11:5), which was approximately twenty miles to the north in the hills of Galilee.

Verse 24

5:24-27 Sisera’s end is described in a brief celebration of Jael.

Verse 28

5:28 The natural confidence of Sisera’s mother was beginning to crumble.

Verse 29

5:29-30 The wise women betrayed Sisera’s evil intentions as they tried to encourage his mother. • The poet didn’t need to tell how the story concluded.

Verse 31

5:31 Sisera typifies the Lord’s enemies; Jael represents those who love the Lord. • there was peace in the land: Rest followed the Lord’s rescue.