Celebrating the Victory in Song
5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:
Barak and Deborah did not compose the song together, but they did sing the song together. The song was composed by Deborah on the day that General Sisera was defeated.
5:2 “When the leaders took the lead in Israel,When the people answered the call to war – Praise the Lord!
This is the first stanza of the song. When the leaders lead and the people follow, then Jehovah is praised.
5:3 Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the Lord! I will sing to the Lord God of Israel!
Israel did not have any kings or rulers at this time, so this song was addressed to Gentile kings and rulers. It was sung in the first person, meaning that Deborah was the author of the song. Deborah commanded the Gentile kings and rulers to listen and pay attention to the lyrics of this song. She will sing praises to לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (la-Jehovah elohi yisrael), meaning the covenant-keeping-promise-keeping-triune-creator-God of Israel.
5:4 O Lord, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom’s plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain.
Deborah and Barak sang that God is a divine warrior. He marches from Mount Sier, which is in Edom, in order to give aid to His people. When Jehovah marched, the earth trembled and the heavens poured down rain. Baal of the Canaanites was the storm god, but Jehovah was using Baal’s strongest weapons against him.
5:5 The mountains trembled before the Lord, the God of Sinai; before the Lord God of Israel.
Jehovah not only controlled the earth and the sky, but He controlled the mountains as well.
5:6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads.
Shamgar and Jael both lived during the judgeship of Ehud. During this time period, there were no Jewish caravans traveling on the road. Either Canaanites were attacking and plundering these Jewish caravans, or the Canaanites were placing high tolls on the road. Instead of taking direct routes to their destinations, the Jewish caravans had to take evasive side roads that were much more difficult to travel.
5:7 Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel,
until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel.
There was no strong male leadership in Israel. There were no males who were willing to become soldiers and fight the Canaanites. Deborah was just a mother, but she was raised as a prophetess to protect Israel. Whenever men will not step up and do the Lord’s work, then the Lord will raise up women to accomplish His purpose. This verse shows that Deborah was the author of the song.
5:8 God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel.
God chose new military leaders to lead Israel. Men began volunteering for the army. However, there was a lack of weapons for the soldiers.
5:9 My heart went out to Israel’s leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the Lord!
As Deborah began her prophetic role, more leaders and soldiers appeared. Deborah praised Jehovah for this change of attitude in the people, especially when the people were at such a disadvantage.
5:10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention!
Earlier, Deborah called on all Gentile kings to listen and pay attention to her song. Now, she asked for all classes of people of Israel to listen to the lyrics as well. She called on rich (who rode on white donkeys) and the poor (who walked along the road) alike to hear her song of victory.
5:11 Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord’s victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
All of the people of Israel met at the watering places to water their sheep. When they met on the day of this song, they were all talking about Jehovah’s victory over the Canaanites. They were talking about the victorious soldiers. Then, the people went to the city gates where the legal courts were held.
5:12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam!
Deborah began the second stanza of her song. She called herself to wake up and communicate God’s words to the people through her prophecies. She called Barak to wake up and go capture prisoners of war.
5:13 Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the Lord’s people came down to me as warriors.
Deborah’s prophecies woke up the people. 10,000 soldiers volunteered for service. God called the Canaanites to come attack His people.
5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer’s staff.
Deborah came from the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim volunteered to fight. Ephraim was not from Amalek, but they were from Emek, meaning the valley. Therefore , Amalek is most likely a scribal error. Only the originals, not all of the copies, are inspired by God.
Benjamin volunteered to fight. Makir was Manasseh’s only son, so Manasseh also volunteered to fight. Zebulun volunteered as military leaders.
5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching.
The leaders of Issachar volunteered to become a protective escort for Deborah and Barak. The soldiers went into the Valley of Jezreel to wait for the battle. Rueben refused to answer God’s call to battle, Instead, Reuben sat around the campfire searching his thoughts.
5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.
Deborah asked Rueben why they were sitting around the campfires listening to music when God called them to fight? Rueben thought about joining in the fight, but they never did.
5:17 Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors.
Gilead refers to the two-and-a-half tribes who lived on the wrong side of the Jordan. As Rueben was listening to music around the campfires, Gad and the other half tribe of Manasseh stayed behind the Jordan River as well. They did not want to get involved in the war.
The Danites were too busy making money in the shipping business. Their main partners were the Phoenicians, who were Canaanites. Dan was not interested in obeying God’s call. Dan was living with and making profit from the enemy instead of exterminating the enemy.
Asher was too busy playing on the beaches to listen to God’s call. They preferred beaches and harbors over battlefields.
5:18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields.
Zebulun was mentioned twice by the Holy Spirit in this song. They volunteered and fought bravely.
Naphtali was the tribe of Barak. They also volunteered and fought bravely.
Judah and Simeon were not mentioned in the song. They may have been busy fighting the Philistines.
5:19 Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder.
The kings of Canaan attacked at Tanaach and Megiddo. The cities of Taanach and Megiddo were at the western end of the Jezreel Valley. The Jezreel Valley was one of the most fertile regions of Israel. The Canaanites lost the battle, so they could not take any plunder.
5:20 From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera.
Jehovah attacked General Sisera supernaturally from the stars of heaven. His chariots would have no chance against this kind of supernatural attack.
5:21 The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them – the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong!
The Kishon River flooded the territory, making the chariots useless. This is why General Sisera attempted to escape by foot instead of by chariot.
5:22 The horses’ hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly.
The Canaanite cavalry lost control of their horses.
5:23 ‘Call judgment down on Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic messenger; ‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’
Meroz was an Israelite city that sided with the Canaanites. They allowed the fleeing Canaanites to escape. Meroz should have blocked the Canaanite army’s path and killed them. Deborah called down judgment upon Meroz for their treachery.
5:24 The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
Many commentators condemn Jael for deceiving General Sisera and going against the wishes of her husband. However, the Word of God praises Jael for her actions. Deception is part of war. Deception can save many lives. Jael followed the command of God, and not that of her husband. Jael was a Gentile from the Kenites. The Kenites were the Midianites who produced Zipporah and Jethro, the wife and father-in-law of Moses.
5:25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds.
In Jael’s deception, she treated General Sisera as royalty. She entertained him with the best dishes and best food.
5:26 Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen’s hammer. She “hammered” Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple.
Deborah sang about the details of this slaying. This deception saved the lives of many Israelite soldiers.
5:27 Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp – violently murdered!
General Sisera gained slight consciousness before his death.
5:28 Through the window she looked; Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice: ‘Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?’
General Sisera’s mother was wondering why her son has been gone for so long. Where was his chariot? He should have been home by now.
5:29 The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself,
One of the ladies in the Canaanite court attempted to calm down General Sisera’s mother.
5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder – a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!’
The lady of the Canaanite court suggested that General Sisera was delayed, because he was plundering loot and raping Israeli women.
5:31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!” And the land had rest for forty years.
Those who violate the Abrahamic Covenant are enemies of God. They will perish. Those who love God will shine brightly like the rising sun. After this battle, Israel remained at peace for forty years.