Judges 5
- Judges 5
- Notes
- Cross Reference
- Commentary
- Rashi

Judges 5

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Judges 5

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.

10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

<html> When Yisroel was inundated with breaches. When breaches befell Yisroel; when their enemies invaded them because they deserted Adonoy, and yet the people volunteered to repent—at this point, bless Adonoy for bringing deliverance.</html>

Verse 3

<html> I…I. The word is doubled. I have heard in the name of Midrash Agaddah: the Holy One blessed is He did not deny a reward for [Mount] Tovor and [Mount] Carmel, who came to the giving of Torah so that it might be given on them, and turned away in humiliation. The Holy One, blessed is He told them, “Eventually, I shall reward you doubly. At Sinai it is said, 'I am the Lord your God;'¹Shemos, 20:2. at Tovor it shall be said, 'I…I.'²The word “I” is doubled. At Sinai it is said, 'I am the Lord your God;' At Carmel it shall be said doubly, 'Adonoy is God,' 'Adonoy is God!'³Melachim 1, 18:39. in Eliyahu's days.”⁴Yalkut, 47.</html>

Verse 4

<html> Adonoy, when You went forth from Seir, This refers to the giving of Torah, as it is said, “…and shone forth from Seir to them.”⁵Devarim, 33:2. Adonoy first offered the Torah to Eisov’s descendants at Seir. When they refused, He shone forth from there to Yisroel at Sinai. (Rashi to Devarim, there). Why is this relevant here? This is what Devorah said: “The Torah is severe when forsaken, but rewarding when adhered to, as it was given in awesomeness and power.⁶As indicated by the quaking of the earth and the dripping of heaven in v.4, and the dissolving of the mountain in v.5. Thus, the Yisroelites were handed over to their enemies for forsaking it; and, when they offered to engross themselves in it, they were saved.” All this we learn from Targum Yonasan's rendition.⁷“Adonoy, the Torah which you have given to Yisroel: When they violate it, their enemies dominate them, and when they return to it, they are empowered over their antagonists”. (Targum Yonasan) Dripped. They dripped dew of revival.⁸As the Yisroelites glowed with a heavenly fire, Adonoy instructed the clouds of glory to drip dew of revival to restore them. (Yalkut, 48)</html>

Verse 5

<html> Mountains streamed. Like streaming water—they dissolved. This Sinai…. Scripture has already recounted the visions there—covered by mist, thunder, flashes of light, flame.⁹Shemos, 19:18, 20:15, etc. Our passage, therefore, omits this, leaving it to the reader’s understanding. See the following Rashi. Because of the presence of Adonoy This is an shortened passage: “This Sinai—what took place there occured because the mountain was visited by Adonoy.”</html>

Verse 6

<html> In the days of Shamgar ben Anas, in the days of Yael. This teaches that Yael, too, judged Yisroel in her days. Thoroughfares came to a halt. The Yisroelites were afraid to undertake normal travel, because of their enemies. They would proceed along round about pathways, clandestinely.</html>

Verse 7

<html> Exposure was discontinued. Exposed, unwalled cities were discontinued as dwelling places, because of the enemies, and they flocked to the fortified cities. Until I rose. This¹⁰Scripture substitutes the “pasach” vowelization for the “segol” in the opening ‘ש’ of שקמתי. The “kametz” vowelization of the opening ‘ש’ is substituted for the “segol”. is the same as שֶׁקַמְתִּי Similarly, 'That you are speaking to me'</html>

Verse 8

<html> When they chose new gods—there was war in the cities. When the Yisroelites preferred modern Deities, then they needed to engage in battle in their cities. But, take note, now, when they volunteered, was a shield or battle ax in sight among the Yisroelites when they needed to do battle with the forty thousand field marshals the idolators flung against them? The Omnipresent overwhelmed them all with celestial warfare, and the Kishon stream swept them away. Cities. As in, “If there should be found in your midst, in one of your cities”.¹¹Devarim, 17:2. Although generally translated as “gates”, שְׁעָרִים is translated here as “cities”.</html>

Verse 9

<html> My heart. I, Devorah, [my heart is out] to the legislators of Yisroel—with affection for the sages of Yisroel who volunteered, among the people, saying, “Bless Adonoy, return to Him”.</html>

Verse 10

<html> Riders of white donkeys. Merchants and gentry who may now ride elegant, white donkeys without intimidation or concern about their enemies. And jurists—this refers to the magistrates who were afraid to deliver judgement publicly, as Targum Yonasan's translates, “Those who assembled to sit in judgement”. And wayfarers on foot. Speak up! Recount this salvation, when, in place of the clamor of the formations battling you—marauders, thieves, tax processors, who station themselves in battle formations organized to waylay those crossing to watering places—there, the donkey riders and wayfarers will retell Adonoy's charity. What is this charity? The charity of His restoration of exposure in Yisroel, when He brought tranquility to Yisroel, allowing them to dwell in exposed cities, and to venture forth when dipersed,¹²The Talmud (Pesachim, 87:b) reads פּֽרָזוֹן, lit. “exposure”, as פִּזְרוֹן, “dispersion”. Rashi follows this interpretation. singly, without grouping together. Then, they went down to the cities, returning to the cities they had inhabited when they fled to congregate in the fortified cities.</html>

Verse 11

<html> Battle formations. Menachen interprets “strategists, military tactitians.”¹³Meaning “the battle formations organized by strategists and tactitians.” He relates this to “The locust has no king, yet he advances entirely 'in formation'.”¹⁴Mishlei, 30:27. The meaning is 'battle formations.“ Another interpretation,¹⁵Both interpretations appear in Targum Yonasan. Concerning the clatter of pebbles amidst the watering places. When you would walk amidst the watering places to draw water, you were terrified by the clatter of the pebbles smoothed by the stream, “cailloux” in old French. When stepped on, they emit a noise, and you were afraid that your presence would be sensed by your enemies. Now, however, such fears are baseless, and this is why you are commanded to offer thanks to His Name. Pebbles. This refers to pebbles smoothed by a stream, as in “He ground with pebbles.”¹⁶Eichah, 3:16.</html>

Verse 12

<html> Awaken, awaken. The inference is, “awaken to praise,” as plainly indicated. “Intensify your singing.” However, the Rabbis remark,¹⁷Pesachim, 66:b. because she was self lauditory and said, “Until I rose, Devorah,”¹⁸Thereby favoring herself over the leaders who preceded her. (Rashi to Pesachim, ibid.) the Divine spirit departed from her.¹⁹Silencing her song (Rashi to Pesachim, ibid). It was now necessary for her to reinvoke the prophetic spirit by saying, “Awake, awake.”</html>

Verse 13

<html> Dominated.יְרַד is similar to יִרְדֶה, “dominated,”²⁰יָרַד is translated as descended. יְרַד, however, means dominated. as in “to prostrate nations before him.”²¹To give him dominion over them. (Yeshayah, 45:1.) The surviving Yisroelites dominated the mighty among the idolators. Adonoy empowered me over the mighty. Gave me dominion²²See fn.19. over the mighty warriors among the nations.</html>

Verse 14

<html> In Ephraim. From Ephraim emerged the root of Yehoshua bin Nun's dominance over Amaleik²³ Yehoshua was descended from Ephraim, son of Yoseif, and Amaleik was a descendant of Eisov. Scripture states, “The house of Yaakov shall be fire, the house of Yoseif flame, the house of Eisov chaff” [Ovadiah, 18], teaching that the descendants of Yoseif shall devour the descendants of Eisov as flame consumes chaff. (Yalkut, 51. Cf. Rashi to Bereishis, 30:25) when he debilitated them with the sword.²⁴Shemos, 17:13. This passage is related to the preceding one, as it explains “Adonoy empowered me over the mighty” by establishing Yehoshua's dominance over Amaleik. Your successor shall arise from the tribe of Binyomin.²⁵Like Yoseif, Binyomin was a child of Rochel, and Eisov is destined to fall by the power of Rochel’s descendants. (Yalkut, ibid.) Shaul ben Kish, who will batter them²⁶Shmuel 1, 15:7. This took place during the time of the prophet Shmuel, after the days of Devorah and the Shoftim. Her remarks here are prophetic. (Radak) and extinguish them like flickering embers. Another interpretation: “with your people,²⁷“Your succesor, with your people.” referring to the army of two hundred thousand infantrymen which Shaul mobilized against them.²⁸ I Shmuel 15:4. From Mochir descended warlords. Great lords who vanquished the Emorites. They captured sixty cities—the entire imperial zone conquered by Yair.²⁹Ben Menashe. (Bemidbar, 32:41, Devarim, 3:14).</html>

Verse 15

<html> Yesochar's nobles. The noblemen of Yesochar. This refers to members of the Sanhedrin who were engrossed in Torah study, and who knew and understood the times.³⁰Divrei Hayamim (1, 12:32) lists, among King Davids followers, “Of the sons of Yesachar, who knew and understood the times.” They understood the nature of the events taking place in their times, and were, therefore, qualified to serve as King David’s advisors. (Rashi to Divrei Hayamim, there). Or, they were expertly versed in the calculations used in fixing the months and years of the Jewish calendar. They knew and understood the determination of the times of the calendar. (Yalkut, here, 52. See Rashi to Bereishis, 49:15) They constantly accompanied Devorah, teaching the Yisroelites the laws and precepts. Yesochar's nobles. The ”י” in שׇׂרַי [lit. “my” nobles] is ancillary, fulfilling no grammatic function. It is similar to the “י” in “the animals in the field,”³¹Tehilim, 8:8. שׇׂדַי, lit. “my” field, is translated as שׇׂדֶה, “the field.” or “he cut open, for himself, a window.”³²Yermiyahu, 22:14. חַלּוֹנַי, lit. “my windows,” is translated as חַלּוֹן, “the window.” Yesochar with Barak. The remainder of Yesochar's constituency were likewise at Barak's disposal whenever he issued orders. Dispatched to the valley at his heels. He dispatched them on all of his missions—to mobilize the people, and for all military needs. However, in Reuven's equivocation. However, in Reuven's ambiguity was great cunning. “Craftiness of heart,”³³ This is Targum Yonasan’s translation. cunning. In what way was he cunning? He straddled the battle lines to learn who would emerge the victor so that he could join them.</html>

Verse 16

<html> The shrieking companies. Listening to the sounds emitted by the companies engaged in battle, to determine which was the cry of triumph, and which the cry of defeat.</html>

Verse 17

<html> Is ensconced beyond the Yardein and never arrived at the battle front. Similarly, Dan hoarded his money into sea vessels, poised to escape. At his exposures. To defend his exposed territory.</html>

Verse 18

<html> Zevulun; a people who disdained, etc. They were contemptuous of their lives, and subjected themselves to death in battle with Barak. Likewise, Naftoli at the highland field on Mount Tovor.</html>

Verse 19

<html> At Ta'anach to the waters of Megiddo. Targum Yonasan renders, “They were encamped at Ta'anach, and reached the waters of Megiddo.” The upper section of the camp was at Ta'anach, and it extended to the waters of Megiddo. Deigning no mercenary reward. They came to Sisera's assistance gratuitously—without requesting payment.</html>

Verse 20

<html> War was waged from heaven. The Holy One blessed is He, as well, dispatched His hosts against them. They, too, have no desire for any payment. In their pathways. The upper tip of the star was in heaven, the bottom on earth. This teaches that the width of the firmament is equivalent to the distance between heaven and earth. For the star is suspended across the firmament like a sort of bolt across a door, its length measuring the same as the width of the firmament. From this passage, which attests that they waged war in their pathways, we learn that the width of the firmament is the same as the elevation of heaven from earth.³⁴“In their pathways” indicates that the star remained in its celestial path during the battle on earth. Evidently, the tip of the star remained fixed in heaven, while the remainder swung downward so that the lower edge reached the earth and destroyed Sisera’s forces. Since the star now extended from heaven to earth normally reached across the firmament, we learn that the distance between the two areas is the same.</html>

Verse 21

<html> Swept them away. It brushed them from the world like a broom which brushes ashes from an oven. The stream of antiquity. It guaranteed the obligation to the sea concerning this, from the days of Egypt,³⁵In the days of antiquity, during the exodus from Egypt. as stated in Pesachim.³⁶ 118:b. When the Egyptians drowned at the splitting of the Reed Sea, Adonoy ordered the sea to cast their bodies onto the shore, to prove to the Yisroelites that they had perished. The sea objected, claiming the bodies as its due, and consented only when Kishon stream guaranteed repayment of the obligation. Kishon now fulfilled the guarantee, by sweeping Sisera’s forces into the sea. My soul trampled underfoot the power of the mighty Canaanite warriors.</html>

Verse 22

<html> Horses' legs were battered. Their horses' hooves were severed. The heat of the star brought the mud to a boil, severing the hooves, as when legs are scalded in boiling water to detach the hooves. Once the hooves were severed, the legs were battered. By the prancing, the prancing of their mighty. They pranced their horses in battle, as in “a prancing horse.³⁷Nachum, 3:2. The word connotes the dancing of a horse.</html>

Verse 23

<html> Curse Meroz! One opinion is that this was a star.³⁸Sisera’s protective star. (Rashi to Moed Katan, 16:a). According to others, this was a distinguished person who was near the battle field but failed to appear.³⁹Moed Katan ibid. Declares Adonoy's emissary. Barak made this declaration, as the emissary of the Holy One, blessed is He. Those who dwell in it. Those who remain within his four amohs. With four hundred shofar blasts, Barak excommunicated Meroz.⁴⁰Ibid. To assist Adonoy. As if it were possible,⁴¹ כביכול, “as if it were possible,” is used as a caveat when human qualities seem to be attributed to Adonoy. if anyone comes to Yisroel's assistance, it is as if he were assisting the Divine Presence.⁴²Yalkut, 55.</html>

Verse 24

<html> By the women of the tent. Sarah, of whom it is said, “Here she is, in the tent.”⁴³Bereishis, 18:9. Rivkah, of whom it is said, “Yitzchak brought her to the tent.”⁴⁴Ibid, 24:67. Rachel and Leah, of whom it is said, “He left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.”⁴⁵Ibid, 31:33. Blessed by the women of the tent. Yael was blessed. Why? They bore and raised children. Were it not for Yael, this scoundrel would have annihilated them. This is taught in Breishis Rabbah.⁴⁶ Another interpretation: Yael, as well, remained in the tent,⁴⁷ and she is therefore, mentioned in the blessing of the women of the tents.</html>

Verse 25

<html> But she gave milk to ascertain whether he was alert enough to differentiate between the taste of water and the taste of milk. This is Yonasan's rendition. In a cup of the mighty. In a cup used for drinking water, for waters are described as “mighty”, as it is said, “in mighty waters.”⁴⁸Shemos, 15:10.</html>

Verse 26

<html> To batter the exhausted Sisera, who was exhausted, totally fatigued. Penetrated. From חִיקּוּי, “penetration”. Inflicted grievous injury. From מַחַץ, “injury”. Impaled. It emerged from the other side.</html>

Verse 28

<html> Moaning. The word refers to expressing speech, as in “the expression of the lips.”⁴⁹Yeshaya, 57:19. However, the Rabbis⁵⁰Rosh Hashona 33:b. interpret this as referring to moaning, as in the shofar's “teruah” sound, translated יַבָּבָא, “moan”.⁵¹Bemidbar, 29:1. In my opinion, the reference is to seeing, as in “the pupil of his eye.”⁵²Zechariah, 2:12. This is Menachem's interpretation. A window. </html>

Verse 29

<html> The wise among her ladies responded to her. The wise ones⁵³Not “the wisdoms of her ladies.” The vocalization indicates that the proper translation is “the wise ones,” rather than “the wisdoms,” as Rashi explains. among her ladies. This is why the ”ח“ is vocalized with a “pasach”. The plural noun, lit. “wisdoms” is vocalized with the half-kametz, as in “Wisdoms are remote gems to the foolish.”⁵⁴Mishlei, 24:7. Here, the vocalization is חַכְמוֹת. Similarly, “The wise among women has constructed her home.”⁵⁵Mishlei, 14:1. The wise one among the women. Responded. The period punctuating the נ serves as a substitute for a third נ.⁵⁶The third person feminine plural for “response” is תַּעֲנׇנׇה, “they responded”. Also, as a general rule, the suffix נה is added as a contraction of אוֹתׇהּ, “to her.” Thus, “they responded to her” should actually read וַתַּעֲנׇנׇה, with the נ tripled. However, Rashi notes, Scripture drops the third נ, and punctuates the second נ with a period to represent the missing letter. Hence, the translation is ”[the wise ones] responded 'to her.'“ The period punctuating נ serves as a substitute for “her”,⁵⁷ A punctuated נ may appear where no letter has been dropped. Then, its purpose is to represent a contraction of אוֹתהּ, “her”. as in “you shall bring 'her' scalded.”⁵⁸Vayikra, 6:14. This refers to the feminine מִנְחָה. Indeed, she stated in reply. She consoled herself. Why should I keep wondering about my son's delay?</html>

Verse 30

<html> Are they not finding and dividing the pillage? That is the cause of the delay. Or two [wombs] for each man. They are ravishing the attractive Yisroelite women, and each of them has, in his bed, two or three women.</html>

Verse 31

<html> So may perish. Devorah declared,⁵⁹Our verse was not recited by Sisera’s mother, but by Devorah. (Yalkut, 58.) her consolation is hollow—may all your enemies perish, Adonoy, as he perished. But those who love him—as the sun emerging in its full power in the world to come, sevenfold over the light of the seven days of creation, or three hundred forty three to one. This equals forty nine times seven.⁶⁰Sevenfold over the light of all seven days of creation is equivalent to forty nine-fold over the original light of creation. (Rashi to Zechariah, 4:3). The light of creation was sevenfold over our present light. (Tosafos to Bava Basra, 8:b). Hence, the light of the world to come will be one hundred forty three times as great as our present light. The land was tranquil for forty years. These words are not Devorah's, but the author's.</html>

Table of Contents

Judges 5

Judges 5

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 26

Verse 28

Verse 29

Verse 30

Verse 31