2 'For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah. 3 Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I—I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel. 4 Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water. 5 Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one—Sinai—From the face of Jehovah, God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go 'in' crooked ways. 7 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Till that I arose—Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel. 8 He chooseth new gods, Then war 'is' at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart 'is' to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah!
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 5:2-9
Commentary on Judges 5:1-5.
(Read Judges 5:1-5.)
No time should be lost in returning thanks to the Lord for his mercies; for our praises are most acceptable, pleasant, and profitable, when they flow from a full heart. By this, love and gratitude would be more excited and more deeply fixed in the hearts of believers; the events would be more known and longer remembered. Whatever Deborah, Barak, or the army had done, the Lord must have all the praise. The will, the power, and the success were all from Him.
Commentary on Judges 5:6-11.
(Read Judges 5:6-11.)
Deborah describes the distressed state of Israel under the tyranny of Jabin, that their salvation might appear more gracious. She shows what brought this misery upon them. It was their idolatry. They chose new gods, with new names. But under all these images, Satan was worshipped. Deborah was a mother to Israel, by diligently promoting the salvation of their souls. She calls on those who shared the advantages of this great salvation, to offer up thanks to God for it. Let such as are restored, not only to their liberty as other Israelites, but to their rank, speak God's praises. This is the Lord's doing. In these acts of his, justice was executed on his enemies. In times of persecution, God's ordinances, the walls of salvation, whence the waters of life are drawn, are resorted to at the hazard of the lives of those who attend them. At all times Satan will endeavour to hinder the believer from drawing near to the throne of grace. Notice God's kindness to his trembling people. It is the glory of God to protect those who are most exposed, and to help the weakest. Let us notice the benefit we have from the public peace, the inhabitants of villages especially, and give God the praise.