Keraia
Judges 5

Judges 5:23

The Song of Deborah and Barak · Judges 5:1–31
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Translations

Modern
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
Traditional
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.
Literal
‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of YHWH. ‘Bitterly curse its dwellers, because they did not come to the aid of YHWH, to the aid of YHWH against the mighty.’
Latin
Maledicite terræ Meroz, dixit angelus Domini: maledicite habitatoribus ejus, quia non venerunt ad auxilium Domini, in adjutorium fortissimorum ejus.

Original

Hebrew
English
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

Notes

Judges 5:23

The location of Meroz is unknown. Do not confuse it with Merom (Joshua 11:5), which was about twenty miles north in the hills of Galilee.

Judges 5:19–23

The battle is described. The brave warriors who followed Deborah and Barak became less important as the Lord called upon the stars of heaven and the Kishon River to destroy Sisera's army.

Judges 5:1–31

This song, a victory hymn usually credited to Deborah, offers a poetic version of the battle, adding details to the prose account. It is one of the oldest Hebrew poems. It praises the Lord, the tribes who joined the fight, and Jael. It curses those who stayed home, Sisera, and his mother's followers. It contrasts life before Barak's victory, when the Lord's curse was on the land, with the blessings after the warriors' righteous acts. It ends with a prayer that the Lord's enemies will perish like Sisera (Judges 5:31).

Judges 4:1–5:31

The story of Deborah and Barak, found in both prose (Judges 4) and poetry (Judges 5), describes a major military operation against a significant Canaanite enemy after the initial conquest. Another king named Jabin, who also ruled in Hazor, was defeated earlier by Joshua along with a large northern alliance, and Hazor was burned (see Joshua 11:1–15). Although Joshua 11 and Judges 4–5 are often compared, they have too many differences to be considered accounts of the same battle. Instead, Jabin is likely a dynastic name; it appears in the Mari texts for an even earlier king of Hazor, around 1800 BC.

Events

Parallels

Exodus 15:1–21

Places

Meroz: A place cursed for not helping against Sisera

Glossary

Armageddon Book of Jashar Deborah Family Life and Relations Hazor Hebrew Language Jael Judah, Tribe of Judges, Book of Kishon Meroz Music Poetry, Biblical Simeon, Tribe of Sisera Song of Deborah Tribe of Naphtali Woman

Topics

All Christians should be As Missionaries: An Imperative Duty Chiding: Deborah Chides Israel in Her Epic Country: Love of Curse: Denounced: Against Meroz Indifference Meroz: Deborah and Barak Curse the Inhabitants of, in Their Song of Triumph Patriotism: General Scriptures Concerning Patriotism: Lacking in The Inhabitants of Meroz Servant: Bond: Degrading Influences of Bondage Exemplified by Cowardice Sisera: Captain of a Canaanite Army, Defeated by Barak; Killed by Jael