Keraia
Judges 5

Judges 5:3

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

Modern
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
Traditional
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.
Literal
Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I to YHWH, I will sing. I will sing to YHWH, God of Israel.
Latin
Audite, reges; auribus percipite, principes: ego sum, ego sum, quæ Domino canam, psallam Domino Deo Israël.

Original

Hebrew
English
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Notes

Judges 5:3

The victory song is mainly a hymn to the Lord, the God of Israel. It is also a wisdom song that offers guidance to kings and rulers, similar to other wisdom psalms (see “Wisdom Psalms” Theme Note).

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

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

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

Topics

Country: Love of Music: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Patriotism: General Scriptures Concerning Praise: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To