Judges 5

Judges · Chapter 5

Judges 5:18

1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,2Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.3Hear, 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.4LORD, 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.5The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.7The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.8They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.10Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.11They 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.12Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.13Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.14Out 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.15And 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.16Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.17Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.19The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.20They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.21The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.22Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.23Curse 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.24Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.25He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.26She 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.27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.28The 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?29Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,30Have 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?31So 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

In context

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
Zebulunזְבֻל֗וּןze-vu-LUNH2074
Zebulun

זְבוּלֻן (ze.vu.lun) A man of the tribe of Zebulun living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.20; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); father of: Sered (H5624), Elon (H0356H) and Jahleel (H3177) § Zebulun = "exalted" 1) the 10th of the sons of Jacob, 6th and last of Leah; progenitor of Zebulun 2) the tribe descended from Zebulun …

[was] a peopleעַ֣ם'amH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

[which] it despisedחֵרֵ֥ףche-REFH2778A
to taunt

חָרַף (cha.raph) 1) to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid 1a) (Qal) to reproach 1b) (Piel) to reproach, defy, taunt

life itsנַפְשׁ֛וֹnaf-SHOH5315H
soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) uncertain 1h) activity of the will 1h1) uncertain 1i) activity of the character 1i1) uncertain

to dieלָמ֖וּתla-MUTH4191
to die

מוּת (mut) 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely

and Naphtaliוְנַפְתָּלִ֑יve-naf-ta-LIH5321G
Naphtali

נַפְתָּלִי (naph.ta.li) A man of the tribe of Naphtali living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.8; son of: Israel (H3478) and Bilhah (H1090A); brother of: Dan (H1835H); half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); father of: Jahzeel (H3183), Guni (H1476), Jezer (H3337) and Shillem (H8006) Also named: Nephthaleim (Νεφθαλείμ "Naphtali" G3508) § Naphtali = "wrestling" 1) the 5th son of Jacob and the 2nd by Bilhah the handmaid of Rachel …

onעַ֖ל'alH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

[the] heights ofמְרוֹמֵ֥יme-ro-MEIH4791
height

מָרוֹם (ma.rom) 1) height 1a) height, elevation, elevated place 1a1) in a high place (adv) 1b) height 1c) proudly (adv) 1d) of nobles (fig.)

[the] fieldשָׂדֶֽה׃sa-DEHH7704GNo entry

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.