Judges 5

Judges · Chapter 5

Judges 5:28

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
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?Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
throughבְּעַד֩be-'ADH1157
about/through/for

בַּ֫עַד (be.ad) 1) behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about 1a) through (of action) 1b) behind (with verbs of shutting) 1c) about (with verbs of fencing) 1d) on behalf of (metaph. especially with Hithpael)

the windowהַחַלּ֨וֹןha-cha-LONH2474
window

חַלּוֹן (chal.lon) window (piercing of the wall)

she looked downנִשְׁקְפָ֧הnish-ke-FAHH8259
to look

שָׁקַף (sha.qaph) 1) to overlook, look down or out, overhang, look out and down 1a) (Niphal) to lean over (and look), look down 1b) (Hiphil) to look down, look down upon

and she lamentedוַתְּיַבֵּ֛בva-te-ya-BEVH2980
to cry

יָבַב (ya.vav) (Piel) to cry, cry shrilly

[the] mother ofאֵ֥ם'emH0517
mother

אֵם (em) 1) mother 1a) of humans 1b) of Deborah's relationship to the people (fig.) 1c) of animals 2) point of departure or division

Siseraסִֽיסְרָ֖אsis-RA'H5516G
Sisera

סִיסְרָא (sis.ra) A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.4.2 § Sisera = "battle array" 1) the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael 2) ancestor of a family of temple slaves who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

throughבְּעַ֣דbe-'ADH1157
about/through/for

בַּ֫עַד (be.ad) 1) behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about 1a) through (of action) 1b) behind (with verbs of shutting) 1c) about (with verbs of fencing) 1d) on behalf of (metaph. especially with Hithpael)

the widow-latticeהָֽאֶשְׁנָ֑בha-'esh-NAVH0822
lattice

אֶשְׁנָב (esh.nav) window-lattice

why?מַדּ֗וּעַma-DU-a'H4069
why?

מַדּוּעַ (mad.du.a) why?, on what account?, wherefore?

has it delayedבֹּשֵׁ֤שׁbo-SHESHH0954
be ashamed

בּוֹשׁ (bush) 1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to feel shame 1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of) 1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to put to shame 1c2) to act shamefully 1c3) to be ashamed 1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another

chariot hisרִכְבּוֹ֙rikh-BOH7393G
chariot

רֶ֫כֶב (re.khev) : chariot 1) a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders 1a) chariotry, chariots 1b) chariot (single) 1c) upper millstone (as riding on lower millstone) 1d) riders, troop (of riders), horsemen, pair of horsemen, men riding, ass-riders, camel-riders Also means: re.khev (רֶ֫כֶב ": millstone" H7393H)

to comeלָב֔וֹאla-VO'H0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

why?מַדּ֣וּעַma-DU-a'H4069
why?

מַדּוּעַ (mad.du.a) why?, on what account?, wherefore?

have they delayedאֶֽחֱר֔וּ'e-che-RUH0309
to delay

אָחַר (a.char) 1) to delay, hesitate, tarry, defer, remain behind 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to delay, tarry (intensive) 1a2) to cause one to delay, hinder, keep back 1b) (Piel) to delay, wait, stay behind (but not in hope) Also means: ya.char (יָחַר "to delay" H3186)

[the] hoof-beats ofפַּעֲמֵ֖יpa-'a-MEIH6471
beat

פַּ֫עַם (pa.am) 1) stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence 1a) foot, hoof-beat, footfall, footstep 1b) anvil 1c) occurrence, time, stroke, beat 1c1) one time, once, twice, thrice, as time on time, at this repetition, this once, now at length, now...now, at one time...at another

chariots hisמַרְכְּבוֹתָֽיו׃mar-ke-vo-TAVH4818
chariot

מֶרְכָּבָה (mer.ka.vah) chariot

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