Deborah's song begins with praise, ver. 1 - 3.
Compares God's present appearance for them with his
appearance on mount Sinai, ver. 4 - 5.
Describes the condition they were in before, ver. 6 - 8.
Calls all the delivered to join in praise, ver. 9 - 13.
Commends those tribes that were forward in the war,
and censures those that declined the service, ver. 14 - 19.
Takes notice how God fought for them, and how Jael slew
Sisera, ver. 20 - 30.
Concludes with prayer, ver.. 31.
2: The Lord - Give him the praise who hath done the work.
The people - Chiefly Zebulun and Naphtali.
Offered themselves - When neither Deborah nor Barak had any power
to compel them.
3: The princes - You especially that live near, and have evil designs
against Israel, know this for your caution, and terror too, if you presume
to molest them. God of Israel - Who, as you see by this plain instance,
is both able and resolved to defend them from all their enemies.
4: Edom - Seir and Edom are the same place; and these two
expressions note the same thing, even God's marching in the head of his
people, from Seir or Edom, towards the land of Canaan: while the
Israelites were encompassing mount Seir, there were none of the
following effects; but when once they had done that, and got Edom on
their backs, then they marched directly forward towards the land of
Canaan. The prophetess being to praise God for the present mercies,
takes her rise higher, and begins her song with the commemoration of the
ancient deliverances afforded by God to his people, the rather because of
the great resemblance this had with them, in the miraculous manner of them.
The earth trembled - God prepared the way for his people, and struck a
dread into their enemies, by earth - quakes as well as by other terrible
signs.
Dropped water - That is, thou didst send storms and tempests, thunder and
lightning, and other tokens of thy displeasure upon thine enemies.
5: Melted - Or, flowed, with floods of water powered out of the
clouds upon them, and from them flowing down in a mighty stream upon the
lower grounds, and carrying down part of the mountains with it.
Sinai - She slides into the mention of a more ancient appearance of God
for his people in Sinai; it being usual in scripture repetitions of
former actions, to put divers together in a narrow compass. The sense is,
No wonder that the mountains of the Amorites and Canaanites melted
and trembled, when thou didst lead thy people toward them; for even
Sinai itself could not bear thy presence, but melted in like manner
before thee.
6: Jael - Jael, though an illustrious woman, effected nothing for
the deliverance of God's people, 'till God raised me up.
By - ways - Because of the Philistines and Canaanites, who, besides
the public burdens which they laid upon them, waited for all opportunities
to do them mischief secretly; their soldiers watching for travellers in
common roads, as is usual with such in times of war; and, because of the
robbers even of their own people, who having cast off the fear of God,
and there being no king in Israel to punish them, broke forth into acts
of injustice and violence, even against their own brethren.
7: Ceased - The people forsook all their unfortified towns, not being
able to protect them from military insolence. A mother - That is, to be
to them as a mother, to instruct, and rule, and protect them, which duties a
mother owes to her children.
8: Chose - They did not only submit to idolatry when they were forced
to it by tyrants, but they freely chose it. New gods - New to them,
and unknown to their fathers, and new in comparison of the true and
everlasting God of Israel, being but of yesterday. The gates - That
is, in their walled cities, which have gates and bars; gates are often
put for cities; then their strong holds fell into the hands of their
enemies. Was there a shield - There was not, the meaning is not, that all
the Israelites had no arms, but, either they had but few arms among
them, being many thousands of them disarmed by the Canaanites and
Philistines, or that they generally neglected the use of arms, as being
without all hope of recovering their liberty.
9: My heart is toward - I honour and love those, who being the chief
of the people in wealth and dignity, did not withdraw themselves from the
work, as such usually do; but exposed themselves to the same hazards, and
joined with their brethren in this noble but dangerous attempt.
The Lord - Who inclined their hearts to this undertaking, and gave them
success in it. As she gives instruments their due, so she is careful the
sovereign cause lose not his glory.
10: Speak - Celebrate the praise of our mighty God. That ride on
white asses - That is, magistrates and nobles, who used to do so,(Jdg 10:4,12:14).
That walk - That is, you that can safely travel in those high ways, which
before you durst neither ride nor walk in: so great and mean persons are
jointly excited to praise God.
11: From the noise - From the triumphant noise and shout of archers,
rejoicing when they meet with their prey. Of drawing water - At those
pits or springs of water, which were precious in those hot countries, to
which the people's necessities forced them to resort, and nigh unto which
the archers usually lurked, that they may shoot at them, and kill and spoil
them. There - When they come to those places with freedom and safety,
which before they could not, they shall with thankfulness rehearse this
righteous and gracious work of God, in rescuing his people. Of the
villages - Whom she mentions, because as their danger was greater,
ver.(7), so was their deliverance.
Gates - Of their cities, which were the chief places to which both city
and country resorted for public business and matters of justice, from which
they they had been debarred by their oppressors; but now they had free
access and passage, either in or out of the gates, as their occasions
required; and they who had been driven from their cities, now returned to
them in peace and triumph; so the citizens deliverance is celebrated here,
as the country - mens is in the foregoing words.
12: Awake - Stir up thyself and all that is within thee, to admire
and praise the Lord. This work needs and well deserves the utmost
liveliness and vigour of soul. Lead captivity captive - How could this be
done, when there was none of them left? (Jdg 4:16).
None were left to make head against them.
None is often put for few, and those few might be taken after
the battle, and carried captive, and led in triumph.
13: He made him, &c. - Thus God did not only preserve the poor and
despised remnant of his people, from the fury of the oppressor, and from the
destruction which Sisera designed, but also gave them the victory, and
thereby the dominion over the nobles of Canaan, who were combined
against them. Me - Tho' but a weak woman.
14: Ephraim - Now she relates the carriage of the several tribes in
the expedition; and she begins with Ephraim. A root - Of the
Ephraimites. By root she seems to mean a branch, as that word
is sometimes used. By which also she may note the fewness of those that
came out of Ephraim, yielding but one branch or an handful of men to
this service. Amalek - The constant enemy of the Israelites, who
were confederate with their last oppressors the Moabites,(Jdg 3:13), and in all probability took their advantage now against the
Israelites in the southern or middle parts of Canaan, while their
main force was drawn northward against Jabin and Sisera.
Against these therefore Ephraim sent forth a party, and so did
Benjamin. Benjamin - Benjamin followed Ephraim's example.
The people - Among the people of Benjamin, with whom these few
Ephraimites united themselves in this expedition. Machir - That is,
out of the tribe of Manasseh, which are elsewhere called by the name of
Machir, namely, out of the half tribe which was within Jordan; for
of the other she speaks, ver.(17).
Governors - Either civil governors, princes and great persons, who were as
ready to hazard themselves, as the meanest: or military officers, valiant
and expert commanders, such as some of Machir's posterity are noted to
have been. Writer - That is, even the Scribes, who gave themselves to
study and writing, whereby they were exempted from military service, did
voluntarily enter into this service.
15: With Deborah - Ready to assist her. Issachar - Heb. and
Issachar, that is, the tribe or people of Issachar, following the
counsel and example of their princes. Barak - That is, they were as
hearty and valiant as Barak their general; and as he marched on foot
against their enemies horses and chariots, and that into the valley,
where the main use of horses and chariots lies; so did they with no less
courage and resolution. Divisions - Or, separations, not so much one
from another, (for they seem to be all so well agreed in abiding at home
with their sheep) as all from their brethren, from whom they were divided no
less in their designs and affections, than in their situation by the river
Jordan: and they would not join their interests and forces with them in
this common cause. Great thoughts - Or, great searchings, great and
sad thoughts, and debates, and perplexities of mind among the Israelites,
to see themselves deserted by so great and potent a tribe as Reuben was.
16: Why abodest - Why wast thou so unworthy and cowardly, that thou
wouldest not engage thyself in so just, so necessary, and so noble a cause,
but didst prefer the care of this sheep, and thy own ease and safety, before
this generous undertaking? Reuben thought neutrality their wisest
course; being very rich in cattle, (Nu 32:1). They were loath to run
the hazard of so great a loss, by taking up arms against so potent an enemy
as Jabin: and the bleatings of their sheep were so loud in their ears,
that they could not hear the call of Deborah and Barak.
17: Gilead - Sometimes taken strictly for that part of the land
beyond Jordan which fell to the half - tribe of Manasseh, and
sometimes both for that part of Manasseh's, and for Gad's portion,
as (Jos 13:24-25,29-31), and so it seems to be understood here; and the
land Gilead is here put for the people or inhabitants of it, Gad and
Manasseh. Beyond Jordan - In their own portions, and did not come
over Jordan to the help of the Lord, and of his people, as they ought to
have done. In ships - Dan, whose coast was near the sea, was wholly
intent upon his merchandise, and therefore could not join in this land
expedition. Sea - shore - Where their lot lay. His breaches - Either in
the creeks of the sea, or, in their broken and craggy rocks and caves.
18: Jeoparded - Heb. despised, comparatively; they chose rather
to venture upon a generous and honourable death, than to enjoy a shameful
and servile life. High - places - That is, upon that large and eminent
plain in the top of mount Tabor, where they put themselves in battle
array, and expected the enemy; though when they saw they did not come up
to them, they marched down to meet them.
19: The kings - There were divers petty kings in those parts who were
subject to Jabin. Megiddo - Taanah and Megiddo were two
eminent cities, not far from mount Tabor, nor from the river Kishon.
No gain - They fought without pay, whether from mere hatred of the
Israelites, and a desire to be revenged upon them: or from a full hope
and confidence of paying themselves abundantly out of Israel's spoils.
20: From heaven - Or, they from heaven, or the heavenly host
fought, by thunder, and lightning, and hail - stones, possibly mingled
with fire. The stars - Raising these storms by their influences, which
they do naturally. Courses - Or, from their paths, or stations.
As soldiers fight in their ranks and places assigned them, so did these.
21: River of Kishon - Which, though not great in itself, was now much
swelled by the foregoing storm and rain, and therefore drowned those who
being pursued by the hand of God, and by the Israelites, were forced
into it, and thought to pass over it, as they did before. Ancient
river - So called, either, first, in opposition to those rivers which are
of a later date, being made by the hand and art of man. Or, secondly,
because it was a river anciently famous for remarkable exploits, for
which it was celebrated by the ancient poets or writers, though not here
mentioned. Trodden down - Thou, O Deborah, though but a weak woman,
hast by God's assistance subdued a potent enemy. Such abrupt speeches are
frequent in poetical scriptures.
22: Horses hoofs - Their horses, in which they put most confidence,
had their hoofs, which are their support and strength, broken, either by
dreadful hail - stones, or rather, by their swift and violent running over the
stony grounds, when they fled with all possible speed from God and from
Israel. Pransings - Or because of their fierce or swift courses.
Mighty ones - Of their strong and valiant riders, who forced their horses
to run away as fast as they could.
23: Meroz - A place then, no doubt, eminent and considerable, tho'
now there be no remembrance of it left, which possibly might be the effect
of this bitter curse; as God curseth Amalek in this manner, that he
would utterly blot out their remembrance. And this place above all
others may be thus severely cursed; because it was near the place of the
fight, and therefore had the greatest opportunity and obligation to assist
their brethren. The angel, &c. - She signifies, that this curse proceeded
not from her ill - will towards that place, but from divine inspiration; and
that if all the rest of the song should be taken but for the breathings of
a pious soul, but liable to mistake, yet this branch of it was immediately
directed to her by the Lord, the angel of the covenant. Of the Lord - Of
the Lord's people: for God takes what is done for, or against his people,
as if it was done to himself. The cause between God and the mighty, the
principalities and powers of the kingdom of darkness, will not admit of a
neutrality.
24: Blessed - Celebrated, and endowed with all sorts of blessings
more than they. In the tent - In her tent or habitation, in her house and
family, and all her affairs: for she and hers dwelt in tents. The tent
is here mentioned as an allusion to the place where the fact was done.
25: Butter - Or, cream, that is, the choicest of her milk: so the
same thing is repeated in different words. Lordly dish - Which you are
not to understand of such a costly dish as the luxury of after ages brought
in, which is not agreeable to the simplicity either of this family, or of
those ancient times; but of a comely and convenient dish, the best which she
had, and such as the better sort of persons then used. Probably Jael at
that time intended him no other than kindness, 'till God by an immediate
impulse on her mind, directed her to do otherwise.
28: Looked out - Expecting to see him returning: for she concluded,
that he went forth not so much to fight, as to take the spoil.
30: Have they not, &e. - That is, it is certain they have got the
prey, only they tarry to distribute it, according to every man's quality
and merit.
31: So let - That is, so suddenly, so surely, so effectual and
irrecoverably. Deborah was a prophetess and this prayer was a
prediction, that in due time all God's enemies shall perish.
In his might - When he first riseth, and so goeth on in his course, which
he doth with great might, even as a strong man that runneth a race, and
so as no creature can stop, or hinder him; even so irresistible let thy
people be. Such shall be the honour and such the joy of all that love God
in sincerity, and they shall shine for ever as the sun in the kingdom of
their father.
