Judges 5:1

Then sang. It has been a favorite method of many nations to celebrate national victories by martial songs. The national anthems of many countries illustrate the type of song found in ch. 5. In a day when textbooks were rare or non-existent this song was doubtless an effective instrument in preserving the narrative of the victory of Israel over Jabin. It stands as one of the greatest martial poems ever written.

The statement is made that Deborah and Barak sang the song. Some have thought that the poem was written originally by Deborah to be sung as a duet in which Deborah would sing first and then Barak would answer in song. However, it cannot be definitely known that this was the case.

This song is one of the most difficult passages of the whole Bible to translate. It embodies many Hebrew words that have since dropped out of use; hence, their meaning is difficult to ascertain. The song was probably handed down unchanged from its original composition and thus incorporated into the book of Judges when this book was written, perhaps a long time afterward. As in the case today, languages anciently underwent changes, so that in the course of a few centuries, many words were dropped from common usage.

The poem begins with words of praise to God for victory (vs. 2-5), followed by a description of the state of affairs that preceded the battle (vs. 6-8). There is rich praise for the tribes that took part in the uprising, while reproaches are hurled at those who failed to respond in the crisis hour (vs. 14-17). This is followed by a description of the battle (vs. 18-22), the death of Sisera at the hand of Jael (vs. 24-27), and the anxiety of Sisera’s mother as she awaits his return from the engagement (vs. 28-31).