Judges 5:6-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 5:6-11

Here, I. Deborah describes the distressed state of Israel under the tyranny of Jabin, that the greatness of their trouble might make their salvation appear the more illustrious and the more gracious (Jdg. 5:6): From the days of Shamgar, who did some thing towards the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines, to the days of Jael, the present day, in which Jael has so signalized herself, the country has been in a manner desolate. 1. No trade. For want of soldiers to protect men of business in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:6

In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath ,.... Of whom see Judges 3:31 ; who succeeded Ehud as a judge, but lived not long, and did not much; at least wrought not a perfect deliverance of the children of Israel; but during his time till now, quite through the twenty years of Jabin's oppression, things were as they are after described: in the days of Jael ; the wife of Heber the Kenite, spoken of in the preceding chapter, Judges 4:17 , who appears to be a woman of masculine spirit,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:7

The inhabitants of the villages ceased ,.... Not only did those Canaanitish robbers go upon the highway, and robbed all they met with, which made travelling difficult and dangerous; but entered into the villages and unwalled towns, and broke into houses and plundered them; so that the inhabitants of them were obliged to quit their dwellings, and go into the fortified cities for security; by which means the villages were left empty, and in time fell to ruin, and ceased: they ceased in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:8

They chose new gods ,.... That is, Israel, as most of the Jewish commentators interpret it; for the verb is singular, and Israel agrees well with it: this they did after the death of Joshua; it refers to their first idolatry, begun by Micah, Judges 17:1 they chose other gods than the true God; Baalim and Ashtaroth they are said to serve, Judges 2:11 , and besides the gods of the Canaanites and Phoenicians, they sought after and introduced new ones from other places, or the same may be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:6

The highways were unoccupied - The land was full of anarchy and confusion, being everywhere infested with banditti. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people were obliged to use unfrequented paths. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:7

The villages ceased - The people were obliged to live together in fortified places; or in great numbers, to protect each other against the incursions of bands of spoilers. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:8

They chose new gods - This was the cause of all their calamities; they forsook Jehovah, and served other gods; and then was war in their gates - they were hemmed up in every place, and besieged in all their fortified cities; and they were defenseless, they had no means of resisting their adversaries; for even among forty thousand men, there was neither spear nor shield to be seen. The Vulgate gives a strange and curious turn to this verse: Nova bella elegit Dominus, et portas hostium... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:6

Words dcscriptive of a state of weakness and fear, so that Israel could not frequent the highways. It is a graphic description of a country occupied by an enemy. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:7

Render the word “villages” (here and in Judges 5:11) judgment, rule, or judges, rulers. The sense is “The princes (or magistrates) ceased in Israel,” i. e. there was no one to do justice in the gate, or defend men from their oppressors. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:8

The “war in the gates” describes the hostile attacks of the Canaanites, which were the punishment of the idolatry of the Israelites (compare the marginal references), and the reduction of Israel to an unarmed and unresisting state under the Philistine dominion. See Judges 3:31 note. read more

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