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1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:[#tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.]
2“When the leaders took the lead in Israel,[#tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroa’ pÿra’ot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqÿqey) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (pÿra’ot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqÿqey) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).]
When the people answered the call to war –
Praise the Lord !
3Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord !
I will sing to the Lord God of Israel!
4O Lord , when you departed from Seir,[#tn Or “went out.”]
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain.
5The mountains trembled before the Lord , the God of Sinai;[#tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazul, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).; #tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.]
before the Lord God of Israel.
6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravans disappeared;
travelers had to go on winding side roads.
7Warriors were scarce,[#tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (fÿrazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.; #tn Or “ceased.”]
they were scarce in Israel,
until you arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel.
8God chose new leaders,[#tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.]
then fighters appeared in the city gates;
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found,
among forty military units in Israel.
9My heart went out to Israel’s leaders,[#tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.]
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord !
10You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,
you who walk on the road, pay attention!
11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places;[#tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.; #tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.]
there they tell of the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel.
Then the Lord ’s people went down to the city gates –
12Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam!
13Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones;[#tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).; #tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.; #sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.]
the Lord ’s people came down to me as warriors.
14They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek,[#tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (’amaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).]
they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer’s staff.
15Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,
the men of Issachar supported Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command.
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching.
16Why do you remain among the sheepfolds,[#tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”]
listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks?
As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.
17Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River.[#tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”sn Apparently the people of Gilead remained on the other side of the river and did not participate in the battle.]
As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards?
Asher remained on the seacoast,
he stayed by his harbors.
18The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives;[#tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”]
Naphtali charged on to the battlefields.
19Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but they took no silver as plunder.
20From the sky the stars fought,[#tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.; #tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnach and read the colon as indicated in the translation.]
from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera.
21The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted them – the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong!
22The horses’ hooves pounded the ground;[#tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.; #tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.]
the stallions galloped madly.
23‘Call judgment down on Meroz,’ says the Lord ’s angelic messenger;[#tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”; #tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.]
‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord ’s battle,
to help in the Lord ’s battle against the warriors.’
24The most rewarded of women should be Jael,[#tn Or “blessed.”]
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
25He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king,
she served him curds.
26Her left hand reached for the tent peg,[#tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.]
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered” Sisera,
she shattered his skull,
she smashed his head,
she drove the tent peg through his temple.
27Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limp and was lifeless;
between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell limp – violently murdered!
28Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?’
29The wisest of her ladies answer;[#tn Or “princesses.”]
indeed she even thinks to herself,
30‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder –[#tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”]
a girl or two for each man to rape!
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth,
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth,
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’
31May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord !
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest!”
And the land had rest for forty years.