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Judges Chapter
Six
Judges 6
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 5
This
chapter contains a song of praise on account of the victories obtained over
Jabin, and his kingdom; after an exhortation to praise is given, and kings
excited to attend to it, the majestic appearance of God at Seir, on Sinai, is
observed, to raise in the mind a divine veneration of him, Judges 5:1; then
the miserable state and condition Israel was in before these victories, and
therefore had the more reason to be thankful, Judges 5:6; the
governors, and judges, and the people that were delivered, together with
Deborah and Barak, are stirred up to rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord,
and bless his name, Judges 5:9; and
those who willingly engaged in the war are praised, and such who were negligent
reproved, and some even cursed, Judges 5:14; but
Jael, Heber's wife, is particularly commended for her exploit in slaying
Sisera, Judges 5:24; and
the mother of Sisera, and her ladies, are represented as wondering at his long
delay, and as assured of his having got the victory, Judges 5:28; and
the song is concluded with a prayer for the destruction, of the enemies of the
Lord, and for the happiness and glory of them that love him, Judges 5:31.
Judges 6:1 Then
the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Midian for seven years,
YLT
1And the sons of Israel do
the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of
Midian seven years,
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam,.... Deborah
is first mentioned, because she was, as Kimchi says, the root or foundation of
the work, the chief person in it, both in the direction of the war, and in the
composition of this song; and indeed, as Ben Gersom observes, she alone
composed it, see Judges 5:7; and the
verb is singular: "then sang Deborah"; and after her, and in her
words, sung also Barak; he joined with her, not in making the song, but in
singing it; and so likewise the people of Israel joined with her in singing it,
as they did with Moses at the Red sea; and this song was sung
on that day; not on the precise day on which the victory was obtained over
Sisera and his army, but on occasion of that memorable day, and what followed
upon it:
saying; the following divine hymn or song, penned by Deborah, under
divine inspiration, as the sublimity of the style, the fine and noble thoughts
and sentiments that are in it, the beautiful and elegant phrases in which they
are expressed, abundantly show; no Sappho, or any Grecian poetess, nor indeed
any poet whatever, uninspired, being equal to the writer of this poem.
Judges 6:2 2 and the hand of Midian
prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel
made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are
in the mountains.
YLT
2and the hand of Midian is
strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made
for themselves the flowings which [are] in the mountains, and the caves, and
the strongholds.
Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel,.... The
injuries done to Israel by any of their enemies, and particularly what wrongs
had been done them by Jabin, king of Canaan, for twenty years past; though some
understand it of the vengeance God took on Israel for their sins; and though
praise is not given directly for that, yet inasmuch as, when that was the case,
there were some whose spirits were stirred up to engage voluntarily in the
deliverance of them from the oppression of their enemies, it was matter of praise:
when the people willingly offered themselves: to go and
fight for Israel against their enemies, particularly those of the tribes of
Zebulun and Naphtali, Judges 5:18; though
not excluding others that joined, who could not have been forced to it, had
they not freely offered themselves; and which was owing to the secret influence
of divine Providence on their hearts, moving and drawing them to this service;
and therefore praise was due to the Lord on this account, who works in the
hearts of men both to will and to do, as in things spiritual and religious, so
in things natural and civil.
Judges 6:3 3 So it was, whenever Israel
had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East
would come up against them.
YLT
3And it hath been, if Israel
hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east,
yea, they have come up against him,
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes,.... Not only
the neighbouring ones, but all the kings and princes of the earth, far and
near, then and in succeeding ages; Deborah desires and wishes that all
potentates might hear of the wonderful works of God done for his people, that
they might learn to know there is one that is higher than they, to whom all the
amazing things done in the world are to be ascribed; and be cautious how they
oppressed the people of God, since sooner or later he would avenge them on
them. The Targum restrains this to the kings that came with Sisera and the
governors with Jabin; but if there were any such, as it is not improbable there
were, see Judges 5:19; yet it
is most likely that they were slain with them: there are some, as Kimchi
observes, who think this respects the people of Israel, who were all the sons
of kings; but the first sense is best:
I, even I, will sing unto the Lord, I will sing praise
to the Lord God of Israel: which are the words of Deborah
particularly, and the repetitions serve to express how cordial, earnest, and
vehement she was in her praise and thankfulness to God; thereby setting an
example to others, encouraging them to the same practice, and directing persons
of every rank and quality to give praise only to Jehovah, the self-existing,
everlasting, and unchangeable Being; to him who is the Lord and God of Israel
in a peculiar manner, and not to any of the gods of the Gentiles.
Judges 6:4 4 Then they would encamp
against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no
sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.
YLT
4and encamp against them,
and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave
no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass;
Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of
the fields of Edom,.... Here properly begins the song, what goes before being but a
preface to it; and it begins with an apostrophe to the Lord, taking notice of
some ancient appearances of God for his people, which were always matter of
praise and thankfulness; and the rather are they taken notice of here, because
of some likeness between them and what God had now wrought; and this passage
refers either to the giving of the law on Sinai, as the Targum and Jarchi; see Deuteronomy 33:2;
or rather, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and others, to the Lord's going before Israel,
after they had encompassed the land of Edom, and marched from thence towards
the land of Canaan, when they fought with Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites,
and conquered them; which struck terror into all the nations round about them,
and the prophecies of Moses in his song began to be fulfilled, Exodus 15:14; and
which dread and terror are expressed in the following figurative phrases:
the earth trembled; and the like figure HomerF1 τρεμε δ' ουρεα μακρα και υλη,
Iliad. 13. v. 18, 34, 44. uses at the approach of Neptune, whom he calls the
shaker of the earth, perhaps borrowed from hence; it may design the inhabitants
of it, the Amorites, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, Canaanites, and others:
and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water; which, as it
may literally refer to the storm and tempest of rain that might be then as now,
see Judges 4:15, so may
figuratively express the panic great personages, comparable to the heavens and
the clouds in them were thrown into, when their hearts melted like water, or
were like clouds dissolved into it.
Judges 6:5 5 For they would come up
with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both
they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to
destroy it.
YLT
5for they and their cattle
come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for
multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come
into the land to destroy it.
The mountains melted from before the Lord,.... The
inhabitants of them, through fear, the Lord going before Israel in a pillar of
cloud and fire, and delivering mighty kings and their kingdoms into their hand:
even that Sinai
from before the Lord God of Israel; or, "as that
Sinai", the note of similitude being wanting; and the sense is, the mountains
melted, just as the famous mountain Sinai in a literal sense did, when it
trembled and quaked at the presence of God on it; the tokens of it, the fire
and smoke, thunders, lightnings, and tempests there seen and heard; and which
being observed, would call to mind the benefit Israel then received, which
required praise and thankfulness, as well as would serve to express the awe and
reverence of God due unto him.
Judges 6:6 6 So Israel was greatly
impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to
the Lord.
YLT
6And Israel is very weak
from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.
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, and endeavoured to do what good she could to
Israel, though not a judge among them, as Jarchi suggests; and who before this
affair of Sisera had signalized herself by some deeds of hers in favour of
Israel, and against their enemies; yet far from putting a stop to the outrages
committed; for in the times of both these persons:
the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through
byways; the public roads were so infested with thieves and robbers, who
stopped all they met with, and robbed them of what they had, that travellers
and merchants with their carriages were obliged either to quit their
employments, and not travel at all; or, if they did, were obliged to go in
private roads, and roundabout ways, to keep clear of those rapparees the
highways and public roads abounded with.
Judges 6:7 7 And it came to pass, when
the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the
Midianites,
YLT
7And it cometh to pass when
the sons of Israel have cried unto Jehovah, concerning Midian,
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 Israel: for they were the
villages which belonged to the Israelites that were plundered, and not those
that belonged to any of the Canaanites; and these were the unhappy
circumstances Israel were under
until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel; until it
pleased God to raise her up, and endow her in a very wonderful and
extraordinary manner with gifts qualifying her to be a nursing mother to
Israel, to teach and instruct them in the mind and will of God, to administer
judgement and justice to them, to protect and defend them, and in all which she
discovered a maternal affection for them; and as a good judge and ruler of a
people may be called the father of them, so she, being a woman, is with
propriety called a mother in Israel, having an affectionate concern for them as
her children: now, till she arose, there was no perfect salvation and
deliverance wrought for them, since the death of Ehud, even throughout the days
of Shamgar and Jael; which is observed to excite praise and thankfulness on the
present occasion, which hereby became the more illustrious.
Judges 6:8 8 that the Lord sent a prophet
to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;
YLT
8that Jehovah sendeth a man,
a prophet, unto the sons of Israel, and he saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah,
God of Israel, I -- I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out
from a house of servants,
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 meant; since all
besides the true God, the eternal Jehovah, the Ancient of days, and everlasting
King, are new gods that lately sprung up: the Arabic and Syriac versions
are,"God chose a new king;'so Ben Gersom; to perfect this wonder; for not
only Sisera and his army were drawn to the gates of Israel to a proper place to
fall in, but the victory was not obtained by Israel by their own force and
strength; for they had no weapons of war, not a shield nor a spear, but for a
very few men, but it was the Lord that fought for them in a new way; the former
sense seems best, and agrees with what follows:
then was war in the gates; when they fell into
idolatry, then God suffered the judgment of war to come upon them, even into
the gates of their fortified cities, which were the security of them, and where
were their courts of judicature, but by war disturbed and made to cease:
was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? though the
number of the Israelites were several hundred thousands, yet there were not to
be seen among them shields and spears sufficient for 40,000; or not one among
40,000 was armed; which was owing either to their negligence and sloth in not
providing themselves with arms, or not taking care of them in a time of peace;
so that when war came into their gates, they had nothing to defend themselves
with, or annoy their enemies; or to their cowardice, not daring to take up a
shield or spear in their own defence; or to the enemy, Jabin king of Canaan,
having disarmed them, that they might not be able to make a revolt, from him,
and recover their liberties. Ben Gersom refers it to the times of Joshua, when
there was no need of a shield and spear among the 40,000 of the children of
Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, that came over Jordan with them, since God fought
for them; and the Targum seems to understand it of Sisera's army, that came
against Israel with shields, spears, and swords; and makes the number of them
to be in all 300,000, which is just the number of foot soldiers Josephus makes
his army to consist of; and yet, though so numerous and so well armed, could
not stand before Barak with 10,000 men only; See Gill on Judges 4:17, the
words rather refer to the cival war of the Benjamites with the Israelites, when
40,000 of the latter were killed, which was before the times of Deborah, Judges 20:21.
Judges 6:9 9 and I delivered you out of
the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove
them out before you and gave you their land.
YLT
9and I deliver you out of
the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I
cast them out from your presence, and I give to you their land,
My heart is towards the governors of Israel,.... Most of
the Jewish commentators interpret this of their wise men and Scribes, who were
willing to teach the people the law and the commandments, even in times of
trouble, and did not cease from doing it on that account, and therefore Deborah
praises them for it; so the Targum; but Kimchi and Ben Melech understand by
them the great men of the nation, their nobles and rulers, who enacted good
laws and statutes; or at least took care to see that the good laws they had
were put in execution; and these had a share in the affections and good wishes
of Deborah, and that chiefly for the following reason:
that offered themselves willingly among the people; to go along
with them, and march at the head of them, to fight Sisera and his army; thereby
setting a good example, and animating the people to battle, and inspiring them
with courage and intrepidity; when they saw their chiefs and the heads of them
exposing their lives with them in defence of their country, and the rights of
it:
bless ye the Lord; for giving them such spirits, to engage so
willingly in this service, and for giving them success in it.
Judges 6:10 10 Also I said to you, “I am
the Lord
your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But
you have not obeyed My voice.’”
YLT
10and I say to you, I [am]
Jehovah your God, ye do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are
dwelling: -- and ye have not hearkened to My voice.'
Speak, ye that ride on white asses,.... Though in some
countries, as in ours, it is reckoned disgraceful to ride on asses; so Leo
AfricanusF2Descriptio Africae, l. 5. p. 574. makes mention of a
preacher in Africa, who was called the ass rider; because he was continually,
sitting on an ass; yet in Judea, where there were no horses, or very few, it
was accounted honourable; so it was in the time of our Lord; for his riding on
an ass to Jerusalem was not mean and disgraceful, but honourable and glorious:
and so it certainly was in those early times of the judges; for we read of the
sons of two of them, which were very numerous, that rode on asses' colts, Judges 10:4, and it
seems that white asses were the most valuable, and chiefly used by great
personages. The ass in the Hebrew language has its name from redness, that
being the usual colour of them in those parts; and hence they were hateful to
the Egyptians, because that their Typhon was of that colourF3Plutarch.
de Iside. ; but there were some that were white, as there are wild ones now of
that colour. A travellerF4Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 106.
in those parts in the beginning of the last century tells us, that on the banks
of the Euphrates they beheld every day great droves of wild beasts, as wild
asses "all white", &c. The word we translate "white" is
"zechorot", and perhaps may describe the same animal the Ethiopians
call "zecora", and some "zebra"; said to excel in beauty
all four footed creatures in the whole world. It is an animal of the size of a
mule, found in the woods beyond Abyssinia, is easily tamed, and is the frequent
and chief present of the kings of that country; about its loins is a circle of
a black colour, in the form of a girdle, which is followed with more on each side,
according to the part of the body, some broader, others narrower, both black
and white, or of an ash colour, so neat that they seem to exceed the art of the
most eminent painter; its only deformity are its ears, which are long; hence it
is called by the Portuguese the wild ass, though wrongly; of what value and
esteem it was appears from the large price it has been sold for; one, that was
the gift of a king to a Turkish governor, was sold to an Indian for 2,000
pieces of Venetian money, to make a present of to the great Mogor, king of the
IndiansF5Ludolph. Ethiop. Hist. l. 1. c. 10. Vid. Philostorg.
Eccles. Hist. l. 3. c. 11. , which was the value of nine hundred pounds. Those
that rode on these creatures were the princes and nobles of Israel; though they
are generally interpreted by the Jewish commentators of merchants that rode
from place to place about business; and these are called upon to speak of the
wonderful things God had done for Israel, in freeing them from the bondage of
the Canaanites, so that these nobles or merchants might ride about the country
without any fear; and to discourse of them to others, and in their meditations
give praise to God on account of them:
ye that sit in judgment; which seems to describe
judges upon the bench, sitting to hear and try causes, and pass righteous
judgment; these are also exhorted to give thanks to the Lord, that they were
now restored to their seats of judgment, from which they were driven; or where
they could not peaceably exercise their office, which they now might and did:
Cocceius renders the word "on measures", as if these were persons
that presided over measures, and took care that they were just and right.
Though Kimchi and Ben Melech say, that Middin, which we render "in
judgment", is either the name of a city in the book of Joshua; see Gill on
Joshua 15:61, or
the name of a wayF6Vid. David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 19. 3. well
known, in which they were afraid to go because of the enemy, but now went in it
with safety, and therefore had reason to speak well of God, and praise his
name; but this is rather intended in the next clause:
and walk by the way; the common people that
travelled from place to place on business, who before were obliged to leave the
public roads, and go in byways, Judges 5:6 but now
could travel in the common road without fear, and therefore ought to be
thankful.
Judges 6:11 11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat
under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to
Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in
order to hide it from the Midianites.
YLT
11And the messenger of
Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which [is] in Ophrah, which [is] to
Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the
wine-press, to remove [it] from the presence of the Midianites;
They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the place of
drawing water,.... Meaning either the army of the Israelites, delivered from
the archers of Sisera's host at the river Kishon; or such persons, as maidens
and others, that went out of the cities to fountains and wells of water, to
fetch water from thence for their necessities, but were frightened by the noise
of archers that shot at them; or shepherds who led their flocks to water them
there, but were repulsed or slain by archers that lay in wait in woods or lurking
places thereabout; but now the country being cleared of them, they could
without fear have recourse to these places of drawing water for their flocks or
other uses, which laid them under obligation to do as directed in the next
clause. The words are by some rendered,"because of the voice of those that
number (sheep and other cattle) at the places of drawing waterF7So
Cocceius, Noldius, p. 561. No. 1992. :'which now they could do, being a time of
peace; and for which the persons before described ought to be thankful:
there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord; coming to
those places again, it would put them in mind to what hazards and dangers they
had been exposed formerly by the enemy, but now were freed from; and this would
lead them to discourse of and repeat the righteous dealings of God in taking
vengeance on their enemies and delivering them from them:
even the righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages in
Israel; they being now in no danger of having their houses broke open,
and their substance plundered as before, Judges 5:7 then
shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates; either of their enemies,
pursuing them unto them, as they did, Judges 4:16 or
rather to the gates of their own cities, where they had now free egress and
regress; and those that were in the fortified cities, who had fled thither from
the villages because of the rapine of the enemy, now would go down to the
gates, and pass through them, and return to their villages again; or else the
meaning is, that the people would now frequent as formerly the courts of
judicature held in the gates of their cities, to have justice done them, and be
in no fear of being disturbed by the enemy, as before.
Judges 6:12 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to
him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you
mighty man of valor!”
YLT
12and the messenger of
Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, `Jehovah [is] with thee, O
mighty one of valour.'
Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song, &c.
Either perceiving some languor and remissness in her spirits, while she was delivering
this song, and therefore arouses herself to attend to this service with more
ardour and zeal; or rather finding herself more impressed with a sense of the
great and good things the Lord had done for Israel, calls upon her soul to
exert all its powers in celebrating the praises of the Lord, and therefore
repeats the word awake so often as she does:
arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam; for though
the whole army of Sisera was destroyed, that not a man was left, Judges 4:16 yet as
Barak pursued to Harosheth of the Gentiles, many there and in other places
which fell into his hands, that belonged to Jabin, might be taken captive by
him; and though the Canaanites were to be slain, yet they might first be led
captive in triumph; and besides, there might be some of other nations that were
taken by him in this war; see Psalm 68:18.
Judges 6:13 13 Gideon said to Him, “O my
lord,[a] if the Lord is with us,
why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles
which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up
from Egypt?’ But now the Lord
has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
YLT
13And Gideon saith unto him,
`O, my lord -- and Jehovah is with us! -- and why hath all this found us? and
where [are] all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not
Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give
us into the hand of Midian.'
Then he made him that remaineth,.... The people of Israel
that remained, who had been under the yoke of Jabin king of Canaan, under which
many of the Israelites very probably died; but now the few mean and miserable
that remained were raised to an high estate, and made to
have dominion over the nobles among the people; that is, over
the Canaanitish nobility, that were among the people under Jabin; but he being
conquered by the Israelites, his people and even his nobles became subject to
them; and this was the Lord's doing, as the following words show:
the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty; that is,
Deborah, to whom God gave dominion either over the mighty ones of Israel, being
raised up to be their judge; or over the mighty Canaanites, she having a
concern in the conquest of them and triumph over them, through her direction,
advice, command, and presence, though a woman.
Judges 6:14 14 Then the Lord turned to him
and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand
of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
YLT
14And Jehovah turneth unto
him and saith, `Go in this -- thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the
hand of Midian -- have not I sent thee.'
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek,.... In this
and some following verses, Deborah makes mention of the tribes that were siding
and assisting in this war, and of those that were not; and begins with Ephraim,
where she herself dwelt, Judges 4:5 who was
the root, foundation, and source of this expedition, that under a divine
influence directed, animated, and encouraged to it; and by whom, and from
whence, a detachment was sent against the Amalekites, who upon all occasions
were ready to assist the Canaanites, and now were about to do it; and to
prevent their junction, a party was sent from Ephraim, and by the Ehpraimites;
though the Targum, and the Jewish commentators in general, refer this to a past
action, which Deborah here commemorates and celebrates; and understand by
"root", Joshua, who was of that tribe, and who discomfited Amalek and
his people with the edge of the sword, Exodus 17:13.
after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; which the
same Targum and the same writers interpret of a future fact, and as spoken of
by way of prophecy; and suppose that Saul of the tribe of Benjamin is meant,
and the people of Benjamin, the two hundred thousand footmen he took with him,
and fought against Amalek, and destroyed them, 1 Samuel 15:1 but
it is rather to be understood of the tribe of Benjamin in general, which at
this time went out against Amalek, to prevent their giving any assistance to
Jabin king of Canaan, and who were followed in it by a party of the
Ephraimites; so that Benjamin has the greatest honour given it, partly as it
was first in this affair, and partly as it was general, the whole tribe
engaged, whereas only a few in Ephraim, and those stimulated by the example of
Benjamin:
out of Machir came down governors; Machir was the only son
of Manasseh, and therefore this must respect that tribe, half of which was
settled on the other side Jordan, and to which Jarchi and other Jewish writers
ascribe this, and suppose it refers to the princes and great men of it, who
subdued the Amorites, and took the sixty cities of Argob in the time of Moses;
though Kimchi and Ben Gersom understand it of some of them that came from
thence to assist in this war; but it is clearly suggested in Judges 5:17 that
they abode beyond Jordan, and gave no assistance at all; it therefore must be
understood of the half tribe of Manasseh, within Jordan, from whence came great
personages, with a number of men no doubt along with them, to lend an helping
hand against the Canaanites, or to be employed as assistants under Barak in
this expedition:
and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer; which being a
maritime tribe, and employed in trade and navigation, had many clerks famous
for their readiness in handling the pen; but these through a zeal for the
common cause dropped their pens, and took to the sword, in vindication of the
rights and liberties of themselves and their brethren; for which they are
justly commended.
Judges 6:15 15 So he said to Him, “O my
Lord,[b] how can I
save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am
the least in my father’s house.”
YLT
15And he saith unto him, `O,
my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I
the least in the house of my father.'
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah,.... On Mount
Tabor, whither they came to offer themselves to join in the war against Jabin;
or to assist with their counsels, the men of this tribe being understanding of
the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 1 Chronicles 12:32.
even Issachar: not the princes only, but the whole tribe
also; so the Targum paraphrases it,"the rest of the tribe of
Issachar:"
and also Barak, he was sent on foot into the valley; which was at
the bottom of Mount Tabor, from whence he was sent down by Deborah, when
Sisera's army was come thither; and where he went cheerfully on foot at the
head of his 10,000 men, to engage Sisera with his horse and chariots; and which
latter were capable of doing great execution in the valley, by running among
the foot, and cutting them in pieces with the scythes at the side of them; but
Barak, fearless of danger, readily obeyed the command of the judge and
prophetess, believing it was of God: or the words may be rendered, as by
NoldiusF8ויששכר כן
ברק "sicut Issachar sic Barach", Concord.
Ebr. part. p. 305. No. 1214. So Belg. .
as Issachar, so Barak; he was sent, &c. the one as the
other, with equal readiness and cheerfulness, courage and intrepidity,
descended the mountain, at the order of Deborah, and took the field in the open
plain, to engage with Sisera and his numerous host:
for the division of Reuben there were great thoughts of
heart; either for their divisions among themselves in their own
councils, some being for going over Jordan to assist their brethren the
Israelites against Jabin, and free them from his yoke, pitying their distressed
state and condition; and others were for keeping at home, and taking care of
their flocks, and not intermeddle in the quarrel; judging it to be most for
their worldly peace and profit to observe a neutrality: by reason of which
divisions no assistance was given. Or for their divisions and separations from
their brethren the Israelites, from whom they were not only separated by the
river Jordan, but in their affections to them, and regards for them; keeping at
a distance from them, when their help was required: and this conduct of theirs
caused many thoughts of heart in Deborah and Barak, in the princes and people
of Israel, who could not well understand the reason of it; and which caused
much grief and uneasiness of mind, that so powerful a tribe, and who had been
assisting to them in the conquest of the land, and lay convenient to help them,
yet should be so very indifferent to them.
Judges 6:16 16 And the Lord said to him,
“Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
YLT
16And Jehovah saith unto him,
`Because I am with thee -- thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.'
Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of
the flocks?.... This tribe abounded with flocks and herds, and therefore
chose the country on the other side Jordan, as suitable for them; and now, at
this critical juncture, they judged it wisest, and their best policy, to abide
by them, and the care of them; lest by intermeddling, should Jabin prevail, he
might be provoked to fall upon them, and take them from them; wherefore the
bleatings of their flocks, and the whistlings of the shepherds that kept them,
sounded louder in their ears, and more engrossed their attention, than the
groans and cries of Israel under oppression; or than the soundings of the
trumpet, the alarm of war, or the loud calls of Deborah and Barak; being under
the influence of a carnal worldly spirit, and wanting affection and sympathy
towards their brethren, about which Deborah here expostulates with them:
for the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of
heart; this is repeated to show how much the prophetess, the general of
the army, the princes and people, were affected with this conduct of the tribe
of Reuben; it gave them much pain and uneasiness, occasioned many inquiries,
caused much discourse and conversation, and put them upon thinking, and greatly
exercised their minds, what should be the meaning of their behaving after this
manner. Cocceius takes these words to be spoken ironically, and renders
them,"at the rivers of Reuben were great men in searchings of heart;'there
were wisdom, prudence, counsel, searching, and discerning of spirits, preferring
their flocks to the people of God.
Judges 6:17 17 Then he said to Him, “If
now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who
talk with me.
YLT
17And he saith unto Him, `If,
I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a
sign that Thou art speaking with me.
Gilead abode beyond Jordan,.... A country which lay
on the other side Jordan, and was given by Moses, half of it to the tribes of
Reuben and Gad, and the other half to the half tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 3:12
and being here distinguished from Reuben, it seems that not only that tribe,
but also the tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, on that side Jordan,
came not to the help of Israel; but abode where they were, attending their
flocks and herds, and preferring their own private profit to the public good;
yet as Gilead was given to Machir, Deuteronomy 3:15
and some are said to come out from thence to serve in this expedition, Judges 5:14 some
read the words, as Kimchi observes, with an interrogation, "did Gilead
abide beyond Jordan?" no, he did not; though his situation was beyond it,
as well as Reuben's, yet he did not continue there, but came over to help his
brethren; and so this is introduced to upbraid Reuben, and leave him without
excuse, since he could as well have left his flocks as Gilead did, and come
over to the help of his brethren as well as he:
and why did Dan remain in ships? the Danites inhabiting
Joppa, and other places bordering on the Mediterranean sea, attended their
navigation and merchandise; and which they chose rather to do, than to appear
in the field of battle in the behalf of their brethren; judging this to be a
sufficient excuse, though the question put implies the contrary; according to
the Targum, they were meditating a flight, and put their goods into ships to
flee with them, should Sisera get the day:
Asher continued on the sea shore; on the shore of the
Mediterranean sea, attending traffic and business, and did not concern
themselves at all in this war:
and abode in his trenches; in his towns and cities,
the walls of which had been broken down by the Canaanites, and remained
unrepaired, nor were they suffered to repair them; and therefore excused
themselves on this account from engaging in the war, being obliged to stay at
home to keep and defend their cities; which were in such a ruinous and weak
condition, that the enemy might enter at any time: some render it, "in
their creeks"F9על מפרציו
"in portubus", V. L. "ad sinus suos", some in Vatablus.
bays and havens where they had much shipping, and which required their
attendance.
Judges 6:18 18 Do not depart from here, I
pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before
You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
YLT
18Move not, I pray Thee, from
this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put
it before Thee;' and he saith, `I -- I do abide till thy return.'
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people,.... These two tribes
were chiefly concerned in this war; out of them were the 10,000 men that
followed Barak, who willingly offered themselves, and were the most active and
vigorous:
that jeoparded
themselves unto the death; exposed them to the utmost danger, fearless
of death itself: or reproachedF11חרף
"probris affecit", Pagninus; so the Targum. their lives; were
careless of them, valued them not; they were not dear to them, but were ready
to part with them freely, in the cause of liberty in which they were engaged:
in the high places of the field; on the top of Mount
Tabor, where they were mustered, and from whence they beheld the vast host of
Sisera surrounding them; and yet, with an undaunted bravery and courage,
descended the hill to fight with them. The Vulgate Latin version reads,
"in the country of Merome"; in the plains and fields of it, near
which were the waters of Merom, where Joshua fought Jabin, a former king of
Canaan, and supposed by some to be the same with Kishon here, Joshua 11:5.
Judges 6:19 19 So Gideon went in and
prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he
put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out
to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them.
YLT
19And Gideon hath gone in,
and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things;
the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he
bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth [it] nigh.
The kings came,.... Who were with Sisera, as the Targum
adds; unless Deborah can be thought to refer to the battle, supposed to be
fought about the same place, between Joshua and the kings in confederacy with
Jabin, Joshua 10:1.
then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of
Megiddo; the other kings of Canaan, which came into the assistance of
Jabin, either in the times of Joshua; or rather which now joined Sisera's army,
in those places, which both belonged to Manasseh, but were in the tribe of
Issachar, of which See Gill on Joshua 17:11 and
were at some distance from each other, as appears by the villages and country
around, and belonging to each; and such was the largeness of Sisera's army,
reinforced by those kings, that according to the Targum it reached from Taanach
to Megiddo; the same is observed by the Jewish commentators; the waters of
Megiddo are the same with the river Kishon, which ran near the city:
they took no gain of money; that is, either of Jabin
king of Canaan, whom they came to serve; but freely engaged with him, and
maintained their own troops, which they brought into the field, and had raised
at their own expense; but according to Kimchi the sense is, they took no money
of the Israelites that fell into their hands, but slew them, would not save
their lives, though they offered them money, being like the merciless Medes, Isaiah 13:17 but
rather the meaning is, that whereas they came big with expectation of a large
booty among the Israelites, they were disappointed, and obliged to flee without
any.
Judges 6:20 20 The Angel of God said to
him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock,
and pour out the broth.” And he did so.
YLT
20And the messenger of God
saith unto him, `Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this
rock -- and the broth pour out;' and he doth so.
They fought from heaven,.... Either the angels of
heaven, afterwards called stars; or the heavens, the elements, fought for
Israel, and against Sisera; a violent storm of rain and hail falling at this
time, which discomfited Sisera's army; See Gill on Judges 4:15, or this
victory was obtained in such a manner as plainly showed it was not of man, but
of God from heaven; so the Targum,"from heaven war was made with
them;'with the kings before mentioned; God fought against them, and no wonder
they were conquered:
the stars in their courses fought against Sisera it seems as if
it was in the night that this battle was fought, at least that the pursuit
lasted till night, when the stars by their brightness and clear shining
favoured the Israelites, and were greatly to the disadvantage of the
Canaanites; unless it can be thought, as is by some, that the stars had an
influence to cause a tempest of rain, hail, thunder, and lightnings, by which
the army of Sisera was discomfited in the daytime, as before observed.
Judges 6:21 21 Then the Angel of the Lord put out the
end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the
unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the
unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his
sight.
YLT
21And the messenger of
Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which [is] in His hand, and cometh
against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out
of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things -- and the
messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes.
The river of Kishon swept them away,.... To which Sisera's
army was drawn, and where it was discomfited; and very probably many of them,
in their confusion, endeavoured to make their escape by fording or swimming
over the river, by which they were swept away and drowned, the waters of it at
this time swelling in a miraculous manner, as Ben Gersom thinks; or were
increased by the large showers of rain that fell, as some note from Josephus,
though I find it not in him; however it is not improbable it might be the case;
for our countryman Mr. MaundrellF12Journey from Aleppo, &c. p.
57. thus observed when he was at it;"in the condition we saw it, its
waters were low and inconsiderable; but passing along the side of the plain, we
discovered the track of many lesser torrents falling down into it from the
mountains, which must needs make it swell exceedingly upon sudden rains, as
doubtless it actually did at the destruction of Sisera's host, Judges 5:21 "
that ancient river, the river Kishon; called
ancient, either because it was from the beginning of the creation, and not cut
by the art of men, as some rivers are; or because it was spoken of by poets and
historians in ancient times; or because of famous exploits done here of old; so
the Targum,"the river where signs and mighty works were done for Israel of
old.'Some take the word Kedumim to be another name of the river, so called from
its windings and turnings, and, as it were, meeting itself. So some travellers
tell usF13Egmont and Heyman's Travels, par. 2. p. 2. the river
Kedumim, the same with Kishon, is so called, because it meets itself, being by
its meanders formed like a sling or noose, as Kishon signifies; it rises at
Mount Tabor, and discharges itself into the Mediterranean sea, at the foot of
Mount Carmel; so HillerusF14Onomastic. Sacr. p. 186, 405, 865. says,
Kishon signifies bending in manner of a snare, or net, or meander, and takes it
to be the same with the Pagida of PlinyF15Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. ,
which in the Greek tongue signifies the same:
O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength; a strong and
mighty army, through her prayers and supplication, advice and direction; or
thou hast trodden with strength, that is, the river Kishon, as some Jewish
interpreters understand it, who suppose that another miracle was wrought; that
as the waters of the river swelled when the Canaanites attempted to escape over
it, so it sunk and became fordable for Deborah and the Israelites; a miracle,
as they suppose, somewhat similar to that at the Red sea.
Judges 6:22 22 Now Gideon perceived that
He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O
Lord God!
For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
YLT
22And Gideon seeth that He
[is] a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, `Alas, Lord Jehovah! because
that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!'
Then were the horse hoofs broken by means of the pransings,.... Either
through the force of the waters of the river, where they pranced and plunged,
and could have no standing; or through the swift haste they made to run away,
striking the earth so quick, and with such force and vehemence, that their
hoofs were broken thereby, especially on stony ground, and so their speed
retarded:
the pransings of the mighty ones; either their riders,
princes, and great personages, who made them prance, leap, and run with great
speed and force; or horses strong and mighty, being such as were selected for
this purpose, and trained to war.
Judges 6:23 23 Then the Lord said to him,
“Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
YLT
23And Jehovah saith to him,
`Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.'
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord,.... Not
Barak, as the Targum and Jarchi, but Deborah herself said this under a spirit
of prophecy, not from her own spirit in a revengeful way, but from the Spirit
of God; or this was suggested to her by an angel, not a created, but the
uncreated one, the Angel of the covenant, by whom she was inspired, and an
impulse made by him on her to denounce a curse on Meroz; which some say was a
star, Sisera's star; others the name of a mighty manF16T. Bab. Moed
Katon, fol. 16. 1. , so Jarchi; but rather it is some name of a city or place
near where the battle was fought, so Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech: some
take Meroz to be the same with Merom, at the waters of which Joshua fought with
Jabin, Joshua 11:5 and
supposed to be the same with the waters of Megiddo, and the river Kishon, where
this battle was fought; and JeromF17De loc. Heb. fol. 93. D. , under
the word Merom, observes, that there was in his time a village called Merrus,
twelve miles from the city Sebaste near Dothaim, and that Meroz here is the
name of a place is clear from what follows:
curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; or
"curse cursing"F18ארו ארור "maledictie maledicendo", Pagninus,
Montanus. ; repeat it, give them curse upon curse, curse them most vehemently:
the reason of which follows:
because they came not to the help of the Lord; that is, of
the people of the Lord, whose cause was the Lord's; for though he stood in no
need of their help, yet their negligence and neutrality were highly resented by
him, and therefore repeated:
to the help of the Lord against the mighty; the mighty
Canaanites, and their mighty kings, and mighty hosts; or "with the
mighty"F19בגבורים "cum
fortibus", Pagninus, Tigurine version; so Patrick. , Barak and his 10,000:
now though others, who did not come into their assistance, are only
discommended, being at a distance, yet those are cursed, being very near, and
saw the peril their brethren were in, and yet would not lend an helping hand.
Judges 6:24 24 So Gideon built an altar
there to the Lord,
and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace.[c] To this
day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
YLT
24And Gideon buildeth there
an altar to Jehovah, and calleth it Jehovah-Shalom, unto this day it [is] yet
in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.
Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be,.... Under the
same influence that Meroz was cursed, Jael is blessed, the one for not helping
Israel in a public way, the other for doing it in a private manner; this
blessing is pronounced, either in a way of prayer that it might be, or in a way
of prophecy that it should be, and indeed in both:
blessed shall she be above the women in the tent; above all
women that dwell in tents: this being a proper description of a woman, whose
character it is to abide in her tent, dwell at home, and mind the business of
her family; and may have respect to the manly action she performed in her tent,
equal, if not superior, to what was done in the field.
Judges 6:25 25 Now it came to pass the
same night that the Lord
said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years
old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the
wooden image[d] that is
beside it;
YLT
25And it cometh to pass, on
that night, that Jehovah saith to him, `Take the young ox which [is] to thy
father, and the second bullock of seven years, and thou hast thrown down the
altar of Baal which [is] to thy father, and the shrine which [is] by it thou
dost cut down,
He asked water, and she gave him milk,.... That is,
Sisera asked it of her, as the Targum expresses it, when he turned into her
tent:
she brought him fresh butter in a lordly dish; which
signifies either the same, the milk with cream on it, for that is meant by
butter; or having first taken off the cream, she gave him milk to drink, and
then brought the cream in a dish for him to eat, and thereby the more incline
him to sleep; and this she brought in a dish fit for any lord or nobleman to
eat out of; in such a polite and courteous manner did she use him, so that he
could have no suspicion of her having any ill design against him. R. Jonah, as
Kimchi notes, interprets this of a dish of the mighty or lordly ones, of the
shepherds, the principal of the flock, as they are called in Jeremiah 25:34, out
of which they had used to drink their milk, or eat their cream, and such an one
was likely enough to be Jael's tent; from this Hebrew word "sepel",
here used, seems to come the Latin word "simpucium" or
"simpulum", used in things sacred, and which, according to PlinyF20Nat.
Hist. l. 35. c. 12. , was an earthen vessel; and so some of the Rabbins, as
Kimchi observes, say, this was a new earthen vial; it is very probable it was a
broad platter or dish fit for such an use.
Judges 6:26 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on
top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer
a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
YLT
26and thou hast built an
altar to Jehovah thy God on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and
hast taken the second bullock, and caused to ascend a burnt-offering with the
wood of the shrine which thou cuttest down.'
She put her hand to the nail,.... Her left hand, as
the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate Latin versions express it, and as appears
by what follows; she having taken up a pin from her tent, with which it was
fastened to the ground, she clapped it to the temples of Sisera:
and her right hand to the workman's hammer; in her right
hand she took a hammer, such as carpenters, and such like workmen, make use of,
and workman like went about her business she had devised, and was determined
upon, being under a divine impulse, and so had no fear or dread upon her:
and with the hammer she smote Sisera; not that with
the hammer she struck him on the head, and stunned him, but smote the nail she
had put to his temples and drove it into them:
she smote off his head; after she had driven the
nail through his temples, she took his sword perhaps and cut off his head, as
David cut off Goliath's, after he had slung a stone into his forehead; though
as this seems needless, nor is there any hint of it in the history of this
affair, the meaning may only be, that she struck the nail through his head, as
the Septuagint, or broke his head, as the Targum:
when she had pierced and stricken through his temples; that being
the softest and tenderest part of the head, she drove the nail quite through
them to the ground, Judges 4:21.
Judges 6:27 27 So Gideon took ten men
from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But
because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do
it by day, he did it by night.
YLT
27And Gideon taketh ten men
of his servants, and doth as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and it cometh to
pass, because he hath been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of
the city, to do [it] by day, that he doth [it] by night.
Perhaps
at her first approach to him, and attempt to drive the nail, or at the blow she
gave, he rose up, but she had done the business so effectually at the first
stroke, that he dropped at once, and laid down his head again:
at her feet he bowed, he fell; when she redoubled her
blow:
where he bowed, there he fell down dead; and struggled and stirred
no more; thus ingloriously did this general of a vast army die. This
action is not otherwise to be justified, but by its being done through an
impulse of the Spirit of God upon her, to take away the life of an implacable
enemy of God's people; otherwise it might seem to be a breach of hospitality
towards her guest she had invited in, and of the peace which subsisted between
this general's prince and her husband; and therefore is not to be drawn into an
example where there is no appearance of a divine warrant.
Judges 6:28 28 And when the men of the
city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and
the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull
was being offered on the altar which had been built.
YLT
28And the men of the city
rise early in the morning, and lo, broken down hath been the altar of Baal, and
the shrine which is by it hath been cut down, and the second bullock hath been
offered on the altar which is built.
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window,.... Which
perhaps looked towards the high road, in which she expected Sisera to return in
his chariot with his victorious army; and she was looking out for him, not
through fear of any ill that had befallen him, or suspicion of misfortunte, but
through impatience to see him in triumph return, wreathed with laurels:
and cried through the lattice; which is but another
word for a window, which was not of glass, that being of a later invention, but
made in lattice form, in a sort of network, full of little holes to let in air
and light, and look out at; here she stood and cried with a very loud uneasy
tone; the word signifies a sort of a groaning howling noise, discovering
impatience and uneasiness; and so the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render
it, "she howled"; saying in a whining way:
why is his chariot so long in coming? she did not
doubt at all of victory, and concluded it would soon be obtained, and there
would be very little trouble and difficulty in getting it, and therefore wondered
his chariot was not in sight:
why tarry the wheels of his chariots? the nine
hundred he took with him, of the return of which she made no doubt, only was
uneasy until they appeared, that she might be delighted with the glory of the
triumph; the Targum is,"why are the runners hindered, who should bring me
a letter of the victories?'
Judges 6:29 29 So they said to one
another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they
said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”
YLT
29And they say one to
another, `Who hath done this thing?' and they inquire and seek, and they say,
`Gideon son of Joash hath done this thing.'
Her wise ladies answered her,.... Every one in their
turn endeavouring to comfort her and make her easy. The Vulgate Latin version
is,"one that was wiser than the rest of his wives;'but they seem rather to
be her maids of honour, or ladies of her acquaintance, who were come to pay her
a visit, and share in the pleasing sight they expected to have of Sisera:
yea, she returned answer to herself; before they could well
give theirs, she soon recollected herself what might be, and must be, the
occasion of this delay; and this, according to the Targum, she made in her
wisdom, what her great wisdom quickly suggested to her was certainly the case,
and with which she comforted and quieted herself.
Judges 6:30 30 Then the men of the city
said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down
the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was
beside it.”
YLT
30And the men of the city say
unto Joash, `Bring out thy son, and he dieth, because he hath broken down the
altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the shrine which [is] by it.'
Have they not sped?.... Or "found"F21הלא ימצאו "nonne
invenient", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Vatablus the enemy,
Barak and his army, or the spoil of them? no doubt they have:
have they not divided the prey? doubtless they have,
which being large, and the captives many, has taken up much of their time to
look over, and make an equal and proper division of, and that most certainly is
the cause of the delay:
to every man a damsel or two? or "a womb or twoF23רחם רחמתים "vulvam vulvas
duas", Piscator. ", using both unchaste and contemptuous languageF24Vid.
R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 59. 1. , and pleasing themselves with the
virgins of Israel being abused by the common soldiers, which was too frequently
the case with the Heathens at gaining a victory:
to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of
needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides; suits of
clothes of different colours, such as were the works of the women of SidonF25Julian.
Opera, par. 1. crat. 2. p. 94. Vid. Homer. Iliad. 6. ver. 289, 290. , and those
curiously interwoven or wrought with a needle, and that on both sides of the
silk or material of which they were made; and so such as were of great worth
and esteem, and such it was expected, and with confidence and assurance of it,
Sisera would bring with him, and make presents of to his mother and her ladies,
or which he would have for his own wear and use, or both:
meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? the general
of the army, and the chief men to whom the spoil was brought, and then divided
suitably to the rank and quality of every soldier. PlinyF26Nat.
Hist. l. 8. c. 48. says, the Phrygians first invented the art of needlework;
hence the garments wrought, and those that made them, were called after their
name; but it is certain it was known by the ancient Hebrews and Canaanites, see
Exodus 26:36.
Judges 6:31 31 But Joash said to all who
stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one
who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let
him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”
YLT
31And Joash saith to all who
have stood against him, `Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye -- do ye save him? he who
pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he [is] a god he
himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'
So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord!.... As Sisera
and his army did, and be disappointed as his mother and her ladies were; which
is not only a wish or prayer that it might be, but a prophecy that so it would
be:
but let them that love him; that love the Lord
superlatively and sincerely, with all their heart and soul, and from love serve
and fear him:
be as the sun when he goeth
forth in his might; in the middle of the day, when its heat and light are the
greatest, and in the summer solstice, in the month of June, when the sun is in
Cancer, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel observe, and it is hottest: the sense is,
let the true friends of God be as bright and as glorious, and increase in
light, lustre, and splendour, as that glorious luminary in midday, and be no
more liable to be resisted and stopped by their enemies, and as much out of the
reach of them as that is:
and the land had rest forty years; these are not the words
of Deborah, whose song ends with the last clause, but of the writer of this
book; which years, according to most, are to be reckoned from the death of
Ehud, including the twenty years' bondage under Jabin, as Ben Gersom and
Abarbinel; so that strictly speaking the rest was but twenty years; one would
think they should be reckoned from the victory obtained over Jabin king of
Canaan.
Judges 6:32 32 Therefore on that day he
called him Jerubbaal,[e] saying,
“Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.”
YLT
32And he calleth him, on that
day, Jerubbaal, saying, `The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath
broken down his altar.'
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal,.... That is,
Joash called his son Gideon by that name; who, some think, is the same with
Jerombalus, the priest of the god Jevo, or Jehovah; from whom Sanchoniatho, an
ancient Phoenician writer, as Philo Byblius saysF23Apud Euseb.
Evangel Praepar. l. 1. p. 31. , received the principal things in his history
respecting the Jews:
saying, let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down
his altar; giving this as the reason of the name of Jerubbaal he called him
by, which signifies, "let Baal plead"; let Baal plead his own cause,
and avenge himself on Gideon for what he has done to him, and put him to death
if he can.
Judges 6:33 33 Then all the Midianites
and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed
over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.
YLT
33And all Midian and Amalek
and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp
in the valley of Jezreel,
Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of
the east,.... The Arabians, Judges 6:3 were
gathered together; not as being alarmed with this fact of Gideon in destroying
the altar of Baal, and so came to avenge it; but it was their usual time of
gathering together to come into Canaan, being harvest time, as appears by
Gideon being employed in threshing, to fetch away the increase of the earth, as
they had done for some years past:
and went over; the river Jordan, which lay between the
Midianites and the Israelites:
and pitched in the valley of Jezreel; a very large,
delightful, and fruitful plain; of which See Gill on Hosea 1:5; a very
proper place for such a large number to pitch on, and from whence they might
receive much; and a suitable place to bring the increase of the land to, from
the several parts of it, which was the business they came upon; and as this lay
on the borders of Issachar and Manasseh, it was not far from Gideon, and this
gave him an opportunity of exerting himself, and executing his commission.
Judges 6:34 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
YLT
34and the Spirit of Jehovah
hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called
after him;
But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon,.... Not the
spirit of prophecy, as MaimonidesF24Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 45. ,
who calls this spirit the first degree of prophecy, but a spirit of fortitude
and courage, as the Targum; the Spirit of God filled him, or, as in the Hebrew
text, "clothed"F25לבשח
"induit", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. Vid. Maimon. ut supra. (T. Bab.
Temurah, fol. 28. 2. & 29. 1.) So Homer often represents his heroes as
clothed with fortitude and courage; see Iliad. 17. him with zeal, strength, and
might, moved and animated him to engage with this great body of people come
into the land, to ravage and waste it, and to attempt the deliverance of Israel
from their bondage:
and he blew a trumpet; as an alarm of war, and
as a token to as many as heard to resort to him, and join with him in the
common cause against the enemy:
and Abiezer was gathered after him; the Abiezrites, one of
the families of the tribe of Manasseh, of which Gideon and his father's house
were; and even it is probable the inhabitants of Ophrah, who were Abiezrites, being
now convinced of their idolatry, and having entertained a good opinion of
Gideon as a man of valour, and who, in the present emergence, they looked upon
as an hopeful instrument of their deliverance, and therefore joined him.
Judges 6:35 35 And he sent messengers
throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers
to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
YLT
35and messengers he hath sent
into all Manasseh, and it also is called after him; and messengers he hath sent
into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them.
And he sent messengers through all Manasseh,.... Of which
tribe he was; not only he called by the trumpet that part of the tribe, the
Abiezrites, who were within the sound of it, but the rest of the tribe at a
greater distance from him he sent messengers to, acquainting them with his
design, and inviting them to his assistance. Some think this refers both to the
half tribe of Manasseh within Jordan, and the other half tribe on the other
side Jordan; but that is not very probable, only the half tribe within it is
meant:
who also was gathered after him; obeying the summons and
invitation he gave them by the messengers:
and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto
Naphtali; which three tribes lay nearest to him on the north; but he sent
not to the inhabitants of the tribe of Ephraim, which lay to the south, and
which afterwards occasioned a quarrel, Judges 8:1.
and they came up to meet them; that is, the inhabitants
of the above three tribes, at least many of them, came up from the places of
their habitations to meet Gideon, and those that were associated with him, at
their place of rendezvous.
Judges 6:36 36 So Gideon said to God, “If
You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—
YLT
36And Gideon saith unto God,
`If Thou art Saviour of Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken,
And Gideon said unto God,.... Not to a prophet of
God who was there, of whom he asked the following signs to be done, as Ben
Gersom, but to God in prayer, as Abarbinel:
if thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said; not that he
doubted of it, but was willing to have a confirmation of his faith; and perhaps
his view was more for the encouragement of those that were with him than
himself, that he desired the following signs; and though he had had one before,
that was to show that he was truly an angel that spoke to him, and not to
ascertain the salvation that should be wrought by him; though that might be
concluded from his being an angel that spoke to him, and assured him of it.
Judges 6:37 37 look, I shall put a fleece
of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it
is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my
hand, as You have said.”
YLT
37lo, I am placing the fleece
of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is on the fleece alone, and on all the
earth drought -- then I have known that Thou dost save Israel by my hand, as
Thou hast spoken;'
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor,.... On the
floor where he was threshing, where the angel first appeared to him, and which
lay exposed to the open air, so that the dew might easily fall upon it:
and if the dew be on the fleece only; the dew that
falls from heaven in the night, when he proposed it should lie on the floor
till morning:
and it be dry upon all the earth beside; meaning not
upon all the world, nor even upon all the land of Israel, but upon all the
floor about the fleece: then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my
hand, as thou hast said; for the dew being a token of divine favour, see Hosea 14:5 it would
show that Gideon would partake of it, while his enemies would be dry and
desolate, and ruin and destruction would be their portion.
Judges 6:38 38 And it was so. When he
rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew
out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
YLT
38and it is so, and he riseth
early on the morrow, and presseth the fleece, and wringeth dew out of the
fleece -- the fulness of the bowl, of water.
And it was so,.... The Lord condescended to work this
miracle for the confirmation of his faith, and for the encouragement of those
that were with him; the fleece was wet with the dew of heaven, and all the
ground about it dry:
for he rose up early in the morning; being eagerly desirous
of knowing whether his request would be granted, and how it would be with the
fleece:
and thrust the fleece together; to satisfy himself
whether the dew had fallen on it, and there was any moisture in it, which by
being squeezed together he would more easily perceive:
and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water; so that it
appeared it had not only fallen on it, but it had taken in a large quantity of
it; the word here used is the same as in Judges 5:25; see
Gill on Judges 5:25; the
Targum calls it a flagon.
Judges 6:39 39 Then Gideon said to God,
“Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray,
just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on
all the ground let there be dew.”
YLT
39And Gideon saith unto God,
`Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I
pray Thee, only this time with the fleece -- let there be, I pray Thee, drought
on the fleece alone, and on all the earth let there be dew.'
And Gideon said unto God,.... In the same way as
before, and on the morning when he had been favoured with the sight of the
above miracle:
let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this
once; he was conscious to himself that it showed great presumption and
boldness in him to repeat his request, and that it had the appearance of great
diffidence and distrust in him, after he had been indulged with such a sign to
confirm his faith; but as it was not so much on his own account as others, and
promising to ask no more favours of this kind, he hoped his boldness would not
be resented:
let me prove, l pray thee, but this once with the fleece one time more
with it, and that not to try the power of God, of which he had no doubt, but
the will of God, whether it was the good pleasure of God to save Israel by his
hand, and whether now was the time, or another:
let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground
let there be dew; which might seem to be a greater, at least a plainer miracle
than the former, and less liable to cavil and objection; for it might be urged,
that a fleece of wool naturally draws in and drinks up moisture about it;
wherefore that to be dry, and the ground all around it wet, would be a sure
sign and evidence of the wonderful interposition of the power and providence of
God, in directing the fall of the dew on the one, and not on the other.
Judges 6:40 40 And God did so that night.
It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
YLT
40And God doth so on that
night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there
hath been dew.
And God did so that night,.... The night following,
the night being the season in which the dew falls:
for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the
ground; and this might signify, that not Gideon only, as before, should
partake of the divine favour, but all the Israelites, who would share in the
salvation wrought by him. Many interpreters observe, that all this is an emblem
of the different case and state of the Jews and Gentiles under the different
dispensations; that whereas under the former dispensation the Jews partook of
the divine favour only, and of the blessings of grace, and enjoyed the words
and ordinances with which they were watered, when the Gentiles all around them
were like a barren wilderness; so, under the Gospel dispensation, the Gentiles
share the above benefits to a greater degree, while the Jews are entirely
destitute of them.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)