The Song of Deborah

Illustration of The Song of Deborah

After the defeat of Sisera, the prophetess and judge Deborah sang a victory song with Barak, one of the oldest and most vivid poems in Scripture. It recounts the battle, praises the tribes who came to fight and rebukes those who held back, and celebrates Jael's decisive blow. It closes with a prayer that God's enemies perish 'but they that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.'

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Strongest connections in Scripture
Judges 5

Key Passages

Then Sang Deborah

Judges 5:1-12

Deborah and Barak sing of the LORD's victory over Sisera, praising those who offered themselves willingly.

T1hen sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. 4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. 6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. 12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

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Characters

Deborah Deborah served as a prophetess and judge in Israel during a period of oppression by the Canaanite kingโ€ฆ Barak Barak served as an Israelite military commander during the period of the judges when the Canaanites underโ€ฆ Jael In the turbulent era of the judges, Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite became an unexpected instrument ofโ€ฆ Sisera Sisera served as the military commander for King Jabin of Hazor, leading a powerful Canaanite force thatโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

Deborah is the only female judge of Israel - and she sang this victory song.

2

It is considered one of the oldest passages in the entire Bible.

3

It praises the tribes who fought and rebukes those who stayed home.

4

It vividly celebrates Jael's decisive blow against the enemy commander Sisera.