Exposition of the Whole Bible

dent of Kain, a principal man among the Midianites; the Targum calls him the Salmean: which was of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Mofes; who came along with the children of //- rael through the wildernefs into the land of Canaan, and firtt fettled about Jericho; and then removed into the wildernefs*of Judah, ch. i. 16. had fevered himfelf from the Kenites; which dwelt in the faid wildernefs; to whom he belonged when this feparation was made, and on what account, is not certain. Adarbinel thinks, that it was done now, and with a defign to help J/rae/, that hearing Barak was gone up to mount Taser, and {eeing Sifera prepared to fight with him, he made as if he was difgufted with his own people, and feparated from them, that Yasin, with whom he was at peace, might the more confide in him; when it was out of love to J/rae/, and with a view to affift them, as occafion fhould offer, that he removed; but this is not very likely, as thefe Kenites were a people that kept themfelves from meddling with military affairs as much as poffible: and pitched bis tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedefh, for thefe people dwelt in tents as the Midianites did, from whence they fprung, and as the Scenite Arabs; and yet near to cities, as here, and in places fit for the pafturage of their cattle, in which they were chiefly employed, and here pitched upon a plain, where were fields and meadows: the Zargum calls it a plain of pools, where were pools of water for the watering of their flocks; or rather it might be rendered the oak or grove of oaks of Zaanaim, the fame with Allonzaanannim in Fob. xix. 33. fee the note there. This place lay between Hbarofbeth of the Gentiles, from whence Sifera came, and mount Tabor, where Barak was.. This little piece of hiftory is inferted here, partly to account for it, that there fhould be any Kenites here, when we are told before they fettled in the wildernefs of Yudab, and partly on account of the following narrative of Si/era being flain by this man’s wife.

y. 12. And they foewed Sifera, &c.} Either fome of the Canaanites that dwelt near Tabor, or fome fpies that Sifera had out; though fome think thé Kenites told him, who were at peace with Fadin, ¥. 17. yet whether out of good-will or ill-will, cannot be faid: however, fo it was ordered by the providence of God, that by fome means or another Sifera fhould be informed, that Barak the on of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor; and no doubt at the fame time he was told the number of men that went with him; from whence he might -well conclude, that fuch a warlike man, with fuch a force collected together, and having pofted himfelf in an high and ftrong mountain, muft have fome defign to. caufe a revolt of IJ rael

¥.13. And Sifera gathered together all bis chariots, &c.] Or therefore, he gathered them together, which might lie fome in one place, and fome had of Deborah as a judge of J/rael, and prophetels of the Lord; being defirous that. he might have her with him to pray to God for him, to give him advice and -counfel on any emergency, fhe being as the oracle of God; and whereby he teftified his regard to the Lord, and to his prefence, which he concluded he fhould have, the prophetefs being with hm; and more efpecially his reafon for infifting on her going with him, might be to prevail upon the inhabitants of Naphtali and Zebulun to go with him, who he might fear would not believe him, or pay any regard to his words, and bein dread of engaging with the enemy, unlefs the was prefent; which he fuppofed would fatisfy them as to the mind of God in it, and animate them, and give them heart and {pirit.

¥. 9. And foe faid, I will furely go with thee, &c.] - She made novhefitation about it, but agreed at once to go with him for his encouragement; perceiving fome degree of weaknefs in him, and yet an hearty and fincere inclination to engage in the work propofed, and that this might be no hinderance, fhe readily affents to it: adding, notwithfianding the journey thou take, the way or courfe he f{teered, the methods he took in infifting on it that fhe fhould go with him: /hall not be for thine honour; as a general of an army, who is commonly folicitous to have the whole glory of an action: for the Lord fhall fell Sifera into the hand of a woman meaning either herfelf, for the being judge of //rael, and going along with him, would have the glory of the victory afcribed to her, as ufually is to the principal perfon in the army; and fo it would be faid in future time, that the Lord delivered Sifera and his army, not into the hand of Barak, but into the hand of Deborah, whereby he would not have all the honour which otherwile he would have, if fhe went not with him; or elfe Fael, Heber’s wife, is meant, into whofe hands Sifera did fall, and by whom he was flain; but this feems to have no connexion with Dedorah’s going, or not going with him, it did not depend upon that one way or another; unlefs it can be thought that thus it was ordered in providence as a rebuke of his diffidence and weaknefs, that becaufe he would not go without a woman, Si/era fhould fall not into his hands, but into the hands of a woman; and if fo, this is a clear inftance of Deborah’s having a fpirit of prophefy, and of a prediction of a future contingent event: and Deborah arofe, and went with Barak to Kedefh; that is, they went together from the palm-tree between Remab and Bethel in mount Ephraim, to Kedefs in mount Naphtali, in order to raife the 10,000 men that were to fight with Siera.

y. 10. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedefh, &c.} This he did either by the found of a trumpet, as bud did, or by fending mefiengers to them to collect 10,000 men from among, them, which they accordingly did, and came to him in Kedefh: and he went up with 10,000 men at his feet; they following him up to mount chearfully and readily, being all footmen; - Ifraelites had no cavalry, and yet got the victory over Sifera’s army, which, according to Fofephus®, had 10,000 horle in it: And Deborah went up with him; and his 10,000 footmen, to the top of mount Tador, to encourage him and them with her prefence, and give her belt advice when to defcend and engage the enemy.

¥. 11. Now Heder the Kenisz, &c.] A defcen- ZaéorJin another, for the better quartering of the men for the, that belonged to them: even 900 chariots of irons and which, as before obferved, are magnified by Fofephus, and made to be 3000: and all the people that were with him; his foldiers, Fabin’s army, of which he was captain, and are called a multitude, ¥. 7. and which, the above writer fays *, confifted of 3c0,000 foot, and 10,000 horfe, befides the iron-chariots: thefe he collected together, and brought with him, from Harofbeth of the Gentiles; the place where he refided with his army, ¥. 2. unto the river of Kifoon, which was near mount Tabor, the rendezvous of Barak and his men, fee ¥. 6, 7.

¥.14. And Deborah faid unto Barak, up, &e.] Not go up higher, for they were upon the top of a mountain; but rife, bettir thyfelf, prepare for battle, put the army in rank and file, and march and meet the enemy without delay: for shrs is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sifera into thine hand; by a {pirit of prophecy fhe knew this was the precife day, the exact time in which it was the will of God this deliverance fhould be wrought; and fhe fpeaks of it as if it was paft, becaufe of the certainty of it, and the full affurance fhe had of it, and Barak might have; nor is what fhe fays any contradiction to what fhe had faid before, that Sifera fhould be fold or delivered into the hands of a woman, ¥. 9. for both were true, Si/era firft fell into the hands of Yae/, a woman, and then into the hands of Barak, and into the hands of both on the fame day: zs not the Lord gone out be- Jore thee? it was manifeft he was, at leaft to Deborab, who was fully affured of it, and therefore it became Barak and his men, and great encouragement they had to follow, fince as the Lord went before them as their generaliffimo, they might be fure of victory: perhaps there might be fome vifible appearance, fome fhining luftre and fplendor of the Shekinah, or divine majefty; the Targum's, «is not the angel of the Lord gone out before thee, to profper thee?” fo Barak went down from mount Tabor, and 10,000 men after him; no mention is made of Deborab’s coming down with them} perhaps fhe ftayed on the mountain till the battle was over; nor might Barak be urgent upon her now to go with him, being confident of fuccefs, and having all the ends anfwered by her prefence, he could with for.

¥.15. And the Lord difcomfited Sifera, and all his chariots, and all bis hoft, &c.| Frighted them, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions, or difturbed them with a noife and tumult, as: the word fignifies; with a noife in the heavens, which were in their ears, as Abarbinel obferves, like the noife of a large army, as was the cafe of the Syrians, 2 Kings vii. 6. and they faw, he fays, horfes and chariots of fire, and ‘the like, ‘which terrified thems and all this he fuppofes was done before Barak defcended from the mountain, fo that he had nothing to do when he came, but to purfue and kill, whereby it plainly appeared it was the Lord’s doing. ‘ofepbus ' fays, there was a great tempeft of rain and hail, and the wind blew the rain in their faces, which fo blinded their eyes, that their flings and arrows were of no ufe to them; and they that bore armour were fo benumbed, that ldid chariot? and this he might do in his frighty —— not confidering his horfes were fwifter than he: thus Homer reprefents a Trojen warrior leaping out of his chariot to efcape Diomedes, and another as — doing the fame to get clear of Achilles®& 90

¥. 16, But Barak purfued after the chariot, and after the hoft, unto Harofbeth of the Gentiles, Sec.) The place from whence they came, and to which they endeavoured to efcape: but he followed them fo clofe all that way, and made fuch havock of them, that all the hoft of Sifera fell upon the edge of the fword, and there was noi a man left 3 “no not one, excepting Si/era, as in the next verfe > OF ever to one', as in the original text; not one efcaped to Hezor to acquaint fabin of the lofs of his army. Philo Byblias fays, that 997 thoufand of éz/era’s army were flain.

¥.19. Howbeit, Sifera fled away on his feet, &c.} Got off, and made his efcape to the tent of Fael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, before Spoken of, y¥. ri, and he made to that, becaufe he might think himfelf fafer in a tent than in a town; and efpe-. cially in the tent of a woman, where he might imagine no fearch would be made; for women of note, in thofe times, had feparate tents, fee Gen. xxiv. 67. and the rather he made his efcape hither for a reafon that follows: for there was peace between Fabin the king of Hazor, and the houfe of Heber the Kenite; which Fabin might the more ‘readily come into, becaufe thefe were not [ raelites, tnor did they make any claim to the country, and ‘lived only in tents, and attended their flocks, and were a quiet people, and not at all difpofed to war; and it might be fo ordered by the provi- — ‘dence of God, as a rebuke to the J/raelites for their fins, when thofe who were only profelytes /kept clofe to the worfhip of God, and fo enjoyed liberty, peace and profperity.

¥.18. And Fael went out to meet Sifera, &c.J Seeing him coming, and knowing him full well, ‘fhe ftept forward towards him, to invite him into her tent: fome think fhe was looking out, that if fhe faw any D/raelite in diftrefs to take him*in;° and very probably had been fome time at her tentdoor, to enquire how the battle went, of which no doubt, living fo near Kedef, fhe knew was expected: and faid unto him, turn in, my lord; that is, into her tent: and fhe addreffés him with the title of Jord, for the fake of honour, having been, general of a large army; and not becaufe her hufband was a fervant, and in fubjectioni to him, as Abarbinel fuggefts: turn in to me, fear not; the repeats the invitation, to fhew that fhe was hearty and fincere, and that he had nothing to fear from her, nor any in her houfe; and it may be at firtt fhe had no thought of doing what fhe afterwards did to him, ir being put into her heart after this:

they could not hold their fwords. Something of ad when be had turned in unto ber in the tent; and this kind is intimated by Dedorah in her fong, ch. v. 20, and this was accompanied or followed by a flaughter with the edge of the fword before Barak;

the fright and dread they were put into, was increafed by the appearance of Barak, who fell upon:

them in their confufion, and cut them to pieces: fo that Sifera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet; being very probably fwift of foot; and befides thought it fafeft to quit his chariot, which in the confufion was in danger of being run againft by others; as alfo he might judge he fhould not be fo eafily difcerned who he was when on foot, as a common foldier, as in his fplen- laid himfelf down upon the ground, being weary: foe covered him with a mantle; either to hide him, fhould any fearch be made for him, or it may be to keep him from catching cold, being in a fwea through his flight, and being alfo perhaps inclined to fleep through wearinefs. The word for a man- ‘tle, according to Kimchi, fignifies fuch a garment which has locks of wool on both fides of it, a fort of rug, and fo very fit to cover with, an keep warm. So David de Pomis ™ defcrib having locks and threads hanging down h there, Ste

¥.19. And he faid unto ber, give me, I pray thee, a kttle water to drink, for L am thirfly, &c. Which might be occafioned by the heat of the battle, and by the heat of the day, and by in running; he afks for a little water, that being very defirable by perfons athirft. Some think he did not afk for wine, becaufe he knew the Kenites did not drink any, and fo of courfe kept none in their tents; but though this was the cuftom of the Rechalites, who were the fame with the nites, Fer. xxxv. 8. yet it is very probable this cuftom had not yet obtained among them, fince it was enjoined by /onadab their father, who lived in the times of Fehu, 2 Kings x. 15. and fhe opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, which fhe did either out of courtefy, being a better liquor, or with defign to throw him into a fleep, which milk inclines to,.making heavy, as all the commentators obferve; though Jo/epbus " has no authority to fay, as he does, that the milk fhe gave him was bad and corrupt: and covered him; again, after he had taken a draught of milk, which it feems fhe poured into a difh with the cream on it, with it: and went Softly unto him s lett fhe thould- \awake him: and [mote the nail into bis lemples 5+ as he lay on one fide, thefe being the tendereft part heatlof the head, from whence they have their name in the Hebrew language, and into which therefore a nail, or iron pin might be more eafily driven: and faftened it into the ground; fhe {mote the nail with fuch force and violence, that fhe drove jt through both his temples into the ground on which he lay Ke-Jand then, as it feems from ch. v. 26. cut off his head, to make fure work of it: for he was faft a/eep and weary; and fo heard not when the came to him: fo be died; not in the field of battle, but in a tent; not by the fword, but by a nail; not by the hand of a man, but of a woman, as Deborah foretold, ¥. 9.

y.22. And behold, as Barak purfued Sifera, &c.} Fewifh Knowing the way he took, at leaft as he fuppofed: Fael came out to meet him; as the did Sifera, but with greater pleafure: and faid unto bim, come, and I will foew thee the man whom thou feekeft; for fhe full well knew whom he was in purfuitof: and awhen be came into her tent; at her invitation: de- fee ch. v. 25. hold, Sifera lay dead, and the nail was in bis tem-

¥. 20. And he faid unto her, fiand in the door of the tent, &c.) This he faid, not in an imperious way, as fome think, but by intreaty: and it /hall be-when any man foall come, and enquire of thee; fecing her at the door, and where he defired fhe would {tand to prevent their coming into the tent: and fay, is there any man here? any befides what belongs to the family? or any of Si/éra’s army? that thou foalt fay, no; there is no man; but to this fhe made no an{wer that is recorded.

¥. 21, Then Fael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, &cc.| When fhe perceived he was faft and it being now put into her heart to kill him, having an impulfe upon her fpirit, which fhe was perfuaded by the effect it had upon her, that it was of God; not filling her with malice and revenge, but a concern for the glory of God, thel intereft of religion, and the good of Jjrael, the took this method to effect the death of this enemy of God, and his people; having no arms in the| houfe, for the Kenites ufed none, fhe took up an iron pin, with which her tent was faftened to the ground:.aad took a hammer in ber band which perhaps fhe knew full well how to handle, being ples; which the did not attempt to draw out, but left it there, that it might be feen in what way fhe had difpatched him.

yf. 23. So God fubdued on that day, Fabin king of: Canaan, before the children of Ifrael.| Freed I/rael from fubjeCtion to him, and delivered him into the hands of the J/raelites; for Tofephus » fays, that as Barak went towards Hazor, he met Fabin, and flew him;. who perhaps having heard of the defeat of his army under Si/era, came forth with another againtt I/rael, which being overcome by them, he afleep,) was flain, and the city utterly deftroyed, as the fame writer fays; but by what follows, it feems rather that the total conqueft of him was afters wards and gradually accomplifhed.

_ ¥. 24. Aud the hand of the children of Irael propered and prevailed againft Fabin the king.of Canaan, &c.] They continued their wars with him, in which they were fuccefsful: wutil they had dea rroyed Fabin king of Canaan; took him, and put him to death, and took his cities, and deftroyed the inhabitants of them, and fo aéted more agreeably to the declared will of God, that they fhould not {pare the Canaanites, but deftroy them.

ufed to drive the pins of the tents into the ground

Apne chapter contains a fong of praife on account of the victories obtained over Fabin, and his kingdom; after an exhortation to praife is given, and kings excited to attend to it; the majeflic appearance of God at Seir, on Sinai, is ferved, to raife in the mind a divine veneration of him, ¥.1—5. then the miferable ftate and condition J/rael was in before thefe victories, and der’s wife, is particularly commended for her exploit in Maying Sifera, y. 24—27. and the mother of Sifera, and her ladies, are reprefented as wondering at his long delay, and as affured of his ob- having got the victory, y. 28, 29, 30. and the fong is concluded with a prayer for the deftruétion of the enemies of the Lord, and for the happinefs and glory of them that love him, y. gi therefore had the more reafon to be thankful, y. _ 6,7, 8. the governors, and judges, and the people that were delivered, together with Deborah and Barak, are ftirred up to rehearfe the righteous acts of the Lord, and blefs his name, y. g—13.and thofe who willingly engaged in the war are praifed, and fuch who were negligent reproved, and fome even curfed, ¥..14—23. but Feel, He- _ y.1. Zhen fang Deborab and Barak the fon of Abinoam, &c.] Deborah is firft mentioned, becaufe fhe was, as Kimchi fays, the root or foundation of the work, the chief perfon in it, both in the direction of the war, and in the compofition. of this fong; and indeed, as Ben Ger/om obferves, the alone compofed it, fee ¥. 7. and the verb is fin-

gular: then fung Deborah; and after her, and in her words, fung alfo Barak he joined with her, not in making the fong, but in finging it; and fo likewife the people of J/ael joined with her in finging it, as they did with Mo/es at the Redea;

and this fong was fung o# that day 3 not on the precife day on which the victory was obtained over Sifera and his atmy, but on occafion of that memorabte day, and what followed upon it: /aying; the following divine hymn or fong, penned by Deborah, under divine infpiration, as the fublimity of the ftile, the fine and noble thoughts and fentiménts that are in it, the beautiful and elegant phrafes in which they are expreffed, abundantly fhew; no Sappho, or any Grecian poetefs, nor indeed any poet whatever, un-infpired, being equal to the writer of this poem.

¥. 2. Praife ye the Lord for ths avenging of Ijrael, &c.] The injuries done to I/rael by any of their enemies, and particularly what wrongs had been done them by Fadin king of Canaam for 20 years paft; though fome underftand it of the vengeance God took on J/rae/ for their fins; and though praife is not given direétly for that, yet inafmuch as when that was the cafe, there were fome whofe fpirits were ftirred up to engage voluntarily in the deliverance of them from the oppreffion of ‘ their enemies, it was matter of praife: when the people willingly offered themfelves; to go and fight for J/rael againft their enemies, particularly thofe of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, y. 18. tho” not excluding others that joined, who could not have been forced to it, had they not freely offered themfelves; and which was owing to the fecret influence of divine providence on their hearts, moving and drawing them to this fervice; and therefore praife was due to the Lord on this’account, who works in the hearts of men both to will and to do, as in things fpiritual and religious, fo in things natural and civil.

¥. 3. Hear, O ye kings, give ear, O ye princes, &c.] Not only the neighbouring ones, but all the kings andprinces of the earth, far and near, then and in fucceeding ages; Deborah defires and wifhes 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 afcribed; and be cautious how they opprefléd the people of God, fince fooner or} later he would avenge them on them. ‘The Yargum reftrains this to the kings that came with Sé- fera andthe governors with Jasin, but if there were any fuch, as it is not improbable there were, fee y. 19. yet it is moft likely that they were flain with them: there are fome, as Kimchi obferves, who think this refpects the people of IJ/rae/, who were all the fons of kings; but the firft fenfe is beft: T even I will fing unto the Lord, I will fing praife to the Lord God of Ifrael; which are the words of Deborah particularly, and the repetitions ferve to exprefs how cordial, earneft, and vehement fhe was in her praife and thankfulnefs ta God; thereby fetting an example to others, encouraging them to the fame practice, and directing perfons of every rank and quality to give praife only to ehovab, the felf-exifting, everlafting, and unchangeable Being; to him who is the Lord and God of Praelin a peculiar manner, and not to any of the gods of the Gentiles.

properly. begins the fong, what goes before being, buta preface to it; and it begins with an apoftrophe — to the Lord, taking notice of fome ancient appearances of God for his people, which were always matter of praife and thankfulnefs; and the rather are they taken notice of here, becaute of fome likenefs between them, and what God had now wrought; and this paffage refers either to the giving of the law on Sinai, as the Targum and Farchi; fee Deut. xxxiii, 2. Ezra, Kimchi, and others,, to the Lord’s going before I/rael, after they had encompafied the land of Edom, and marched from thence towards the which ftruck terror into all the nations round about them, and the prophecies of A4o/es in his fong be- dread and terror are expreffed in the following figurative phrafes: the earth trembled, and the like fgure Homer * ufes at the approach of Nepiune, whom he calls the fhaker of the earth, perhaps borrowed from hence; it may defign the inhabitants of it, the Amorites,, Moabites, Edomites, Phi- dropped, the clouds alfo dropped water; which as it may literally refer to the ftorm and tempeft o rain that might be then as now; fee ch. iv. 15. fe may figuratively exprefs the panic great perfonages, comparable to the heavens and the clouds in them, were thrown into, when their hearts melted like water, or were like clouds diffolved into it.

y¥. 5. The mountains melted from before thé Lord, &c.] The inhabitants of them through fear, the Lord going before J/rael 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 Ifrael; or, as that Sinai, the note of fimilitude being wanting; and the fenfe is, the mountains melted, juft as the famous mountain Sinai in a literal fenfe did, when it trembled and quaked at the prefence of God on it; the tokens of it, the fire and fmoke, thunders, lightenings, and tempefts there feen and heard; and which being obferved, would call to mind the benefit J/rae then received, which required praife and thankfuinefs, as well as would ferye to exprefs the awe and reve- ‘rence of God due unto him. ' y. 6. Inthe days of Shamgar, the fon of Anath, &c.] Of whom fee ch. iv. 31. who fucceeded Ebud as ajudge, but lived not long, and did not much 3; at leaft wrought not a perfect deliverance of the children of J/rae/;. but during his time till now, quite through the twenty years of Fadia’s oppreffion, things were as they are after deferibed: in the days of Fael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; {poken of in the preceding chapter, who appears to be a woman of a mafculine {pirit, and endeavoured to do what good fhe could to J/rae/, tho” not a judge among them, as Yarchi fuggefts; and who before this affair of Séfera had fignalized herfelf by fome deeds of hers in favour of Jrael, and againft their enemies, yet far from putting a ftop to the outrages committed; for in the times of both thefe perfons, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through by-ways; the public roads were fo infefted with thieves and robbers, who ftopped all ‘they met with, and rob- _ bed them of what they: had, that travellers and

¥. 4. Lord, when thou wenteft out of Seir, when merchants with their carriages were obliged either thou marched owt of the fields of Edom, &c.] Here or rather, as Abe. land of Canaan, when they fought with Sibon and

Og, kings of the Amorztes, and conquered them 5 — to quit their employments, and not travel at all or if they did, were obliged to go in private and round-about ways, to keep clear of thofe rapparees the highways and public roads abounded in not providing themfelve$ with arms, or not tas roads, king care of them in a time of peace; fo that when war came into their gates, they had nothing to defend themfelves with, or annoy their enemies or to their cowardice, not daring to take up a y. 7. The inhabitants of the villages ceafed, &c. Not only did thofe Canaaniti/h robbers go upon \fhield or fpear in their own defence; or to the thelenemy, Fabin king of Sanean, having difarmed highway, and robbed all they met with, which made travelling difficult and dangerous; but entered into the villages and-unwalled towns, and broke into houfes and plundered them; fo that the inhabitants of them were obliged to quit their dwellings, and go into the fortified cities for fecurity; by which means the villages were left empty, and in time fell to ruin, and ceafed: they ceafed in Ifrael; for they were the villages which belonged to the J/raelites that were plundered, and not thote that belonged to any of the Canaanites; and thefe were the unhappy circumftances J/rael were under until that I Deborah arofe, that I arofe a mother in frael, until it pleafed God to raife her up, and endow her in a very wonderful and extraordinary manner with gifts, qualifying her to be a nurfing mother to J/rae/, to teach and inftruct them in the mind and will of God, to adminifter judgment and juftice to them, to. protect and defend them, and in all which fhe difcovered a maternal affection for them; and as a good judge and ruler of a people may be called the father of them, fo the, being a woman, is with propriety called a mother in Jrael, having an affectionate concern for them as her children: now, till fhe arofe, there was no perfect falvation and deliverance wrought for them, fince the death of Ehud, even throughout the days of Shamgar and Fael, which is. obferved to excite praife and thankfulnefs on the prefent occafion, which hereby became the more illuftrious.

them that they might not be able to make a revolt from him, and recover their liberties. Ben Ger/oim refers it to the times of o/va, when there was no need of a fhield and fpear among the 40,000 of the children of Reuben, Gad,.and Manafeh, that came over Fordan with him, fince God fought for them; and the Targum feems to underftand it of Si/era’s army, that came againft J/rac/ with fhields, pears, and {words; and makes the number of them to be in all 300,000, which is juft the number of foot foldiers Yo/ephus makes his army to confift of; and yet though fo numerous, and fo well armed, could not ftand before Barak with 10,000 men only; fee the note on ch. iv. 13. the words rather refer to the inteftine war of the Benjamites with the J raelites, when 40,000 of the latter were killed, which was before the times of Deborah, ch, xx. 21, 25. ¥. 9. My heart is towards the governors of Ifracl, &c.| Moft of the ew commentators interpret this of their wife men and fcribes, who were willing to teach the people the law and the commandments, even in times of trouble, and did not ceafe from doing it on that account, and therefore Deborah prailes them for it; fo the Targum; but Kimchi and Ben Melech underftand by them the reat men of the nation, their nobles and rulers, who enacted good laws and.ftatutes; or at leaft took care to fee that the good laws they had were putin execution; and thefe had a fhare in the affeétions and good wifhes of Deborah, and that chiefly for the following reafon: that offered them- as moft of the Fewifh commentators interpret it 5 (elves willingly among the people; to go along with for the verb is fingular, and J/rae/ agrees well with it: this they did after the death of Fo/bua; it refers to their firft idolatry, begun by Micah, ch. xvii. they chofe other gods than the true God; Baalim and Afbtaroth they are faid to ferve, ch. ii. 11,13. and ili. 7. and befides the gods of the Canaanites and Phenicians, they fought after and introduced new ones from other places, or the fame may be meant; fince all befides the true God, the eternal Yebovab, the antient of days, and everlafting king, are new gods that lately fprung up; the Arabic and Syriac verfions are, ** God chofe a new king;” fo Ben Gerfom; to perfect this wonder; for not only Sifera and his army were drawn to the gates of J/rael to a proper place to fall in, but the viclory was not obtained by J/rae/ by their own force and ftrength; for they had no weapons of war, nota fhield nora fpear, but for a very few men, but it was the Lord that fought for them in a new way; the former fenfe feems beft, and agrees with what follows: then was war in the gates, when they fell into idolatry, then God fuffered the judgment of war to come upon them, even into the gates of their fortified cities, which were the fecurity of them, and where were their courts of judicature, but by war difturbed and made to ceafe:

them, and march at the head of them, to fight Sifera and his army; thereby fetting a good example, and animating the people’to battle, and infpiring them with courage and irt-epidity; when they faw their chiefs and the heads of them expo- - fing their lives with them in defence of their coun- ° try, and the rights of it: dle/s ye the Lord; for giving them fuch fpirits, to engage fo willingly in this fervice, and for giving them fuccefs in it. ¥.10. Speak ye that ride on white affes, &c.] Though in fome countries as in ours it is reckoned difgraceful to ride on affés; fo Leo Africanus * makes mention of a preacher in 4/7ica, who was called the afs-rider, becaufe he was continually fitting on an afs; yet in Fudea, where. there were no horfes, or very few, it was accounted honourable; fo it

‘was in the time of our Lord; for his riding on an afs to Ferufalem was not mean and difgracetul, but honourable and glorious: and {fo it certainly was in thofe early times of the judges; for we read of the fons of two of them, which were very nunierous, that rodeon affes colts, ch. x. 4. and xii. 14. and it feems that white affes were the moft va~ luable, and chiefly ufed by great perfonages. The afs in the Hedrew language has its name from rednefs, that being the ufual colour of them in thofe was there a foield or {pear feen among 40,000 in Jjrael? though the number of the U/raehtes were feveral hundred thoufands, yet there were not be feen among them fhields and fpears fufficient for 40,000; OF not one among 40,000 was armed; which was owing either to their negligence and floth parts; and hence they were hatetul to the Egyptians, becaufe that their Zyphon was of that cotojlour®; but there were fome that were white, as there are wild ones now of that colour. A traveller “in thofe parts in the beginning of the laft century tells us, that on the banks of the £y- places of drawing water for their flocks or other phrates they beheld every day great droves of wild beafts, as wild affes al/ white, &c.

tranflate white is Zechorot, and perhaps may de- {cribe the fame animal the Ethiopians call Zecora, and fome Zebra; faid to excel in beauty all footed creatures in the whole world. It is an animal of the bignefs of a mule, found in the woods beyond Abyfinia, is eafily tamed, and is the frequent and chief prefent 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 fide, according to the part of the body, fome broader, others narrower, both black white, or of anafh colour, fo neat that they feem to exceed the art of the moft eminent painter; its only The word wejufes, which laid them under obligation to do as directed in the next claufe.

rendered, ‘* becaufe of the voice of thofe that four-;number (fheep and other cattle) ac the places of drawing water*;” which now they could do, being a time of peace; and for which the pertons before defcribed ought to be thankful: there foal they rebearfe the righteous atts of the Lord, coming to thofe places again, it would put chem in mind to what hazards and dangers they had been expofed formerly by the enemy, but now were freed from; andjand this would lead them to difcourfe of and repeat the righteous dealings of God in taking vengeance on their enemies, and delivering theni from deformity are its ears, which are long; hence it is called by the Portugue/e the wild afs, tho’ wrongly; of what value and efteem it was, appears from the Jarge price it has been fold for; one that was the gift of a king to a Turkifh governor, was fold to an Indian for 2000 pieces of Venetian money, to make a prefent of to the great Mogor, king of the Indians °, which was the value of goo pounds. Thofe that rode on thefe creatures were the princes and nobles of J/rael; though they are generally interpreted by the ews/b commentators of merchants that rode from place to place about bufinefs; and thefe are called upon to fpeak of the wonderful things God had done for J/rae/, in freeing them from the bondage of the Canaanites,’ fo that thefe nobles or merchants might ride about the country, without any fear; and to difcourfe of them to others, and in their meditations give praife to God on account of them: ye that fit in judgment, which feems to defcribe judges upon the bench, fitting to hear and try caufes, and pafs righteous judgment; thefe are alfo exhorted to give thanks tothe Lord, that they were now reftored to their feats of judgment, from which they were driven; or where they could not peaceably exercife their office, which they now might and did: Cocceius renders the word on meafures, as if thefe were perfons that prefided over meafures, and took care that they were juft and right. Though Kimchi and Ben Melech fay, that Middin, which we render in judgment, is either the name of a city in the book of Fofbua, ch. xv. 61. fee the note there;

them:. even the righteous aéis towards the inhabitants of his villages in I/rael, they being now in no danger of having their houfes broke open, and their fubftance plundered as before, y. 7, then fall the people of the Lord go down to the gates; either of their enemies, purluing them unto them, as they did ch. iv. 16. or rather, to the gates of their own cities, where they had now free egrefs and reerefs; and thofe that were in the fortified cities, who had fled thither from the villages becaufe of the rapine of the enemy, now would go down to the gates, and pafs through them, and return to their villages again; or elfe the meaning is, that the people would now frequent as formerly the courts of judicature held in the gates of their cities, to have juftice done them, and be in no fear of being difturbed by theenemy, as before.

y.12. Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a fong, &c.] Lither perceiving fome languor and remifinefs in her fpirits, whilft fhe was delivering this fong, and therefore aroufes herfelf to attend to this fervice with more ardour and zeal; or rather finding herfelf more imprefied with. a fenfe of the great and good things the Lord had done for J/rael, calls upon her foul to exert all its powers in celebrating the praifes of the Lord, and therefore repeats the word awake fo often as fhe does: arife, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou fon of Abincam; for though the whole army of Sifera was deftroyed, that not a man was left, ch, iv. 16. yet as Barak purfued to Harafheth of the Gentiles, many there and in other places which or the name of a way ‘ well known in which they were afraid to go becaufe of the enemy, but now Went in it with fafety, and therefore had reafon to fpeak well of God, and praife his name; but this is rather intended in the next claufe: and walk by the way; the common people that travelled from fell into his hands, that belonged to Fabin, might be taken captive by him; and though the Canaanztes were to be flain, yet they might firt be led captive in triumph; and befides, there 3 ol be fome of other nations that were taken by hi this war; fee P/ Ixviii. 18. 2 place to placeon bufinefs, who before were obliged

¥. 13. Then he made bim that remaineth, 8ec.} to leave the public roads, and go in by-ways, ¥. The people of //rae/ that remained, who had been

6. but now could travel in the common road without fear, and therefore ought to be thankful.

under the yoke of Yasin king of Canaan; under which many of the‘ J/raelites very probably died;

¥.11. They that are delivered from the noife of but now the few mean and miferable that archers, inthe place of drawing water, &c.| Meaning either the army of the J/raelites, delivered from the archers of Sifera’s hoft at the river Kifbon; or fuch perfons, as maidens and others, that went out of the cities to fountains and wells of water, to fetch water from thence for their neceffities, but were frightened by the noife of archers that fhot at them; or fhepherds who led their flocks to water them there, but were repulfed or flain by archers that lay in wait in woods or lurking places there- remained, were raifed to an high eftate, and made to have dominion over the nobles among the people; that is, over the Canaanitifh nobility, that ‘were among the people under fasin 5’ but he being conquered by the J/raelites, his people and even his nobles became fubjecét to them; «and this was'the Lord’s doing, as the following words thew + be Lord made me have dominion over the mighty’y that is, Deborab,*to whom God gave domition éither over the. mighty ones of //rael, being re up 0 about; but now the country being cleared of them, |be their judge; or over the mighty Canaanite they could without fear have recourfe to thefeJhaving a concern in the conqueft of them y. 15. And the princes of Iffachar were with Deborah,.8ec.) On mount Tabor, whitherthey came to offer theméelves to join in the war againtt Fadia; or to affift’ with their counfels, the men of this tribe being underftanding of the times, to know what J/rael ought to do, 1 Chron. xii. 32. even J facha#; not:the princes only, but. the whole tribe alfos fo the Targum paraphrafes it, ‘* the reit of the tribe of [achar:? aid alfo Barak he was fent - \on foot into the valley; which was at the bottom of mount Tabor, from whence he was fent down by Deborab, when Sifera’s army was come thither; jand where he went chearfully on foot at the head of his 10,000 men, to engage Siféra with his horfé and chariots; and which latter were capable of doing, great execution in the valley, by running amone the foot, and cutting them in pieces with the {cythes at the fide of them; but Barak, fearlefs danger, readily obeyed the command of the judge and prophetefs, believing it was of God: or the words may be rendered, as by Noldius*, as Iachar, fo Barak, be was fent, &c. the one as the other, with equal readinefs and chearfulnefs, the(courage and intrepidity, defcended the mountain, at the order of Deborah, and took the field in the open plain, to engage with Si/era and his numerous hoft: for the divifion of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart; either for their divifions among themfelves in their own councils, fome being for going over Fordan to affift their brethren the Jraelites againft Fabin, and free them from his yoke, pitying their diftrefléd ftate and condition; and others wete for keeping at home, and taking care of their flocks, and not intermeddle in the quarrel; judging it to be moft for their worldly peace and profit, to obferve a neutrality: by reafon of which divifions no affiftance was given. Or for time)their divifions and feparations from their brethren the J/raelites, from whom they were not only fepawholrated by the river Fordan, but in their affections to \them, and regards for them; keeping at a diftance from them, when their help was required: and this conduét of theirs caufed many thoughts of heart in Deborah and Barak, in the princes and people of. Jel, who could not well underftand the reafon of it; and which caufed much grief and uneafinefs of mind, that fo powerful a tribe, and who had been affifting to them in the conqueft of the land, and lay convenient to help them, yet fhould be fo very indifferent to them.

y. 14. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them againft amalek, &c.| -In this and fome following vetfes, Deborah makes mention of the tribes that were aiding and affifting in this war, and of thofe that were not; and begins with Ephraim, where the herfelf dwelt; ¥.4, 5. who was the root, foundation, and fource of this expedition, that under al divine influence direéted, animated, and encouraged to it; and by whom, and from whence, a detach-jof ment was fent againft the malekites, who upon all occafions were ready to affift the Canaanites, and now were about to doit; and to prevent their junétion, a party was fent from Ephraim, and by the Ephraimites; though the Targum, and Fewifo commentators in general refer this to a paft action, which Dedorah here commemorates and celebrates; and underftand by root Fofbua, who was of that tribe, and who difcomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the fword, Ewed. xvii. 13. after thee Benjamin among thy people, which the fame Targum and the fame writers interpret of a future fact, and as fpoken of by way of prophecy; and fuppofe that Sau/ of the tribe of Benjamin is meant, and the people of Benjamin, the two hundred thoufand footmen he took with him, and fought againft Amalek, and deftroyed them, + Sam. xv. butit is rather to be underftood of the tribe of Benjamin -in general, which at this went out againft Amalek, to prevent their giving any affiftance to Fabin king of Canaan, and were followed in it by a party of the Epbreimites; fo that Benjamin has the greateft honour given it, partly as it was firft in this affair, ‘and partly as it was general, the whole tribe engaged, whereas only a few in Ephraim, and thofe ftimulated by the example of Benjamin: out of Machir came down governors; Machir was the only fon of Manaffeb, and therefore this muft refpect that tribe, half of which was fettled on the other fide Sfordan, and to which Farchi and other Yewi/h writers afcribe this, and fuppofe it refers to the princes and great men of it, who fubdued the Amorites, and took the 60 cities of Argod in the time of Mofes; though Kimchi and Ben Gerfom underftand it of fome of them that came from thence to affiftin this war; but it is clearly fuggefted in y. 17. that they abode beyond Fordan, and gave no affiftance at all; it therefore muft be underitood of the half tribe of Manaffeh, within Jordan, from whence came great perfonages, with a number of men nodoubtalong with them, to lend an helping hand againft the Canaanites; or to be employed as affiftants 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 readinefs in handling the pen; but thefe through a zeal forthe common caufe dropped their pens, and took to the fword, in vindication of the rights and liberties of themfelves and their brethren; for which they are juftly commended. i is repeated to fhew how much y.16. Why abode thou among the fheepfolds, to bear the bleatings of the flocks? &c.] This tribe abounded with flocks and herds, and. therefore chofe the country on the other fide Fordaz, as fuitable for them; and now at this critical juncture, they judged it wifeft, and their beft policy, to abide by them, and the care of them; left by intermeddling, fhould Fabia prevail, he might be provoked to fall upon them, and take them from them; wherefore the bleatings of their flocks, and the whiftlings of the fhepherds that kept them, founded louder in their ears, and more engrofied their attention, than the groans and cries of J/rael under oppreffion’; or than the foundings of the trumpet, the alarm of war, or the loud calls of Deberah and Barak; being under the influence of a carnal, worldly fpirit, and wanting affection and fympathy towards their brethren, about which Deorah here expoftulates with them: for the divifions of Reuben there were great fearchings of heart; this the prophetefs, 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 uneafinefs, occafioned many enquiries, caufed much difcourfé and converfation, and’ put them upon thinking, and greatly -|exercited their minds, what fhould be the meaning of their behaving after this manner. Cocceius takes thefe words to be fpoken ironically, and renders them, “ at the rivers of Reuben were great men inj be thé fame with Kijbon here, Jop. xi 5. fee Pi.

fearchings of heart;” there were wildom, prudence, counfel, fearching and difcerning of f{pitits, preferring their flocks to the people of God. y. 17. Gilead abode beyond Jordan, &c.] A country which lay on the other fide Jordan, and