Judges 5:12

12 1"Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, 2lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.

Judges 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:12

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 ( Psalms 68:18 ) .

Judges 5:12 In-Context

10 "Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel."Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD.
12 "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's staff;

Cross References 2

  • 1. Psalms 57:8
  • 2. Psalms 68:18; Ephesians 4:8
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.