Judges 5:20

20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.

Judges 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:20

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 5:20 In-Context

18 It was the people of Zebulun who put their lives in danger, even to death, with Naphtali on the high places of the field.

19 The kings came on to the fight, the kings of Canaan were warring; in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they took no profit in money.

20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon took them violently away, stopping their flight, the river Kishon. Give praise, O my soul, to the strength of the Lord!

22 Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.