Commentary on the Song of Deborah.
Latin Text from public domain Migne Editors, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.
Translated into English using ChatGPT.
Table of Contents
(Judges 5:1) And Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang. Barak is said to have been a man of Deborah the prophetess. Barak himself is also called Barak son of Lapidoth. For Lapidoth means lightning, and Barak, thunder. Lightning, therefore, because before he avenged Israel against the Canaanites, there was a lightning shining among the people, by merit and prerogative of his deeds: but after he avenged Israel against the Canaanites, he was called Thunder, that is, striking.
(Judges 5:4-5) Lord, when you went out from Seir and passed through the regions of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens and clouds poured down with water. It is said that the Lord went out from Seir and passed through Edom because the Edomites refused to receive his law, so he gave the law of Israel on Mount Sinai. The earth trembled, the heavens and clouds poured down with water. The earthquake of Mount Sinai is described. And when it says, 'The heavens and clouds poured down with water,' it means that in the presence of the Lord, the heavens, as if in fear, emitted sweat, which is said to have dripped down like water. Similarly, the mountains flowed from the presence of the Lord. And what follows, 'Sinai from the presence of the Lord God of Israel,' must be understood: it trembled and smoked.
(Judges 5:6) In the days of Sangar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jahel, the paths remained empty, and those who entered through them walked along crooked roads. The paths are said to have remained empty because during the time of Sangar, the leader of Israel, the paths had been taken over by enemies of Israel, and they did not dare to freely ascend to the house of the Lord to pray; instead, those who entered through them secretly ascended through crooked streets, out of fear of the enemies. Concerning which enemies Sangar is said to have not fully freed them (Judg. 3:31). But what is inserted a little above, in the days of Jahel, is to be understood, because when Sisara was killed by Jahel, the roads were opened, and they went into the house of the Lord without any fear, who previously went there by winding paths. And that Jahel is mentioned before Debbora here, it is said that Debbora did this for the sake of humility, because Jahel, the wife of Aber the Cinaean, killed Sisara.
(Judges 5:7) However, the strong ones in Israel ceased, they paused until Deborah, a mother in Israel, arose. These strong ones are the learned teachers and preachers of the law, who are said to have paused, that is, to not have been present, until she arose to teach Israel through preaching, exhortation, and counsel, and to deliver them from their enemies. Deborah also provokes these strong ones in the previous verses to bless the Lord together with her, saying: 'You who willingly offered your lives for the peril of Israel, bless the Lord!' (Verse 2). Hi, strong men, that is to say, the learned ones, are said to have offered their souls to danger, that is, to have submitted themselves to the law of God and his service, and to have sacrificed their body and soul in meditations on the law day and night.
(Judges 5:8) The Lord has chosen new wars, and he himself overturns the gates of the enemy. If a shield and a spear appeared among forty thousand Israelites, it is to be understood that he said this as if by swearing an oath, that among forty thousand Israelites neither a shield nor a spear could be found. Therefore, the Lord is said to have chosen new wars, and to have overturned the gates of the enemy because he has made the weak strong and victorious. But it is explained in the previous verse that the Israelites had been despoiled of their weapons by Jabin, king of Canaan, where it is said: And the children of Israel cried to the Lord. He had nine hundred chariots armed with scythes, and for twenty years he severely oppressed them (Judg. IV, 5). He severely and forcefully oppressed them, because it is said that he despoiled them of their weapons: as it is written in the book of Samuel: When the day of battle came, there was no sword or spear found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except for Saul and his son Jonathan (1 Sam. XIII, 22).
Judges 5:9-10
(Judges 5:9-10) My heart loves the leaders of Israel. It should be noted that in Hebrew, not leaders, but teachers is read. This is spoken by Deborah in the person of God, that God loves the teachers who study the law of God. Of whom it follows: You who offered yourselves willingly among the people, bless the Lord. Of whom it has also been said above in that place where it says: You who willingly offered your lives from Israel, etc. You who ride on bright donkeys. In Hebrew, female donkeys. And you sit in judgment. In Hebrew, sitting on judgment. And you walk on the road, speak where the chariots collide, and the army of the enemies is suffocated, there the righteousness of the Lord, the strength of Israel, is proclaimed. The people of Israel who ride on donkeys are called ascenders; but the female donkeys on which they ride are called the teachers of the tribes of Israel, on whose doctrine the rest of the people are said to ascend like on donkeys, that is, to find rest. They are called asses themselves, that is, they walk like an ass in the law, sitting on judgment, that is, on the law. They are also said to sit on judgment, that is, on the law, and to walk in the way under the law, because they would by no means exceed the path of the law. Therefore, Deborah, provoked the people who rested on these asses, that is, on these teachers, to bless the Lord, and she said: Speak, that is, praise. And as if they were asking: where and when will we praise the Lord? she responded: Where the chariots collided, and the army of the enemy was drowned, there let the justice of the Lord be recounted, the strength of merciful Israel; as if she said: Although God is always and everywhere to be praised; nevertheless, he is now to be praised and blessed by us, who overturns our enemies, just as he did with the Egyptians in the Red Sea.
(Judges 5:11) Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates and obtained the leadership. The people of the Lord went down to the gates, that is, to the gates of the house of the Lord, because with the Lord blessed and praised at the place of victory, they descended into the house of the Lord to praise the Lord there, offering prayers and sacrifices to Him. But as for the tribe of Issachar, that they were the teachers of the other tribes is shown in the Book of Chronicles, where it says: Of the sons of Issachar, there were men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs; and all their brethren followed their command (1 Chronicles 12:32). And the reason these scholars are called asses is shown in the book of Genesis where it says: Issachar, a strong donkey lying down between the borders, saw that rest was good and the land was pleasant, and he bowed his shoulder to bear the burden and became a servant under tribute (Gen. XLIX, 14, 15). The donkey is called strong in the Book of Genesis because of the strength of the law, since it carried the law on its shoulder and gave tribute, that is, imparted the teaching of the law to the other tribes. In the Book of Judges, they are called donkeys, because they were weakened and humiliated, and remained weak, oppressed by the yoke of the nations, and only satisfied with the law of God.
(Judges 5:12) Rise, rise Deborah; rise, speak the Song. It is noteworthy that in Hebrew it is read 'exspergisce,' that is, 'exspergisce' in the spirit of prophecy. Therefore, by the voices of the aforementioned teachers, Deborah is urged to be 'exspergisce' in the spirit of prophecy and praise, and not to cease from praising God. Hence, it follows: Speak the Song. Rise, Barak, and take your captives, son of Abinoam. In Hebrew, it is said: 'Praedare praedam, tuam fili Abinoem.' This statement also warns the same wise men of Barak to plunder the remnants of their enemies, and to bring them to utter destruction, and to commendably acquire the name of victory for themselves.
(Judges 5:13) Then the remnants of the people were saved. This sentence is to be connected to the previous sentence, which says: Where the righteousness of the Lord is told, the strength of Israel's mercy; because then the remnants of the people were saved. The Lord fought in the strongholds. In Hebrew it is written: The Lord fought for me in the strongholds. And this is the voice of all the people of Israel; for He fought for them against the Egyptians and against the other enemies of Israel. Unde et sequitur.
(Judges 5:14a) From Ephraim, he destroyed them in Amalek, that is, Joshua, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, destroyed the strong ones, that is, the enemies of Israel, in Amalek, as it is read in the book of Exodus: 'And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword, etc.' (Exodus 17:13). And that the same Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim is shown in the book of Numbers, where it is said: 'From the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun' (Numbers 13:9), whom Joshua also calls in the following passages, saying: 'Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.' And after him, that is, Joshua, rising from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul destroyed the people of Amalek, as commanded by the Lord, which Deborah prophesied about Saul in the spirit of prophecy. And this is said according to the figure of speech called prolepsis, that he himself would destroy Amalek, as you have in the Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 14:48). But the phrase 'O Amalek' is not found in the Hebrew text, but the Latin interpreter added it for the sake of clarity.
(Judges 5:14b) From Machir, the leaders descended, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to fight. In Hebrew, it is written: From Machir, the leaders descended, and it is understood, to fight, that is, to overthrow the prince Sisera. And from Zebulun, it is understood, they descended, who led the army. And from the tribe of Levi, and from the tribe of Issachar, it is understood, to fight, that is, to praise and humbly beseech the Lord. Of which, it follows.