Soil from Stone

Judges 5:1-31

The Song of Deborah is a very difficult passage for translators. The sentence construction is unusual, and some Hebrew words are found nowhere else in Scripture. For example, consider some of the ways in which the first clause of verse 5 has been translated:

• King James Version: “They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water…”
• English Standard Version: “To the sound of musicians at the watering places…”
• Brenton English Septuagint: “Ye that are delivered from the noise of disturbers among the drawers of water…”
• Jewish Publication Society: “Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs!”
• Douay-Rheims Bible: “Where the chariots were dashed together, and the army of the enemies was choked…”
• Young’s Literal Translation: “By the voice of shouters between the places of drawing water…”

I have tried not to base my interpretations on any particular translation that fits my preconceptions, but to examine the passage as a whole. I wanted to learn what Deborah was actually trying to say and to apply her meaning to marriage and the family without imposing my own preconceptions onto her words. If I have failed, I should not wonder, but I take some solace in the trouble this passage has given translators throughout modern history.

Judges 5:2-5
Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel… Deborah and Barak did not liberate Israel, but God alone did it. Although he could have defeated Israel’s enemies whenever he chose, he did it only when Israel voluntarily took up the role that God had set for them. Many people find success in their endeavours for various reasons, but all of them are more successful if they live according to God’s design. Where men conduct military affairs, armies tend to prevail. Where women teach their children and feed their households, families tend to grow strong and numerous. God’s Providence empowers them, whether they acknowledge him or not. Within the family, God has designed men and women for different roles. It is possible for a single mother or a single father to bring up healthy, well adjusted children, but it is more difficult than if they were a complete family. It is possible for a woman to run her own affairs effectively, but she would be happier and more effective as a woman if she shared the responsibility with a good man. The same is true for a man without a good woman. God designed us to live according to certain roles and patterns. We can survive outside of them, but we can only be at our best if we conform to his design.

Judges 5:6-7
…until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. The word here translated as “The inhabitants of the villages,” perazon, should have been translated “Inhabitants of the countryside.”  Men in Israel had forsaken their rightful role as lawgivers and protectors, and a criminal element of foreign brigands had taken control of the countryside. The main roads were no longer safe to travel, and the rural farmers all fled to the walled towns. Nature and government both abhor a vacuum, and where no man will lead, a woman will. There is no sin in a woman leading her country or her family when that role is abandoned by patriarchs. However, if the men are doing their jobs, a woman taking charge is a usurper. No matter how good her intentions, she can only cause harm in the end.

Judges 5:8-10
…then was war in the gates. The war in the gates of Israel’s towns was not with foreign invaders, but between the men of Israel. From the previous verses, we know that the countryside was unsafe. The people fled to the cities and walled towns. This war in the gates was caused by idolatry and was fought with rhetoric. Men of action had nearly disappeared (“Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?”), leaving only theologians, philosophers, and lawyers to fight amongst themselves instead of against Jabin and Sisera. When men become cowards or sluggards or “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good,” great women such as Deborah rightly take over leadership. I would rather serve a righteous Deborah than an unrighteous Ahab or Omri.
My heart is toward the governors of Israel… Deborah rejoiced in those few men who remained to judge righteously and did not fear the incriminations of idolaters.
Speak, ye that ride on white asses… “Speak” here means to speculate or debate.  Deborah was calling on the proud and wealthy philosophers who had taken over the gates to emulate those men who were still capable of acting on behalf of their people, who could still command troops in real war instead of only words in verbal sparring.

Judges 5:12
…utter a song…and lead thy captivity captive… God’s direction to Deborah was to galvanize the nation to war through her prophetic singing, while God’s direction to Barak was to lead the armies of Israel to liberation. Deborah judged Israel, but she did so only because there was no one else. When a masculine leader arose, Deborah sought to step out of the limelight, but even then, Barak did not fully accept his place. Deborah’s extraordinary character shines through this entire story. Throughout, she continues to praise Barak and the other reluctant deliverers of Israel even as they hid behind her proverbial skirts.

Judges 5:13
…dominion over the mighty. God rewarded those men who stood for Israel by giving them glory and authority over the pacifist philosophers who occupied the places of honor in the gates. He rewarded Deborah’s courage and strength by placing her in authority even over those warriors.

Judges 5:24-26
Blessed above women… Jael was alone in her tent when she killed Sisera. While Barak needed Deborah to give him courage, Jael needed neither woman nor man. She lured Sisera with charm and comfort and killed him when the greatest warriors of Israel could not.

Judges 5:27
At her feet he bowed… Here and in other places in Scripture, the feet are a euphemism for genitalia. Deborah was emphasizing Jael’s use of feminine wiles to conquer a great general. He did not fall beneath her sword, but beneath her promises of succor. This is one example of the differing strengths of men and women. Men are superior at feats of arms, while women excel at feats of charm.