Judges 5:12

The real subject of the Song, introduced by the previous verses, begins here. Part II, Judges 5:12, describes the muster and the battle. Like Part I it consists of three stanzas; like Part III (which has two longer stanzas) it starts with a short prelude, Judges 5:12 cf. Judges 5:23.

Awake, awake, Deborah We are transported to the time before the outbreak of the war; the poet calls upon Deborah to rouse herself and summon the tribes.

utter a song lit. -speak a song" (an unusual expression), not the present song of praise for victory won, but the war-song which stirred up the clans for battle, and promised them success (cf. Judges 4:6-7; Judges 4:14).

Arise, Barak as the recognized military leader. A slight change of pronunciation gives the improved rendering take prisoner those who took thee prisoner, cf. 1 Kings 8:48; Isaiah 14:2; this is the proper meaning of the word, rather than -lead captives in a triumph," cf. Numbers 21:1; Deuteronomy 21:10; Psalms 68:18. Barak himself had suffered at the enemy's hands; like Gideon (Judges 8:18), he had wrongs of his own to avenge.

The LXX. cod. A, however, suggests a better form of the original text than that which lies before us; eliminating doublets we obtain the following:

Rouse thee, rouse thee, Debôrah;

arouse the myriads of the people:

in thy strength arise, Barak,

capture thy captors, son of Abinôam.

We thus have a four lined verse, which is much wanted (cf. Judges 5:23), and we get rid of speak a song. The second line of the present text is readily explained as a corruption of the first.

13 15a. The muster.