Judges 5:14

Out of Ephraimcame down they whose root is in Amalek i.e. those Ephraimites whose settled home was -in the hill country of the Amalekites," the latter term being used in Judges 12:15 to describe the situation of Pirathon in the land of Ephraim. But the poet can hardly mean that only the Ephraimites of Pirathon came to the war, and there is no evidence that this district was the chief stronghold of Ephraim (Moore); moreover the Amalekites, though Judges 12:15 implies a settlement of them in the north, belong properly to the deserts far S. of Judah (see on Judges 1:16). Lit. the words mean -From E. their root (is) in Amalek," a singularly harsh expression. No doubt for Amalekwe should read in the valley, with LXX. A, Luc., and other Verss.; for their roota verb is wanted, as in the third line of this verse; -they went" shâru(cf. Isaiah 57:9, and the use of shâru= to pass alongin Assyrian), suggested by Winckler, Altor. Forsch.i. 193, suits the context, but is no more than a guess.

After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples The pronoun thyevidently refers to Ephraim; but if the Benjamites came -after," they could not be -among" the people of Ephraim; so correct after theeto thy brother(LXX. A). Thy brother Benjamin was among thy peopleseems to mean that, Benjamin, being too small to provide a contingent under its own chiefs, marched in the ranks of Ephraim.

Machir probably stands here for Manasseh, of which it formed the chief clan; according to Joshua 17:1 Machir was the eldest, according to Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:29 the only, son of Manasseh. The settlement of Machir in Gilead E. of Jordan (Numbers 32:39 ff., Deuteronomy 3:15) probably did not take place till later times. The context shews that governorsdenote military leaders, see on Judges 5:9, and cf. Deuteronomy 33:21; in Genesis 49:10; Numbers 21:18; Psalms 60:7 the word is used of the staffor wandof a commander (translated sceptrein A. and RV.).

they that handle the marshal's staff or, that march with the marshal's staff. Another designation of a chief, more exactly one who writes, enrolsthe muster of troops, cf. 2 Kings 25:19; Jeremiah 52:25; 2 Chronicles 26:11 referring to the later organization of the army: he carried a baton as a badge of office.