Judges

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Judges 5 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Judges 5 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

(5:20) "The stars in their courses fought against Sisera."
Unless astrology is true, how can the stars affect the outcome of a battle?
Does the bible condemn astrology?
What the Bible says about astrology

The text says: they fought, not influenced. Did the literal stars fight literally? Are we reading a science textbook? No, we are reading a poem, where the tribes of Judah are represented by their founders, see for example verse 14, which no more fought or influenced the battle than the stars. We have mountains melting, verse 5 and a river sweeping the enemy away, verse 21. Clearly, we need to read and interpret this poem as a poem. The most basic explanation is that nature itself, the elements, appeared to be on Israel's side and as it were fought against Sisera.
On if the Bible condemns astrology, yes it does, see Deut. 18:10.

21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

(5:24-26) "Blessed above women shall Jael be." For murdering her guest while he slept, Jael is "blessed above women." (Hail Jael, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women....?)

Murdering her guest??? Really, this person had oppressed Israel for 20 years, travellers were robbed, verse 6, villages were emptied, verse 7, Israel's means of defence were routinely removed, and the author of the SAB complains that Jael killed her enemy? But I really don't believe that the author of the SAB does not distinguish between murder and defence.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

(5:26-27) "At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead."
Was Sisera asleep when he was murdered?

See chapter 4:21.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

(5:31) "So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord."
(Let them all have their temples pierced by blessed women.)
(5:31) "As the sun ... goeth forth in his might."
The sun, according to the bible, goes around the earth.

Yes, blessed are the women that have the courage to kill their deadly enemies.
On if this verse can be used to claim the sun revolves around the earth: I forgot! We are reading a scientific text book. Of course this chapter is part of the physics 101 course all little children of Israel had to study.