The Meaning of Judges 5:1 Explained

Judges 5:1

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

YLT: And Deborah singeth -- also Barak son of Abinoam -- on that day, saying: --

Darby: Then sang Deb'orah and Barak the son of Abin'o-am on that day:

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Judges 5:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The writer credited Deborah with composing this song (cf. Judges 5:7), even though he wrote that both Deborah and Barak sang it ( Judges 5:1). [1]
"It is important to notice that Deborah sang this song of praise on the same day God gave His people victory.... We ought to learn, as we observe these people, the priority of praise in believers" lives." [2]

Context Summary

Judges 5:1-11 - The Song Of A "mother In Israel"
One of the noblest odes in literature! It celebrates a mighty victory through the enthusiastic consecration of the people, who laid themselves as freewill offerings on the altar of their country's deliverance, Judges 5:2; Judges 5:9. There is a greater cause that summons us today, for we fight "not against flesh and blood, but"¦ against the rulers of the darkness of this world," Ephesians 6:12.
The singer recites the mighty deeds of the Exodus, Judges 5:4-5. She feels that the present hour is not less full of God. Let us dare to believe that today is as sublime as any day of the past, and live as though it were. She describes the desolations caused by the foe: the divested caravans, the deserted roads, the defenseless, weaponless people, Judges 5:6-8. She tells how men mustered in the city gates to take their part in the great effort to which she called them, Judges 5:9-11. Ye daughters of Deborah, who know God, wake again and sing till your hearts grow hot again; and ye brethren of Barak, arm yourselves for battle against the lies, fashions and sins that curse both the Church and the world! [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 5

1  The Song of Deborah and Barak

What do the individual words in Judges 5:1 mean?

And sang Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam on day that saying
וַתָּ֣שַׁר דְּבוֹרָ֔ה וּבָרָ֖ק בֶּן־ אֲבִינֹ֑עַם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹֽר

וַתָּ֣שַׁר  And  sang 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
דְּבוֹרָ֔ה  Deborah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דְּבֹורָה  
Sense: the nurse of Rebekah who accompanied her from the house of Bethuel.
וּבָרָ֖ק  and  Barak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּרָק  
Sense: son of Abinoam of Kedesh who, incited by Deborah, a prophetess of Ephraim, delivered the Israelites from the yoke of Jabin by routing the Canaanites in the plain of Jezreel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲבִינֹ֑עַם  of  Abinoam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִינׄעַם  
Sense: father of Barak, descendant of Naphtali.
בַּיּ֥וֹם  on  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֖וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לֵאמֹֽר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.