The Meaning of Judges 5:3 Explained

Judges 5:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I -- I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel.

Darby: "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing, I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 5:3 Mean?

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 5:3 mean?

Hear kings Give ear princes I to Yahweh [even] I will sing I will sing to Yahweh God of Israel
שִׁמְע֣וּ מְלָכִ֔ים הַאֲזִ֖ינוּ רֹֽזְנִ֑ים אָֽנֹכִ֗י לַֽיהוָה֙ אָנֹכִ֣י אָשִׁ֔ירָה אֲזַמֵּ֕ר לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

שִׁמְע֣וּ  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
מְלָכִ֔ים  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הַאֲזִ֖ינוּ  Give  ear 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָזַן  
Sense: to hear, listen.
רֹֽזְנִ֑ים  princes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָזַן  
Sense: (Qal) to be weighty, be judicious, be commanding.
לַֽיהוָה֙  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אָנֹכִ֣י  [even]  I 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אָשִׁ֔ירָה  will  sing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
אֲזַמֵּ֕ר  I  will  sing 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: זָמַר  
Sense: to sing, sing praise, make music.
לַֽיהוָ֖ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.