Judges 5:14
in Judges 5Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal’s staff.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 5
Commentary
10 notes on this verseOut of Ephraim - a root of them - Deborah probably means that out of Ephraim and Benjamin came eminent warriors. Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, routed the Amalekites a short time after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Exo 17:10. Ehud, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, slew Eglon, and defeated the Moabites, the friends and allies of the Ammonites and Amalekites. Machir, in the land of Gilead, produced eminent warriors; and Zebulun produced eminent statesmen, and men of literature.
This site's exposition
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek
on Judges 5:14-15
The tribes go by old family names, Machir standing for Manasseh as at Genesis 50:23. Ephraim is tied to Amalek, whose people held hill country there by Judges 12:15, and Zebulun sends "the bearers of the marshal’s staff", read as muster officers or as bearers of a staff. Issachar goes "rushing into the valley", the ground where the nine hundred iron chariots of 4:13 had the advantage.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Judges 5:14a) From Ephraim, he destroyed them in Amalek, that is, Joshua, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, destroyed the strong ones, that is, the enemies of Israel, in Amalek, as it is read in the book of Exodus: 'And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword, etc.' (Exodus 17:13).
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Writer - That is, even the Scribes, who gave themselves to study and writing, whereby they were exempted from military service, did voluntarily enter into this service. With Deborah - Ready to assist her. Issachar - Hebrew. and Issachar, that is, the tribe or people of Issachar, following the counsel and example of their princes.
Benjamin - Benjamin followed Ephraim's example. The people - Among the people of Benjamin, with whom these few Ephraimites united themselves in this expedition. Machir - That is, out of the tribe of Manasseh, which are elsewhere called by the name of Machir, namely, out of the half tribe which was within Jordan; for of the other she speaks, ver.
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek,....
(2.) That others of the kings of Canaan, who had somewhat recovered themselves since their defeat by Joshua, joined with Jabin, and strengthened his army with their forces, having the same implacable enmity to Israel that he had, and those kingdoms, when they were in their strength, having been subject to that of Hazor, Josh. xi.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
There was in Ephraim a mountain called the mount of Amalek, mentioned, ch. xii. 15 , which, some think, is here meant, and some read it, there was a root in Amalek, that is, in that mountain, a strong resolution in the minds of that people to make head against the oppressors, which was the root of the matter.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The wells which are at a little distance from towns in the East, are, in unsettled times, places of danger. But in peace they are scenes of pleasant and joyous resort.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Render “Of Ephraim (Deborah’s own tribe) came down those whose root is in Mount Amalek Jdg 12:15; after thee (O Ephraim) came Benjamin among thy people; of Machir (the west-Jordanic milies of Manasseh. See Jos 17:1-6) there came down the chiefs, and of Zebulon they that handle the staff of the officer” the military scribe, whose duty it was, like that of the Roman tribunes, to keep the muster roll, and superintend the recruiting of the army. (See 2Ki 25:19.)
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In Ephraim. From Ephraim emerged the root of Yehoshua bin Nun's dominance over Amaleik. Yehoshua was descended from Ephraim, son of Yoseif, and Amaleik was a descendant of Eisov.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִנִּ֣י | mini | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| אֶפְרַ֗יִם | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| שָׁרְשָׁם֙ | sharesham | root their | H8328 → | |
| בַּעֲמָלֵ֔ק | baamalek | [was] in Amalek | H6002 → | 39 times |
| אַחֲרֶ֥יךָ | ʾachareikha | after you | H310 → | 715 times |
| בִנְיָמִ֖ין | vinyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| בַּֽעֲמָמֶ֑יךָ | baamameikha | [was] among people<s> your | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| מִנִּ֣י | mini | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מָכִ֗יר | makhir | Makir | H4353 → | |
| יָֽרְדוּ֙ | yaredu | they came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מְחֹ֣קְקִ֔ים | mechokekim | commanders | H2710 → | |
| וּמִ֨זְּבוּלֻ֔ן | umizevulun | and from Zebulun | H2074 → | 45 times |
| מֹשְׁכִ֖ים | moshekhim | [those who] march | H4900 → | 36 times |
| בְּשֵׁ֥בֶט | beshevet | with [the] staff of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| סֹפֵֽר׃ | sofer | a muster-officer | H5608 → | 159 times |
מִנִּ֣יsome of
miniH4480 →1188 times
אֶפְרַ֗יִםEphraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
שָׁרְשָׁם֙root their
shareshamH8328 →
בַּעֲמָלֵ֔ק[was] in Amalek
baamalekH6002 →39 times
אַחֲרֶ֥יךָafter you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
בִנְיָמִ֖יןBenjamin
vinyaminH1144 →166 times
בַּֽעֲמָמֶ֑יךָ[was] among people<s> your
baamameikhaH5971 →1873 times
מִנִּ֣יfrom
miniH4480 →1188 times
מָכִ֗ירMakir
makhirH4353 →
יָֽרְדוּ֙they came down
yareduH3381 →381 times
מְחֹ֣קְקִ֔יםcommanders
mechokekimH2710 →
וּמִ֨זְּבוּלֻ֔ןand from Zebulun
umizevulunH2074 →45 times
מֹשְׁכִ֖ים[those who] march
moshekhimH4900 →36 times
בְּשֵׁ֥בֶטwith [the] staff of
beshevetH7626 →190 times
סֹפֵֽר׃a muster-officer
soferH5608 →159 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 4:14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:24
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has marched out before you to strike the camp…
- Deuteronomy 9:3
But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate…
- Isaiah 52:12
For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.
- Psalms 68:7–8
O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wasteland, Selah
- 2 Samuel 5:24
Through
Judges 3:27On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 13:3
Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
- Judges 6:34
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
- 1 Samuel 13:3
Through
Judges 3:13After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
it leads to
- Judges 1:16
Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live…
- Deuteronomy 34:3
the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho (the City of Palms) all the way to Zoar.
- Judges 1:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on the Song of Deborah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.