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Judges 5:30

in Judges 5

‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

KJV

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?

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This verse in Judges 5

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
Render the latter part of the verse “a booty of dyed garments for Sisera, a booty of dyed garments and of party-colored cloth, a dyed garment and two party-colored clothes for the necks of the booty,” the spoil or booty being either captive damsels, or captive cattle on whose necks these clothes are to be placed (either as ornament or as a burden; compare Jdg 8:21, Jdg 8:26). But possibly “the necks of the booty” may mean the backs or shoulders (of men or beasts) laden with booty.

This site's exposition

Sisera’s mother looked through the window

on Judges 5:28-30

The song ends the enemy's side indoors, with a woman at the lattice answering her own question. Her ladies reply with the arithmetic of plunder, "a girl or two for each warrior", and the Hebrew word behind girl is a coarse one for the women taken. Deborah called herself "a mother in Israel" at verse 7, and the poem closes on a second mother, awaiting a dead son.

This site's exposition

for the neck of the looter

The closing phrase is difficult. Albert Barnes renders it the necks of the booty, meaning captive women or captured cattle wearing the dyed cloth as ornament or as burden. He compares 8:21 and 8:26 and also allows that the necks may mean backs laden with spoil.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Have they not sped?....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Though our enemies are to be prayed for, God's enemies, as such, are to be prayed against; and, when we see some of God's enemies remarkably humbled and brought down, this is an encouragement to us to pray for the downfall of all the rest. Deborah was a prophetess, and this prayer was a prediction that in due time all God's enemies shall perish, Ps. xcii.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

In these verses a sudden transition is made to the mother of the Canaanite general, and a striking picture is drawn of a mind agitated between hope and fear--impatient of delay, yet anticipating the news of victory and the rewards of rich booty. the lattice--a lattice window, common to the houses in warm countries for the circulation of air.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

to every man a damsel or two--Young maidens formed always a valued part of Oriental conquerors' war-spoils. But Sisera's mother wished other booty for him; namely, the gold-threaded, richly embroidered, and scarlet-colored cloaks which were held in such high esteem.

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The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • הֲלֹ֨א¿ not

    halo'H3808 →5168 times

  • יִמְצְא֜וּare they finding

    yimtzeuH4672 →455 times

  • יְחַלְּק֣וּare they dividing up?

    yechalekuH2505 →

  • שָׁלָ֗לplunder

    shalalH7998 →73 times

  • רַ֤חַםa womb

    rachamH7356 →

  • רַחֲמָתַ֙יִם֙two wombs

    rachamatayimH7356 →

  • לְרֹ֣אשׁfor [the] head of

    leroshH7218 →599 times

  • גֶּ֔בֶרa man

    geverH1397 →

  • שְׁלַ֤לplunder of

    shelalH7998 →73 times

  • צְבָעִים֙colored cloth<s>

    tzevaimH6648 →3 times

  • לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔אfor Sisera

    lesisera'H5516 →21 times

  • שְׁלַ֥לplunder of

    shelalH7998 →73 times

  • צְבָעִ֖יםcolored cloth<s>

    tzevaimH6648 →3 times

  • רִקְמָ֑הembroidered material

    rikmahH7553 →

  • צֶ֥בַעcolored cloth

    tzeva'H6648 →3 times

  • רִקְמָתַ֖יִםembroidered material<s>

    rikmatayimH7553 →

  • לְצַוְּארֵ֥יfor [the] necks of

    letzavereiH6677 →42 times

  • שָׁלָֽל׃plunder

    shalalH7998 →73 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Exodus 15:9The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’6 worksJudges 5:19Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.5 works2 Samuel 13:18So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.4 worksPsalms 45:14In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.3 works2 Samuel 1:24O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and luxury, who decked your garments with ornaments of gold.3 worksJob 20:5the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?2 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 37:3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.2 works2 Kings 3:23“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”2 worksExodus 27:16The gate of the courtyard shall be twenty cubits long, with a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It shall have four posts and four bases.2 worksJudges 15:14When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.2 worksPsalms 68:12“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Job 20:5

    the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?

    it leads to

    • Psalms 37:35–36

      I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

  • Through

    Genesis 37:3

    Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:32

      They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Exodus 15:9

    The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’

    it leads to

    • Exodus 14:5

      When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

    • Luke 11:22

      But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.

  • Through

    Psalms 45:14

    In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.

    it leads to

    • Song of Solomon 8:13

      You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!

    • 2 Corinthians 11:2

      I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 13:18

    So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:23

      So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Genesis 37:3

      Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

Where this verse is studied

About Judges

Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 5 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 5 →