Judges 5:9
in Judges 5My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.
KJV
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.
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This verse in Judges 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verse(Judges 5:9-10) My heart loves the leaders of Israel. It should be noted that in Hebrew, not leaders, but teachers is read. This is spoken by Deborah in the person of God, that God loves the teachers who study the law of God. Of whom it follows: You who offered yourselves willingly among the people, bless the Lord. Of whom it has also been said above in that place where it says: You who willingly offered your lives from Israel, etc. You who ride on bright donkeys. In Hebrew, female donkeys. And you sit in judgment.
This site's exposition
My heart is with the princes of Israel
on Judges 5:9-11
The volunteers of verse 2 return at verse 9. Verse 10 tells two classes to speak, those "who ride white donkeys" and those "who travel the road". Verse 11 appoints the place for the telling, "the watering places", so the song is built to be rehearsed at the well.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Lord - Who inclined their hearts to this undertaking, and gave them success in it. As she gives instruments their due, so she is careful the sovereign cause lose not his glory.
My heart is towards the governors of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
My heart ... - In this deplorable weakness of Israel how noble was the conduct of the governors who volunteered to lead the people against their oppressors. Deborah’s heart was filled with admiration as she thought of their patriotic devotion, and broke out into thanksgiving to Yahweh.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Riders of white donkeys. Merchants and gentry who may now ride elegant, white donkeys without intimidation or concern about their enemies. And jurists—this refers to the magistrates who were afraid to deliver judgement publicly, as Targum Yonasan's translates, "Those who assembled to sit in judgement". And wayfarers on foot.
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
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִבִּי֙ | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לְחוֹקְקֵ֣י | lechokei | [is] for [the] commanders of | H2710 → | |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הַמִּֽתְנַדְּבִ֖ים | hamitnadevim | those [who] volunteered | H5068 → | |
| בָּעָ֑ם | baam | among the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בָּרֲכ֖וּ | barakhu | bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
לִבִּי֙heart my
libiH3820 →595 times
לְחוֹקְקֵ֣י[is] for [the] commanders of
lechokeiH2710 →
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הַמִּֽתְנַדְּבִ֖יםthose [who] volunteered
hamitnadevimH5068 →
בָּעָ֑םamong the people
baamH5971 →1873 times
בָּרֲכ֖וּbless
barakhuH1288 →330 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
2 Corinthians 8:17For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 8:6
So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 13:22
I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.
- 2 Corinthians 8:6
Through
2 Corinthians 8:12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
it leads to
- Mark 12:42–44
Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
- Exodus 35:29
So all the men and women of the Israelites whose hearts prompted them brought a freewill offering to the LORD for all the work that the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
- Luke 21:1–4
Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
- Exodus 35:21–22
And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the…
- Mark 12:42–44
Through
Judges 5:2“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 110:3
Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.
- Psalms 110:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
On this chapter
About Judges
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on the Song of Deborah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.