Judges 5:17
in Judges 5Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.
KJV
Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
⋯
This verse in Judges 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Judges 5:17) Gad remained beyond the Jordan. And this is set forth as a reproach because while Reuben remained, Gad remained with him of equal mind. And Dan was free with ships. For seeing that the tribes of Reuben and Gad did not go with their brothers to battle, being terrified by fear, he took flight by being free with ships. Asher dwelt on the seashore and stayed in the ports. Likewise, this is set forth as a reproach because Asher, while dwelling on the seashore, stayed in the ports, choosing instead to flee rather than fight with his brothers.
This site's exposition
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds
on Judges 5:16-17
Four groups stayed away: Reuben "among the sheepfolds", Gilead "beyond the Jordan", Dan "by the ships" and Asher "at the coast". Reuben draws the sharpest line, since verses 15 and 16 close on "great indecision", long deliberation that produced no men. Judah, Simeon and Levi appear nowhere in the roll.
This site's exposition
why did you linger by the ships
Albert Barnes explains Gilead, east of the Jordan, was held by Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, so both are rebuked under one name. Dan held Joppa, later the seaport for Jerusalem, which accounts for its ships. Asher's harbors are the creeks and bays of its broken coast.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Beyond Jordan - In their own portions, and did not come over Jordan to the help of the Lord, and of his people, as they ought to have done. In ships - Daniel, whose coast was near the sea, was wholly intent upon his merchandise, and therefore could not join in this land expedition.
Gilead abode beyond Jordan,....
Those of that tribe perhaps pleaded that their sea-trade disfitted them for land-service and diverted them from it; but Zebulun also was a haven for ships, a sea-faring tribe, and yet was forward and active in this expedition.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The land of Gilead, on the east of Jordan, was divided between Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, who are both comprehended here. Joppa was in the territory of Dan Jos 19:46, and was in later times the sea-port for Jerusalem. His breaches - Rather havens; i. e. the creeks and bays and river-months by which their coast was broken. Jos 19:29.
Gilead abode beyond Jordan - That is, the Gadites, who had their lot in those parts, and could not well come to the aid of their brethren at a short summons. But the words of Deborah imply a criminal neglect on the part of the Danites; they were intent upon their traffic, and trusted in their ships. Joppa was one of their sea-ports. Asher continued on the seashore - The lot of Asher extended along the Mediterranean Sea; and being contiguous to Zebulun and Naphtali, they might have easily succoured their brethren; but they had the pretense that their posts were unguarded, and they abode in their breaches, in order to defend them.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גִּלְעָ֗ד | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| בְּעֵ֤בֶר | beever | on [the] other side of | H5676 → | 90 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| שָׁכֵ֔ן | shakhen | he dwelt | H7931 → | 129 times |
| וְדָ֕ן | vedan | and Dan | H1835 → | 70 times |
| לָ֥מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יָג֖וּר | yagur | did he sojourn | H1481 → | 97 times |
| אֳנִיּ֑וֹת | ʾoniyot | ships | H591 → | |
| אָשֵׁ֗ר | ʾasher | Asher | H836 → | 43 times |
| יָשַׁב֙ | yashav | he remained | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לְח֣וֹף | lechof | to [the] coast of | H2348 → | |
| יַמִּ֔ים | yamim | [the] seas | H3220 → | 396 times |
| וְעַ֥ל | veal | and at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִפְרָצָ֖יו | mifratzav | landing places his | H4664 → | |
| יִשְׁכּֽוֹן׃ | yishkon | he dwelt | H7931 → | 129 times |
גִּלְעָ֗דGilead
giladH1568 →134 times
בְּעֵ֤בֶרon [the] other side of
beeverH5676 →90 times
הַיַּרְדֵּן֙the Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
שָׁכֵ֔ןhe dwelt
shakhenH7931 →129 times
וְדָ֕ןand Dan
vedanH1835 →70 times
לָ֥מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
יָג֖וּרdid he sojourn
yagurH1481 →97 times
אֳנִיּ֑וֹתships
ʾoniyotH591 →
אָשֵׁ֗רAsher
ʾasherH836 →43 times
יָשַׁב֙he remained
yashavH3427 →1079 times
לְח֣וֹףto [the] coast of
lechofH2348 →
יַמִּ֔ים[the] seas
yamimH3220 →396 times
וְעַ֥לand at
vealH5921 →5755 times
מִפְרָצָ֖יוlanding places his
mifratzavH4664 →
יִשְׁכּֽוֹן׃he dwelt
yishkonH7931 →129 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 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
Joshua 13:31half of Gilead; and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan. All this was for the clans of the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half of the descendants…
it leads to
- Joshua 12:4
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.
- Numbers 32:39–40
The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
- Joshua 12:4
Through
Joshua 13:25The territory of Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 12:26
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
- 2 Samuel 11:1
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David…
- Numbers 32:35
Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
- Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- Deuteronomy 2:19
But when you get close to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites. I have given it to the…
- 2 Samuel 12:26
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; 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 (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.