Judges 5:23

Judges 5:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
• New International Version (NIV)‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’

Context of Judges 5:23

21The torrent Kishon swept the enemy away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength. 22Then the horses’ hoofs beat [loudly] Because of the galloping—the galloping of his valiant and powerful steeds. ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the messenger of the Lord, ‘Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’ 24“Most blessed of women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed is she of women in the tent. 25Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk; She brought him curds in a magnificent bowl.

Judges 5:23 word by word

א֣וֹרוּ מֵר֗וֹז אָמַר֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה אֹ֥רוּ אָר֖וֹר יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ כִּ֤י לֹֽא־בָ֙אוּ֙ לְעֶזְרַ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה לְעֶזְרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה בַּגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Curseאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
• ye Merozמֵרוֹזmêrôz · MerozH4789
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• thereof; because they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• not to the helpעֶזְרָה‛ezrâh ‛ezrâth · helpH5833
• against the mightyגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368

Cross-references for Judges 5:23

• 1 Samuel 26:19Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, let Him accept an offering [from me]; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, because they have driven me out this day to keep me from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
• Jeremiah 48:10Cursed is the one who does the work of the Lord negligently, And cursed is the one who restrains his sword from blood [in executing the judgment of the Lord].
• 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord [does not obey and respect and believe in Jesus Christ and His message], he is to be accursed. Maranatha (O our Lord, come)!
• Judges 2:1Now the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,
• Judges 4:6Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men [of war] from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.
• Judges 6:11Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites.
• Judges 13:3And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are infertile and have no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.
• Matthew 25:41“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons);
• Judges 21:9For when the people were assembled, behold, there was not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
• Nehemiah 3:5Next to him the men of Tekoa made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their overseers.
• 1 Samuel 17:47and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”
• 1 Samuel 18:17Then Saul said to David, “Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
• 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a secure and enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil will not be found in you all your days.
• Romans 15:18For I will not [even] presume to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me [as an instrument in His hands], resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles [to the gospel], by word and deed,
• 1 Corinthians 3:9For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness].

Commentaries on Judges 5:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Curse ye Meroz - Where Meroz was is not known; some suppose it was the same as Merom, nigh to Dotham. The Syriac and Arabic have Merod; but where this was is equally uncertain. It was certainly some city or district, the inhabitants of which would not assist in this war. Curse ye bitterly - ארור ארו oru aror, curse with cursing - use the most awful execrations. Said the angel of the Lord - That is, Barak, who was Jehovah's angel or messenger in this war…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23The inhabitants of Meroz (a village 12 miles from Samaria) hung back, and gave no help in the day of battle, although it was Yahweh who called them. Hence, the curse pronounced by the Angel of the Lord.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Deborah called on her own soul to be in earnest. He that will set the hearts of other men on fire with the love of Christ, must himself burn with love. Praising God is a work we should awake to, and awake ourselves unto. She notices who fought against Israel, who fought for them, and who kept away. Who fought against them. They were obstinate enemies to God's people, therefore the more dangerous. Who fought for them. The several tribes that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23The location of Meroz is unknown. Do not confuse it with Merom (Joshua 11:5), which was about twenty miles north in the hills of Galilee.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. Curse ye Meroz--a village on the confines of Issachar and Naphtali, which lay in the course of the fugitives, but the inhabitants declined to aid in their destruction.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 5:23

• Chiding
• Country
• Curse
• Meroz
• Patriotism
• Servant
• Sisera

In the dictionaries

• Angel of the Lord
• Barak
• Deborah
• Fight
• Lattice
• Meroz
• Poetry
• Rehearse
• Searching
• Songs

Commentaries on Judges 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings