Judges 5:6

Judges 5:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
• New International Version (NIV)“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways.

Context of Judges 5:6

4Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Yes, the clouds dripped water. 5The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, Yes, this Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel. “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways. 7The villagers ceased to be; they ceased in Israel Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel. 8They chose new gods; Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

Judges 5:6 word by word

בִּימֵ֞י שַׁמְגַּ֤ר בֶּן־עֲנָת֙ בִּימֵ֣י יָעֵ֔ל חָדְל֖וּ אֳרָח֑וֹת וְהֹלְכֵ֣י נְתִיב֔וֹת יֵלְכ֕וּ אֳרָח֖וֹת עֲקַלְקַלּֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of Shamgarשַׁמְגַּרshamgar · ShamgarH8044
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Anathעֲנָת‛ănâth · AnathH6067
• of Jaelיָעֵלyâ‛êl · JaelH3278
• the highwaysאֹ֫רַח'ôrach · wayH734
• were unoccupiedחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
• and the travellersהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• walkedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• through bywaysנְתִיבָהnâthîyb nethîybâh nethibâh · pathH5410
• through bywaysעֲקַלְקַל‛ăqalqal · crookedH6128

Cross-references for Judges 5:6

• Judges 3:31After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistine men with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
• Judges 4:17But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
• Leviticus 26:22I will let loose the [wild] animals of the field among you, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you so few in number that your roads will lie deserted and desolate.
• 2 Chronicles 15:5In those times there was no peace for him who went out or for him who came in, for great suffering came on all the inhabitants of the lands.
• Isaiah 33:8The highways are deserted, the traveler has ceased [to appear]. The enemy has broken the covenant, he has rejected the cities, He has no regard for [any] man.
• Lamentations 1:4The roads to Zion are in mourning Because no one comes to the appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate; Her priests are groaning, Her virgins are grieved and suffering, And she suffers bitterly.
• Lamentations 4:18The enemy hunted our steps, So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come.
• Micah 3:12Therefore, on account of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the house [of the Lord] shall become like a densely wooded hill.
• Psalms 125:5But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways [in unresponsiveness to God], The Lord will lead them away with those who do evil. Peace be upon Israel.

Commentaries on Judges 5:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The highways were unoccupied - The land was full of anarchy and confusion, being everywhere infested with banditti. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people were obliged to use unfrequented paths.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Words dcscriptive of a state of weakness and fear, so that Israel could not frequent the highways. It is a graphic description of a country occupied by an enemy.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 Deborah describes the distressed state of Israel under the tyranny of Jabin, that their salvation might appear more gracious. She shows what brought this misery upon them. It was their idolatry. They chose new gods, with new names. But under all these images, Satan was worshipped. Deborah was a mother to Israel, by diligently promoting the salvation of their souls. She calls on those who shared the advantages of this great salvation, to offer…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6During this chaotic and uncertain time, people outside the main walled cities had little security. Even Shamgar (see Judges 3:31) did not ease the suffering of common people. They endured hardships under the Canaanites and their cruel commander, Sisera.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. The song proceeds in these verses to describe the sad condition of the country, the oppression of the people, and the origin of all the national distress in the people's apostasy from God. Idolatry was the cause of foreign invasion and internal inability to resist it.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 5:6

• Country
• Jael
• Patriotism
• Shamgar

In the dictionaries

• Barak
• Byways
• Deborah
• Ehud
• Fight
• Jabin
• Lattice
• Poetry
• Rehearse
• Searching

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