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, you came from Seir mountains. Yes, you marched from the land of Edom. As you came, the earth shook. Rain poured down from the clouds in the sky. 5The mountains shook when you appeared, as they shook at Sinai mountain when you showed your power. You are the Lord, the God of Israel. When Anath's son Shamgar ruled the land, nobody travelled on the roads. When Jael ruled, people walked on secret paths, because they were afraid. 7Nobody lived in the small villages. Then I, Deborah, became their leader. I became like a mother for Israel's people, to keep them safe. 8When the Israelites chose new gods to worship, enemies attacked their cities. No one in Israel was ready to fight. Not one of their 40,000 soldiers had a shield or a spear.

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 this, Anath's son Shamgar became Israel's leader. One time, he used a stick with a sharp point to kill 600 Philistines. He rescued the Israelites from their enemies, as Ehud had done.
• Judges 4:17Sisera himself ran to hide in the tent of Heber's wife, Jael. He did that because King Jabin of Hazor had agreed to be friends with Heber's family.
• Leviticus 26:22He will send wild animals to kill their children and their animals. The land will be almost empty.
• 2 Chronicles 15:5At that time it was not safe to travel very far. There was too much trouble among the people of other countries.
• Isaiah 33:8The big roads are empty. Nobody is travelling anywhere. People spoil agreements that they have made. They do not believe what people promise. They do not respect anyone.
• Lamentations 1:4Zion's streets are sad places now. Nobody comes to worship God there any longer. There is nothing to hear at the city gates. The priests are sad. Strangers are cruel to the young women. The people in Zion are very sad.
• Lamentations 4:18Enemies ran after us, so that we could not go into the streets any longer. We knew that we would die soon. We could not live like this any longer.
• Micah 3:12Because of how you live, Zion will be like a field that a farmer has dug. Jerusalem will become a heap of stones. Trees will cover the hill where the temple is now.
• Psalms 125:5But as for people who follow their own bad ways, Lord, please remove them! Take them away, along with people who do evil things. May Israel have peace!

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