English Standard Version
Judges 5:6
6"In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways.
Context of Judges 5:6
4"Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. 5The mountains quaked before the Lord, even Sinai before the Lord, the God of Israel. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways. 7The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. 8When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
Read all of Judges 5Judges 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 him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
- Judges 4:17But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
- Leviticus 26:22And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.
- 2 Chronicles 15:5In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.
- Isaiah 33:8The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man.
- Lamentations 1:4The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly.
- Lamentations 4:18They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered, for our end had come.
- Micah 3:12Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.
- Psalms 125:5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! 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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries