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 Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them – the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong! 22The horses’ hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. ‘Call judgment down on Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic messenger; ‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ 24The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds.

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 26:19So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in an offering. But if men have instigated this, may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’
• Jeremiah 48:10A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on anyone who keeps from carrying out his destruction!
• 1 Corinthians 16:22Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. Our Lord, come!
• Judges 2:1The Lord’s angelic messenger went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my agreement with you,
• Judges 4:6She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun!
• Judges 6:11The Lord’s angelic messenger came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress so he could hide it from the Midianites.
• Judges 13:3The Lord’s angelic messenger appeared to the woman and said to her, “You are infertile and childless, but you will conceive and have a son.
• Matthew 25:41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!
• Judges 21:9When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
• Nehemiah 3:5The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but their town leaders would not assist with the work of their master.
• 1 Samuel 17:47and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
• 1 Samuel 18:17Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
• 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the Lord will certainly establish the house of my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no evil be found in you all your days!
• Romans 15:18For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
• 1 Corinthians 3:9We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

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