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 swept them away— that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul! 22Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds. ‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord— to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’ 24“Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents. 25Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.

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 26:19But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the Lord. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’
• Jeremiah 48:10Cursed are those who refuse to do the Lord’s work, who hold back their swords from shedding blood!
• 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!
• Judges 2:1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you.
• Judges 4:6One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor.
• Judges 6:11Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
• Judges 13:3The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.
• Matthew 25:41“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
• Judges 21:9For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.
• Nehemiah 3:5Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.
• 1 Samuel 17:47And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
• 1 Samuel 18:17One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
• 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
• Romans 15:18Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.
• 1 Corinthians 3:9For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

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