Judges 5:19

describes the scene of battle and the issue. It would seem (Jdg 5:19) that Jabin was reinforced by the troops of other Canaanite princes. The battlefield was near Taanach (now Ta'annuk), on a tell or mound in the level plain of Megiddo (now Leijun), on its southwestern extremity, by the left bank of the Kishon.

they took no gain of money--They obtained no plunder.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Jdg 5:19 The kings came [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

Ver. 19. The kings came and fought.] They could combine, but so could not the Israelites. What a shame is it that the great Turk should be heard to say, that he sooner expected that his fingers should be all of one length than that the Christian princes should be all of one mind against him their common enemy.

They took no gain of money.] Desiderabile argentum non acceperunt, they served freely without pay, out of their love to the cause, and hopes of making themselves great gainers by the spoils of the Israelites. So George Fransperg, a general in the imperial army, under the conduct of Charles Bourbon, that sacked Rome in the time of Pope Clement VII, carried into Italy thirteen thousand soldiers of Germany, almost all Lutherans, with no other pay but of one crown apiece of his own goods, and a promise to lead them to Rome, where he would hang the Pope, and give them the spoil of the city. {a}

{a} Hist. of Council of Trent, 43.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 5:19. The kings came and fought — There were divers petty kings in those parts who were subject to Jabin. Taanach and Megiddo were two eminent cities not far from mount Tabor, nor from the river Kishon. They took no gain of money — Some interpret this as meaning they fought without pay, whether from mere hatred of the Israelites, and a desire to be revenged on them, or from a full hope and confidence of paying themselves abundantly out of Israel’s spoils. But it may be intended as a sarcasm upon the kings of Canaan for their lucrative views in fighting against Israel. They came to the help of Jabin for lucre’s sake; namely, to enrich themselves with the spoils; but the Israelites fought for liberty.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They won nothing, but lost all.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 19. The kings came and fought] It is conjectured that Jabin and his confederates had invaded Manasseh, as both Taanach and Megiddo were in that tribe: and that they were discomfited by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali at Taanach and Megiddo; while Barak defeated Sisera at Mount Tabor.

They took no gain of money] They expected much booty in the total rout of the Israelites; but they were defeated, and got no prey; or, if applied to the Israelites, They fought for liberty, not for plunder.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) The kings.—Comp. Jos_11:1. Jabin did not stand alone.

In Taanach.—See Jdg_1:27. The word means “sandy soil.”

By the waters of Megiddo.—The affluents of the Kishon, or the swollen waves of the river itself. There is a copious spring at Lejjûn, the ancient Megiddo, which in rainy seasons rapidly turns the plain into a morass (Thomson’s Land and Book. ch. 29).

They took no gain of money.—Literally, fragment of silver they did not take. They had doubtless hoped, if not for much actual spoil, at least for ransom from the numerous captives which they expected to win, or from the gain derived by selling them into slavery.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. the kings of Canaan] the chiefs of the principal Canaanite cities in the Plain and neighbourhood; Sisera, if not their overlord, was their leader. The kings of Canaan are mentioned in the Amarna letters, e.g. 101, 13; cf. Jos_5:1, and contrast the unhistorical term king of C. in ch. Jdg_4:2 n.

Taanach … Megiddo] See on Jdg_1:27; the waters of M. are the Kishon. The two towns are on the left bank of the river; ch. 4 rather implies that the battle took place at the foot of Tabor, which is about 15 m. from Taanach, cf. Jdg_4:14.

They took no gain of money] They expected spoil (Jdg_5:30, cf. Exo_15:9), but their expectations were disappointed.

19–22. The battle.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The kings came,.... Who were with Sisera, as the Targum adds; unless Deborah can be thought to refer to the battle, supposed to be fought about the same place, between Joshua and the kings in confederacy with Jabin, Jos 10:1.

then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; the other kings of Canaan, which came into the assistance of Jabin, either in the times of Joshua; or rather which now joined Sisera's army, in those places, which both belonged to Manasseh, but were in the tribe of Issachar, of which See Gill on Jos 17:11 and were at some distance from each other, as appears by the villages and country around, and belonging to each; and such was the largeness of Sisera's army, reinforced by those kings, that according to the Targum it reached from Taanach to Megiddo; the same is observed by the Jewish commentators; the waters of Megiddo are the same with the river Kishon, which ran near the city:

they took no gain of money; that is, either of Jabin king of Canaan, whom they came to serve; but freely engaged with him, and maintained their own troops, which they brought into the field, and had raised at their own expense; but according to Kimchi the sense is, they took no money of the Israelites that fell into their hands, but slew them, would not save their lives, though they offered them money, being like the merciless Medes, Isa 13:17 but rather the meaning is, that whereas they came big with expectation of a large booty among the Israelites, they were disappointed, and obliged to flee without any.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Canaanite hosts are now described, led to battle by their numerous kings. (Compare Jos 12:21.)

They took no gain of money - i. e. either they got no booty, as they expected, or, they did not fight for plunder, but for life and victory (compare Jdg 4:16 and Jdg 5:30).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Spoils. So far from it, they even lost their lives. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "they took no piece (or gain) of money." If we understand this of the Israelites , we nay say that they stopped not to plunder the slain, nor would they suffer any to redeem their life by the promise of a great ransom. Whatever riches they found afterwards, they consecrated to the Lord, in testimony of their gratitude. (Calmet) (Numbers xxxi. 54.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The kings; either confederate with him, or subject to him: for it is known that there were divers petty kings in those parts; which also ofttimes were subject to one greater and more potent king; and particularly this Hazor, where this Jabin now reigned, Jdg 4:2, was beforetime the head of divers petty kingdoms, Jos 11:10. Taanach and Megiddo were two eminent cities, belonging indeed to Manasseh, Jdg 1:27, but seated in the tribe of Issachar, Jos 17:11, not far from Mount Tabor, Jos 17:10; Jdg 1:27, nor from the river Kishon.

They took no gain of money; either, first, From Sisera. They fought without pay, whether from mere hatred of the Israelites, and a desire to be revenged upon them; or from a full hope and confidence of paying themselves abundantly out of Israel’s spoils. Or, secondly, From the Israelites; so the sense is, They fell, lost all their hopes of money, and rich spoils, and booty, which they assured themselves of; instead of gaining a prey, they lost themselves.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. There came kings — Canaanitish kings or princes confederate with Jabin. Compare Jos_11:1-5. As in Joshua’s time, so now, all these kings combined together to fight with Israel.

At Taanach — The modern Taannuk, in the southwestern part of the great Plain of Esdraelon. See at Jos_12:21.

Megiddo — The modern el-Lej-jun, about four miles northwest of Taunnuk. See again at Jos_12:21.

The waters of Megiddo are the numerous small streams in the neighbourhood, which flow into and help to form the ancient Kishon.

Spoil of silver they did not take — A caustic sentence. They gathered no spoils. Their plans of conquest ended in dire defeat.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The kings came and fought. (cf. Jos_11:1, Jos_11:2, Jos_11:5) They took no gain of money. These words may mean,

(1) they did not stop to plunder, they were intent only upon slaughter; or,

(2) they took no ransom for their enemies" lives; or,

(3) they got nothing by their fighting, for they were all killed themselves.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The kings - There were divers petty kings in those parts who were subject to Jabin. Megiddo - Taanah and Megiddo were two eminent cities, not far from mount Tabor, nor from the river Kishon. No gain - They fought without pay, whether from mere hatred of the Israelites, and a desire to be revenged upon them: or from a full hope and confidence of paying themselves abundantly out of Israel's spoils.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

19 Kings came, ... they fought;

The kings of Canaan fought At Taanach, at the waters of Megiddo.

A piece of silver they did not take.

20 From heaven they fought,

The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

21 The brook of Kishon swept them away,

The brook of the olden time, the brook Kishon.

Go on, my soul, in strength!

The advance of the foe is described in few words. Kings came on and fought. They were the kings of Canaan, since Jabin, like his ancestor (Jos 11:1.), had formed an alliance with other kings of northern Canaan, who went to the battle under the command of Sisera. The battle took place at Taanach (see at Jos 12:21), by the water of Megiddo, the present Lejun (see at Jos 12:21), i.e., by the brook Kishon (cf. Jdg 4:7). Taanach and Megiddo were not quite five miles apart, and beside and between them there were several brooks which ran into the southern arm of the Kishon, that flowed through the plain to the north of both these towns. The hostile kings went into the battle with the hope of slaying the Israelites and making a rich capture of booty. But their hopes were disappointed. They could not take with them a piece of silver as booty. בּצע, which generally signifies booty or gain, is probably to be taken here in its primary sense of frustum, from בּצע, to cut off or cut in pieces, a "piece of silver," equivalent to a single piece of valuable booty.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The Defeat and Death of Sisera

v. 19. The kings came and fought, said figuratively of the leaders of Jabin’s army; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, for the two cities are barely three miles apart, and the plain is watered by several small tributaries of the Kishon. They took no gain of money, they did not get so much as one piece of silver as booty nor one ounce of money to buy them off.

v. 20. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera, literally, "From heaven fought the stars, from their courses they fought against Sisera"; by an extraordinary phenomenon the Lord sent confusion into the ranks of the enemy.

v. 21. The river of Kishon swept them away, snatched them away, as they attempted to cross it in their headlong flight, that ancient river, the river Kishon; the very brook was an instrument of help against the foe. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength, or, "Step forth with strength," as Deborah urges herself onward in singing of the mighty defeat.

v. 22. Then were the horse-hoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones, or, "Then stamped the hoofs of the horses from the rushing, the rushing of his champions," as the foe, panic-stricken before Israel, dashed away in furious flight.

v. 23. 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. When they could have been of assistance to the army of Barak, in destroying the fleeing foes, they refused to help.

v. 24. Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber, the Kenite, be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent. People of Meroz, members of the nation of Israel, refused to help, but Jael, though only a woman, though a mere dweller in tents and not of the descendants of Jacob, made use of the opportunity offered her.

v. 25. He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter, the very thickest, the most excellent cream, in a lordly dish, in a show-bowl, the finest vessel in the tent.

v. 26. She put her hand to the nail, the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. The very fierce and vivid description may be rendered: She swung it upon Sisera, she pierces his head, and she crashes and pounds through his temples.

v. 27. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead. So the smitten chieftain drew himself together after the first blow was struck, sought to rise, and fell back. Twice more he writhed convulsively and then died. And now the last scene is pictured.

v. 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, full of uneasiness and impatience over the delay of her son, otherwise so quick in returning with rich booty, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? If he himself is delayed, why does he not at least send word of the success of his enterprise?

v. 29. Her wise ladies answered her, with the wisdom of pride that cannot conceive of a defeat for Sisera; yea, she returned answer to herself,

v. 30. Have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey, thereby being detained so long; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, beautiful colored or purple robes, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil, color-embroidered vestments, two for his neck as booty? "The glowing heat of her prophetic enthusiasm shines through the irony with which she places the vain pride of unbelieving enemies over against the almighty power of God. It is not an irony of hatred, disfiguring the face with scornful smiles, but such as springs from the consciousness that God’s wisdom and power are superior to all heroes and heathen. " (Lange. )

v. 31. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord, fallen and brought to naught like Sisera; but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. The rising of the sun in his full strength is a fitting picture of the rising of Israel to an ever more glorious manifestation of power, according to the intention of the Lord. And the land had rest forty years.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The kings came, they fought ... the kings of Canaan fought

The king of a people group is used to refer to himself and the army he commands. AT: "The kings and their armies came and fought ... the kings of Canaan and their armies fought" (See: Synecdoche)

they fought ... fought

The word "us" is understood. AT: "they fought us ... fought us" (See: Ellipsis)

Taanach ... Megiddo

Translate the names of these places as you did in Judges 1:27.

no silver as plunder

Here "silver" represents any treasure in general. AT: "no silver or other treasures as plunder" (See: Synecdoche)

plunder

things taken by force, usually in battle or by thieves

From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they fought against Sisera

Yahweh helping the Israelite to defeat Sisera and his army is spoken of as if the stars themselves fought against Sisera and his army. This may refer to Yahweh using natural elements, specifically rain storms, to defeat Sisera. (See: Personification)

against Sisera

Here "Sisera" represents himself and his whole army. AT: "Sisera and his army" (See: Synecdoche)

Sisera

See how you translated this name in Judges 4:2.

translationWords

king

Canaan

water

silver

heaven

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

At Ta'anach to the waters of Megiddo. Targum Yonasan renders, "They were encamped at Ta'anach, and reached the waters of Megiddo." The upper section of the camp was at Ta'anach, and it extended to the waters of Megiddo.

Deigning no mercenary reward. They came to Sisera's assistance gratuitously—without requesting payment.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

At Taanakh, by Megiddo’s waters: Taanakh and Megiddo were two places in the portion of Menashe. And from what it seems, they were far from one another - as it stated (Yehoshua 17:11), "the inhabitants of Taanakh and its hamlets, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its hamlets." If so, what is that which it stated, "at Taanakh, by Megiddo’s waters?" Yet it can likely be explained that the kings of Canaan came to fight - meaning Sisera and those that came with him to fight - in Taanakh. But his troops were so many that they reached Megiddo's waters. And likewise did Yonatan translate (in the Targum), "they dwelled in Taanakh, and they spread out to Meggido's waters."

They got no spoil of silver: They would take no money from the Children of Israel that would fall into their hands, but would rather kill them.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.