Chapters four and five are a record of the third cycle.
The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah after Ehud died (4:1).
Jehovah sold Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, the captain of whose army was Sisera. He had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed Israel severely for twenty years (vv. 2, 3b).
The children of Israel cried out to Jehovah (v. 3a).
Deborah, a prophetess, was raised up as a judge of Israel. She would sit under the palm of Deborah, and the children of Israel went up to her for judgment (vv. 4-5).
Deborah, with Barak and the children of Naphtali and Zebulun, defeated Jabin the king of Canaan and the captain of his army, Sisera, through Jehovah’s fighting for them (vv. 6-16). Verse 15a says, “Jehovah threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his camp into confusion with the edge of the sword before Barak.”
In verse 9 Deborah prophesied that Jehovah would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. In verses 17 through 22 Sisera, the captain of King Jabin’s army, was killed by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, as Deborah had predicted.
God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the children of Israel. They prevailed more and more against Jabin until they destroyed him (vv. 23-24).
Judges 5:1-31a is the song of Deborah and Barak.
Verses 4 and 5 say, “O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, / When You marched from the field of Edom; / The earth trembled, the heavens also dripped, / Indeed the clouds dripped water. / The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, / Sinai there, at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.” Here Deborah and Barak celebrated triumphantly their victory over Jabin king of Canaan, given to them by God.
Deborah and Barak appreciated the leaders of Israel who took the lead and the people of Israel who willingly offered themselves, some of whom had great resolutions in their heart and great searchings of their heart (vv. 2, 9, 13-18).
The song of Deborah and Barak also praises the stars that fought with Sisera from heaven, from their courses, and the ancient river Kishon that swept away the kings of Canaan (vv. 20-21).
“Curse Meroz, says the Angel of Jehovah; / Bitterly curse its inhabitants. / For they did not come to the aid of Jehovah, / To the aid of Jehovah against the mighty” (v. 23). Here the song praises the Angel of Jehovah, Christ, who took care of their battle.
In verses 24 through 27 the song of Deborah and Barak blesses Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who killed Sisera, the captain of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan. Verse 24 says, “Blessed among women shall Jael be, / The wife of Heber the Kenite; / Blessed among the women in the tent shall she be.”
Verses 28 through 30 continue by mocking ironically the imagination of the mother of Sisera concerning her son’s good fortune.
Verse 31a is a blessing upon Israel: “May all your enemies so perish, O Jehovah. / But may those who love Him be like the sun / When it rises in its might.”
Chapter five concludes by saying that the land had rest forty years (v. 31b).