Judges 5:28

28 Through the window there looks out and cries aloud The mother of Sisera, through the lattice work, Why does his chariot delay its coming? Why tarry the steps of his team? 29 The wise of her princesses reply: - But she repeats her words to herself - 30 Surely they are finding and sharing booty: A maiden, two maidens to the head of a man, Booty of variegated cloths for Sisera: Booty of variegated cloths, garments worked in divers colours, A variegated cloth, two garments worked in divers colours for his neck as booty. Sisera's mother looks out with impatience for the return of her son, and cries aloud out of the window, Why is he never coming?-foreboding the disastrous result of the war. תּיבּב, ἁπ. λεγ., signifies to cry; in Aramaean it is used for הריע and רנּן, to denote a loud joyful cry; here it evidently signifies a loud cry of anxiety. For the repeated question, Why does his chariot delay its coming? is evidently expressive of anxiety and alarm. The form אחרוּ, perf. Piel for אחרוּ, may be attributed to the influence of the aleph, which favours the seghol sound, like יחמוּ in Gen 30:39. The combination of מרכּבותיו פּעמי, "steps of his chariots," cannot be explained, as it is by Bertheau, on the ground that the word פעמי, as a general expression for intermittent movement, might also be applied to the jerking of the wheels in rolling, but simply on the supposition that מרכּבות, as a synonym for רכב, is used for the horses yoked to the chariot in the sense of team, like רכב in Sa2 8:4; Sa2 10:18, etc.

This chapter contains the triumphal song which was composed and sung upon occasion of that glorious victory which Israel obtained over the forces of Jabin king of Canaan and the happy consequences of that victory. Probably it was usual then to publish poems upon such occasions, as now; but this only is preserved of all the poems of that age of the judges, because dictated by Deborah a prophetess, designed for a psalm of praise then, and a pattern of praise to after-ages, and it gives a great deal of light to the history of these times. I. It begins with praise to God (Jdg 5:2, Jdg 5:3). II. The substance of this song transmits the memory of this great achievement. 1. Comparing God's appearances for them on this occasion with his appearances to them on Mount Sinai (Jdg 5:4, Jdg 5:5). 2. Magnifying their deliverance from the consideration of the calamitous condition they had been in (Jdg 5:6-8). 3. Calling those to join in praise that shared in the benefits of the success (Jdg 5:9-13). 4. Reflecting honour upon those tribes that were forward and active in that war, and disgrace on those that declined the service (Jdg 5:14-19, Jdg 5:23). 5. Taking notice how God himself fought for them (Jdg 5:20-22). 6. Celebrating particularly the honour of Jael, that slew Sisera, on which head the song is very large (Jdg 5:24-30). It concludes with a prayer to God (Jdg 5:31).