Judges 5 · Verse 15

Judges 5:15

And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

Judges 5:15, King James Version

Judges 5:15 in other translations

BSB	The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
WEB	The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.
ASV	And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.
YLT	And princes in Issachar are with Deborah, Yea, Issachar is right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great are the decrees of heart!
DARBY	And the princes in Issachar were with Deborah; And Issachar, like Barak; They were sent into the valley at his feet. In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart!
BBE	Your chiefs, Issachar, were with Deborah; and Naphtali was true to Barak; into the valley they went rushing out at his feet. In Reuben there were divisions, and great searchings of heart.
Webster	And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah: even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

What does Judges 5:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

15. Then comes a reproachful notice of the tribes which did not obey the summons to take the field against the common enemy of Israel. By the divisions--that is, the watercourses which descend from the eastern hills unto the Jordan and Dead Sea. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart--They felt the patriotic impulse and determined, at first, to join the ranks of their western brethren, but resiled from the purpose, preferring their peaceful shepherd songs to the trumpet sound of war.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 15 The princes of Issachar - They were at hand and came willingly forth, at the call of Deborah, to this important war. Barak - was sent on foot - I have no doubt that ברגלין, without regarding the points, should be translated with his footmen or infantry. Thus the Alexandrian Septuagint understood it, rendering the clause thus: Οὑτω Βαρακ εξαπεστειλεν πεζους αυτου εις την κοιλαδα, "Barak also sent forth his footmen into the valley." Luther has perfectly hit the meaning, Barak mit seinen fussvoleke, "Barak with his footmen." For the divisions of Reuben - Either the Reubenites were divided among themselves into factions, which prevented their co-operation with their brethren, or they were divided in their judgment concerning the measures now to be pursued, which prevented them from joining with the other tribes till the business was entirely settled. The thoughts of heart, and searchings of heart, might refer to the doubts and uneasiness felt by the other tribes, when they found the Reubenites did not join them; for they might have conjectured that they were either unconcerned about their liberty, or were meditating a coalition with the Canaanites.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 5:12-23

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…

Read the full comment on Judges 5:12-23 →

Judges 5:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְשָׂרַ֤יve.sa.Raiand princes myH8269

בְּיִשָּׂשכָר֙be.yi.sa.sh.Kharin IssacharH3485

עִם\־'im-[were] withH5973

דְּבֹרָ֔הde.vo.RahDeborahH1683

וְיִשָּׂשכָר֙ve.yi.sa.sh.Kharand IssacharH3485

כֵּ֣ןkensoH3651

בָּרָ֔קba.RakBarakH1301

בָּעֵ֖מֶקba.'E.mekin the valleyH6010

שֻׁלַּ֣חshu.Lachhe was sentH7971

בְּרַגְלָ֑יוbe.rag.Lavat feet hisH7272

בִּפְלַגּ֣וֹתbif.la.Gotamong [the] divisions ofH6391

רְאוּבֵ֔ןre.'u.VenReubenH7205

גְּדֹלִ֖יםge.do.Lim[were] greatH1419

חִקְקֵי\־chi.kei-resolves ofH2711

לֵֽב\׃LevheartH3820

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 5:15

Judges 4:14
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
Judges 4:10
And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
Proverbs 22:13
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
Judges 4:6
And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh–naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
1 Chronicles 12:32
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
Acts 15:39
And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Acts 20:13
And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the princes.
1Ch 12:32
Barak.
4:6,14
foot. Heb. his feet.{Beraglaiv,} rather, "with his footmen:" so LXX. Alex. [pkzous autou,] and Luther, {mit feinem Fubvolt.}
Ac 20:13
For the. or, In the divisions, etc.
Ac 15:39
thoughts. Heb. impressions.
Pr 22:13; 2Co 11:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Judges 5:14
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
Judges 5:15
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
Judges 5:16
Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

Read all of Judges 5

Judges 5:15 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Príncipes también de Issachâr fueron con Débora; y como Issachâr, también Barac se puso á pie en el valle. De las divisiones de Rubén hubo grandes impresiones del corazón.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et les princes d’Issacar ont été avec Debora, et Issacar, comme Barak; il a été envoyé sur ses pas dans la vallée. Aux divisions de Ruben, grandes considérations de cœur!
German Elberfelder 1871	Und die Fürsten in Issaschar waren mit Debora; und Issaschar gleich Barak; er wurde seinen Füßen nach ins Tal gesandt. An den Bächen Rubens waren große Beschlüsse des Herzens.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Duces Issachar fuere cum Debbora, et Barac vestigia sunt secuti, qui quasi in præceps ac barathrum se discrimini dedit: diviso contra se Ruben, magnanimorum reperta est contentio.