Judges 5 · Verse 6

Judges 5:6

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

Judges 5:6, King James Version

Judges 5:6 in other translations

BSB	In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
WEB	“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.
ASV	In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.
YLT	In the days of Shamgar son of Anath--In the days of Jael--The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go in crooked ways.
DARBY	In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, The roads were unused, and the travellers on highways went by crooked paths.
BBE	In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were not used, and travellers went by side roads.
Webster	In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through by-ways.

What does Judges 5:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 5:6-8

6-8. The song proceeds in these verses to describe the sad condition of the country, the oppression of the people, and the origin of all the national distress in the people's apostasy from God. Idolatry was the cause of foreign invasion and internal inability to resist it.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 The highways were unoccupied - The land was full of anarchy and confusion, being everywhere infested with banditti. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people were obliged to use unfrequented paths.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 5:6-11

Deborah describes the distressed state of Israel under the tyranny of Jabin, that their salvation might appear more gracious. She shows what brought this misery upon them. It was their idolatry. They chose new gods, with new names. But under all these images, Satan was worshipped. Deborah was a mother to Israel, by diligently promoting the salvation of their souls. She calls on those who shared the advantages of this great salvation, to offer up thanks to God for it. Let such as are restored, not only to their liberty as other Israelites, but to their rank, speak God's praises. This is the Lord's doing. In these acts of his, justice was executed on his enemies. In times of persecution, God's ordinances, the walls of salvation, whence the waters of life are drawn, are resorted to at the hazard of the lives of those who attend them. At all times Satan will endeavour to hinder the believer from drawing near to the throne of grace. Notice God's kindness to his trembling people. It is the glory of God to protect those who are most exposed, and to help the weakest. Let us notice the benefit we have from the public peace, the inhabitants of villages especially, and give God the praise.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Judges 5:6 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.

בִּימֵ֞יbi.Meiin [the] days ofH3117

שַׁמְגַּ֤רsham.GarShamgarH8044

בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121

עֲנָת֙'a.NatAnathH6067

בִּימֵ֣יbi.Meiin [the] days ofH3117

יָעֵ֔לya.'ElJaelH3278

חָדְל֖וּcha.de.Luthey ceasedH2308

אֳרָח֑וֹת'o.ra.ChotroadsH734

וְהֹלְכֵ֣יve.ho.le.Kheiand walkers ofH1980

נְתִיב֔וֹתne.ti.VotpathsH5410

יֵלְכ֕וּye.le.Khuthey walkedH1980

אֳרָח֖וֹת'o.ra.ChotroadsH734

עֲקַלְקַלּֽוֹת\׃a.kal.ka.LottwistingH6128

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

Cross references for Judges 5:6

Isaiah 33:8
The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
Judges 3:31
And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
Lamentations 1:4
The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
Leviticus 26:22
I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.
Psalms 125:5
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
Lamentations 4:18
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
Judges 4:17-18
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
2 Chronicles 15:5
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
Micah 3:12
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Shamgar.
3:31
Jael.
4:17,18
the highways.
Le 26:22; 2Ch 15:5; Isa 33:8; La 1:4; 4:18; Mic 3:12
travellers. Heb. walkers of paths. by-ways. Heb. crookedways.
Ps 125:5

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

Context

Judges 5:5
The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.
Judges 5:6
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
Judges 5:7
The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

Read all of Judges 5

Judges 5:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	En los días de Samgar hijo de Anath, en los días de Jael, cesaron los caminos, y los que andaban por las sendas apartábanse por torcidos senderos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Aux jours de Shamgar, fils d’Anath, aux jours de Jaël, les chemins étaient délaissés, et ceux qui allaient par les grands chemins allaient par des sentiers détournés;
German Elberfelder 1871	In den Tagen Schamgars, des Sohnes Anaths, in den Tagen Jaels feierten die Pfade, und die Wanderer betretener Wege gingen krumme Pfade.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	In diebus Samgar filii Anath, in diebus Jahel quieverunt semitæ: et qui ingrediebantur per eas, ambulaverunt per calles devios.