In Hebrew songs it is not uncommon for poets to shift abruptly to address various people. This feature is known as “enallage.” For example, in verse 5.2 there is a general appeal to praise the LORD. In verse 5.3 the poet addresses the leaders and rulers of this world. And quite abruptly the poet turns to address Yahweh. A blank line between this verse and the preceding one can help readers understand that there is a major shift here.
LORD is a direct address to God. Translators can say “O LORD” or use a common vocative marker in their language.
Verses 4-5 emphasize God’s power, which can be seen in various great upheavals of nature. In an indirect way those listening to the song are thus called to acknowledge his lordship. The lines of these verses provide beautiful imagery frequently found in the Psalms and the Prophets (see, for example, Psalm 68.7-10). Verse 4 has two parallel temporal clauses, followed by three parallel independent clauses. There is a kind of movement within the lines whereby in each set, every new line adds a new dimension or completes what has been said in the previous line. They read literally:
When you went out from Seir,
when you marched from the region of Edom,
the earth, it shook,
also the heavens, they dripped,
also the clouds, they dripped water.
When thou didst go forth from Seir is the first of the two temporal clauses. Thou is an old English pronoun used to refer to God. Most languages will use the singular “you,” though some languages have a special (often plural) form of respect for God and others who are highly respected. Go forth renders the Hebrew verb meaning “come out” (yatsaʾ) that appears throughout this book (see verse 1.24). It is also used in the Exodus story to describe how the LORD went ahead of the Israelites to show them the way out of Egypt. The verb may be rendered “set out from” (New Jerusalem Bible), “came from” (Contemporary English Version), “went out from” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version), or even “left” (Good News Translation). These events are portrayed in the poem as past actions. Seir refers to the mountain range in the Edomite territory to the south of the Dead Sea (see Gen 36.8; Deut 2.1-8). Therefore some versions render this line as “you came down from Seir.” The LORD is often described as coming from Sinai and from Seir (see Deut 33.2).
When thou didst march from the region of Edom is parallel to the preceding line since Seir is in Edom. The lines have a similar structure and meaning. March renders a rare Hebrew verb that means “step out.” Though Revised Standard Version uses the English verb march in many verses of this song, the Hebrew verbs in those verses differ from the one here. This verb seems to have a military meaning, since the LORD is pictured as marching to battle from the hills of Edom. Thus New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “Advanced.” The region of Edom is literally “the field of Edom” (New Jerusalem Bible). Even though the word “field” might give the impression that the LORD is coming down the mountains into a flat place, Seir and “the field of Edom” are references to the same place. New International Version says “the land of Edom,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “the country of Edom.” Contemporary English Version combines the first two lines, saying “when you came from Seir, where the Edomites live.” Translators must remember however, that this is a poem, and choose their words accordingly.
The earth trembled …: This is the first of three poetic lines that tell in figurative language what happens when the LORD appears: the earth and the heavens respond. Earth and heavens constitute a word pair often found in poetic lines in Hebrew, but usually in reverse order. Here earth renders the Hebrew word ʾerets, which is the same word used for the Promised Land in Joshua and Judges. As in Gen 1.1, here it refers to the earth as a whole. In the Scriptures the presence of the LORD often causes the earth to tremble or shake (see, for example, Psalm 18.7; verse 77.18; Joel 3.16), as he comes to either save his people or to judge them. Translators can choose an appropriate verb, for example, “shook,” “quaked,” or “moved.”
And the heavens dropped is literally “also the heavens, they dripped.” Revised Standard Version renders the Hebrew word for “also” (gam) as and. This word does not seem to indicate a consequential action (the earth’s trembling did not cause the rain to fall), but rather a simultaneous action. Translators should read their translation out loud to determine which link (or its absence) is appropriate here. The Hebrew word for the heavens (shamayim) is always plural, but translators will need to use a natural equivalent, whether singular or plural. This word does not refer to “paradise,” but to the physical sky or firmament. There is some disagreement about the meaning of the Hebrew verb rendered dropped. Some think it means “dripped,” others “shook” or “trembled.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives dropped the highest rating, so this meaning can be retained. However, in this context it certainly refers to rain, so we might say “the heavens poured rain” (similarly New Revised Standard Version, New International Version).
Yea, the clouds dropped water is parallel to what precedes, but both lines mean that it rained very hard. Yea renders the Hebrew word gam, translated and in the preceding line. Rather than meaning “also” here, it certainly is meant to express emphasis (so Revised Standard Version). Many versions leave this word untranslated, but an emphatic word such as “Yes” (Good News Translation) may be effective. This line reinforces and is more specific than the previous line. The clouds corresponds to the heavens. Water is plural in Hebrew (mayim), but once again translators need to use forms that are most natural in their language. The text says the clouds dropped water. However, in many languages “rain comes from the clouds.”
Translators need to consider first how they normally describe these phenomena in their language and then try to find a poetic way of expressing them. Good News Translation gives an effective and somewhat rhythmic rendering by saying:
the earth shook, and rain fell from the sky.
Yes, water poured down from the clouds.
In most languages the repetition of the last two lines with its slight variation will be appreciated. Translators can seek for ways to communicate the impact of the last line in Hebrew, be it through brevity or repetition, sound effects, or ideophones.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• “O LORD, when you set out from the mountains of Seir,
when you came forth from the Edomites’ home,
the earth shook and the heavens streamed down,
rain poured out of the clouds.
• “LORD, when you came down from the mountains of Seir,
when you marched out from the land of Edom,
the earth trembled,
and the clouds poured with rain,
yes, abundant rain.
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .