Then the people of Israel cried to the LORD for help: See the comments on verse 3.9. Revised Standard Version has added the words for help here, explaining the purpose of their cry. Translators should use the same expression used elsewhere in this book to preserve the unity very evident in this book.

For he had nine hundred chariots of iron: For renders the Hebrew particle ki. Here this particle may introduce the reason for their cry (“because”) or signal an important fact in the story (“in fact,” “indeed”). The pronoun he could refer to either Jabin, king of Canaan, or his commander, Sisera. However, in light of the summary statement that appears in the following clause, it is probably King Jabin who is in focus. He is the one leading the army and oppressing the people through his general. Since it is not just one man who had the chariots, but rather the army, we might say “King Jabin’s men had….” For chariots of iron, see verse 1.19. A suggested translation for the whole clause is “because Jabin’s army had 900 war chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.”

And oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years: The word order and verb form here in Hebrew indicate this clause is background information, which might be rendered “and he had oppressed the people … for twenty years.” Revised Standard Version omits the subject here, but in Hebrew there is an emphatic pronoun that refers to the king who, through his army, oppressed the Israelites. The Hebrew verb rendered oppressed literally means “squeezed” (see verse 1.34). Here it is intensified with the addition of the word cruelly, literally in Hebrew “with strength.” Translators need to find strong wording to express this oppression. Good News Translation says “he ruled the people of Israel with cruelty and violence,” while Contemporary English Version has “he made life miserable for the Israelites.” We might also say “King Jabin and his men treated the people of Israel ruthlessly” or “he made the Israelites suffer terribly.” For twenty years is the period of their sufferings, representing half of the traditional period of forty years (see comments on verse 3.11).

Some translation suggestions for the verse are:

• The Israelites begged the LORD to help them, because Jabin and his army, with nine hundred war chariots with wheels made out of iron, had oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years.

• King Jabin and his men had nine hundred chariots with iron wheels, and for twenty years he treated the Israelites ruthlessly. Finally, they cried to the LORD to save them.

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 .

To the sound of the musicians at the watering places: There are serious problems of interpretation here, especially since the meaning of the Hebrew word rendered musicians is uncertain. To the sound is literally “from the voice.” The previous verse ends with an imperative verb meaning “ponder.” Even though many English versions put this imperative at the beginning of that verse, others want to put it at the end of that verse to continue the sentence here (see comments on verse 5.10). For naturalness several versions add a similar verb to begin this verse. For example, NET Bible begins with “Hear the sound…” (similarly Good News Translation, Revised English Bible).

The Hebrew word translated musicians comes from a root that has various meanings, but Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the meaning “dividers/distributors.” In this context scholars agree that the word most likely refers to those who carry or distribute water to animals. Versions give divergent renderings here, for example, “singers” (New International Version), “harpers” (New American Bible) and “crowds” (Good News Translation), but Contemporary English Version seems most correct with “those who carry water” (similarly Bible en français courant). This rendering makes good sense in the context of watering places. This reference to people of lower status may be parallel to those obliged to walk (verse 5.10). People of all social ranks, even the lowest, take part in praising the LORD for his victories.

At the watering places (literally “between/among the watering places”) refers to places where water was drawn, probably “wells” (Good News Translation). Watering places were places of great activity, where women went to fetch water and where shepherds also came to get water for their flocks. These watering places appear to be public gathering points and occasionally disputes arose there (see Gen 29.1-12; John 4.1-42). Some think people may have also met there to tell stories and sing, as the following line seems to indicate. Watering places will not pose a problem for translators. We might speak of “water places,” “water sources,” “where they got water,” or “where the animals were given water.”

There they repeat the triumphs of the LORD: The adverb there refers back to the watering places. The pronoun they refers to those gathered around the watering places, and possibly more specifically to those who work there distributing water. Repeat renders the Hebrew verb meaning “recount” or “celebrate.” Here it refers to the reciting of a story, a refrain, or a song. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders they repeat as a call by saying “Let them chant,” but most versions understand this phrase as a habitual action. For example, New International Version says “they recite.” New Jerusalem Bible‘s “they commemorate” seems too formal to describe this kind of scene. Other possible renderings are “they tell again and again” and “they sing about.” Triumphs renders a plural Hebrew word that comes from the root ts-d-q, which means “righteousness.” This term appears twice in this verse and very often throughout the Old Testament. Here the word may refer to the acts of the LORD, for example, his “just deeds” (New American Bible). But in this context the word seems to refer more specifically to the LORD’s “acts of salvation [or, deliverance],” so triumphs is a good rendering. Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Revised English Bible speak of his “victories,” which is better than New Jerusalem Bible‘s “blessings.” The word could refer to the LORD’s past help, but here it refers more likely to his present victory over Sisera. Even though this word is plural in Hebrew, referring to acts of deliverance, a singular word such as “victory” may be used. In some languages a verbal phrase for the triumphs of the LORD might be more appropriate, for example, “how the LORD won the victory.”

The triumphs of his peasantry in Israel: This line contains an ellipsis, and is yet another case of stairstep parallelism (see introductory comments on verse 5.1-31). Along with the recitation of the triumphs of the LORD, the people repeat the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. Many languages will be able to imitate this poetic style. But if not, translators can add the implicit words, saying “they repeat the triumphs of his peasantry….” Triumphs renders the same Hebrew word as in the preceding line, but here it refers to the victories of the people of Israel. Translators should try to find a word that can apply to both the victories of God and those of the people. The repetition of this word serves to emphasize the victories shared by Yahweh and his people, and translators should try to express this emphasis. For peasantry see verse 5.7. This word seems to form an inclusio around 5.7-11. Here the word has been rendered “villages” (New Jerusalem Bible), “villagers” (English Standard Version), “warriors” (New International Version), or simply “people” (Good News Translation). In this context New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh sees a different meaning for the word than in 5.7, thinking that this line is parallel in meaning to the previous one, both referring to Yahweh:

Let them chant the gracious acts of the LORD,
His gracious deliverance of Israel.

But this rendering does not seem correct. In this context it seems more likely that there are two actors: Yahweh and his army whom he leads to victory. Good News Translation takes this approach by saying “… are telling of the LORD’s victories, the victories of Israel’s people.” This solution is poetic and seems to communicate the emphasis of the text.

Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD: Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and English Standard Version place blank lines around this sentence to mark it off from the rest of the text. Indeed, this sentence could be seen as an aside or narrative comment in the middle of Deborah’s song. Perhaps for this reason New Jerusalem Bible puts it in parentheses, but this should not be used as a model here. It is far more likely that this sentence is a refrain, especially in light of the poetic word order in Hebrew: “Then they went down to the gates, the people of Yahweh.” New International Version puts only one empty line after the preceding lines, and lets this line flow into the next verse, to introduce who is speaking:

“Then the people of the LORD
went down to the city gates.
12 ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!

This is one possibility.

The Hebrew connector rendered Then (ʾaz) may introduce a result or consequence of the people’s reflection on God’s triumphs or simply communicate the next event. The same conjunction seems to signal result elsewhere in verse 5.13, 19, and 22. Thus translators should probably choose a conjunction expressing result here. Down … marched renders the common Hebrew verb meaning “go down” (yarad; see comments on verse 1.9). Here it has its military sense of going to battle, though some versions simply say “went down” (New International Version) or “came down” (similarly Revised English Bible). Revised Standard Version separates marched from down, but most languages may prefer to keep these words together. For gates see the comments on verse 5.8. The text does not say which city gates are in view, but it is likely the gates of only one town are in view here. As noted in verse 5.8, the gates were the entrance of the city, and also the place where city affairs were handled, but in this context the gates are the rallying place, in preparation for battle. Good News Translation makes a different interpretation by taking the gates as referring to “the cities,” but this seems less likely. Even though the Hebrew word for people (ʿam) is very common in this book, usually referring to the people of Israel (verse 2.4, 6), and sometimes ironically to the people living in the land (verse 1.16), the phrase the people of the LORD is an unusual one, occurring rarely in the Old Testament. Here it may refer to “Yahweh’s soldiers/warriors.” Revised Standard Version‘s imitation of the Hebrew style gives an epic flavor to this line, but in some languages it may be necessary to revert to a more common word order, with the people of the LORD placed at the beginning, for example, “So the warriors of Yahweh went down to the city gates” or “Then the LORD’s soldiers took position at the city gates.” A model that keeps the original order is:

• Then at the gates of the town,
gathered the LORD’s people.

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 .