BIBLE STUDY LESSON 05
VICTORY SONG
THE SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK
From Judges 5
“Following their great victory, Deborah and Barak sang this song:
The leaders have led;
The people have given themselves willingly.
Praise the Lord!
Hear, O kings and listen, O princes.
I will sing to the Lord,
The God of Israel.
Lord, when You went from Seir,
Marching through Edom,
The earth trembled and the heavens opened,
Sending rain from the clouds.
The mountain shook before the Lord,
Before the Lord of Israel, Mount Sinai trembled.
In the days of Shamgar, Anath’s son,
And in the time of Jael,
Caravans stopped using the highways,
And travellers went on the byways.
The leadership of Israel weakened
Until Deborah arose as a mother in Israel.
Our people chose new gods
And brought war to our gates.
Among forty thousand fighting men
We had no shield or spear.
My heart reaches out to the leaders of Israel
Who willingly offered themselves for our people.
Praise the Lord!
You rich people who ride on white donkeys
And sit upon fine carpets,
And you poor people
Who must walk along the way,
Tell what the Lord has done!
At the wells of Israel
The musicians gather to sing,
Telling the triumphs of the Lord;
Time after time they tell
How the Lord won a victory
With the peasants of Israel.
Through the gates of the city
Marched the people of God.
Wake up, O Deborah,
And sing a song!
Rise up, O Barak,
And lead away your captives!
From Ephraim they marched into the valley,
Following the tribe of Benjamin.
From Machir came the commanders,
From Zebulun those with the marshal’s staff.
The leaders of Issachar came with Deborah,
And went with Barak into the valley.
But the tribe of Reuben is searching its heart,
Why did you stay home by the sheepfolds,
Listening to your shepherd pipes?
Gilead stayed by the Jordan, and
Dan remained with his ships,
Asher sat by the seashore
While Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives on the battlefield.
The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach,
But they won no spoils of silver by the waters of Megiddo.
From their courses in heaven, the stars fought Sisera.
The torrents of water from the Kishon River
Swept away the enemy,
So march on, my soul, in might.
Listen to the sound of the horses’ hoofs,
Hear the galloping of the steeds.
A curse upon Meroz, says the Angel of God.
A bitter curse to its peoples.
For they did not come to help the Lord
As He fought against the mighty.
But a blessing be upon Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kentia.
Of the women who live in tents,
May she be blessed above them all.
Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk;
In a lordly bowl, she gave him curds.
One hand she put on a tent peg,
The other on a workman’s hammer,
She struck a blow, crushing his head,
She pierced the peg through his temples.
At her feet he sank, at her feet he lay;
Where he lay to sleep, he fell down to die.
The mother of Sisera watched through her lattice;
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why don’t we hear the wheels of his chariot?’
She and her ladies searched for an answer,
‘They’re dividing the spoil, rich robes for Sisera
And maidens for each man.’
So, Lord, may all enemies perish like Sisera.
May Your friends be like the sun, rising in might.”
So the land had peace for forty years.
COMMENTARY
PEOPLE OF THE LAND: COSMETICS
Among women of ancient times, the Egyptians usually are described as the most skilful with cosmetics. But the wealthy Canaanite women used makeup just as much. The most common makeup was probably the thick black eye paint made of dark antimony powder mixed with oil or water. The heavy black paste was smoothed around the top and bottom of the eyes to make them seem larger and more attractive, it was also daubed on children’s eyes, because it was thought to protect and strengthen the eyes. Both men and women used the paste on their eyebrows; they were painted to meet across the bridge of the nose. Kohl; as the paste is called; was usually applied with a blunt stick of wood, ivory or silver, the tip moistened and dipped in the powder. Canaanite women also coloured their cheeks and lips. They used the same kind of rouge for both, kept in little boxes and pots made of clay, copper or bronze. Delicately carved spoons and spatulas made of bone, ivory or silver were used to spread the rouge. Perfume was used in abundance. It could be either dabbed on the skin or the entire body covered with it. The scents were made from spices, herbs, flowers and plants. The perfume might be liquid, ointment or oil. Canaanite women coloured their hair and skin. They used a dye from the dried leaves of the henna plant. Fingernails and toenails were coloured with the same substance, which ranged in colour from reddish yellow to a coppery orange. For weddings and special occasions, women sometimes used it on their bare bodies from the waist up and stained complicated patterns on their skin.
TEST YOURSELF
1.) What kind of song did Deborah and Barak sing after defeating Sisera?
A) A song of mourning
B) A song of petition
C) A song of victory
D) A song of judgement
2.) Who did the song proclaim a curse on, for not assisting Israel?
A) Barak
B) Meriadoch
C) The people of Meroz
D) Jael
3.) Whom did the song proclaim a blessing on, for the defeat of Sisera?
A) The people of Meroz
B) Jael
C) Meriadoch
D) Barak
4.) Who among ancient women were generally credited with the most skill with makeup?
A) The Moabites
B) The Egyptians
C) The Israelites
D) The Canaanites
5.) What was the main component of “kohl”?
A) Antimony
B) Silver
C) Mercury
D) Copper
6.) What was dried henna used for?
A) To keep hair smooth and shiny
B) To strengthen children’s eyes
C) To dye the body orange-red
D) To paint around the eyes |
