This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
BEcause hee hath taken revenge by Israel, whē the people offered themselfe willingly: Blesse yee IE∣HOVAH.
Heare O yee Kings, giue eare O Princes: I even I will sing to IEHOVAH the God of Israell.
IEHOVAH when thou went out of Seir, when thou marched out of the land of Edom: the earth was mo∣ved, also the Heavens drop¦ped, also the clouds dropped water.
The mountaines flowed be∣fore the face of IEHOVA:
This Sinai before the face of the GOD of Israel.
In the dayes of Sangar the sonne of Anach: In the days of Iahel the hy way ceased: and they that walked, went by byrods and boutgates.
The villages ceased in Is∣rael; they ceased: vntill I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israell.
When he choosed new gods, warre was in the gates: no sword nor speare was sene among fourtie thousand in Israell.
My heart is to the law givers in Israell: The wel-willing among the people; Blesse yee IEHOVAH. Ye that ryde vpō whyt asses, ye that sit in iudgement, ye that walke in the wayes, Speake.
The delivered from the voyce of the archers, in the places where water is drawne: there they shall teach the righteousnesse of IEHOƲAH: his righte∣ousnesse vpon his villages: then the people of Iehovah went downe to the gates.
Ryse vp, ryse vp Deborah, ryse vp, ryse vp, vtter thy song: Aryse Barak & lead captiue thy captivitie, thou sonne of Abinoam.
Then hee that remained, ruled over the nobles of the people: IEHOƲAH shall beare rule to mee among the strong.
Out of Ephraim whose root streatches to Amalek, af∣ter Beniamin among thy people: out of Machir they came downe, and out of Zebulon, they that draw with the rod of the writer.
And the Princes of Isachar with Deborah: and Isachar with Barak, sent downe to the valley vpon his feete. for the divisions of Reuben great thoughts of heart.
Why sate thou betwixt two folds to heare the bleeting of the flocks? for the divisi∣on of Reuben great search∣ing of heart,
Gilead dwelt still in the o∣ther syde Iordan: and why dwelt Dan in ships: Asher sat at the sea shore & dwelt vpon his Creeks.
Zebulon & Naphtali were the people, who did hazard their soule to die vpon the places of the field.
The Kings came then they fought, the Kings of Ca∣naan fought in Taanah at
the waters of Megiddo, their desire of silver they got not.
The starres faught from the Heavens out of their de∣grees fought they with Sisera.
The river Kison swept thē away: that ancient river Kison. My soule shall trample vpon the strong. Then were the horsehoofes bruised, by the strokes of the strong.
Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of IEHOƲAH: Cursing curse yee the inha∣bitants thereof: because they came not to helpe! IE∣HOVAH, to helpe IEHO∣VAH among the strong.
Iahel the wife of Cheber the Kenite shall bee blessed aboue women, aboue wo∣men in tent she shall be bles∣sed.
Hee asked water and shee gaue him milke, she broght him butter in a dish for no∣bles.
Her hand sent themselves to the naile: and her right hand to the hāmer of worke men: and shee hammered Sisera, she cut off his head: shee pricked through, and pearsed the temple of his head.
Betwixt her feete hee was bowed together, hee fell, hee sleept betwixt her feet: hee bowed himselfe, hee fell where hee bowed himselfe, there hee fell spoyled.
The mother of Sisera looked through the window, and cryed out at the open of the window, Why tarryes his charet from comming? why are the turning of his foure wheeles made slow.
Her wise ladies answered vnto her, also shee her selfe
turned her speaches to her selfe.
Haue they not found? shall they not divyde the spoyle? one damosell, two damosels, for everie man: The spoyle of colours for Sisera him∣selfe, the spoyle of party col∣lours of needle worke, two of spoyle for the necke.
So let thy enemies all pe∣rish IEHOVAH: and let those that loue him, bee as the sunne going foorth in his strength.
PRaise yee the LORD who both hath made you able to revenge your selfe vpon your enemies, and given you courage to fight, and power to over∣come them.
2. O yee Kings who trust in your might, & rulers who lift vp your selfe in pryde: heare and hearken vnto the words of this song; wherein the LORD, the GOD of Israel is praised: for it serveth to teach you.
3 O LORD when thou led thy people from mount Seir, and the land of E∣dom toward the land of Canaan: all creatures in Heaven and earth were moved with thy presence among thy people.
4 Yea the mountaines that seemd so solid melted be∣fore
the face of the LORD, even mount Sinai where thou gaue thy law.
5. A long time before this our last deliverance our estate was so hard, that from the death of Ehud vnto this tyme: none durst goe abroad, for feare of the enemie.
6. And as the people durst not travell in hie wayes: So might they not abyde in villages: vntill the time that GOD raised mee vp, to foretell and confirme the deliverance of his peo¦ple.
7. Because Israel chosed new gods, God raised vp new enemies to sight against them and oppresse them: so that no weapon was found among them.
8. I rejoyce of the Princes of Israel and of the people who came willingly to battell. Blesse ye the Lord.
9 Let al sort of people speak of this work of God: but namely merchants, judges,
way-faring folke, where before hid them selues for feare of the enemie.
10. Before for feare of the e∣nemy they durst not come foorth to draw water, nor inhabit villages, nor minister justice: now the case is altered, by the righteous acts of the LORD: which wee should proclaime.
11. Thou Deborah a prophe¦tesse ryse vp and sing thy song of praise to GOD. and thou Barak captaine of the Lords armie, triumph o∣ver the Cananite.
12. When wee were left few in number and dispysed: our enemi••s were manie and mightie: yet the Lord hath made vs rule over thē
13. To this battel came some of the tribe of Ephraim, & of Beniamin, and of the familie of Machir of the tribe of Manasseh, & of the tribe of Zebulon, men more wise & learned then valourous warriours.
14. The Princes of Isachar were also with Deborah: And Isachars souldiers be¦ing footemen; attended Barak in the valley: It greived vs much that the Reubenites concurred not to helpe vs.
15. Why had thou greater pleasure in the care of thy flocks, nor in the care of the commonwealth? more care of thy beasts then of GODS people, wee mar∣veled much when we saw Reuben absent.
16. Gilead came not: Dan for feare keept the boats of Iordan to flee away. Asher also did stay at home in his surest places for refuge.
17 Such courage & zeale was in the tribs of Zebulon & Naphtali, who being few in number in comparison with their enemies, did venter.
18 Many Kings of Canaan sent their forces with Si∣sera, who fought in the
plaine betwixt Taanah & Megiddo: They looked for greater spoyle & rich∣es, but brought none away
19. GOD shew himselfe par∣tie against the enemies of his people: and caused the starres in their stations fight against them.
20. Hee also caused the river Kison to swell & drowne them: and made his peo∣ple stout to slay them.
21. So sore were the horse put at in fighting and flee∣ing, that they being strong and beating the ground. with their feete, brake all their hoofes.
22. Barak the Lords messen∣ger, had good cause to curse, and bide curse the inhabitants of Meroz, who would not come foorth to helpe GODS people, be∣ing so neare them.
23. Iahel the wife of Cheber the Kenite shall bee much praised aboue other wo∣men who dwell in tents.
24. When Sisera fled & came to her tent to hyde him∣selfe, hee called for water to quench his thirst: shee gaue him milke and butter in pretious vessels like a freind or servant.
25. But when shee saw him fast a sleepe shee tooke one of the nailes of the tent, with a hammer in her right hand, where∣with she drove the naile, throgh the temples of his head fast in the ground.
26. So that hee lay first sleep∣ing, next dead among her feete: notwithstanding all his strugling in the agony of death: So ended this great Captaine oppressor of others.
27. Sisera his mother looking for his returne with vic∣torie, being impatient, whiles looked out at the window, whiles cryed out, why stayes he so long what can bee his stay.
28. Her ladies essayed al their wits to comfort her, yea
even shee comforted her self with his owne words saying.
29. They haue found their prey, they are parting the spoyle, even damosels to everie man: and the col∣loured & partie coloured garments sowed with ne∣dle worke made to be or∣naments for their neckes.
30. This may bee a docu∣ment to all ages, that all the enemies of GOD shall perish: and those that loue him shall shine as the sun at noone day.
AFter the death of Ehud who slew Eglon king of Moab, and delyvered Israel out of the hands of Moabits: whom they had served eighteene yeares be∣fore, Israel had rest from enemies for the space of foure score yeares: But againe Israel wrought wickednesse in the sight of the LORD: therefore he delivered them o∣ver into the hands of Iabin king of the Canaanits: the generall of whose armie was called Sisera, who oppres∣sed Israel the space of twentie yeares: Then Israel re∣pented them of their sinnes, humbled themselfe and cryed to the Lord and hee heard them: And Deborah▪
Barak, & Iabel, he made instruments to deliver them. This deliverance is the argument of this Song sung by Deborah a Prophetesse.
There bee three chiefe and principall parts of this song. 1 The exordium or beginning of this song. vers. 1. 2. Next the purpose, from the 3. verse to the 30. Thirdly, the conclusion of the song. verse 30.
The exordium containes in it 2. exhortations with their reasons. The 1. exhortation is to Gods people to praise God, the reason thereof is taken from their pre∣sent deliverie. verse 1. The 2 exhortation is to al kings and princes to bee attentiue to the words of this Song. The reason thereof is taken from the purpose of the Prophetesse in this song, to wit, to praise and make manifest the onely true God: v. 2. see the like Ps. 2. The purpose of the song containes in it chiefely 5. things: 1. a narration of things bygone, from the 3 verse to the 8. Next an exhortation to praise God, from the 8. vers to the 13. Thirdly, a narration of the battell betwixt the Israelites and Cananits. from the 13. to the 22. Fourthly a curse and blessing, from the 22. verse to the 27. Fifthly, a prettie prosopopeia, from the 27. verse to the 30. The narration of things bygone, containes 2. things, 1. Gods wonderfull power in bringing his peo∣ple through the wildernesse, to the land of promise ver. 3.4. Next the great miserie wherein Israel was of late: with the reason thereof, verse 13. that they had served new gods, idols. 5.6.7. The exhortation to praise God hath in it 4. things. 1. the governours of this people verse 8. Next to merchants, verse 9. Third to the com∣mons, verse 10. the reason thereof, is their libertie: The
fourth part is to her selfe and Barak. verse 11. with the reason thereof, verse 12. The narration of the battell containes in it: 1. the praise of the tribes of Israell who came to fight, and the dispraise of such as lay abacke, from the 13. verse to the 18. Secondly is set downe the part of the Canaanites. verse 18. Thirdly the part of God and his people. verse 19.20.21. The curse is v∣pon Meroz and his inhabitants, with the reason there∣of, verse 22. The blessing is vpon Iahel, with a narrati∣on on of her part and the event thereof, from the 22. ver. to the 27 the prosopopeia is of Sisera his mother & her ladies talking to gether, from the 27. verse to the 30. The conclusion which is the last part of the song: con∣taines a prayer for the confusion of the enemies of God and of his Church: and for the prosperitie of all those who truely loue GOD: verse 30.
IT was the custome of Lyrick Poets in giving of thanks to GOD, to vse solemne verses: as wee may read in Orpheus, Linus, Pindarus, Horace: so the priests of Mars among the Romans called Salij: All these did so by the light of nature: but holy men and women did the lyke by the inspiration of the holy spirit.
Verse 1. Revenge: In Hebrew in revenging revenges
Willing: That is, not all Israell but such onely as fol∣lowed Barak who at the time had no authority in Israel.
Verse 2. The earth &c. Hyperbolicall speaches sig∣nifying the power of Gods presence working in all his creatures.
Verse 4. Sinai: That is to say, not onely creatures which were as it were before GOD in his presence: but also such as it were behind him were mooved.
Verse 6. Mother: so called because beeing endued with the spirit of prophecie as a mother to her childrē: so prophets were called fathers, their disciples their sonnes.
Verse 7. Gates: or ports, signifying that the enemie was master of all, for in the ports of cities judges sat: and the munition of the citie lay there.
Verse 9. Whyte asses: This may bee exponed either of merchants or great men: as after chap. 10.4, & 12.14 Vers. 13. EPHRAIM: It may be meant of Deborah, for chap. 4.5. it is said she dwelt in mount Ephraim.
Verse 14. A dish: that is to say, aboundantlie, for the Hebrew word signifieth a veshell cup like, appoin∣ted to be vsed at great sacrifices, as chap. 6.38.
Butter; That is to say, new milk new severed from the butter.
Obs. 1. DEBORAH conceived and sung this Song by a prophetick spirit the very daye when the benefite was gotten: teaching vs heereby to giue thankes to God for his benefites without delaye: not lingering with Iacob to go to Bethel and performe his vowes: neither beeing vnthankfull altogether, as the nyne le∣pers were to Christ. The Ethnicks sung their Paeans immediatly after victorie over their enemies.
Obs. 2. It is God who revengeth the wrongs done
to his servants: for it is his office, Deut. 32. which when we find we should praise him: Psal. 18.47. nei∣ther should wee avenge our self. Pro. 25.21. Ro. 12.10. Obs. 3. v. 1. All true fortitude comes of God, and is his gift, as the right vse of it, and good event: Psal. 18 for our actions are not in our power: Ier. 10.23. This doctrine refuteth the errour of mans free-will.
Obs. 4. Whatsoever is writen in holy Scripture ser∣veth not only for the age when it was written, but al∣so for the posteritie: Rom. 15.4. 1. Cor. 10.11.
Obs. 5. Kings, Princes and potentates haue neede to bee exhorted to marke the judgements of God vpon their Peeres, for pride so blinds their mindes, that they mis-ken both God & man. Ps. 2.10. Ps. 70.12 Ps. 82.6.
Obs. 6. Wee should remember Gods works of olde, that wee may praise him, trust in him, and be comfor∣ted in the day of trouble. Psal. 77.11.
Obs. 7. vers. 3.4 All creatures in heaven & earth serve God: only the Devils and mankind are rebellious.
Obs. 8. Peace is a great benefite of God to Church & common-wealth: and Warre a great plague, therefore we should pray for it. Psal. 122.6. 1. Tim. 2.2. and praise God for it.
Obs. 9. vers. 5.6. Princes and Princesses should be nourishers of the Church of God. Esay. 49.23. parents to their subjects, therefore even the Ethnickes by the the light of nature called them Patres patriae: and their kins-fold patritios.
Obs. 10. vers. 7. God is a jealous God, and will not suffer his honour to be given to another, but punisheth Idolaters with new punishments, whatsoever the Ido∣latrie
bee, and howsoever mans ingine laboureth to collour or defend it.
Obs. 11. vers. 8 9.10. Wee should bee feeling mem∣bers of the Church, rejoysing when they rejoyce, mur∣ning when they mourne. Rom. 12.15. provoking o∣thers to serve God. Psal. 51.13.
Obs. 12. There are none so eminent in the Church who have not neede to bee stirred vp to their dueties. Heb. 10 24. 2. Tim. 1.6.
Obs. 13. To triumph over enemies, overcoming in lawfull warre is lawfull: all triumphs amongst Gods peo∣ple before Christs death were but praeludes and types of Christs triumph vpon the Crosse over principaliti∣es and powers. Col. 2.15. and of his members at the latter day. 1. Cor. 2.3.
Obs. 14 vers. 11. Deborah hath the Song named af∣ter her, Barak the triumph after him: shee was the Prophetesse, hee the leader of the Armie. Iustice gi∣veth to everie one his owne.
Obs. 15. verse 13.14. By sinne Gods people are made the taile, by repentance and obedience they become the head againe. Deut. 28.12.
Obs. 16. As their names who have beene zea∣lous for the cause of God, and of their countrie are re∣gistrated for their everlasting good memorie: so such, as by infidelitie or feare haue lyen aback are noted with shame. Prov. 10.7.
Obs. 17. vers. 15.16.17. Reuben the father of that tribe regarded more his pleasure than his honour, and so was degraduat by his father Iacob. Gen. 49.3. This sticks to his posterity now, so some sins are hereditary
Obs. 18. verse. 18 Man proponeth and God disponeth: yea, Princes haue no power to performe all their in∣tentions. Psal. 146.4. Prov. 21.1.
Obs. 19. verse 19.20. All creatures as at GODS command to fight against his enemies, & the enemies of his servants, therefore hee is called the LORD of Hostes: Devils and wicked men disobey, the one hee holds in chaines. Iud. 6. and hee can put his hooke in the nosthirles of the other. Es. 37.29.
Obs. 20. verse 21. Man should put his trust in GOD onely, and in none other. Psal. 20.7. Psalme. 146.3.
Obs. 21. verse 22. Whatsoever is done to Gods ser∣vants be it good or evill, God thinkes it done to him∣self. Mat. 25.25. Acts. 9.4.
Obs. 22 Before wee curse or vse imprecations, wee should trye by what spirit wee are led, as Christ said to his Disciples Iohn and Iames.
God can overthrow mightie champions by weake meane and instruments, as Pharaoh his overthrow, Sisera's▪ and many moe prove.
Obs. 23. Deborah a true Prophetesse, as the event de∣clared: the best tryall of prophesies are by event.
Obs. 24. verse 23.24 25.26. Through faith the Fa∣thers were renowmed: Barak because his faith was weake had little honour in his victorie, so Zachariah chastised for infiidelitie, Christs disciples oft rebuked.
Obs. 25. verse 27.28.29. When the wicked crye peace, peace, then suddenly commeth their destructi∣on. 1. Thess. 3.3. The hope of the wicked shall pe∣rish, & the thing they feare shall come vpon them.
Obs. 26. verse 30. The petitions of Gods servants
moved by his holy Spirit registrated in holy Scripture are equivalent to promises: and beeing turned in pro∣positions comfort the godly, & may affray the wicked: howbeit the Lord hold his Church vnder the crosse for a while, yet their outgate shall be comfortable, & their end peace. Ps. 37.