So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD!This phrase is a call for divine justice and reflects the biblical theme of God's ultimate victory over His adversaries. It echoes the sentiment found in other scriptures, such as
Psalm 68:1-2, where the enemies of God are scattered. The context of
Judges 5 is the Song of Deborah, celebrating Israel's victory over the Canaanite king Jabin and his commander Sisera. This victory is attributed to God's intervention, emphasizing His role as a divine warrior. The phrase also foreshadows the ultimate defeat of evil, as seen in
Revelation 20:10, where Satan and his forces are finally vanquished.
But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.
This imagery of shining like the sun is a metaphor for righteousness and divine favor. It is reminiscent ofMatthew 13:43, where the righteous are said to shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The phrase suggests a stark contrast between the fate of God's enemies and those who are faithful to Him. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, light often symbolizes life, blessing, and God's presence, as seen inNumbers 6:25, where the Lord's face shining upon someone is a sign of blessing. This phrase also points to the transformative power of God's love and the glorification of believers, a theme that is further developed in the New Testament.
And the land had rest for forty years.
The forty-year period of rest signifies a generation's worth of peace and stability, a common motif in the Book of Judges. This rest is a direct result of God's deliverance and the people's obedience, as seen in the cyclical pattern of sin, oppression, deliverance, and peace throughout Judges. The number forty is significant in biblical numerology, often representing a period of testing or completeness, as seen in the forty years of Israel's wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:35) and Jesus' forty days of fasting (Matthew 4:2). This rest is a temporary foretaste of the ultimate rest promised to God's people, as described inHebrews 4:9-10, where believers are invited to enter God's eternal rest through faith in Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DeborahA prophetess and judge of Israel who, along with Barak, led Israel to victory over the Canaanite army led by Sisera.
2.
BarakThe military leader who, under Deborah's guidance, led the Israelites to victory.
3.
SiseraThe commander of the Canaanite army defeated by Deborah and Barak.
4.
JaelThe woman who killed Sisera, fulfilling the prophecy that a woman would defeat him.
5.
IsraelThe nation experiencing a period of peace following the victory over the Canaanites.
Teaching Points
Divine JusticeGod's justice is sure and His enemies will ultimately perish. Believers can trust in His righteous judgment.
Love for GodThose who love God are likened to the sun in its strength, symbolizing vitality, righteousness, and influence. Believers are called to shine brightly in a dark world.
Peace and RestThe forty years of peace following the victory remind us that obedience and faithfulness to God lead to rest and stability.
Role of Women in God's PlanDeborah and Jael highlight the significant roles women can play in God's redemptive history, challenging cultural norms and expectations.
Victory through FaithThe victory over Sisera was achieved through faith and obedience to God's command, encouraging believers to trust in God's plans even when they seem daunting.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Judges 5:31?
2.How can we emulate those who "love You" as described in Judges 5:31?
3.What does "may all Your enemies perish" teach about God's justice?
4.How does Judges 5:31 connect with Romans 12:19 on vengeance?
5.In what ways can we "rise like the sun" in our daily lives?
6.How does Judges 5:31 inspire us to pray for God's victory today?
7.What does Judges 5:31 reveal about God's justice and retribution?
8.How does Judges 5:31 reflect the theme of divine victory over enemies?
9.What historical context surrounds the events leading to Judges 5:31?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Judges 5?
11.Are those who love Him like the sun?
12.Are those who love Him like the sun?
13.What challenges did Deborah overcome throughout her life?
14.Who were Deborah and Barak in biblical history?What Does Judges 5:31 Mean
So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD!• Deborah ends her song by praising the Lord for His decisive victory over Sisera, echoing earlier deliverances such as the Red Sea (Exodus 15:6-7) and anticipating future judgments when God arises and His foes scatter (Psalm 68:1-2).
• The petition is both worship and warning: God always defends His covenant people and literally destroys unrepentant opposition (Nahum 1:2;2 Thessalonians 1:6-9).
• The verse reassures believers that evil never finally triumphs; the Judge of all the earth will act just as surely in every generation (Genesis 18:25;Revelation 19:1-3).
But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.• In stark contrast, friends of God are pictured radiating with His own glory, a promise carried forward toDaniel 12:3 and fulfilled when “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43).
• “Love” here is covenant loyalty expressed in faith and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:5;John 14:21).
• To “shine”:
– reflects God’s own character to the world (Psalm 84:11;Philippians 2:15).
– points to present witness and future reward—unfading brightness secured by the Lord’s victory (2 Corinthians 4:6;1 Peter 1:8-9).
And the land had rest for forty years.• A literal generation of peace follows Israel’s deliverance, just as after Othniel’s victory (Judges 3:11) and foreshadowing the ultimate Sabbath-rest promised to God’s people (Hebrews 4:9-10).
• Rest is God’s tangible blessing for obedience and a witness to surrounding nations (Joshua 21:44;Psalm 46:9).
• The number forty often marks completion or testing (Exodus 24:18;1 Kings 19:8), underscoring the completeness of the respite granted through God’s saving act.
summaryJudges 5:31 contrasts two destinies. God’s adversaries inevitably perish, while His lovers radiate His brilliance and enjoy prolonged peace. The verse celebrates the Lord’s righteous judgment, His covenant faithfulness, and the tangible rest He provides—a foretaste of eternal triumph and glory for all who are His.
(31)
So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord.--The abrupt burst in which the song rushes, as it were, to its conclusion, is very grand. The total frustration of the hopes of the princesses is all the more forcibly implied by the scorn with which it is left unexpressed. The one word "so" sums up the story in all its striking phases; and this passionate exclamation accounts, in part, for the intensity of feeling which runs through the whole poem, by showing that Deborah regards the battle as part of one great religious crusade. The completeness of the overthrow caused it to be long remembered as an example of Israel's triumph over God's enemies (
Psalm 83:9-10;
Psalm 83:12-15). When the Christian warriors of the first crusade were riding deep in the blood of the murdered Saracens, after the capture of Jerusalem, they were fully convinced that they were "doing God service;" and so filled were they with religious emotion, that at vesper-time they all suddenly fell upon their knees with streaming tears. The general dissemination of a feeling of pity--pity even for our worst enemies--is a very modern feeling, and still far from universal.
But let them that love him.--This is probably the right reading, though it was early altered into "they that love thee."
As the sun when he goeth forth in his might.--For the metaphor, comp.Psalm 19:4-5;Psalm 68:1-3;Daniel 12:3;Matthew 13:43. . . .
Verse 31. - A fine application of the whole subject! Each such victory was a foretaste of the final victory over sin and death, and of the glory of the redeemed Church.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Soכֵּ֠ן(kên)Adverb
Strong's 3651:So -- thusmay allכָל־(ḵāl)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everyyour enemiesאוֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙(’ō·wy·ḇe·ḵā)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 341:Hating, an adversaryperish,יֹאבְד֤וּ(yō·ḇə·ḏū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6:To wander away, lose oneself, to perishO LORD,יְהוָ֔ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of IsraelBut may those who love Youוְאֹ֣הֲבָ֔יו(wə·’ō·hă·ḇāw)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 157:To have affection fshine likeכְּצֵ֥את(kə·ṣêṯ)Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3318:To go, bring, out, direct and proximthe sunהַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ(haš·še·meš)Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121:The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlementat its brightest.בִּגְבֻרָת֑וֹ(biḡ·ḇu·rā·ṯōw)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1369:Force, valor, victoryAnd the landהָאָ֖רֶץ(hā·’ā·reṣ)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, landhad restוַתִּשְׁקֹ֥ט(wat·tiš·qōṭ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 8252:To be quiet or undisturbedfor fortyאַרְבָּעִ֥ים(’ar·bā·‘îm)Number - common plural
Strong's 705:Fortyyears.שָׁנָֽה׃(šā·nāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141:A year
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OT History: Judges 5:31 So let all your enemies perish Yahweh (Jd Judg. Jdg) 
