Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 5:10
Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
10. In this most obscure verse the poet is generally supposed to call upon various classes of Israelites to take their share in celebrating the victory.
Tell of it ] So LXX, Vulgate The verb means talk (against) Psa 69:12, or speak (to) Job 12:8, but properly to meditate upon, muse Psa 105:2; Psa 145:5 etc.; it does not occur in early literature (Gen 24:63 is textually doubtful). The word is corrupt.
ye that ride on white asses ] more exactly, as the Arabic shews, tawny, reddish-grey, asses, i.e. choice animals such as would be ridden by persons of dignity; the leading men in ancient Israel used to ride on asses, just as members of the ruling house in Zanzibar, and as the sheikhs in S. Arabia, do at the present day. Cf. Jdg 10:4, Jdg 12:14, 2Sa 17:23 ; 2Sa 19:26.
rich carpets ] from a word which means garment, raiment (e.g. Jdg 3:16), here supposed to refer to the raiment, i.e. saddle-cloths, of the asses. This is highly precarious, and the word, which is irregular though perhaps not impossible in form 1 [34] , must be considered corrupt. LXX. cod. A interprets the two lines as referring to a triumphal procession; LXX. cod. B, Targ., Vulgate in judgement, by a false etymology.
[34] Instead of m, it has the plur. ending n, the normal form in Aramaic; which occurs, however, regularly in the Moabite Stone, and in the O.T. 25 or 26 times (15 in Job) in passages either dialectical or late.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye that ride on white donkeys … – i. e. nobles or magistrates. Deborah appeals to the classes mentioned in Jdg 5:6-7, to bear witness to the happy change that had followed the overthrow of Jabin.
That sit in judgment – Rather that sit on saddles, or horse-cloths, a further description of those who ride on asses.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. Ye that ride on white asses] Perhaps athonoth tsechoroth should be rendered sleek or well-fed asses; rendered asinos nitentes, shining asses, by the Vulgate.
Ye that sit in judgment] yoshebey al middin; some have rendered this, ye who dwell in Middin. This was a place in the tribe of Judah, and is mentioned Jos 15:61.
And walk by the way.] Persons who go from place to place for the purposes of traffic.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Speak; celebrate the praises of our mighty God, whose hand hath done this.
Ye that ride on white asses, i.e. magistrates and nobles, who used to do so, Jdg 10:4; 12:14; horses being in a manner forbidden there, Deu 17:16.
Ye that walk by the way, i.e. you that now can safely travel about your business in those highways, which before you durst neither ride nor walk in. So great and mean persons are jointly excited to praise God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Speakthat is, join inthis song of praise.
white assesThose whichare purely white are highly prized, and being costly, are possessedonly by the wealthy and great.
Ye that sit in judgmenthasbeen rendered, “ye that repose on tapestries.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Speak, ye that ride on white asses,…. Though in some countries, as in ours, it is reckoned disgraceful to ride on asses; so Leo Africanus b makes mention of a preacher in Africa, who was called the ass rider; because he was continually, sitting on an ass; yet in Judea, where there were no horses, or very few, it was accounted honourable; so it was in the time of our Lord; for his riding on an ass to Jerusalem was not mean and disgraceful, but honourable and glorious: and so it certainly was in those early times of the judges; for we read of the sons of two of them, which were very numerous, that rode on asses’ colts, Jud 10:4, and it seems that white asses were the most valuable, and chiefly used by great personages. The ass in the Hebrew language has its name from redness, that being the usual colour of them in those parts; and hence they were hateful to the Egyptians, because that their Typhon was of that colour c; but there were some that were white, as there are wild ones now of that colour. A traveller d in those parts in the beginning of the last century tells us, that on the banks of the Euphrates they beheld every day great droves of wild beasts, as wild asses “all white”, c. The word we translate “white” is “zechorot”, and perhaps may describe the same animal the Ethiopians call “zecora”, and some “zebra” said to excel in beauty all four footed creatures in the whole world. It is an animal of the size of a mule, found in the woods beyond Abyssinia, is easily tamed, and is the frequent and chief present of the kings of that country; about its loins is a circle of a black colour, in the form of a girdle, which is followed with more on each side, according to the part of the body, some broader, others narrower, both black and white, or of an ash colour, so neat that they seem to exceed the art of the most eminent painter; its only deformity are its ears, which are long; hence it is called by the Portuguese the wild ass, though wrongly; of what value and esteem it was appears from the large price it has been sold for; one, that was the gift of a king to a Turkish governor, was sold to an Indian for 2,000 pieces of Venetian money, to make a present of to the great Mogor, king of the Indians e, which was the value of nine hundred pounds. Those that rode on these creatures were the princes and nobles of Israel; though they are generally interpreted by the Jewish commentators of merchants that rode from place to place about business; and these are called upon to speak of the wonderful things God had done for Israel, in freeing them from the bondage of the Canaanites, so that these nobles or merchants might ride about the country without any fear; and to discourse of them to others, and in their meditations give praise to God on account of them:
ye that sit in judgment; which seems to describe judges upon the bench, sitting to hear and try causes, and pass righteous judgment; these are also exhorted to give thanks to the Lord, that they were now restored to their seats of judgment, from which they were driven; or where they could not peaceably exercise their office, which they now might and did: Cocceius renders the word “on measures”, as if these were persons that presided over measures, and took care that they were just and right. Though Kimchi and Ben Melech say, that Middin, which we render “in judgment”, is either the name of a city in the book of Joshua,
[See comments on Jos 15:61], or the name of a way f well known, in which they were afraid to go because of the enemy, but now went in it with safety, and therefore had reason to speak well of God, and praise his name; but this is rather intended in the next clause:
and walk by the way; the common people that travelled from place to place on business, who before were obliged to leave the public roads, and go in byways, Jud 5:6 but now could travel in the common road without fear, and therefore ought to be thankful.
b Descriptio Africae, l. 5. p. 574. c Plutarch. de Iside. d Cartwright’s Preacher’s Travels, p. 106. e Ludolph. Ethiop. Hist. l. 1. c. 10. Vid. Philostorg. Eccles. Hist. l. 3. c. 11. f Vid. David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 19. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And all classes of the people, both high and low, have reason to join in the praise. Those who ride upon white, i.e., white-spotted asses, are the upper classes generally, and not merely the leaders (cf. Jdg 10:4; Jdg 12:14). , lit. dazzling white; but since there are no asses that are perfectly white, and white was a colour that was highly valued both by Hebrews and Arabs, they applied the term white to those that were only spotted with white. Those who sit upon coverings ( from , a covering or carpet, with the plural termination , which is to be regarded as a poetical Chaldaism) are the rich and prosperous; and those who walk on the way, i.e., travellers on foot, represent the middle and lower classes, who have to go about and attend to their affairs. Considered logically, this triple division of the nation is not a very exact one, as the first two do not form a true antithesis. But the want of exactness does not warrant our fusing together the middle term and the first, and understanding by middin either saddles or saddle-cloths, as Ewald and Bertheau have done; for saddle-cloths are still further from forming an antithesis to asses, so that those who ride upon white asses could be distinguished, as the upper classes and leaders, from those who sit upon saddles, or are “somewhat richer.” Moreover, there is no reason for regarding these three classes as referring simply to the long line of warriors hastening from the victory to the triumphal fte. On the contrary, all classes of the people are addressed, as enjoying the fruits of the victory that had been obtained: the upper classes, who ride upon their costly animals; the rich resting at home upon their splendid carpets; and the poor travellers, who can now go quietly along the high-road again without fear of interruption from the foe (Jdg 5:6). is rendered “ sing ” by many; but this rendering cannot be sustained from Psa 105:2 and Psa 145:5, and it is not necessary on the verse before us, since the well-established meaning of the word “ponder,” reflect, sc., upon the acts of the Lord, is a perfectly suitable one.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(10) Speak.Rather, Think of it. or, perhaps, Meditate the song. It is placed in the original in far more forcible position at the end of the verse.
Ye that ride on white asses.That is, nobles and wealthy (Jdg. 10:4; Jdg. 12:14). The word can hardly mean white, because there are no such things as white asses. It means rather bright-coloured (Eze. 27:18), glossy-skinned, or dappled (super nitentes asinos, Vulg.). These were the more valuable sort of asses, and were used by the rich and great. It is only because this was not understood among the Greeks and Romans, who despised the ass, that the LXX. and Josephus so often disguise the word in writing for Gentiles, using plon, steed, or the general word hupozugion, beast of burden, instead. No incident was more derided among the Gentiles than the riding to Zion of her king, meek and sitting upon an ass (Zec. 9:9), (see the Life of Christ, 2:197). Here though the Alexandrine MS. of the LXX has on female asses of the South i.e., of Ethiopiawe find in other MSS. on beasts of burden.
Ye that sit in judgment.Rather, ye that sit on rich divans, though our version follows the Vatican MS. of the LXX., the Chaldee, and the Vulgate. The Hebrew is, ye that sit on middin, and some Jews understood it to mean at Middini.e., ye inhabitants of the town Middin (which is mentioned in Jos. 15:61, and which they suppose may have been peculiarly oppressed and insulted by the enemy). Others, again, suppose that middin is saddle-cloths (comp. Mat. 21:7). The Alexandrine MS. of the LXX. has epi lampnmi.e., on sedans or covered chariots. There can be little doubt that it means bright carpets (compare mad in Psa. 109:18).
And walk by the way.Rather, ye that walk in the way. Deborah appeals (1) to the wealthy, riding through the safe highways: (2) to those of all classes who now sit at ease on divans, bright with carpets, of which Easterns are so fond: and (3) to foot-passengers in the ordinary lifeto join in the thought and song of praise. On the phrases sitting at home and walking on the roads to describe the ordinary avocations of life, see Deu. 6:7 : When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Dappled she-asses Such as had a reddish skin marked with white streaks or spots. Asses of this colour were scarce and costly, and therefore none but the rich and noble among the people were accustomed to ride on them.
Splendid carpets This seems to be the full meaning of the original word . The Orientals were accustomed to repose, either for pleasure or for sleep, on mats and rugs. They who reposed on rich carpets were the wealthy. The English version judgment, which follows the Septuagint, Vulgate, and others, is inadmissible.
Travellers on the way The lower and middle classes. Thus in this verse the prophetess addresses three classes: the nobles who ride on costly beasts, the wealthy who repose in splendid state, and the more common people, who can now travel on the roads without danger, and not feel obliged, as formerly, to steal through crooked byways.
Meditate the song Ponder the subject-matter of this triumphal ode, and talk it over when ye ride, when ye sit down, or when ye are walking on the road.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 5:10. Speak, ye that ride on white asses These are supposed to have been asses of the Zebra kind zachar. The author of the Observations, however, (p. 268.) is of opinion, “that these asses are not called white on account of their natural colour, but rather from their caparisons, according to the custom among the Arabs to this day, who use saddles of wood in riding, and have always, as a part of their riding furniture, a cloth which they call the hiran, about six ells long, which they fold up and put upon the wooden saddle, in order to fit with greater ease; and which they use when they bait, as a sort of mattrass to repose themselves upon.” The clause, ye that sit in judgment, explains the preceding. Ye who walk by the way, seems evidently to mean the merchants or traffickers, who might now safely travel about their business, which they could not do before this deliverance, (Jdg 5:6.) and for which Deborah calls upon them to speak, i.e. give thanks to God. Thus the passage may be interpreted, as it stands in our Bible. But as the word rendered speak ye, Sichu, is the last in this sentence, and as many words are obliged to be inserted at the beginning of the 11th verse, I apprehend that there should be no stop; and that the passage might be rendered in some such manner as this: ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk by the way, pursue your meditations, free from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water. There [in those places late so hostile and dangerous] they shall relate the righteous acts of the Lord; his righteous acts for the villages in Israel; and then shall the people of the Lord [safely] go down to their cities. I would just observe, that the word rendered speak ye, signifies properly to meditate, reflect deeply; and that in the eastern countries the places of drawing water being much frequented, and of the greatest utility, the prophetess could not express herself more strongly, than by saying, that they might meditate free from danger there, where the enemy would in times of danger be sure constantly to plant themselves. Dr. Shaw, p. 20 tells us of a beautiful rill in Barbary, which is received into a large bason, called Shrub we krub, i.e. drink and away, from there being great danger of meeting there with rogues and assassins. If such places are proper for the lurking of murderers in time of peace, they must be proper for the lying in ambush in times of war; the circumstance of which Deborah here takes notice. In the Gesta Dei per Francos, p. 27, the writer, speaking of the want of water which the Croisade army felt so severely at the siege of Jerusalem, gives us a still more perfect comment on the present passage; for he complains, that, besides being forced to use stinking water and barley bread, their people were in continual danger from the Saracens, who, lying hid near all the fountains and places of water, every where destroyed numbers of them, and carried off their cattle. See Observations, p. 341.
REFLECTIONS.Deborah now mentions with delight the deliverance that God had wrought by her means; not out of pride or vain conceit of her work or agency in it, but to the glory of God, who had enabled her for, and called her to, the blessed service. Herein she acknowledges the ready assistance of those governors who willingly offered themselves to fight the Lord’s battles. Her heart was towards them in love for their fidelity, and drawn out to God in praise for having incited them to follow her. Note; They who boldly stand up for the cause of God, justly deserve the regard of Man 1:2. She enjoins the several ranks of men to praise God for the happy change. The nobles, who were distinguished by riding on white asses; the judges, who sat in the gate; the plowman, that now securely broke the sod; the traveller, who safely trod the lately unoccupied path; the drawer of water, who drank before at the peril of his life; all must unite their hearts and voices to adore the great Deliverer, and to bless the Lord, who had done for them such marvellous things. Note; Every man in his station has peculiar mercies to be thankful for.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
As she had so pathetically lamented in the former verse, that the soldiery of Israel had been so dispirited, that neither spear nor shield could be found among their armies, she now looks with pleasure upon them whom the Lord had inclined to be his instruments in this battle. Particular note is made of such, for while we behold the Lord’s hand in all things, we give due praise to the Lord’s instruments. They whom the Lord honors we ought to honour. White asses and mules were beasts of distinction in the early ages. See 2Sa 18:9 ; Jdg 12:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 5:10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
Ver. 10. Speak, ye that ride on white asses. ] Ye nobles and circuit judges; ye merchants and marketmen, that while durst not be seen abroad for Tories and cut throats, speak out God’s worthy praises for the re-enjoyment of your pristine privileges, that your Malvoy is now become a Salvoy.
Speak: or, Meditate, Psa 105:2, Psa 145:5, Psa 145:11
ride: Jdg 10:4, Jdg 12:14
ye that sit: Psa 107:32, Isa 28:6, Joe 3:12
Reciprocal: Exo 18:13 – General Num 16:15 – I have not 1Sa 7:16 – in circuit 1Sa 8:1 – sons judges 1Sa 9:3 – General 2Sa 16:2 – What meanest 1Ki 13:13 – General Mat 21:5 – sitting Joh 12:15 – sitting
Jdg 5:10. Speak ye Celebrate the praise of our mighty God, and give him thanks. The word , sichu, however, here rendered, Speak ye, more properly signifies to consider, meditate, or reflect deeply, namely, on the miserable condition they were in before, and on the great deliverance God had wrought out for them. Ye that ride on white asses That is, magistrates and nobles, who used to do so, Jdg 10:4; Jdg 12:14. These could not appear in any splendour during the servitude and oppression under Jabin, but now were restored to their dignity, which she calls upon them to consider, and for which to praise the Lord. There were few horses in Judea but what were brought out of other countries, so that the greatest persons rode on asses, as appears by the sacred history; but in this country they were commonly of a red colour, (whence, as Bochart observes, an ass hath the name of , chamor,) and therefore white, or, as he translates the word, whitish asses, or those streaked with white, were highly esteemed for their rarity. Ye that sit in judgment Those that sat as judges in the gates, which were no longer possessed by the enemies, she here exhorts to join with the nobles before mentioned. And walk by the way The merchants, traffickers, and others, who could now travel safely about their business, which they durst not do before this deliverance, Jdg 5:6; for which, therefore, they were bound to praise God.
5:10 Speak, ye that ride on {e} white asses, ye that sit {f} in judgment, and walk by the way.
(e) You governors.
(f) Or by Middin, as in danger of your enemies.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes