“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.
Parallel translations
- KJV Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
- BSB Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
- NKJV “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The Lord came down for me against the mighty.
- NASB “Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.
- NLT “Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A remnant comes down to fight, and Yahweh comes down to aid them against the mighty.
Overview
The faithful few who responded are joined by the LORD Himself, who fights on their behalf. The decisive factor is God's coming down to help His people against a stronger foe. Victory belongs to those who, though small, have Yahweh on their side.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Rev 2:26–27He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
- Ps 75:7But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another.
- Rom 8:37No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
- Isa 41:15–16Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
- Ps 49:14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.
- Rev 3:9Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
- Dan 7:18–27But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
- Ezek 17:24All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 5:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.