Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
Parallel translations
- WEB “The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
- KJV The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
- NKJV “The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver.
- NASB ¶“The kings came and fought; Then the kings of Canaan fought At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo; They took no plunder in silver.
- NLT “The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs, but they carried off no silver treasures.
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
The Canaanite kings fought at Taanach but took no plunder.
Overview
The enemy kings came confident of spoil yet gained nothing from the battle. Their empty-handed defeat shows the futility of opposing the LORD's people. God overturns the expectations of the proud and denies them their hoped-for victory.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Judg 1:27At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
- Judg 5:30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
- 1 Kgs 4:12Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam;
- Ps 118:8–12It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Ps 44:12You sell Your people for nothing; no profit do You gain from their sale.
- Judg 4:13he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.
- Rev 17:12–14The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast.
- Ps 68:12–14“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
- Ps 48:4–6For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.
- Gen 4:16So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
- Gen 14:22But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
- Josh 11:1–15Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;
- Rev 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
- Josh 10:22–27Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”
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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 5:19 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
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