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The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
Judges 5:21 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
  • KJV The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
  • NKJV The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!
  • NASB “The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. My soul, march on with strength!
  • NLT The Kishon River swept them away— that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul!

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 Kishon River sweeps the enemy away as the singer marches on in strength.

Overview

The flooding Kishon, likely swollen by the God-sent storm, becomes the instrument of Sisera's defeat. Nature itself, under God's hand, destroys the iron chariots that seemed invincible. The singer's resolve to march on celebrates strength drawn from the LORD's victory.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Judg 4:7And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
  • Mic 7:10Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.
  • Ps 44:5Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.
  • Ps 83:9–10Do to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
  • 1 Kgs 18:40Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
  • Gen 49:18I await Your salvation, O LORD.
  • Isa 25:10For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trodden into the dung pile.
  • Judg 4:13he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Judges videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Judges 5:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JudgesMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 5:21 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.