The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
Parallel translations
- WEB The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
- BSB The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in 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 unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
- Mic 7:10Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
- Ps 44:5Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
- Ps 83:9–10Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
- 1 Kgs 18:40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
- Gen 49:18I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
- Isa 25:10For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
- Judg 4:13And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 5:21 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.