Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!
- BSB “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
- NKJV “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord!
- NASB “For the leaders leading in Israel, For the people volunteering, Bless the Lord!
- NLT “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord!
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 song blesses Yahweh because leaders led and the people willingly offered themselves.
Overview
The opening praise highlights both willing leadership and willing followers as gifts from God. True deliverance requires hearts moved to serve, and the credit goes to the Lord who stirs such willingness. This voluntary devotion foreshadows the glad obedience God works in His people by His Spirit.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Judg 5:9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
- Ps 110:3Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
- 2 Chr 17:16And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour.
- Phil 2:13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
- Ps 94:1O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
- 2 Cor 8:12For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
- Ps 149:6–9Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
- Ps 48:11Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
- 2 Sam 22:47–48The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
- Phlm 1:14But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
- Ps 97:8Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.
- Rev 19:2For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
- Ps 136:19–20Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
- Ps 136:15But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Neh 11:2And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
- Rev 18:20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
- 1 Cor 9:17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
- Deut 32:43Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
- 2 Cor 9:7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
- Ps 18:47It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
- Rev 16:5–6And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
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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 5:2 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.