Limitless Word
“When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord!
Judges 5:2 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!
  • KJV Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
  • BSB “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, 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, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh!
  • Ps 110:3Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your power, in holy array. Out of the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth.
  • 2 Chr 17:16and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Yahweh, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.
  • Phil 2:13For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
  • Ps 94:1Yahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out.
  • 2 Cor 8:12For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.
  • Ps 149:6–9May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
  • Ps 48:11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments.
  • 2 Sam 22:47–48Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
  • Phlm 1:14But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.
  • Ps 97:8Zion heard and was glad. The daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of your judgments, Yahweh.
  • Rev 19:2for true and righteous are his judgments. For he has judged the great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
  • Ps 136:19–20Sihon king of the Amorites; for his loving kindness endures forever;
  • Ps 136:15But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea; for his loving kindness endures forever:
  • Neh 11:2The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.
  • Rev 18:20“Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her.”
  • 1 Cor 9:17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
  • Deut 32:43Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries, and will make atonement for his land and for his people.
  • 2 Cor 9:7Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
  • Ps 18:47even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
  • Rev 16:5–6I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 5:2YouTube · 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 5:2 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.