The Meaning of Judges 5:30 Explained

Judges 5:30

KJV: Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

YLT: Do they not find? -- they apportion spoil, A female -- two females -- for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work -- a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!

Darby: Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'

ASV: Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Have they not sped?  have they [not] divided  the prey;  to every  man  a damsel  [or] two;  to Sisera  a prey  of divers colours,  a prey  of divers colours  of needlework,  of divers colours  of needlework on both sides,  [meet] for the necks  of [them that take] the spoil? 

What does Judges 5:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 5:24-31 - At The Mercy Of Midian
What a contrast our reading suggests between those that love the Lord and go from strength to strength in the undimming luster and influence of their life, and the evil that once more brought the tyrant's yoke upon this neck of Israel! Yet these alternations have too often befallen us. At one moment Sisera and his hosts are chased before us as sheep before the dog; then a reaction sets in and the hand of Midian prevails against us. Why are we not always glad, strong, and victorious? Is it not because we look to our moods, we relax our close walk with God, and we set up the images of Baal in our hearts? We are then reduced to the plight described here and in Haggai 1:6. Why are there not more conversions in the Church? Why is there so little difference between the Church and the world? Why is so much of our Sunday-school teaching ineffective? Ah, the Midianite is in our midst and we acquiesce! The urgent, primal need of the present day is for the Church to realize her true condition, and cry mightily unto God for help. Note Judges 6:6 and Joel 1:14, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 5

1  The Song of Deborah and Barak

What do the individual words in Judges 5:30 mean?

Are not they finding and dividing the spoil a young woman - to every man plunder of dyed garments for Sisera and dyed garments embroidered dyed two [pieces] of embroidery for the neck of the looter
הֲלֹ֨א ؟ יִמְצְא֜וּ יְחַלְּק֣וּ שָׁלָ֗ל רַ֤חַם רַחֲמָתַ֙יִם֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ גֶּ֔בֶר שְׁלַ֤ל צְבָעִים֙ לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔א צְבָעִ֖ים רִקְמָ֑ה צֶ֥בַע רִקְמָתַ֖יִם לְצַוְּארֵ֥י ؟ שָׁלָֽל

הֲלֹ֨א  Are  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
؟ יִמְצְא֜וּ  they  finding 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
יְחַלְּק֣וּ  and  dividing 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָלַק 
Sense: to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign.
שָׁלָ֗ל  the  spoil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
רַ֤חַם  a  young  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
רַחֲמָתַ֙יִם֙  - 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: רַחֲמָה  
Sense: womb.
לְרֹ֣אשׁ  to  every 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
גֶּ֔בֶר  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּבֶר  
Sense: man, strong man, warrior (emphasising strength or ability to fight).
שְׁלַ֤ל  plunder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
צְבָעִים֙  of  dyed  garments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֶבַע  
Sense: dye, dyed stuff, something dyed, coloured cloth.
לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔א  for  Sisera 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סִיסְרָא  
Sense: the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael.
צְבָעִ֖ים  and  dyed  garments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֶבַע  
Sense: dye, dyed stuff, something dyed, coloured cloth.
רִקְמָ֑ה  embroidered 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִקְמָה  
Sense: variegated stuff, embroidered.
צֶ֥בַע  dyed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֶבַע  
Sense: dye, dyed stuff, something dyed, coloured cloth.
רִקְמָתַ֖יִם  two  [pieces]  of  embroidery 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: רִקְמָה  
Sense: variegated stuff, embroidered.
לְצַוְּארֵ֥י  for  the  neck 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צַוָּאר 
Sense: neck, back of neck.
؟ שָׁלָֽל  of  the  looter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 5:30?

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