The Meaning of Judges 5:4 Explained

Judges 5:4

KJV: LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

YLT: Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water.

Darby: "LORD, when thou didst go forth from Se'ir, when thou didst march from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.

ASV: Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

LORD,  when thou wentest out  of Seir,  when thou marchedst out  of the field  of Edom,  the earth  trembled,  and the heavens  dropped,  the clouds  also dropped  water. 

What does Judges 5:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 5:1-11 - The Song Of A "mother In Israel"
One of the noblest odes in literature! It celebrates a mighty victory through the enthusiastic consecration of the people, who laid themselves as freewill offerings on the altar of their country's deliverance, Judges 5:2; Judges 5:9. There is a greater cause that summons us today, for we fight "not against flesh and blood, but"¦ against the rulers of the darkness of this world," Ephesians 6:12.
The singer recites the mighty deeds of the Exodus, Judges 5:4-5. She feels that the present hour is not less full of God. Let us dare to believe that today is as sublime as any day of the past, and live as though it were. She describes the desolations caused by the foe: the divested caravans, the deserted roads, the defenseless, weaponless people, Judges 5:6-8. She tells how men mustered in the city gates to take their part in the great effort to which she called them, Judges 5:9-11. Ye daughters of Deborah, who know God, wake again and sing till your hearts grow hot again; and ye brethren of Barak, arm yourselves for battle against the lies, fashions and sins that curse both the Church and the world! [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 5

1  The Song of Deborah and Barak

What do the individual words in Judges 5:4 mean?

Yahweh when You went out from Seir when You marched from the field of Edom the earth trembled and the heavens poured also the clouds poured water
יְהוָ֗ה בְּצֵאתְךָ֤ מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ בְּצַעְדְּךָ֙ מִשְּׂדֵ֣ה אֱד֔וֹם אֶ֣רֶץ רָעָ֔שָׁה גַּם־ שָׁמַ֖יִם נָטָ֑פוּ גַּם־ עָבִ֖ים נָ֥טְפוּ מָֽיִם

יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּצֵאתְךָ֤  when  You  went  out 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִשֵּׂעִיר֙  from  Seir 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׂעִיר 
Sense: patriarch of the Horites, the inhabitants of Edom before the descendants of Esau, the Edomites.
בְּצַעְדְּךָ֙  when  You  marched 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צָעַד  
Sense: to step, march, stride.
מִשְּׂדֵ֣ה  from  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
אֱד֔וֹם  of  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
רָעָ֔שָׁה  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָעַשׁ 
Sense: to quake, shake.
שָׁמַ֖יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
נָטָ֑פוּ  poured 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
עָבִ֖ים  the  clouds 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
נָ֥טְפוּ  poured 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
מָֽיִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.