Judges Chapter 5 verse 8 Holy Bible
They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in ASV
They had no one to make arms, there were no more armed men in the towns; was there a body-cover or a spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in BBE
When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in DARBY
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in KJV
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in WBT
They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?
read chapter 5 in WEB
He chooseth new gods, Then war `is' at the gates! A shield is not seen -- and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.
read chapter 5 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - The cause of this misery was not far to seek; it was the idolatry of the people which provoked God to anger. Then their enemies were let loose upon them, and they dared make no resistance.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) They chose new gods.--The Chaldee and the LXX. agree in this interpretation, which is strongly supported by Deuteronomy 32:16-17. The Syriac and Vulgate render it "God chose new things," or "wars" (nova bella elegit Dominus, Vulg.); but this gives a poorer sense, and is open to the objection that Jehovah, not Elohim, is used throughout the rest of the song. It alludes to the idolatry (Jeremiah 2:11) which brought the retribution described in the next clause. Ewald and his pupil, Bertheau, render "gods" (Elohim) by "judges;" but this is very doubtful, though the word has that meaning in Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:7-8.Then was war in the gates.--The Canaanites drove the Israelites from the city gates, where judgments were given, and expelled them from their towns; so the Targum explains it to mean, "the storming of gates," and so too Rabbi Tanchum. One MS. of the LXX. and the Syriac and Arabic versions have the strange rendering, "they chose new gods like barley bread," which Theodoret explains to mean, "as though after eating wheaten bread, men would voluntarily descend to coarse barley bread"; but this is only due to an inferior reading.Was there a shield or spear.--This is usually, and not unnaturally, explained to mean that there had been a general disarmament (comp. Judges 3:31; 1Samuel 13:19); we must then assume that the Israelites had only bows, slings, and swords. But (1) there is no indication whatever (but rather the reverse, Judges 4:15) that Barak's army--which, moreover, consisted of 10,000, not 40,000--was unarmed; and (2) the context seems to favour the meaning that, in spite of these degradations, there was not a warrior in all Israel who dared to put on his armour. . . .
