Judges 5:20
New International Version
From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.

New Living Translation
The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.

English Standard Version
From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.

Berean Standard Bible
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

King James Bible
They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

New King James Version
They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

New American Standard Bible
“The stars fought from heaven, From their paths they fought against Sisera.

NASB 1995
“The stars fought from heaven, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

NASB 1977
“The stars fought from heaven, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

Legacy Standard Bible
The stars fought from heaven; From their courses they fought against Sisera.

Amplified Bible
“From the heavens the stars fought, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

Christian Standard Bible
The stars fought from the heavens; the stars fought with Sisera from their paths.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The stars fought from the heavens; the stars fought with Sisera from their courses.

American Standard Version
From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

Contemporary English Version
From their pathways in the sky the stars fought Sisera,

English Revised Version
They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The stars fought from heaven. They fought against Sisera from their heavenly paths.

Good News Translation
The stars fought from the sky; as they moved across the sky, they fought against Sisera.

International Standard Version
The stars fought from heaven; they fought against Sisera from their orbits.

Majority Standard Bible
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

NET Bible
From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera.

New Heart English Bible
From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

Webster's Bible Translation
They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

World English Bible
From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.

Young's Literal Translation
From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.

Smith's Literal Translation
From the heavens they fought; The stars from their raised ways fought with Sisera.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
War from heaven was made against them, the stars remaining in their order and courses fought against Sisara.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.

New American Bible
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

New Revised Standard Version
The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The stars fought from their courses; they fought from heaven against Sisera by the river Kishon.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The stars made war from their places, war from Heaven with Sisra
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves to fight with Sisara out of their paths.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Song of Deborah and Barak
19Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver. 20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera. 21The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!…

Cross References
Joshua 10:11-14
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. / On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” / So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” ...

Psalm 18:9-14
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. / He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. / He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him. ...

Revelation 12:7-9
Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. / But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. / And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

Job 38:22-23
Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, / which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?

Psalm 68:33-34
to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds. / Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies.

Revelation 19:11-14
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Isaiah 24:21
In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.

Psalm 77:16-18
The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken. / The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. / Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

Matthew 24:29-30
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ / At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Isaiah 34:4
All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree.

Psalm 144:5-6
Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke. / Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.

Revelation 6:13-14
and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. / The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Isaiah 30:30
And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.

Luke 21:25-27
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. / Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. / At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.


Treasury of Scripture

They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

fought

Joshua 10:11
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

1 Samuel 7:10
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

Psalm 77:17,18
The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad…

the stars

Judges 4:15
And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

courses.

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Judges 5
1. The Song of Deborah and Barak














From the heavens the stars fought;
This phrase suggests a divine intervention in the battle against Sisera, indicating that the forces of nature were aligned with Israel. In ancient Near Eastern culture, celestial bodies were often seen as deities or as having divine influence. The imagery of stars fighting could symbolize God's control over creation, emphasizing His sovereignty and power. This aligns with other biblical passages where God uses natural phenomena to achieve His purposes, such as the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) or the sun standing still for Joshua (Joshua 10:13).

from their courses they fought against Sisera.
The mention of "courses" refers to the fixed paths or orbits of the stars, suggesting an orderly and purposeful action against Sisera. This can be seen as a metaphor for God's providential order and His ability to orchestrate events according to His will. Historically, Sisera was a Canaanite commander defeated by the Israelites under Deborah and Barak's leadership. The battle took place near the Kishon River, where a sudden storm could have caused the river to flood, contributing to Sisera's defeat. This aligns with the biblical theme of God using creation to fulfill His promises, as seen in Psalm 77:16-18, where natural elements respond to God's command. The defeat of Sisera can also be viewed as a type of Christ's ultimate victory over evil, where divine intervention ensures the triumph of God's people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Deborah
A prophetess and judge of Israel who, along with Barak, led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanite army led by Sisera.

2. Barak
The military leader who, under Deborah's guidance, led the Israelite forces against Sisera.

3. Sisera
The commander of the Canaanite army, who was defeated by the Israelites.

4. Stars
Symbolic representation of divine intervention in the battle against Sisera.

5. Heavens
The realm from which divine assistance is perceived to come, indicating God's sovereignty over creation.
Teaching Points
Divine Intervention
God is actively involved in the affairs of His people, often in ways that are beyond human understanding or visibility.

Symbolism of Creation
The natural world is under God's command and can be used to fulfill His purposes, reminding us of His ultimate authority over creation.

Spiritual Warfare
Just as the stars fought against Sisera, believers are engaged in spiritual battles where God provides unseen support and victory.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
In times of trouble, believers can trust that God is orchestrating events for His glory and their good, even when His methods are not immediately apparent.

Role of Faithful Leaders
Deborah and Barak's leadership exemplifies the importance of faithful obedience to God's call, encouraging believers to step into roles of leadership with confidence in God's guidance.(20) They fought from heaven.--The "they" is impersonal--the powers above. (Comp. Luke 12:20, Greek, and for the fact, Judges 4:22.)

The stars in their courses.--This is probably a general reference to the providential storms which had secured the victory to Israel. To understand the "stars" as meaning "angels" is a mistaken inference from Job 38:7. There is a striking parallel in Claudian's poem on the Consulship of Honorius:--

"Oh nimium dilecte Deo, cui militat aether

Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti."

Similarly, 'schylus represents "water and fire, in ruin reconciled," fighting against the Greek fleet.

Verse 20. - According to Josephus, a great storm in the face of the Canaanites led to their utter discomfiture, and also swelled the Kishon to overflow its banks.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
From
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the heavens
שָׁמַ֖יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

the stars
הַכּֽוֹכָבִים֙ (hak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3556: A star, a prince

fought;
נִלְחָ֑מוּ (nil·ḥā·mū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

from their courses
מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔ם (mim·mə·sil·lō·w·ṯām)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4546: A thoroughfare, a viaduct, a staircase

they fought
נִלְחֲמ֖וּ (nil·ḥă·mū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

against
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Sisera.
סִיסְרָֽא׃ (sî·sə·rā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5516: Sisera -- a general of the king of Hazor, also the father of some returning exiles


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OT History: Judges 5:20 From the sky the stars fought (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 5:19
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