Judges 5 27

Judges 5:27 kjv

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

Judges 5:27 nkjv

At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead.

Judges 5:27 niv

At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell?dead.

Judges 5:27 esv

Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell ? dead.

Judges 5:27 nlt

He sank, he fell,
he lay still at her feet.
And where he sank,
there he died.

Judges 5 verses

Judges 5 27 Meaning

Judges 5:27 graphically depicts the ignominious end of Sisera, the formidable Canaanite general. It emphasizes his complete and irreversible physical collapse and death at the hands of Jael. The verse uses repetition and vivid imagery to underscore the suddenness, the definitive nature, and the utter humiliation of his defeat, happening at the feet of a woman who offered him shelter, thereby highlighting a significant reversal of power and God's miraculous intervention through unexpected means.

Judges 5 27 Context

Judges 5 is known as the "Song of Deborah," a poetic recounting and celebration of Israel's decisive victory over the Canaanite forces led by General Sisera, as narrated in Judges chapter 4. The historical context is a period of severe oppression (twenty years) by King Jabin of Hazor, whose general Sisera commanded a powerful army equipped with 900 iron chariots, symbolizing advanced military technology and overwhelming might for that era. Deborah, a prophetess and judge, along with Barak, a military leader, are commissioned by God to confront this enemy. Sisera's forces are routed by a miraculous act of God (a flash flood renders the chariots ineffective, Judg 5:21), and Sisera flees on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who ostensibly had a peace treaty with Jabin. Rather than offering sanctuary, Jael welcomes him, provides him milk to drink (lulling him into a deep sleep), and then famously kills him by driving a tent peg through his temple. Judges 5:27 specifically details Sisera's final moments, emphasizing the utter physical collapse and death of the once-mighty general, a powerful demonstration of YHWH's sovereignty overturning human power.

Judges 5 27 Word analysis

• "At her feet" (בֵּין רַגְלֶיהָ, bein raglayhā): Literally "between her feet" or "at her feet." This is a crucial detail emphasizing proximity and utter submission, or rather, the position of his final prostration. The location signifies complete vulnerability and the ultimate reversal of power; a mighty warrior is brought low not in battle on the field, but at the feet of a woman in her domestic space. It starkly contrasts with his expected posture as a commanding general, adding immense ignominy to his end.

• "he bowed" (כָּרַע, kāra'): This verb denotes bending the knee, kneeling, or bowing down. In the immediate context, it portrays Sisera's initial movement—perhaps an attempt to sit, rest, or even collapsing from exhaustion. However, in light of the outcome, it tragically foreshadows a posture of involuntary submission or collapse into death rather than worship or reverence.

• "he fell" (נָפַל, nāphal): Signifies to fall down, to be prostrate, or to fall in death. This verb indicates a loss of control, an involuntary dropping, common in contexts of being overcome, defeated, or dying. Here, it denotes his complete physical collapse under Jael's deadly action.

• "he lay" (שָׁכַב, shāḵav): Means to lie down, to be prostrate. This term signifies a state of rest or being motionless. While it can suggest comfort in other contexts (e.g., sleeping), here it grimly refers to the motionless state of a corpse. The progression from bowing to falling to lying indicates the complete transition from activity to utter stillness in death.

• "Where he bowed, there he fell dead": This phrase utilizes powerful repetition and parallelism, characteristic of Hebrew poetry, to create a profound dramatic effect and ensure the verse resonates with the audience. The word "dead" here is a translation of שָׁדוּד (shādūd), which more strongly means "destroyed," "ruined," "annihilated," or "laid waste." It conveys a sense of utter devastation and obliteration, emphasizing that Sisera was not merely deceased but completely obliterated in terms of his power and person. The phrase links the very action (bowing, intended for rest/refuge) with the grim outcome (death and destruction), emphasizing that the place of perceived safety became the place of his annihilation.

• "At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;": This sequence graphically describes the physical descent of Sisera, capturing the moment of his mortal blow and the resulting collapse. It signifies a profound transition from a feared general to a lifeless figure. The anaphora ("At her feet") anchors the actions to the specific location and the agent of his downfall.

• "At her feet he bowed, he fell:": The repetition of this part of the sequence, followed by the addition of the outcome in the next phrase, builds dramatic tension and solemnity. It highlights the decisive moment of his final submission and collapse at Jael's control, whether voluntary or involuntary, immediately before death claims him.

• "Where he bowed, there he fell dead.": This concluding line delivers the full, chilling reality of Sisera’s end. It underscores the specific spot—the place where he thought he was finding rest or refuge—became the precise site of his utter annihilation. The finality and complete destruction conveyed by "dead" (shadud, utterly destroyed) encapsulate the ignominy and absolute defeat of the Canaanite oppressor. The rhythmic and repeated phrases solidify the message of his pathetic demise.

Judges 5 27 Bonus section

• The dramatic pause and rhythm created by the repetition ("At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; At her feet he bowed, he fell: Where he bowed, there he fell dead.") underscore the severity and finality of Sisera's collapse. It allows the audience to visualize each stage of his humiliating end.
• This verse artistically fulfills Deborah's earlier prophecy in Judges 4:9, that "the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman," further cementing Jael's pivotal, albeit unconventional, role in God's redemptive history for Israel. The mode of death by a woman's hand, using domestic implements, strips Sisera of any martial glory in his passing.
• The song's emphasis here on the fall and posture of death (bowed, fell, lay) serves as a counterpoint to the prose narrative in Judges 4, which more directly describes the gruesome method (tent peg through the temple). The song focuses on the symbolism of Sisera’s ultimate powerlessness and destruction, rather than merely the physical act.

Judges 5 27 Commentary

Judges 5:27 serves as the poetic culmination of Sisera's fall, emphasizing not just his death but the sheer indignity of it. The repetition of "at her feet he bowed, he fell" highlights the final descent of a powerful oppressor into oblivion. The movement from "bowed" (perhaps collapsing from weariness or under Jael's initial action), to "fell" (the direct result of the blow), to "lay" (the ultimate prostration of a corpse) vividly portrays his demise. The closing declaration, "Where he bowed, there he fell dead," is powerfully conclusive. The word translated "dead" (shādūd) carries a much stronger sense of being "destroyed," "shattered," or "ruined," indicating a complete obliteration of the once formidable general. This divine act of using an unlikely instrument—Jael, a woman from a nominally neutral clan—to defeat a mighty warrior and his advanced weaponry underscores God's sovereignty over all human power and plans, humbling the proud and bringing salvation through unexpected means, to the glory of His Name alone.