Judges 5:20

20 From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.

Judges 5:20 in Other Translations

KJV
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
ESV
20 From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
NLT
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.
MSG
20 The stars in the sky joined the fight, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
CSB
20 The stars fought from the heavens; the stars fought with Sisera from their courses.

Judges 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 5:20

They fought from heaven
Either the angels of heaven, afterwards called stars; or the heavens, the elements, fought for Israel, and against Sisera; a violent storm of rain and hail falling at this time, which discomfited Sisera's army; (See Gill on Judges 4:15), or this victory was obtained in such a manner as plainly showed it was not of man, but of God from heaven; so the Targum,

``from heaven war was made with them;''

with the kings before mentioned; God fought against them, and no wonder they were conquered:

the stars in their courses fought against Sisera
it seems as if it was in the night that this battle was fought, at least that the pursuit lasted till night, when the stars by their brightness and clear shining favoured the Israelites, and were greatly to the disadvantage of the Canaanites; unless it can be thought, as is by some, that the stars had an influence to cause a tempest of rain, hail, thunder, and lightnings, by which the army of Sisera was discomfited in the daytime, as before observed.

Judges 5:20 In-Context

18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.
19 “Kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, they took no plunder of silver.
20 From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves— galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.

Cross References 1

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