Judges 5:20 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

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, Æschylus represents “water and fire, in ruin reconciled,” fighting against the Greek fleet.

Judges 5:20

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