The Lord gave... — Literally, The Lord gives a word. Of the women who bring the news, the host is great. The Hebrew for a word is poetical, and used especially of a Divine utterance (Psalms 19:4; Psalms 77:8; Habakkuk 3:9). Here it might mean either the signal for the conflict, or the announcement of victory. But the custom of granting to bands of maidens the privilege of celebrating a triumph (Exodus 15:20-21; Judges 5; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 1:20), here evidently alluded to, makes in favour of the latter.
By the “great company,” or host, we are apparently to think, not of one large body of women celebrating some one particular victory, but successive and frequent tidings of victory following rapidly on one another —
“Thick as tale
Came post with post.”
— Macbeth.
The LXX. and Vulg. renderings have been the source of the erroneous view which makes this verse prophetic of a numerous and successful Christian ministry: “The Lord shall give the word to them that evangelise with great might.”