In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
Ver. 6. In the days of Shamgar.] From the death of Ehud until this conflict with Jabin: for though Shamgur did worthily, - especially if without help of others he slew at one time six hundred of the enemy with an ox goad, Scanderbeg is said to have slain eight hundred Turks at several times with his own hands, some say three thousand, - and though Jael, a woman of a public spirit, and active beyond her sex, did her utmost; yet the times were very troublesome, "neither was there any peace to him that went out, or to him that came in, but great vexations"; 2Ch 15:5 and no free commerce, or safe abode in any village, but
“ Luctus ubique, metus, et plurima morris imago. ”
Thus the dangers bypast are fitly recounted, that the present freedom may be the better prized. The miseries also of war, especially civil, when
“ vi geritur res, ”
are lively described, an evil so great as no words, how wide soever, are able to express. See Lamentations 1:4; Lamentations 4:18 .