Judges 5:20 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. They fought from heaven - The angels of God came to the assistance of Israel: and the stars in their orbits fought against Sisera; probably some thunder storm, or great inundation from the river Kishon, took place at that time, which in poetic language was attributed to the stars. So our poet sung relative to the storms which dispersed the Spanish armada in 1588: -

"Both winds and waves at once conspire

To aid old England - frustrate Spain's desire."

Perhaps it means no more than this: the time which was measured and ruled by the heavenly bodies seemed only to exist for the destruction of the Canaanites. There may be also a reference to the sun and moon standing still in the days of Joshua.

Judges 5:20

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