Judges 5:30

Haue they not sped? haue they not diuided the pray to euery man a damosell or two? To Sisera a pray of diuers colours, a pray of diuers colours, of needle worke, of diuers colours of needle worke on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoile? Judges 5:30 (KJV)

Judges 5:30 is part of the Song of Deborah, a poetic song of victory sung after the defeat of the Canaanite general Sisera. The song celebrates Israel’s triumph over its oppressors and emphasizes God’s faithfulness and power. The Book of Judges records the period after Israel entered the Promised Land, a time marked by cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance. In this particular account the Israelites had been under the oppression of Jabin, the king of Canaan, and his commander Sisera for twenty years (Judges 4:1‑3).

In Judges 5:28‑30 the text describes Sisera’s mother waiting for her son’s return, with her ladies suggesting that he has successfully divided the spoils, giving every man a damsel or two and to Sisera a prey of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of those who take the spoil. The expectation is false because Sisera had already been killed by Jael (Judges 4:21). This irony underscores the certainty of God’s intervention and the futility of human expectations apart from Him.

The Song of Deborah as a whole recounts Israel’s victory and attributes it to God’s intervention. Judges 5:31 concludes the song by proclaiming, “So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.” This passage underscores God’s role in delivering His people and calls for praise to Him for His faithfulness, inviting believers to trust in His power rather than in the fleeting hopes of earthly triumphs.