Judges

Judges 5:16–18

¹⁶Why did you sit among the sheepfolds

to hear the whistling for the flocks?

In the clans of Reuben

there was great indecision.

¹⁷Gilead remained beyond the Jordan.

Dan, why did you linger by the ships?

Asher stayed at the coast

and remained in his harbors.

¹⁸Zebulun was a people who risked their lives;

Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	לָ֣מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
did you sit	יָשַׁ֗בְתָּ	yā·šaḇ·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
among	בֵּ֚ין	bên	Preposition	H996 interval, space between
the sheepfolds	הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם	ham·miš·pə·ṯa·yim	Article; Noun - md	H4942 stall
to hear	לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ	liš·mō·a‘	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8085 hear
the whistling	שְׁרִק֣וֹת	šə·ri·qō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H8292 hissing
for the flocks	עֲדָרִ֑ים	‘ă·ḏā·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5739 flock, herd
In the clans	לִפְלַגּ֣וֹת	lip̄·lag·gō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine plural construct	H6391 division
of Reuben	רְאוּבֵ֔ן	rə·’ū·ḇên	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7205 Reuben
there was great	גְּדוֹלִ֖ים	gə·ḏō·w·lîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H1419 great
indecision	חִקְרֵי־	ḥiq·rê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H2714 searching, thing (to be) searched out

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Gilead	גִּלְעָ֗ד	gil·‘āḏ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1568 Gilad
remained	שָׁכֵ֔ן	šā·ḵên	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7931 settle down, abide, dwell
beyond	בְּעֵ֤בֶר	bə·‘ê·ḇer	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H5676 region across or beyond, side
the Jordan	הַיַּרְדֵּן֙	hay·yar·dên	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3383 Jordan
Dan	וְדָ֕ן	wə·ḏān	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1835 Dan
why	לָ֥מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
did you linger	יָג֖וּר	yā·ḡūr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1481 sojourn
by the ships	אֳנִיּ֑וֹת	’o·nî·yō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H591 a ship
Asher	אָשֵׁ֗ר	’ā·šêr	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H836 Asher
stayed	יָשַׁב֙	yā·šaḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
at the coast	לְח֣וֹף	lə·ḥō·wp̄	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2348 shore, coast
and remained	יִשְׁכּֽוֹן׃	yiš·kō·wn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7931 settle down, abide, dwell
in	וְעַ֥ל	wə·‘al	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5921 height
his harbors	מִפְרָצָ֖יו	mip̄·rā·ṣāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H4664 landing-place

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Zebulun	זְבֻל֗וּן	zə·ḇu·lūn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2074 Zebulun
was a people	עַ֣ם	‘am	Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
who risked	חֵרֵ֥ף	ḥê·rêp̄	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2778 reproach
their lives	נַפְשׁ֛וֹ	nap̄·šōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
Naphtali	וְנַפְתָּלִ֑י	wə·nap̄·tā·lî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5321 Naphtali
too	וְנַפְתָּלִ֑י	wə·nap̄·tā·lî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5321 Naphtali
on	עַ֖ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
the heights	מְרוֹמֵ֥י	mə·rō·w·mê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H4791 height
of the battlefield	שָׂדֶֽה׃	śā·ḏeh	Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Judges 5:16 Numbers 32:24 · Numbers 32:1–5

Judges 5:17 Joshua 13:25

Judges 5:18 Judges 4:10 · Judges 4:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.