Judges 5:23

²¹ The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!

²² Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.

‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

²⁴ Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

²⁵ He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
KJV: Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
WEB: ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
ASV: Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.
DARBY: Curse Meroz, saith the Angel of Jehovah; Curse, curse the inhabitants thereof; For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty.
BLB: ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of YHWH. ‘Bitterly curse its dwellers, because they did not come to the aid of YHWH, to the aid of YHWH against the mighty.’

ÅB: Forbann Meros, sa Herrens engel, forbann, forbann dets folk, fordi de ikke kom Herren til hjelp, Herren til hjelp blant kjempene.
OTB: ‘Forbann Meroz,’ sa Herrens engel.
‘Forbann dets innbyggere bittert,
fordi de ikke kom Herren til hjelp,
til Herrens hjelp mot de mektige.’
B1930: Forbann Meros, sa Herrens engel, forbann, forbann dets folk, fordi de ikke kom Herren til hjelp, Herren til hjelp blandt kjempene.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Corinthians 16:22
If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
Read in context
1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
Read in context
Judges 21:9–10
For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
Read in context
Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Read in context
Nehemiah 3:5
Next to him, the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 6:1
As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
Read in context
Judges 4:6
She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun.
Read in context