Judges 5:23

Easy-to-Read Version

"The angel of the Lord said, ‘Curse the city of Meroz. Curse its people! They did not come to help the Lord fight.' They did not help the Lord against his powerful enemies.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“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 with the warriors.”

Hebrew Names Version
Curse you Meroz, said the angel of the LORD. Curse you bitterly the inhabitants of it, Because they didn't come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
‘Curse Meroz,' says the angel of Yahweh; ‘curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh against the mighty.'

English Standard Version
"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord , curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord , to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

New Century Version
‘May the town of Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of the Lord . ‘Bitterly curse its people, because they did not come to help the Lord . They did not fight the strong enemy.'

New English Translation
‘Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the Lord 's angelic messenger; ‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the Lord 's battle, to help in the Lord 's battle against the warriors.'

Amplified Bible
'Curse Meroz,' said the messenger of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.'

New American Standard Bible
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Curse ye Meroz: (sayd the Angel of the Lorde) curse the inhabitantes thereof, because they came not to helpe the Lorde, to helpe the Lord against the mighty.

Legacy Standard Bible
and for others, save, snatching them out of the fire; and on others have mercy with fear, hating even the tunic polluted by the flesh.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord 's angel said, "Put a curse on Meroz Town! Its people refused to help the Lord fight his powerful enemies."

Complete Jewish Bible
"‘Curse Meroz!' said the angel of Adonai , ‘Curse the people living there with a bitter punishment for not coming to help Adonai , to help Adonai against the mighty warriors.'

Darby Translation
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.

George Lamsa Translation
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse it, and curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not with men to the help of the LORD.

Good News Translation
"Put a curse on Meroz," says the angel of the Lord , "a curse, a curse on those who live there. They did not come to help the Lord , come as soldiers to fight for him."

Literal Translation
Curse Meroz, said the Angel of Jehovah; curse the ones living in it bitterly, because they did not come to the help of Jehovah, to the help of Jehovah against the warriors.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Curse the cite of Meros (sayde ye angell of the LORDE) curse the citesyns therof, because they come not to helpe ye LORDE, to helpe the LORDE to the giauntes.

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
A curse, a curse on Meroz! said the angel of the Lord. A bitter curse on her townspeople! Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the strong ones.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Curse ye the citie of Meros (sayd the angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants therof: because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mightie.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'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.'

King James Version (1611)
Curse ye Meroz (said the Angel of the Lord ) curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: because they came not to the helpe of the Lord, to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
to curse Meroz: Curse ye it, said the angel of the Lord; cursed is every one that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to his help among the mighty.

English Revised Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
'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.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Curse ye the lond of Meroth, seide the `aungel of the Lord, curse ye `the dwelleris of hym, for thei camen not to the help of the Lord, `in to the help of the strongeste of hym.

Young's Literal Translation
Curse Meroz -- said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!

Update Bible Version
Curse you Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh. Curse you bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they didn't come to the help of Yahweh, To the help of Yahweh against the mighty.

Webster's Bible Translation
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

World English Bible
Curse you Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh. Curse you bitterly the inhabitants of it, Because they didn't come to the help of Yahweh, To the help of Yahweh against the mighty.

New King James Version
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel [fn] of the Lord,'Curse its inhabitants bitterly,Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,To the help of the Lord against the mighty.'

New Living Translation
‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of the Lord . ‘Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord — to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.'

New Life Bible
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord. ‘Curse its people, because they did not come to the help of the Lord. They did not help the Lord against the powerful soldiers.'

New Revised Standard
"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord , curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord , to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, - because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, against the mighty.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to help his most valiant men.

Revised Standard Version
"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'

Contextual Overview

¹² "Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing the song! Get up, Barak! Go capture your enemies, son of Abinoam! ¹³ "Now, survivors, go to the leaders. People of the Lord , come with me and the soldiers. ¹⁴ "The men of Ephraim came from the hill country of Amalek. Benjamin, those men followed you and your people. And there were commanders from the family of Makir. Leaders from the tribe of Zebulun came with their bronze clubs. ¹⁵ The leaders of Issachar were with Deborah. The family of Issachar was true to Barak. Those men marched to the valley on foot. "Reuben, there are many brave soldiers in your army groups. ¹⁶ So why did you sit there against the walls of your sheep pens? The brave soldiers of Reuben thought hard about war. But they stayed home listening to the music they played for their sheep. ¹⁷ The people of Gilead stayed in their camps on the other side of the Jordan River. As for you, people of Dan, why did you stay by your ships? The people of Asher remained by the sea, camped near their safe harbors. ¹⁸ "But the men of Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives fighting on those hills. ¹⁹ The kings of Canaan came to fight, but they didn't carry any treasures home. They fought at the city of Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. ²⁰ The stars fought them from heaven. From their paths across the sky, they fought against Sisera. ²¹ The Kishon River, that ancient river, swept Sisera's men away. My soul, march on with strength!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Curse ye: 1 Samuel 26:19, Jeremiah 48:10, 1 Corinthians 16:22

Meroz: This city of Meroz seems to have been, at this time, a place of considerable importance, since something great was expected from it; but probably, after the angel of the Lord had pronounced this curse, it dwindled and like the fig-tree which Christ cursed, withered away; so that we never read of it after this in Scripture.

the angel: Judges 2:1, Judges 4:6, Judges 6:11, Judges 13:3, Matthew 25:41

they came: Judges 21:9, Judges 21:10, Nehemiah 3:5

to the help: 1 Samuel 17:47, 1 Samuel 18:17, 1 Samuel 25:28, Romans 15:18, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 6:1

Reciprocal: Numbers 31:3 - avenge the Lord Judges 8:6 - General Judges 17:2 - cursedst Judges 21:5 - a great oath 2 Samuel 1:21 - no dew Psalms 94:16 - rise up Psalms 149:7 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord,.... Not Barak, as the Targum and Jarchi, but Deborah herself said this under a spirit of prophecy, not from her own spirit in a revengeful way, but from the Spirit of God; or this was suggested to her by an angel, not a created, but the uncreated one, the Angel of the covenant, by whom she was inspired, and an impulse made by him on her to denounce a curse on Meroz; which some say was a star, Sisera's star; others the name of a mighty man p, so Jarchi; but rather it is some name of a city or place near where the battle was fought, so Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech: some take Meroz to be the same with Merom, at the waters of which Joshua fought with Jabin, Joshua 11:5 and supposed to be the same with the waters of Megiddo, and the river Kishon, where this battle was fought; and Jerom q, under the word Merom, observes, that there was in his time a village called Merrus, twelve miles from the city Sebaste near Dothaim, and that Meroz here is the name of a place is clear from what follows:

curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; or "curse cursing" r; repeat it, give them curse upon curse, curse them most vehemently: the reason of which follows:

because they came not to the help of the Lord; that is, of the people of the Lord, whose cause was the Lord's; for though he stood in no need of their help, yet their negligence and neutrality were highly resented by him, and therefore repeated:

to the help of the Lord against the mighty; the mighty Canaanites, and their mighty kings, and mighty hosts; or "with the mighty" s, Barak and his 10,000: now though others, who did not come into their assistance, are only discommended, being at a distance, yet those are cursed, being very near, and saw the peril their brethren were in, and yet would not lend an helping hand.

p T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 16. 1. q De loc. Heb. fol. 93. D. r ארו ארור "maledictie maledicendo", Pagninus, Montanus. s בגבורים "cum fortibus", Pagninus, Tigurine version; so Patrick.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The inhabitants of Meroz (a village 12 miles from Samaria) hung back, and gave no help in the day of battle, although it was Yahweh who called them. Hence, the curse pronounced by the Angel of the Lord.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 5:23. Curse ye Meroz — Where Meroz was is not known; some suppose it was the same as Merom, nigh to Dotham. The Syriac and Arabic have Merod; but where this was is equally uncertain. It was certainly some city or district, the inhabitants of which would not assist in this war.

Curse ye bitterly — ארו ארור oru aror, curse with cursing - use the most awful execrations.

Said the angel of the LORD — That is, Barak, who was Jehovah's angel or messenger in this war; the person sent by God to deliver his people.

To the help of the LORD — That is, to the help of the people of the Lord.

Against the mighty. — בגבורים baggibborim, "with the heroes;" that is, Barak and his men, together with Zebulun and Naphtali: these were the mighty men, or heroes, with whom the inhabitants of Meroz would not join.