Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 5:7

"The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel." — Judges 5:7 (ASV)

The inhabitants of the villages ceased. —The one Hebrew word for “the inhabitants of the villages” is perâzôn. The rendering of our version is supported by the Chaldee, and by the meaning of the analogous words in Deuteronomy 3:5; 1 Samuel 6:18, and others. But this cannot be the meaning in Judges 5:11; and it is far more probable that the Septuagint (Codex B) is right in rendering it “princes” (dunatoi; Vulgate, fortes), though the difficulty of the word is shown by its being simply transliterated (phrazon) in the Alexandrine manuscript. The meaning probably is “warlike chiefs” . Luther renders it “peasants.”

A mother in Israel. —For this metaphor, compare 2 Samuel 20:19; Job 29:16; Genesis 45:8.