John Gill Commentary Judges 5:21

"The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength." — Judges 5:21 (ASV)

The river of Kishon swept them away

To which Sisera's army was drawn, and where it was discomfited; and very probably many of them, in their confusion, tried to escape by fording or swimming across the river, by which they were swept away and drowned. The waters at this time swelled in a miraculous manner, as Ben Gersom thinks, or were increased by the large showers of rain that fell, as some note from Josephus (though I find it not in him). However, it is not improbable this might be the case.

Our countryman Mr. Maundrell ^F12 thus observed when he was there: ``in the condition we saw it, its waters were low and inconsiderable; but passing along the side of the plain, we discovered the track of many lesser torrents falling down into it from the mountains, which must needs make it swell exceedingly upon sudden rains, as doubtless it actually did at the destruction of Sisera's host, (Judges 5:21) ''

that ancient river, the river Kishon

It is called ancient either because it was from the beginning of creation and not cut by human art, as some rivers are; or because it was spoken of by poets and historians in ancient times; or because of famous exploits done here of old; so the Targum, ``the river where signs and mighty works were done for Israel of old.''

Some take the word Kedumim to be another name of the river, so called from its windings and turnings, and, as it were, meeting itself. So some travellers tell us ^F13 the river Kedumim, the same as Kishon, is so called because it meets itself, being by its meanders formed like a sling or noose, as Kishon signifies. It rises at Mount Tabor and discharges itself into the Mediterranean sea at the foot of Mount Carmel.

So Hillerus ^F14 says Kishon signifies bending in the manner of a snare, or net, or meander, and takes it to be the same as the Pagida of Pliny ^F15 , which in the Greek tongue signifies the same.

O my soul, you have trodden down strength

a strong and mighty army, through her prayers and supplication, advice and direction; or you have trodden with strength, that is, the river Kishon, as some Jewish interpreters understand it, who suppose that another miracle was wrought: that as the waters of the river swelled when the Canaanites attempted to escape across it, so it sunk and became fordable for Deborah and the Israelites; a miracle, as they suppose, somewhat similar to that at the Red sea.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F12: Journey from Aleppo p. 57.
• F13: Egmont and Heyman's Travels, par. 2. p. 2.
• F14: Onomastic. Sacr. p. 186, 405, 865.
• F15: Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19.