Judges 5:23 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

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.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

'Curse the town of Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD—to help the LORD fight against the powerful enemies.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse pronounces God's judgment on a town that refused to help when God's people were fighting their enemies.

📚 Historical Context

This verse comes from Deborah's victory song after Israel defeated the Canaanite army led by Sisera. Meroz was likely a town in the territory that was called to join the battle but failed to respond. While other tribes and towns rallied to fight alongside Deborah and Barak, Meroz chose to stay neutral and avoid the conflict.

Explore Similar Verses

Numbers 16:41

But the next day all the people of Israel complained bitterly against Moses and Aaron, saying, 'You have killed the Lord's people.'

Zephaniah 1:14

The great day when God shows up is coming fast — like, really fast. And when it arrives, even the strongest, most powerful people will be crying out in desperation.

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