In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
In the time when Shamgar son of Anath lived, and in Jael's time, the main roads were empty and dangerous. Travelers had to sneak along hidden back paths instead of using the highways.
This verse describes a time of such danger and oppression that people couldn't even travel safely on the main roads.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from Deborah's victory song after defeating the Canaanite army. Shamgar was a judge who had delivered Israel from the Philistines, and Jael was the woman who killed the enemy general Sisera. The song describes the terrible conditions in Israel before God raised up Deborah as a judge - when enemy forces controlled the land so completely that normal travel became impossible.
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