* Judges v. 2, 3 (R.V.).

** The text of the song (Judges v. 14) contains an allusion to Benjamin, which is considered by many critics to be an interpolation.  It gives a mistaken reading, “Issachar with Barak;” Issachar having been already mentioned with Deborah, probably Zebulon should be inserted in the text.

Sisera flies, and the poet follows him in fancy, as if he feared to see him escape from vengeance.  He curses the people of Meroz in passing, “because they came not to the help of the Lord.”  He addresses Jael and blesses her, describing the manner in which the chief fell at her feet, and then proceeds to show how, at the very time of Sisera’s death, his people were awaiting the messenger who should bring the news of his victory; “through the window she looked forth and cried—­the mother of Sisera cried through the lattice—­’Why is his chariot so long in coming?—­Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?’—­Her wise ladies answered her,—­yea, she returned answer to herself,—­’Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil?—­A damsel, two damsels to every man;—­to Sisera a spoil of divers colours,—­a spoil of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?—­So let all Thine enemies perish, O Lord:—­but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.’”

It was the first time, as far as we know, that several of the Israelite tribes combined together for common action after their sojourn in the desert of Kadesh-barnea, and the success which followed from their united efforts ought, one would think, to have encouraged them to maintain such a union, but it fell out otherwise; the desire for freedom of action and independence was too strong among them to permit of the continuance of the coalition.

[Illustration:  278.jpg MOUNT TABOR]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph by M. C. Alluaud
     of Limoges.

Manasseh, restricted in its development by the neighbouring Canaanite tribes, was forced to seek a more congenial neighbourhood to the east of the Jordan—­not close to Gad, in the land of Gilead, but to the north of the Yarmuk and its northern affluents in the vast region extending to the mountains of the Hauran.  The families of Machir and Jair migrated one after the other to the east of the Lake of Gennesaret, while that of Nobah proceeded as far as the brook of Kanah, and thus formed in this direction the extreme outpost of the children of Israel:  these families did not form themselves into new tribes, for they were mindful of their affiliation to Manasseh, and continued beyond the river to regard themselves still as his children.* The prosperity of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the daring nature of their exploits, could not fail to draw upon them the antagonism and jealousy of the people on their borders.  The Midianites were accustomed almost every year to pass through the region beyond the Jordan which the house of Joseph had recently colonised.  Assembling in the springtime at the junction of the Yarmuk with the Jordan, they crossed the latter river, and, spreading over the plains of Mount Tabor, destroyed the growing crops, raided the villages, and pushed, sometimes, their skirmishing parties over hill and dale as far as Gaza.**