Judges — Chapter 5

The Canticle of Deborah opens: \"Praise ye the Lord, because the leading men of Israel undertook the enterprise.\" Lapide: the first duty after victory is thanksgiving to God; those who lead the people deserve honour only insofar as they acknowledge that God acts through them.

The stars from their courses fought against Sisara. The angelic powers that move the heavenly bodies act in defence of God's people. Lapide: divine Providence governs all of nature in service of the plan of Redemption. S. Jerome is cited: even the heavens are enlisted in the spiritual war.

Blessed among women be Jael. Lapide: this greeting pre-echoes the salutation of the Angel to Mary (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth's greeting (Luke 1:42), \"Blessed art thou among women.\" Jael is thus a type of Mary, who crushed the serpent's head. The Fathers explicitly apply \"Blessed among women\" to the Virgin, citing this verse.

Let all thine enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love him be as the sun when he riseth in his strength. Lapide: this is an image of glory — those who love God shall shine as the sun in the resurrection (Matt. 13:43). The just shall be resplendent with the glory of Christ, the true Sun.