THEOSISJakimov I.S.
From Ephraim came those who had strengthened themselves at Amalek. The valley that now supported Ephraim's forces was once occupied by the Amalekites. "Behind thee is Benjamin thy brother." Benjamin has consistently aligned himself with either Judah or Ephraim, his neighboring tribes, and this is evident again in this account. "From Mahirah went the chiefs," referring to the western region of Manasseh, as Michrah was a descendant of Manasseh.
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"And from Zebulun came leaders who strengthened themselves with the scribe's authority." The term "sceptre" in Hebrew, schevet, translates to rod or stick, but its more straightforward meaning is "leaders." The question then arises, what are the "narratives of the scribe"? The word scribe, or sopher, derived from saphar, implies one who writes or counts. Parallel texts help clarify this term, such as in 2 Samuel 25:19, where Nebuchadnezzar is noted to have taken certain high-ranking officials, including a scribe, who documented the soldiers of the land, akin to a modern minister of defense. Additionally, 2 Chronicles 26:11 states, "the number of the troops of Hosea under Jeiel the scribe," confirming that Zebulun provided those who managed and counted the warriors. In the Slavonic version, "narrations" is included, suggesting a scroll, record, or book, indicating that from Zebulun came army leaders who governed the troops through official documentation. However, the term “narratives,” absent from the original Hebrew, was appended by translators to address potential misunderstandings of the word sopher, which they interpreted broadly rather than in its specific formal context.
Furthermore, the details regarding the tribes' conduct as they prepared for battle, as expressed by Deborah, are historically accurate. These specifics, however, are not mentioned elsewhere in the Book of Judges apart from Deborah's song. She first addresses Ephraim, which is fitting since she was from that tribe. Following Ephraim, she references Benjamin, consistent with the order of tribes moving from south to north. Importantly, she does not comment on the entire tribe of Ephraim, but rather focuses on its most valiant group that resided in the territory taken from the Amalekites. A later writer might hesitate to portray this circumstance, wishing to avoid diminishing the reputation of Deborah's own branch of Ephraim, which did not participate in the conflict. Yet Deborah's account remains impartial, faithfully recounting the events and their unfolding.