(12) Kings of armies did flee apace.--Better, Kings of armies flee, flee. This and the two next verses wear the air of being a fragment of those ancient battle-songs sung by the women after the defeat of the foe. The fact that they have thus been torn from their original context accounts for the great obscurity which hangs over them.

And she that tarried . . .--i.e., the woman keeping the house; so the Hebrew. (Comp. Judges 5:24, "Women of the tent;" and the fond anticipations of Sisera's mother, Psalm 68:29.) So the Greeks called the mistress of the house ????????. (Eur. Herc. Fur. 45.)

Though this sense thus gives a general description of war, and the women waiting eagerly for the victorious home-coming is a picture true to life, yet the next verse indicates that we must suppose a latent reference to some tribe or party who shirked the dangers of battle, and played the part of the stay-at-home.

Verse 12. - Kings of armies did flee apace; literally, did flee - did flee; i.e. fled repeatedly before Israel (see Joshua 8:19-22; Joshua 10:19, 20; Joshua 11:8, 9; Judges 3:10, 29; Judges 4:14-16; Judges 7:19-25; Judges 8:11, 12; Judges 11:29-33; Judges 15:14-16; 1 Samuel 7:10, 11; 1 Samuel 11:11; 1 Samuel 14:47, 48; 1 Samuel 15:7, 8; 1 Samuel 17:52; 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 2 Samuel 8:1, 2, 4, 5, 13; 2 Samuel 10:6-18, etc.). And she that tarried at home divided the spoil. The wives of the conquerors shared in the spoil when it was brought home (Judges 5:28-30).

68:7-14 Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies. If God bring his people into a wilderness, he will be sure to go before them in it, and to bring them out of it. He provided for them, both in the wilderness and in Canaan. The daily manna seems here meant. And it looks to the spiritual provision for God's Israel. The Spirit of grace and the gospel of grace are the plentiful rain, with which God confirms his inheritance, and from which their fruit is found. Christ shall come as showers that water the earth. The account of Israel's victories is to be applied to the victories over death and hell, by the exalted Redeemer, for those that are his. Israel in Egypt among the kilns appeared wretched, but possessed of Canaan, during the reigns of David and Solomon, appeared glorious. Thus the slaves of Satan, when converted to Christ, when justified and sanctified by him, look honourable. When they reach heaven, all remains of their sinful state disappear, they shall be as the wings of the dove, covered with silver, and her feathers as gold. Full salvation will render those white as snow, who were vile and loathsome through the guilt and defilement of sin.Kings of armies did flee apace,.... Or "they fled, they fled" (y); or "they flee, they flee". This is either the subject matter of the word "published", the words of the publishers so saying; or the effect of the publication of the Gospel: for though some, by these kings of armies, understand the apostles either fleeing from place to place because of persecution, or running to and fro, as they interpret the words, to spread the Gospel; yet they rather intend the enemies of the Gospel, and the chief of them that opposed themselves to it; namely, Roman emperors and kings, and who fled before it; particularly at the time of the downfall of Paganism, when they fled to the mountains and hills, and called upon them to hide them from Christ, Revelation 6:15;

and she that tarried at home divided the spoil; the church, compared to a woman that keeps at home, Titus 2:5, who shared in the spoils token out of the hands of Satan, and from among the Gentiles, even converted souls, brought unto her. What is promised to Christ, Isaiah 53:12; is said of the church; she being made more than a conqueror through him, and sharing in all his victories and spoils. It denotes the certain and easy success of the Gospel ministry, attended with a divine power, and the advantages thereof to the church of Christ; this was particularly true of the church in the times of Constantine.

(y) "fugiebant, fugiebant", Pagninus, Montanus; "fugerunt, fugerunt", Tigurine version, Musculus.