OET interlinear JDG 5:15

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

וְ⁠שָׂרַ֤⁠י בְּ⁠יִשָּׂשכָר֙ עִם־דְּבֹרָ֔ה\n

and,princes,me in/on/at/with,Issachar with (Some words not found in UHB: and,princes,me in/on/at/with,Issachar with Dəbōrāh and,Issachar yes/correct/thus/so Bārāq in/on/at/with,valley rushed in/on/at/with,heels,his in/on/at/with,clans Reuven great searching heart )

Here again the song is using part of an army, its princes, that is, its military leaders, to mean all of the army. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And the soldiers and officers I commanded who were from Issachar also supported Deborah]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠יִשָּׂשכָר֙ כֵּ֣ן בָּרָ֔ק

and,Issachar yes/correct/thus/so Bārāq

This expression means that the first person or group mentioned was willing to do whatever the second person mentioned wanted to do. (See, for example, 1 Kings 22:4.) If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and the soldiers from Issachar were willing to do whatever Barak ordered]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

בָּ⁠עֵ֖מֶק שֻׁלַּ֣ח בְּ⁠רַגְלָ֑י⁠ו

in/on/at/with,valley rushed in/on/at/with,heels,his

This could mean: (1) that the pronoun he refers to Issachar, that is, the soldiers from the tribe of Issachar, and the pronoun his refers to Barak. In that case, the phrase at his feet would mean the same thing as in 4:10. Alternate translation: [those soldiers were sent into a valley under Barak’s command] (2) that both the pronoun he and the pronoun his refer to Barak. In that case, the last phrase would be translated “on his feet,” and it would be a reference to the courage of Barak and his soldiers, who fought against chariots on foot. Alternate translation: [he was sent into a valley to fight against chariots on foot]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

בָּ⁠עֵ֖מֶק שֻׁלַּ֣ח בְּ⁠רַגְלָ֑י⁠ו

in/on/at/with,valley rushed in/on/at/with,heels,his

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. While it was Deborah who told Barak in 4:14 to go down and attack Sisera, she did this as a prophetess speaking for Yahweh, so it would be appropriate to describe Yahweh as the one who sent. Alternate translation: [Yahweh sent these soldiers into a valley under Barak’s command] or [Yahweh sent Barak into a valley to fight against chariots on foot]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

בִּ⁠פְלַגּ֣וֹת רְאוּבֵ֔ן

in/on/at/with,clans Reuven

The word translated as divisions is a rare word whose meaning is not entirely clear in this context. It could mean: (1) divisions of the people of the tribe of Reuben. Alternate translation: [Among the clans of Reuben] (2) divisions of the territory of the tribe of Reuben. Alternate translation: [Throughout the districts of Reuben]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

גְּדֹלִ֖ים חִקְקֵי־לֵֽב

great searching heart

Here the heart represents the thoughts and intentions. By using the word translated as searchings, the song is speaking as if the people of Reuben needed to look around inside their hearts to find out what they should do. That is also a rare word whose meaning is not entirely clear in this context. This could mean: (1) that the people of Reuben could not decide whether to help fight. Your language may have a comparable expression for this meaning that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [people had second thoughts about whether to fight] (2) that the people of Reuben publicly expressed a resolve to help fight Sisera but, as the next verse shows, they did not follow through. Alternate translation: [great were the promises to help]