OET interlinear JDG 5:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ֣⁠מָּה יָשַׁ֗בְתָּ בֵּ֚ין הַֽ⁠מִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֖עַ שְׁרִק֣וֹת עֲדָרִ֑ים

(Some words not found in UHB: to/for=what sit between the_two,saddlebaskets to,hear piping_of flocks to,the_divisions_of Reuven great searchings_of heart )

The song is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [You should not have stayed among the sheepfolds, as if it was more important to listen to the piping for the flocks!]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / apostrophe

לָ֣⁠מָּה יָשַׁ֗בְתָּ בֵּ֚ין הַֽ⁠מִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֖עַ שְׁרִק֣וֹת עֲדָרִ֑ים

(Some words not found in UHB: to/for=what sit between the_two,saddlebaskets to,hear piping_of flocks to,the_divisions_of Reuven great searchings_of heart )

The song is speaking to someone who is not present. It is doing this to express a strong feeling about that person to the people who are present. If a speaker of your language would not address someone who was not present, you could translate this as if the song were directly addressing those who are present. Alternate translation: [Reuben should not have stayed among the sheepfolds, as if it were more important to listen to the piping for the flocks]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

לָ֣⁠מָּה יָשַׁ֗בְתָּ בֵּ֚ין הַֽ⁠מִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם

(Some words not found in UHB: to/for=what sit between the_two,saddlebaskets to,hear piping_of flocks to,the_divisions_of Reuven great searchings_of heart )

The word you is singular here because the song is addressing this tribe as if it were a single person, its ancestor Reuben. It may be more natural in some languages to use a plural form of “you,” since a group of people is actually being addressed.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֖עַ שְׁרִק֣וֹת עֲדָרִ֑ים

(Some words not found in UHB: to/for=what sit between the_two,saddlebaskets to,hear piping_of flocks to,the_divisions_of Reuven great searchings_of heart )

The song is implicitly making a comparison that it expects listeners to recognize. When Barak summoned the Israelites in [4:10](../04/10.md), it is likely that he blew a shofar (ram’s horn), as Ehud did in [3:27](../03/27.md). The song is suggesting that the men of Reuben so much enjoyed listening to shepherds play their pipes to summon their flocks that they did not pay attention to the war trumpet. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [Was it because you would rather listen to shepherd’s pipes than respond to the call of the war trumpet?]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לִ⁠פְלַגּ֣וֹת רְאוּבֵ֔ן גְּדוֹלִ֖ים חִקְרֵי־לֵֽב

to,the_divisions_of Reuven (Some words not found in UHB: to/for=what sit between the_two,saddlebaskets to,hear piping_of flocks to,the_divisions_of Reuven great searchings_of heart )

See how you translated the similar expression in the previous verse.