What does Judges 5:22 mean?

Deborah's song (Judges 5:1) has described the suddenly flooded Kishon River sweeping away at least some of the Canaanite army (Judges 5:20–21). Scholars suggest the valley experienced an unseasonable flash flood, quickly becoming muddy, incapacitating the heavy iron chariots of war. The unbeatable Canaanites were likely stuck or retreating. The last chapter indicated, as well, that Deborah gave a sudden command for Israel to attack—leaving the security of high ground—with great urgency (Judges 5:14). Through God's supernatural intervention in both ways, Israel's army could have fallen on the Canaanites at the exact moment they were most vulnerable.

Here, Deborah imagines the sounds of hooves to the frenzy of the battlefield. This is either the sound of horses making a break away from the battle (Judges 4:15–16) or simply stomping around in a frenzy, unable to escape because of the conditions. The noise and chaos of that moment would have been intense.