What does Judges 5:27 mean?

This verse may be the most obviously lyrical in the chapter. This segment repeats key phrases in a rhythmic order. This pattern is something Bible scholars call "staircase parallelism." Deborah's song (Judges 5:1) is using poetry to capture the moment following the death of Israel's cruel oppressor Sisera.

Separating the phrases in this poem clarifies the rhythm of the words:

"Between [Jael's] feet

[Sisera] sank,

He fell,

He lay still;

Between her feet

He sank,

He fell;

Where he sank,

There he fell

—Dead"

This stylized repetition drives home the point. This is both a terror to God's enemies and a joy to the people of Israel: the one who cruelly and ruthlessly mistreated us is truly dead. It's not a rumor. You didn't mishear the story. He is not coming back. The nightmare is over. Sisera is dead and killed by a woman!