18 Gregory T.K. Wong probably best to recognize its transitional character by detaching it from v. 24, not withstanding its close logical relationship with the latter. But even so, because vv. 25-27 does provide the primary reason for the pronouncement of blessing on Jael, and this reason, having to do with her killing of Sisera, seems to provide evidence of her partici- pation on Israel’s side against the enemy, vv. 25-27 can certainly be said to play a crucial role in setting up a legitimate contrast between the non-participating Meroz and the participating Jael. In this regard, one can therefore say that vv. 25-27 also contributes significantly to the polemic against non-participation. As for the entire chiastic arrangement comprising vv. 25-31, although here, the polemic seems to be directed against the enemy rather than against non-participating Israelites, the fact that vv. 25-27 is at the same time intricately tied to both what precedes and what follows opens up interesting possibilities. For if that blessed act of participation on the part Jael is indeed set as a contrast both to those in Israel who did not participate and to the enemies of YHWH, then it raises the question of whether the non-participating Israelites who have already been cursed would in the end suffer the same fate as those who are regarded as enemies of YHWH. While this question is left essentially unanswered as the song draws to a close, the nagging possibility that this may indeed be the case perhaps offers the strongest polemic by far against non-participation. From the above analysis, we can conclude that structurally, the bulk of the Song of Deborah can be seen as consisting of parallel yet contrasting binary panels. Furthermore, through careful juxtaposing, the author of the song has arranged these panels so that when viewed in relation to each other, several of them can be grouped into larger concentric units. While in doing so, the song’s author has undoubtedly demonstrated his significant literary skill and artistry, even more impressive is the fact that through this intricate structure, he has managed also to reveal a significant rhetorical purpose that underlies his composition. For by making the celebration of participation his main theme in the refrain that introduces each major section of the song, by constantly drawing attention to and praising all who participated in battle, be they divine, natural, or human participants who participated on a tribal or individual basis, and by repeatedly setting up for deliberate contrast those in Israel who participated versus those who refused to do so, the author has effectively turned what looks on the surface like a victory song into something far more