22 Gregory T.K. Wong seem to have been sufficiently widespread both to warrant the composition of such a polemical piece and to account for its ready acceptance by that generation so that it would gain sufficient popularity to be preserved as one the nation’s enduring traditions. This is especially so since by the time of the early monarchy, the events narrated in the song would have been in the distance past already, and the stances taken by the various tribes towards military campaigns against foreign enemies may have substantially changed from the time of Deborah. Therefore unless the subject matter of the song in some way corresponds to certain prevailing contemporary attitude that is widely deemed to require addressing, it would be unlikely that antiquated polemics would be capable of generating enough interest to warrant the level of repetition that would eventually result in the song’s preservation as an enduring tradition. In this regard, it should be noted that although considerations of the rhetorical purpose of a composition may not be sufficient to pinpoint an exact date of composition, it does, however, contribute to the discussion of what is plausible and what is less so in one’s attempt to identify a specific setting for a particular literary composition. Flat 1F2 – 20 Livingstone Place Gregory T.K. WONG Edinburgh EH9 1PD – U.K. SUMMARY Focusing on its rhetorical structure, this article argues that the Song of Deborah in Judg 5 may have been composed not so much primarily to celebrate a victory, but to serve as a polemic against Israelite non-participation in military campaigns against foreign enemies. Possible implications of such a reading on the song’s relationship with the prose account in Judg 4 and its date of composition are also explored.