1 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 again H3254 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 when Ehud H164 was dead. H4191
2 And the LORD H3068 sold H4376 them into the hand H3027 of Jabin H2985 king H4428 of Canaan, H3667 that reigned H4427 in Hazor; H2674 the captain H8269 of whose host H6635 was Sisera, H5516 which dwelt H3427 in Harosheth H2800 of the Gentiles. H1471
3 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H6817 unto the LORD: H3068 for he had nine H8672 hundred H3967 chariots H7393 of iron; H1270 and twenty H6242 years H8141 he mightily H2394 oppressed H3905 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
4 And Deborah, H1683 a prophetess, H5031 the wife H802 of Lapidoth, H3941 she judged H8199 Israel H3478 at that time. H6256
5 And she dwelt H3427 under the palm tree H8560 of Deborah H1683 between Ramah H7414 and Bethel H1008 in mount H2022 Ephraim: H669 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came up H5927 to her for judgment. H4941
6 And she sent H7971 and called H7121 Barak H1301 the son H1121 of Abinoam H42 out of Kedeshnaphtali, H6943 and said H559 unto him, Hath not the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 commanded, H6680 saying, Go H3212 and draw H4900 toward mount H2022 Tabor, H8396 and take H3947 with thee ten H6235 thousand H505 men H376 of the children H1121 of Naphtali H5321 and of the children H1121 of Zebulun? H2074
7 And I will draw H4900 unto thee to the river H5158 Kishon H7028 Sisera, H5516 the captain H8269 of Jabin's H2985 army, H6635 with his chariots H7393 and his multitude; H1995 and I will deliver H5414 him into thine hand. H3027
8 And Barak H1301 said H559 unto her, If thou wilt go H3212 with me, then I will go: H1980 but if thou wilt not go H3212 with me, then I will not go. H3212
9 And she said, H559 I will surely H1980 go H3212 with thee: notwithstanding H657 the journey H1870 that thou takest H1980 shall not be for thine honour; H8597 for the LORD H3068 shall sell H4376 Sisera H5516 into the hand H3027 of a woman. H802 And Deborah H1683 arose, H6965 and went H3212 with Barak H1301 to Kedesh. H6943
10 And Barak H1301 called H2199 Zebulun H2074 and Naphtali H5321 to Kedesh; H6943 and he went up H5927 with ten H6235 thousand H505 men H376 at his feet: H7272 and Deborah H1683 went up H5927 with him.
11 Now Heber H2268 the Kenite, H7017 which was of the children H1121 of Hobab H2246 the father in law H2859 of Moses, H4872 had severed H6504 himself from the Kenites, H7017 and pitched H5186 his tent H168 unto the plain H436 of Zaanaim, H6815 which is by Kedesh. H6943
12 And they shewed H5046 Sisera H5516 that Barak H1301 the son H1121 of Abinoam H42 was gone up H5927 to mount H2022 Tabor. H8396
13 And Sisera H5516 gathered together H2199 all his chariots, H7393 even nine H8672 hundred H3967 chariots H7393 of iron, H1270 and all the people H5971 that were with him, from Harosheth H2800 of the Gentiles H1471 unto the river H5158 of Kishon. H7028
14 And Deborah H1683 said H559 unto Barak, H1301 Up; H6965 for this is the day H3117 in which the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 Sisera H5516 into thine hand: H3027 is not the LORD H3068 gone out H3318 before H6440 thee? So Barak H1301 went down H3381 from mount H2022 Tabor, H8396 and ten H6235 thousand H505 men H376 after H310 him.
15 And the LORD H3068 discomfited H2000 Sisera, H5516 and all his chariots, H7393 and all his host, H4264 with the edge H6310 of the sword H2719 before H6440 Barak; H1301 so that Sisera H5516 lighted down H3381 off his chariot, H4818 and fled away H5127 on his feet. H7272
16 But Barak H1301 pursued H7291 after H310 the chariots, H7393 and after the host, H4264 unto Harosheth H2800 of the Gentiles: H1471 and all the host H4264 of Sisera H5516 fell H5307 upon the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and there was not a man H259 left. H7604
17 Howbeit Sisera H5516 fled away H5127 on his feet H7272 to the tent H168 of Jael H3278 the wife H802 of Heber H2268 the Kenite: H7017 for there was peace H7965 between Jabin H2985 the king H4428 of Hazor H2674 and the house H1004 of Heber H2268 the Kenite. H7017
18 And Jael H3278 went out H3318 to meet H7125 Sisera, H5516 and said H559 unto him, Turn in, H5493 my lord, H113 turn in H5493 to me; fear H3372 not. And when he had turned in H5493 unto her into the tent, H168 she covered H3680 him with a mantle. H8063
19 And he said H559 unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little H4592 water H4325 to drink; H8248 for I am thirsty. H6770 And she opened H6605 a bottle H4997 of milk, H2461 and gave him drink, H8248 and covered H3680 him.
20 Again he said H559 unto her, Stand in H5975 the door H6607 of the tent, H168 and it shall be, when any man H376 doth come H935 and enquire H7592 of thee, and say, H559 Is there H3426 any man H376 here? H3426 that thou shalt say, H559 No.
21 Then Jael H3278 Heber's H2268 wife H802 took H3947 a nail H3489 of the tent, H168 and took H7760 an hammer H4718 in her hand, H3027 and went H935 softly H3814 unto him, and smote H8628 the nail H3489 into his temples, H7541 and fastened H6795 it into the ground: H776 for he was fast asleep H7290 and weary. H5774 So he died. H4191
22 And, behold, as Barak H1301 pursued H7291 Sisera, H5516 Jael H3278 came out H3318 to meet H7125 him, and said H559 unto him, Come, H3212 and I will shew H7200 thee the man H376 whom thou seekest. H1245 And when he came H935 into her tent, behold, Sisera H5516 lay H5307 dead, H4191 and the nail H3489 was in his temples. H7541
23 So God H430 subdued H3665 on that day H3117 Jabin H2985 the king H4428 of Canaan H3667 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
24 And the hand H3027 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 prospered, H3212 H1980 and prevailed H7186 against Jabin H2985 the king H4428 of Canaan, H3667 until they had destroyed H3772 Jabin H2985 king H4428 of Canaan. H3667
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 4
Commentary on Judges 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Jud 4:1-17. Deborah and Barak Deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisera.
1. The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead—The removal of the zealous judge Ehud again left his infatuated countrymen without the restraint of religion.
2, 3. Jabin king of Canaan—"Jabin," a royal title (see on Jos 11:1). The second Jabin built a new capital on the ruins of the old (Jos 11:10, 11). The northern Canaanites had recovered from the effect of their disastrous overthrow in the time of Joshua, and now triumphed in their turn over Israel. This was the severest oppression to which Israel had been subjected. But it fell heaviest on the tribes in the north, and it was not till after a grinding servitude of twenty years that they were awakened to view it as the punishment of their sins and to seek deliverance from God.
4. And Deborah, a prophetess—A woman of extraordinary knowledge, wisdom, and piety, instructed in divine knowledge by the Spirit and accustomed to interpret His will; who acquired an extensive influence, and was held in universal respect, insomuch that she became the animating spirit of the government and discharged all the special duties of a judge, except that of military leader.
the wife of Lapidoth—rendered by some, "a woman of splendors."
5. she dwelt under the palm tree—or, collectively, "palm-grove." It is common still in the East to administer justice in the open air, or under the canopy of an umbrageous tree.
6. she sent and called Barak—by virtue of her official authority as judge.
Kedesh-naphtali—situated on an eminence, little north of the Sea of Galilee, and so called to distinguish it from another Kedesh in Issachar.
Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded?—a Hebrew form of making an emphatic communication.
Go and draw toward mount Tabor—an isolated mountain of Galilee, northeast corner of the plain of Esdraelon. It was a convenient place of rendezvous, and the enlistment is not to be considered as limited to ten thousand, though a smaller force would have been inadequate.
8. Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go—His somewhat singular request to be accompanied by Deborah was not altogether the result of weakness. The Orientals always take what is dearest to the battlefield along with them; they think it makes them fight better. The policy of Barak, then, to have the presence of the prophetess is perfectly intelligible as it would no less stimulate the valor of the troops, than sanction, in the eyes of Israel, the uprising against an oppressor so powerful as Jabin.
9. the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman—This was a prediction which Barak could not understand at the time; but the strain of it conveyed a rebuke of his unmanly fears.
11. Now Heber the Kenite … pitched his tent—It is not uncommon, even in the present day, for pastoral tribes to feed their flocks on the extensive commons that lie in the heart of inhabited countries in the East (see on Jud 1:16).
plain of Zaanaim—This is a mistranslation for "the oaks of the wanderers." The site of the encampment was under a grove of oaks, or terebinths, in the upland valley of Kedesh.
13. the river of Kishon—The plain on its bank was chosen as the battlefield by Sisera himself, who was unconsciously drawn thither for the ruin of his army.
14. Barak went down from mount Tabor—It is a striking proof of the full confidence Barak and his troops reposed in Deborah's assurance of victory, that they relinquished their advantageous position on the hill and rushed into the plain in face of the iron chariots they so much dreaded.
15. the Lord discomfited Sisera—Hebrew, "threw his army into confusion"; men, horses, and chariots being intermingled in wild confusion. The disorder was produced by a supernatural panic (see on Jud 5:20).
so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet—His chariot being probably distinguished by its superior size and elegance, would betray the rank of its rider, and he saw therefore that his only chance of escape was on foot.
16. But Barak pursued … unto Harosheth—Broken and routed, the main body of Sisera's army fled northward; others were forced into the Kishon and drowned (see on Jud 5:21).
17, 18. Sisera fled … to the tent of Jael—According to the usages of nomadic people, the duty of receiving the stranger in the sheik's absence devolves on his wife, and the moment the stranger is admitted into his tent, his claim to be defended or concealed from his pursuers is established.
19. she … gave him drink, and covered him—Sisera reckoned on this as a pledge of his safety, especially in the tent of a friendly sheik. This pledge was the strongest that could be sought or obtained, after he had partaken of refreshments, and been introduced in the inner or women's apartment.
20. he said unto her, … when any man doth come and enquire of thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No—The privacy of the harem, even in a tent, cannot be intruded on without express permission.
21. Then Jael took a nail of the tent—most probably one of the pins with which the tent ropes are fastened to the ground. Escape was almost impossible for Sisera. But the taking of his life by the hand of Jael was murder. It was a direct violation of all the notions of honor and friendship that are usually held sacred among pastoral people, and for which it is impossible to conceive a woman in Jael's circumstances to have had any motive, except that of gaining favor with the victors. Though predicted by Deborah [Jud 4:9], it was the result of divine foreknowledge only—not the divine appointment or sanction; and though it is praised in the song [Jud 5:24-27], the eulogy must be considered as pronounced not on the moral character of the woman and her deed, but on the public benefits which, in the overruling providence of God, would flow from it.