Judgeschapter 4

Jael Kills Sisera — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

A.Deborah sends for Barak; he will not go alonevv. 1-10

1 After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment. 6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 “I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

B.Nine hundred chariots of iron swept awayvv. 11-16

11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh. 12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor, 13 he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

C.A tent peg through the templesvv. 17-24

17 Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Do not be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. 19 Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again. 20 “Stand at the entrance to the tent,” he said, “and if anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” 21 But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died. 22 When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Jabin of Hazor oppresses Israel with nine hundred chariots of iron, and Deborah, a prophetess, is judging Israel under her palm tree between Ramah and Bethel.

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Jabin of Hazor oppresses Israel with nine hundred chariots of iron, and Deborah, a prophetess, is judging Israel under her palm tree between Ramah and Bethel. She summons Barak with a word already given: draw ten thousand to Mount Tabor, and Jehovah will draw Sisera to the river Kishon. Barak answers, 'If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go', and Deborah grants it with a warning that the honor of the day will go to a woman. Sisera's host is discomfited before the sword; he flees on foot to the tent of Jael, who gives him milk, covers him, and drives the tent-pin through his temples.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Samuel — Judges overview

A. 1–10 Deborah sends for Barak; he will not go alone
B. 11–16 Nine hundred chariots of iron swept away
C. 17–24 A tent peg through the temples

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Judges 45 verses
- Judges 4:2So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.
- Judges 4:7And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
- Judges 4:13he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.
- Judges 4:14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
- Judges 4:16Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.
- Read Judges 4 →
Judges 55 verses
- Judges 5:15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
- Judges 5:18Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
- Judges 5:21The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
- Judges 5:25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
- Judges 5:26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
- Read Judges 5 →
Joshua 193 verses
- Joshua 19:12From Sarid it turned eastward along the border of Chisloth-tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia.
- Joshua 19:33Their border started at Heleph and the great tree of Zaanannim, passing Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum and ending at the Jordan.
- Joshua 19:34Then the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and ran from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south side, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east.
- Read Joshua 19 →
2 Samuel 173 verses
- 2 Samuel 17:3and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.”
- 2 Samuel 17:10Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.
- 2 Samuel 17:20When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
- Read 2 Samuel 17 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Judges 32 verses
- Judges 3:7So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
- Judges 3:9But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.
- Read Judges 3 →
Judges 12 verses
- Judges 1:16Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.
- Judges 1:19The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron.
- Read Judges 1 →
Psalms 182 verses
- Psalms 18:39You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
- Psalms 18:47the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
- Read Psalms 18 →
Jeremiah 51 verse
- Jeremiah 5:3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
- Read Jeremiah 5 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.