Judges 4:21

What, therefore, does the web of all this mystical history show us? The woman Jael, that foreigner about whom Deborah's prophecy said that victory would be had "through the hand of a woman," symbolizes the church, which was assembled from foreign nations. But Jael's name means "ascent," for truly there is no route whereby one may ascend into heaven except "through the church of the manifold wisdom of God." She, therefore, while ascending from the corporeal to the spiritual and from the earthly to the heavenly, killed Sisera, who, as we have already said above, symbolizes the man of carnal or animal vices, for Sisera's name means "vision of a horse," concerning which Scripture teaches: "Do not become like horses and mules, in which there is no understanding." She killed him with a stake, then, which is to say that she overthrew him by the power and cunning of the wood of the cross. Nor is it without reason that the stake is described as having pierced his jaws, for that mouth which spoke of carnal things and that doctrine which preferred the glory of the flesh, deceiving and persuading the human race, by secular wisdom and by the idolatry of comfort, to live for selfish delights and pleasure, that very mouth, I say, is pierced and penetrated by the wood of the cross, in as much as the "broad and easy way" of pleasure which is preached by philosophy has been exposed by Christ, who showed that the "way of our salvation is narrow and difficult." [Thus], Jael the church sent Sisera the king of vices to his everlasting sleep covered with skins, that is, lulled to sleep by the mortification of his members.

We read that when God wished it clearly understood that great deeds were done by him, they were done through a few or through the lowliest, lest the work of his heavenly hand be attributed to human strength. In this way the leader Sisera, before …

So, then, Deborah foretold the event of the battle. Barak, as he was bidden, led forth the army; Jael carried off the triumph, for the prophecy of Deborah fought for her, who in a mystery revealed to us the rising of the church from among the Gentiles, for whom should be found a triumph over Sisera, that is, over the powers opposed to her. For us, then, the oracles of the prophets fought, for us those judgments and arms of the prophets won the victory.

A nail of the tent - Wherewith they used to fasten the tent, which consequently was long and sharp. This might seem a very bold attempt, but it must be considered, that she was encouraged to it, by observing that the heavens and all the elements conspired against him, as one devoted to destruction.

Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent,....