Judges 4:3
in Judges 4Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
KJV
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
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This verse in Judges 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Oppressed - The same word is used Exo 3:9 of the oppression of Israel by the Egyptians. If they were put to task-work in hewing timber, their condition was very like that of their ancestors making bricks.
This site's exposition
the Israelites again did evil in the sight
on Judges 4:1-3
Hazor is the city Joshua burned at Joshua 11:11. Readers differ over whether Jabin is a throne name carried by a later king or a house rebuilt on the old ground. Adam Clarke takes him for a descendant of the first; his "nine hundred chariots of iron" answer Judges 1:19.
This site's exposition
harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years
Albert Barnes notes that the word for oppressed is the one Exodus 3:9 uses of Egypt's oppression of Israel. If the tribes were set to cutting timber, he says, their state resembled their ancestors' brick making. Twenty years is the longest servitude so far.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Mightily oppressed - More than former tyrants; from his malice and hatred against the Israelites; and from God's just judgment, the growing punishment being suitable to their aggravated wickedness.
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Nine hundred chariots of iron - Chariots armed with iron scythes, as is generally supposed; they could not have been made all of iron, but they might have been shod with iron, or had iron scythes projecting from the axle on each side, by which infantry might be easily cut down or thrown into confusion. The ancient Britons are said to have had such chariots.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ | vaiyitzaku | and they cried out | H6817 → | 55 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תְּשַׁ֨ע | tesha' | nine | H8672 → | |
| מֵא֤וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| רֶֽכֶב־ | rekhev- | chariot[s] of | H7393 → | 119 times |
| בַּרְזֶל֙ | barzel | iron | H1270 → | 76 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| וְ֠הוּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לָחַ֞ץ | lachatz | he oppressed | H3905 → | 19 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵ֧י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בְּחָזְקָ֖ה | bechazekah | with force | H2394 → | |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| שָׁנָֽה׃ ס | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּand they cried out
vaiyitzakuH6817 →55 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
תְּשַׁ֨עnine
tesha'H8672 →
מֵא֤וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
רֶֽכֶב־chariot[s] of
rekhev-H7393 →119 times
בַּרְזֶל֙iron
barzelH1270 →76 times
ל֔וֹ[belonged] to <the> him
lo
וְ֠הוּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
לָחַ֞ץhe oppressed
lachatzH3905 →19 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵ֧י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בְּחָזְקָ֖הwith force
bechazekahH2394 →
עֶשְׂרִ֥יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
שָׁנָֽה׃ סyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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.
it leads to
- Judges 3:15
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- Psalms 22:5
They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.
- Judges 1:13
So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
- Judges 3:15
Through
Deuteronomy 28:29and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to…
it leads to
- Isaiah 59:10
Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
- Isaiah 59:10
Through
1 Samuel 7:8and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 37:4
Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words…
- James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Isaiah 37:4
Through
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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Psalms 60:12
With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.
- Isaiah 41:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.