Judges 4:17
in Judges 4Meanwhile, 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
KJV
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
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This verse in Judges 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
fled on foot to the tent of Jael
on Judges 4:17-18
The peace between Jabin and "the house of Heber the Kenite" is stated first, so the reader knows why Sisera runs to that door. Adam Clarke notes that a man would not enter the women's quarters without leave, which made it the one place a pursuer would pass by.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
But these are overlooked here; and we are only told that to make his 10,000 men effective indeed Deborah went up with him. The 11th verse , concerning the removal of Heber, one of the families of the Kenites, out of the wilderness of Judah, in the south, where those families had fixed themselves ( ch. i.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 ), and what we were sick for God can make us sick of. How miserable doth Sisera look now he is dismounted! It is hard to say whether he blusheth or trembleth more.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
Howbeit, Sisera fled away on his feet,....
And that which encouraged him to go thither was that at this time there was peace between his master and the house of Heber: not that there was any league offensive and defensive between them, only at present there were no indications of hostility.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sisera went, not to Heber’s tent, but to Joel’s, as more secure from pursuit. Women occupied a separate tent. Gen 18:6, Gen 18:10; Gen 24:67.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And Sisera had fled: He did not flee to the place that his camp fled, as they fled towards their land, which was Haroshet-hagoyim; and Barak and his people chased after them and smote them with the edge of the sword. But Sisera knew that he could not escape by [just] fleeing, for they would catch up to him. So he fled to another place, in which they would not notice him and chase after him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְסִֽיסְרָא֙ | vesisera' | and Sisera | H5516 → | 21 times |
| נָ֣ס | nas | he fled | H5127 → | 159 times |
| בְּרַגְלָ֔יו | beraglav | on feet his | H7272 → | 247 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֹ֣הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| יָעֵ֔ל | yael | Jael | H3278 → | 6 times |
| אֵ֖שֶּׁת | ʾeshet | [the] wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| חֶ֣בֶר | chever | Heber | H2268 → | 11 times |
| הַקֵּינִ֑י | hakeini | the Kenite | H7017 → | 12 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁל֗וֹם | shalom | peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| בֵּ֚ין | bein | [was] between | H996 → | 407 times |
| יָבִ֣ין | yavin | Jabin | H2985 → | 8 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| חָצ֔וֹר | chatzor | Hazor | H2674 → | |
| וּבֵ֕ין | uvein | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| בֵּ֖ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| חֶ֥בֶר | chever | Heber | H2268 → | 11 times |
| הַקֵּינִֽי׃ | hakeini | the Kenite | H7017 → | 12 times |
וְסִֽיסְרָא֙and Sisera
vesisera'H5516 →21 times
נָ֣סhe fled
nasH5127 →159 times
בְּרַגְלָ֔יוon feet his
beraglavH7272 →247 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֹ֣הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
יָעֵ֔לJael
yaelH3278 →6 times
אֵ֖שֶּׁת[the] wife of
ʾeshetH802 →781 times
חֶ֣בֶרHeber
cheverH2268 →11 times
הַקֵּינִ֑יthe Kenite
hakeiniH7017 →12 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
שָׁל֗וֹםpeace
shalomH7965 →236 times
בֵּ֚ין[was] between
beinH996 →407 times
יָבִ֣יןJabin
yavinH2985 →8 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
חָצ֔וֹרHazor
chatzorH2674 →
וּבֵ֕יןand between
uveinH996 →407 times
בֵּ֖ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
חֶ֥בֶרHeber
cheverH2268 →11 times
הַקֵּינִֽי׃the Kenite
hakeiniH7017 →12 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
Isaiah 57:21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 48:22
“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”
- Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.
- Isaiah 48:22
Through
Psalms 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
it leads to
- Job 12:24
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
- Job 12:21
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
- Daniel 4:33
At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair…
- Job 12:24
Through
Psalms 69:22May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- Romans 11:8–10
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
- 1 Peter 2:8
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.