Judges 4: Deborah, Barak, and Jael defeat Sisera
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What happens?
After Ehud dies, Israel again does evil, and Yahweh sells them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigns in Hazor; his army commander is Sisera. Because he has nine hundred iron chariots and oppresses them by force for twenty years, the Israelites cry out to Yahweh. Deborah, a prophetess who is judging Israel, calls Barak and tells him Yahweh's command to go to Mount Tabor with ten thousand men; Barak will not go unless she goes, and she tells him the honor will not be his, because Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Yahweh routs Sisera's army at the river Kishon, and Sisera runs on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She gives him milk, covers him, and while he sleeps drives a tent peg through his temple, and Israel goes on to destroy Jabin.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold. In verses 6 and 7 Deborah tells Barak what Yahweh has commanded: those are her words, so they are not in gold. Deborah also speaks in verses 9 and 14, and Barak in verse 8. Jael speaks to Sisera in verse 18 and to Barak in verse 22, and Sisera speaks to Jael in verses 19 and 20. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead.
In plain English: After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes.
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2Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
In plain English: So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the nations (this Bible: of the Gentiles).
Good to know: also names a "Jabin king of Hazor", and and say Joshua took Hazor, struck its king and burned the city. The text does not say how this Jabin is related to that one.
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3The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.
In plain English: The Israelites cried out to Yahweh, because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressed the Israelites by force (this Bible: mightily) for twenty years.
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4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.
In plain English: At that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth (or: a woman of torches), was judging (or: leading) Israel.
The Hebrew words: "The wife of Lappidoth" is eshet lappidot. The first word is the ordinary word for "woman", which also means "wife". The dictionary gives Lappidoth as "the husband of Deborah", and this is the only verse that names him. But the same letters can also be read as "torches", from lappid, which the dictionary gives as "a flambeau, lamp or flame": the word for the "torches" in Gideon's jars in and (there written lappidim).
What changes: Read as "the wife of Lappidoth", the verse names Deborah's husband. Read as "a woman of torches", it describes Deborah herself and does not name a husband. Either way, the verse goes on to say she was judging Israel.
The Hebrew word: "Judged" is shaphat, which the dictionary gives as "to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence", and also "to govern". In Judges this Bible says "judge" or a longer form in all 17 verses that use shaphat. Verse 5 shows her hearing cases, and verses 6 to 9 show her leading Barak to war.
Good to know: The text calls Deborah a prophetess and says she was judging Israel. This Bible also calls Miriam () and Huldah () a prophetess. Jewish and Christian readers have drawn different conclusions from Deborah's story; the text itself gives no comment on it.
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5She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
In plain English: She lived (or: sat) under the Palm Tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her to have their cases judged.
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6She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
In plain English: She sent for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "Has not Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded: 'Go, march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.
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7I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
In plain English: I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, out to you at the river (or: the stream valley) Kishon, with his chariots and his great army, and I will give him into your hand'?"
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8Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
In plain English: Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go."
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9She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
In plain English: She said, "I will certainly go with you. But the way you are going will not bring you honor, because Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
Good to know: Deborah does not name the woman. Verses 17 to 22 tell how Sisera dies in the tent of Jael, and in verse 22 Jael shows Barak the man he is looking for.
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10Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him.
In plain English: Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men went up behind him (literally: at his feet), and Deborah went up with him.
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11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.
In plain English: Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law (or: father-in-law). He had pitched his tent as far away as the oak (or: the great tree) in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.
The Hebrew word: "Brother-in-law" is choten, from a word the dictionary gives as "to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage". This Bible says "father-in-law" or a longer form in 18 of the 32 verses that use the word, as for Jethro in , and "brother-in-law" in only 2: here and .
What changes: Read as "father-in-law", Hobab is the father of Moses' wife. Read as "brother-in-law", he is her brother. names Hobab as "the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law", and there too "Moses' father-in-law" can be read of Reuel or of Hobab.
Good to know: The verse explains why a Kenite's tent stands so far north, near Kedesh: Heber had moved away from the other Kenites. Verse 17 says there was peace between his household and Jabin, and that is why Sisera runs to his tent.
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12They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
In plain English: Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
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13Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.
In plain English: So Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the nations to the river Kishon.
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14Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
In plain English: Deborah said to Barak, "Get up! This is the day Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has not Yahweh gone out ahead of you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men behind him.
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15Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet.
In plain English: Yahweh threw Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army into panic (this Bible: confused them) before Barak, by the sword (literally: by the mouth of the sword). Sisera got down from his chariot and ran away on foot.
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16But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.
In plain English: Barak chased the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the nations. All Sisera's army fell by the sword. Not one man was left.
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17However 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.
In plain English: But Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the household of Heber the Kenite.
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18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
In plain English: Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come in, my lord, come in to me. Do not be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a rug (or: a blanket).
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19He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him.
In plain English: He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, because I am thirsty." She opened a skin bag of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him.
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20He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’”
In plain English: He said to her, "Stand at the entrance of the tent. If anyone comes and asks you, 'Is there a man here?', say, 'No.'"
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21Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
In plain English: But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand. She went quietly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground. He was fast asleep and worn out (this Bible: so he fainted), and he died.
Good to know: The text tells plainly what Jael did and does not say why she did it. In verse 9 Deborah said Yahweh would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman, and in to the Song of Deborah tells it again and calls Jael "blessed above women". Jewish and Christian readers have judged her act in different ways.
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22Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples.
In plain English: Just then Barak came, chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for." He went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.
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23So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day.
In plain English: So on that day God brought down (this Bible: subdued) Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.
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24The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
In plain English: The hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed (literally: cut off) Jabin king of Canaan.
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