After the death of Judge Ehud, the Israelites again sinned, leading to their oppression by King Jabin of Canaan for twenty years. The text emphasizes the necessity of strong leadership to prevent the people from falling back into sin and idol worship. The chronicled events in the Book of Judges serve as a reflection of human folly and God's continual faithfulness in rescuing His people from their own failings.

1. JUDGES 4 COMME TARY
WRITTE A D EDITED BY GLE PEASE
1
After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil
in the eyes of the LORD.
1. The only thing that man learns from history is that man does not learn from
history. They keep on doing folly and going away from the Lord who delivers them.
Without a leader they are like sheep who go astray. Evil is so enticing that if men do
not have a leader who leads away from evil they will wander right into its path, and
then pursue it. God’s own people have been some of the most evil people in history.
History is not all clearly the good guys against the bad guys. Often the bad guys are
the people of God. God has to let them suffer under oppression from pagans in
order to get them to cry out to him. So God has to become an enemy to his own
people in order to get them to come back to the fold. God is constantly coming to
rescue his people from the very powers he puts them under. He rescued them from
Egypt, but they kept going back into slavery, and he kept delivering them. The book
of Judges is the greatest revelation anywhere of the folly of man and the faithfulness
of God.
2. If you are not overcoming temptations then the world is overcoming you. The
worst enemy one has to overcome after all is one's self. Once again Israel would
learn the truth of Jn 8:34 where Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." One of Satan's greatest lies is that
sin is liberating. "Try it you'll like it" It is the same story over and over that tells us
that good times are just as dangerous as bad times, for in good times people get too
secure and careless. They do not feel the need to be fearful of falling. They are over
confident, and in pride feel they no longer need daily self-evaluation. They become
sitting ducks for the arrows of the wicked one.
3.Israel as portrayed in the Book of Judges illustrates the difference between
“religious reformation” and “spiritual revival.” Reformation temporarily changes
outward conduct while revival permanently alters inward character. When Ehud
removed the idols, and commanded the people to worship only Jehovah, they obeyed
him; but when that constraint was removed, the people obeyed their own desires.
The nation of Israel was like the man in Jesus’ parable who got rid of one demon,
cleaned house, and then ended up with seven worse demons (Mt12:43-45). The
empty heart is prey to every form of evil.

2. 4. Ralph Davis wrote, "Ehud, sorry to say, is not a totally adequate savior, for
though Yahweh brings a certain kind of salvation and help through Ehud, nothing
Ehud did could change the hearts of Israel. He may have exerted some beneficial
influence on them while he lived, but he could not release Israel from the bondage of
sin, or rip the idols out of their hearts. Here is the tragedy of the people of God —
slavery to sin (“again did evil”) — and no left–handed savior spilling the guts of
foreign kings can release you from that bondage. Helplessness indeed. As noted
before, it is what the apostle called being “under sin” (Rom. 3:9). ote: not sins but
sin. Sin is not merely, or primarily, act but power. Being “under sin” is to be held in
its clutches, bound by its chain."
COFFMA , "Verse 1
DEBORAH A D BARAK'S DELIVERA CE OF ISRAEL
IV. DEBORAH and BARAK (Judges 4-5)
In our text, only Deborah is said to have "judged" Israel, but we have bracketed her
name with Barak because in Hebrews 11:32 he is listed with other judges such as
Gideon and Jephthah. Also, it was Barak, not Deborah, who actually led the army
in the battle with Sisera.
LaGard Smith's summary of the situation at the time of this deliverance is as
follows:
"One of the areas which Joshua's forces had never been able fully to take over was
the plain of Esdraelon (Jezreel) in the north central region of Palestine between
Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, and Asher. When local Canaanite forces under Jabin
and Sisera unite, it falls to a courageous woman named Deborah to take the
initiative in repelling the Canaanites. She was able to persuade a cautious general
(Barak) to lead the northern tribes to victory. Another woman (Jael) also shared in
the glory of the victory when she bravely killed Sisera."[1]
For an ingenious, unbelieving account of how "editors," "redactors" and
"compilers" have confused this battle with Jabin's army under Sisera vs. the forces
led by Barak, with the account in Joshua 11 of another battle with the Canaanites
more than a century before the battle reported here, one should read Soggin's
Commentary on Judges. Careless commentators are totally in error in such
unwarranted conclusions!
Another error is that of understanding the poetic account of the battle here given in
the Song of Deborah (Judges 5) as an account of a different battle from the prose
record in Judges 4. It is true, of course, that these TWO ACCOU TS, "Bristle with
historical and geographical difficulties, most of which would probably quickly fade
if precise details were known; and so many details agree that the suggestions
pointing to two separate battles must be discounted."[2]
The simple Biblical record which has come down to us should be received as the

3. truth. The sacred record is a far superior account of what happened, as contrasted
with the "scissors-and-paste" productions of radical critics whose "composite"
guesses about ancient events are extremely muddled and contradictory. With regard
to the narrative as recorded in the Bible, Cundall correctly observed that, "There
are no insoluble difficulties in the narrative as it stands."[3]
The old allegations of the radical critics that Judges 4 and Judges 5 concern
DIFFERE T events have now been fully discredited and rejected. As Dalglish,
writing in Beacon Bible Commentary stated it, "There is general agreement that the
two chapters have the same engagement in review and that the conflict related in
Joshua 11:1-15 was a different event."[4] In this light, we may therefore ask, "What
happened?" Barnes explained it. "Subsequently to the events narrated in Joshua 11,
Hazor had been rebuilt and had resumed its position as the metropolis of the
northern Canaanites. The other cities must also have resumed their independence
and restored their fallen dynasties."[5]
THE CA AA ITE OPPRESSIO (Judges 4:1-3)
"And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah,
when Ehud was dead. And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of
Canaan that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in
Harosheth of the Gentiles. 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."
This paragraph is not "a Deuteronomic framework" imposed upon the historical
record; it is a simple, factual statement of how and why the children of Israel needed
a deliverer at that particular time.
"Jabin king of Canaan" (Judges 4:2). A century earlier, Joshua had defeated
"Jabin king of Hazor," who actually headed a coalition of a large number of petty
`kings of Canaan' (Joshua 11), but that Jabin was not the same man as the `Jabin'
of Judges 4. We do not know whether or not he was another king bearing the same
name, or if `Jabin' was a dynastic designation of all the kings of Hazor. Keil stated
that, "The `Jabin' here bore the same name as the earlier Jabin."[6] Davis affirmed
that, "The name `Jabin' was probably not a personal name, but a dynastic title.[7]
Contrary to Soggin's incredible allegation that, "The title `King of Canaan' never
existed, calling it `an absurdity,'"[8] that title is here assigned to Jabin, and here the
title has "existed" for more than three millenniums! Joshua's record of that
previous encounter with the `King of Canaan' (called in Joshua `the King of Hazor')
does OT contradict what is written here. The Joshua record reveals that Jabin
King of Hazor was the chief executive for all of the other `Kings of Canaan' and the
commander-in-chief of their united armies. If such an executive was not a `king,'
what was he?
" ine hundred chariots of iron" (Judges 4:3). Israel had no chariots at all, and such
a formidable striking force would normally have made the King of Canaan

4. invincible. However, "The mustering of the united tribes of Israel against him under
Barak coincided with a storm in which the Kishon, normally a dry river-bed,
rapidly became a raging torrent in which the chariotry were engulfed."[9]
GILL, "And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord,....
Which was the fruit and effect of the long rest and peace they enjoyed; and which is often
the case of a people favoured with peace, plenty, and prosperity, who are apt to abuse
their mercies, and forget God, the author and giver of them; and the principal evil,
though not expressed, was idolatry, worshipping Baalim, the gods of the nations about
them; though it is highly probable they were guilty of other sins, which they indulged in
the times of their peace and prosperity:
when Ehud was dead; Shamgar is not mentioned, because his time of judging Israel
was short, and the people were not reformed in his time, but fell into sin as soon as Ehud
was dead, and continued. Some choose to render the words, "for Ehud was dead" (t),
who had been, the instrument of reforming them, and of preserving them from idolatry,
but he being dead, they fell into it again; and the particle "vau" is often to be taken in this
sense, of which Noldius (u) gives many instances.
HAWKER, "Few events in the history of Israel, are more interesting than what this
Chapter contains, of the defeat of Sisera ’ s army by Barak, under the animated zeal of
Deborah. Here are the several particulars related which gave birth to that war; with the
event of it, in the conquest over the enemies of Israel, by a wonderful interposition of the
Lord for his people.
Jdg_4:1
The chapter begins with a melancholy account of God’s people. They did again evil. Alas!
God’s people are by nature children of wrath, even as others. My people, saith God, are
bent to backsliding. Hos_11:7. Is it so, my soul, that there is in thy very nature a
tendency to evil? Oh! precious, precious Jesus, what but for thee and thy perfect, all-
satisfying, soul justifying righteousness, would be the hope of all thy people?
HE RY, "Here is, I. Israel backsliding from God: They again did evil in his sight,
forsook his service, and worshipped idols; for this was the sin which now most easily
beset them, Jdg_4:1. See in this, 1. The strange strength of corruption, which hurries
men into sin notwithstanding the most frequent experience of its fatal consequences.
The bent to backslide is with great difficulty restrained. 2. The common ill effects of a
long peace. The land had rest eighty years, which should have confirmed them in their
religion; but, on the contrary, it made them secure and wanton, and indulgent of those
lusts which the worship of the false gods was calculated for the gratification of. Thus the
prosperity of fools destroys them. Jeshurun waxeth fat and kicketh. 3. The great loss
which a people sustains by the death of good governors. The did evil, because Ehud was
dead. So it may be read. He kept a strict eye upon them, restrained and punished every
thing that looked towards idolatry, and kept them close to God's service. But, when he
was gone, they revolted, fearing him more than God.
K&D 1-3, "The Victory over Jabin and His General Sisera. - Jdg_4:1-3. As the

5. Israelites fell away from the Lord again when Ehud was dead, the Lord gave them into
the hand of the Canaanitish king Jabin, who oppressed them severely for twenty years
with a powerful army under Sisera his general. The circumstantial clause, “when Ehud
was dead,” places the falling away of the Israelites from God in direct causal connection
with the death of Ehud on the one hand, and the deliverance of Israel into the power of
Jabin on the other, and clearly indicates that as long as Ehud lived he kept the people
from idolatry (cf. Jdg_2:18-19), and defended Israel from hostile oppressions. Joshua
had already conquered one king, Jabin of Hazor, and taken his capital (Jos_11:1, Jos_
11:10). The king referred to here, who lived more than a century later, bore the same
name. The name Jabin, “the discerning,” may possibly have been a standing name or
title of the Canaanitish kings of Hazor, as Abimelech was of the kings of the Philistines
(see at Gen_26:8). He is called “king of Canaan,” in distinction from the kings of other
nations and lands, such as Moab, Mesopotamia, etc. (Jdg_3:8, Jdg_3:12), into whose
power the Lord had given up His sinful people. Hazor, once the capital of the kingdoms
of northern Canaan, was situated over (above or to the north of) Lake Huleh, in the tribe
of Naphtali, but has not yet been discovered (see at Jos_11:1). Sisera, the general of
Jabin, dwelt in Harosheth of the Goyim, and oppressed the Israelites most tyrannically
(Mightily: cf. Jdg_7:1; 1Sa_2:16) for twenty years with a force consisting of 900 chariots
of iron (see at Jos_17:16). The situation of Harosheth, which only occurs here (Jdg_4:2,
Jdg_4:13, Jdg_4:16), is unknown; but it is certainly to be sought for in one of the larger
plains of Galilee, possibly the plain of Buttauf, where Sisera was able to develop his
forces, whose strength consisted chiefly in war-chariots, and to tyrannize over the land
of Israel.
UNKNOWN AUTHOR, " In Jdg. 4:1 we read, “After Ehud died, the Israelites once again
did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” That is the final verse of Scripture about Ehud. Even
though the land was undisturbed by enemies for 80 years (Jdg. 3:30), the children of
Israel went back to doing evil after their leader Ehud died. Would the history of Israel
have been different if Ehud had left a legacy of strong, godly leaders? The same question
could be asked of other leaders in the Bible. Whom did Gideon leave behind? Or Joshua?
Or Rehoboam? Paul exhorted Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:2 to entrust the teaching he’d learned
from Paul to “faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (KJV). Similarly,
although Jesus was busy with public ministry, He purposely took time to train 12
disciples. Look carefully at where Jesus spent His time, especially in His closing months.
Developing future leaders does not happen by accident. Are you purposely recruiting
and developing protégés who believe in your vision as much as you do? Who will carry
out your dreams once you are gone?
Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, constantly asked, Where’s your man?
Where’s your woman? Where is that one you are giving your life to?
Too many of us are preoccupied with just getting through our weekly do-list. We seldom
think about training replacements or grooming our followers to carry more
responsibility. As you lead, let the legacy of Ehud challenge you. Ask yourself these three
questions:
Am I taking initiative . . . or waiting? Do I have an infrastructure for my initiatives? Am I
recruiting and training protégés?"

6. BI 1-3, "Israel again did evil . . . the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin.
Reappearance of vanquished foes
Their ancient foe, whom they had conquered, rose gradually from his prostration. He
rebuilt his castle; he repossessed the lands; he multiplied his armies. At length he defied
and “mightily oppressed” the chosen people. How has this history been re-enacted a
thousand times in the experience both of individual believers and of Christian Churches!
How many there are who answer to the description (1Pe_2:20). The Canaanite was slain,
but he reappears and resumes his ancient tyranny. Exploded errors revive. Slain heresies
live again, and triumph on the very spot where they received what was deemed their
death-blow. The subjugation and prostration of the Church may not be as complete as
was the twenty years’ slavery of Israel under the second Jabin, yet is not the fortress of
Hazor being rebuilt in this land? Are not the furnaces of Harosheth being rekindled?
And are not the Papal workmen busy fabricating chariots of iron wherewith anew to
scour the plains which valiant Protestants of old won in the name of the Lord and of His
truth? (L. H. Wiseman, M. A.)
PETT, "Introduction
Chapter 4. Barak and Deborah.
This chapter demonstrates how Israel again sinned and were delivered into the hands of
Jabin, king of Canaan, by whom they were oppressed for twenty years. Excavations at
Hazor have resulted in evidence of a Jabin who was king there, although not necessarily
this one. Jabin appears to have been a throne name. The chapter goes on to show that
Deborah and Barak consulted together about their deliverance, and that Barak,
encouraged by Deborah, gathered some forces from the tribal confederacy and fought
Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, whom he met, and over whom he obtained victory.
Sisera, while fleeing on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, was received into it,
and slain by her while asleep in it, which issued in a complete deliverance of the children
of Israel.
Verse 1
Chapter 4. Barak and Deborah.
This chapter demonstrates how Israel again sinned and were delivered into the hands of
Jabin, king of Canaan, by whom they were oppressed for twenty years. Excavations at
Hazor have resulted in evidence of a Jabin who was king there, although not necessarily
this one. Jabin appears to have been a throne name. The chapter goes on to show that
Deborah and Barak consulted together about their deliverance, and that Barak,
encouraged by Deborah, gathered some forces from the tribal confederacy and fought
Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, whom he met, and over whom he obtained victory.
Sisera, while fleeing on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, was received into it,
and slain by her while asleep in it, which issued in a complete deliverance of the children
of Israel.

7. God’s Third Lesson : The Canaanite Invasion; Barak and Deborah (Judges 4:1-24).
Judges 4:1
‘And the children of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, when Ehud
was dead.’
Ehud ruled wisely and well. He encouraged the people in their worship of Yahweh,
maintained the tribal links with the central sanctuary, and ensured obedience to the
covenant and all involved with it, the offering of the necessary sacrifices to Yahweh, the
keeping of His commandments and the justice that went along with them. All this is
implicit in the fact that the people did not do grave evil in Yahweh’s sight while he lived.
They sinned, as all men will, but they offered the appropriate sacrifices and offerings and
generally did what was right. But when he died they slipped back into their old ways.
CONSTABLE, "Verses 1-3
As long as Ehud lived he kept Israel faithful to God ( Judges 4:1). However after he died,
God"s people again turned from the Lord. In discipline God allowed the Canaanites in
the North to gain strength and dominate the Israelites for20 years. Hazor, one of the
largest cities in the Promised Land, again became the center of Canaanite power in this
area (cf. Joshua 11:1; Joshua 11:10). [Note: See Piotr Bienkowski, "The Role of Hazor in
the Late Bronze Age," Palestine Exploration Quarterly119:1 (January-June1987):50-61.]
It stood on the main road connecting Egypt and Mesopo-tamia. Its king was Jabin (the
discerning, lit. he will under-stand), perhaps a title or dynastic name rather than a
proper name since the king of Hazor that Joshua defeated was also Jabin ( Joshua 11:1).
[Note: Kenneth Kitchen, Ancient Orient and Old Testament, p68.] Or the Jabin in
Judges could have received his name in honor of the Jabin in Joshua. This titulary has a
sarcastic ring, however, since he would learn that Yahweh opposes oppressors of His
people.
Jabin"s commander-in-chief, Sisera, lived several miles to the southwest of Hazor in
Harosheth-hagoyim (lit. the woodlands of the nations). This may have been a term that
described the entire upper Galilee region. [Note: Lewis, p39.] This suggests that
Canaanite influence was extensive throughout northern Israel at this time. Though the
location of Harosheth-hagoyim is uncertain, it seems to have been at the western end of
the Jezreel Valley. [Note: Dale W. Manor, "The Topography and Geography of the
Jezreel Valley as they Contribute to the Battles of Deborah and Gideon," Near Eastern
Archaeology Society Bulletin NS28 (Winter1987):27; and Leon Wood, A Survey of
Israel"s History, p216 , n39. ] "Ephraim" here, as well as in other places (e.g, Judges
3:27), may have originally been a geographical rather than a tribal term (cf. Joshua
20:7). [Note: Gray, p255.]
The Canaanites" 900 iron war chariots gave them complete control of the flatter and
dryer portions of this area. The Israelites had to live in the hills. These chariots were
state-of-the-art weapons at this time. Compare Pharaoh"s chariots in the Exodus
account. Chapter5 also recalls the Exodus.

8. EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY
THE SIBYL OF MOUNT EPHRAIM
4:1-24
THERE arises now in Israel a prophetess, one of those rare women whose souls burn
with enthusiasm and holy purpose when the hearts of men are abject and despondent;
and to Deborah it is given to make a nation hear her call. Of prophetesses the world has
seen but few; generally the woman has her work of teaching and administering justice in
the name of God within a domestic circle and finds all her energy needed there. But
queens have reigned with firm nerve and clear sagacity in many a land, and now and
again a woman’s voice has struck the deep note which has roused a nation to its duty.
Such in the old Hebrew days was Deborah, wife of Lappidoth.
It was a time of miserable thraldom in Israel when she became aware of her destiny and
began the sacred enterprise of her life. From Hazor in the north near the waters of
Merom Israel was ruled by Jabin, king of the Canaanites - not the first of the name, for
Joshua had before defeated one Jabin king of Hazor, and slain him. During the peace
that followed Ehud’s triumph over Moab the Hebrews, busy with worldly affairs, failed
to estimate a danger which year by year became more definite and pressing-the rise of
the ancient strongholds of Canaan and their chiefs to new activity and power. Little by
little the cities Joshua destroyed were rebuilt, refortified and made centres of warlike
preparation. The old inhabitants of the land recovered spirit, while Israel lapsed into
foolish confidence. At Harosheth of the Gentiles, under the shadow of Carmel, near the
mouth of the Kishon, armourers were busy forging weapons and building chariots of
iron. The Hebrews did not know what was going on, or missed the purpose that should
have thrust itself on their nonce. Then came the sudden rush of the chariots and the
onset of the Canaanite troops, fierce, irresistible. Israel was subdued and bowed to a
yoke all the more galling that it was a people they had conquered and perhaps despised
that now rode over them. In the north at least the Hebrews were kept in servitude for
twenty years, suffered to remain in the land but compelled to pay heavy tribute, many of
them, it is likely, enslaved or allowed but a nominal independence. Deborah’s song
vividly describes the condition of things in her country. Shamgar had made a clearance
on the Philistine border and kept his footing as a leader, but elsewhere the land was so
swept by Canaanite spoilers that the highways were unused and Hebrew travellers kept
to the tortuous and difficult by paths down in the glens or among the mountains. There
was war in all the gates, but in Israelite dwellings neither shield nor spear. Defenceless
and crushed the people lay crying to gods that could not save, turning ever to new gods
in strange despair, the national state far worse than when Cushan’s army held the land
or when Eglon ruled from the City of Palm Trees.

9. Born before this time of oppression Deborah spent her childhood and youth in some
village of Issachar, her home a rude hut covered with brushwood and clay, like those
which are still seen by travellers. Her parents, we must believe, had more religious
feeling than was common among Hebrews of the time. They would speak to her of the
name and law of Jehovah, and she, we doubt not, loved to hear. But with the exception
of brief oral traditions fitfully repeated and an example of reverence for sacred times and
duties, a mere girl would have no advantages. Even if her father was chief of a village her
lot would be hard and monotonous, as she aided in the work of the household and went
morning and evening to fetch water from the spring or tended a few sheep on the
hillside. While she was yet young the Canaanite oppression began, and she with others
felt the tyranny and the shame. The soldiers of Jabin came and lived at free quarters
among the villagers, wasting their property. The crops were perhaps assessed, as they
are at the present day in Syria, before they were reaped, and sometimes half or even
more would be swept away by the remorseless collector of tribute. The people turned
thriftless and sullen. They had nothing to gain by exerting themselves when the soldiers
and the tax gatherer were ready to exact so much the more, leaving them still in poverty.
Now and again there might be a riot. Maddened by insults and extortion the men of the
village would make a stand. But without weapons, without a leader, what could they
effect? The Canaanite troops were upon them; some were killed, others carried away,
and things became worse than before.
There was not much prospect at such a time for a Hebrew maiden whose lot it seemed to
be, while yet scarcely out of her childhood, to be married like the rest and sink into a
household drudge, toiling for a husband who in his turn laboured for the oppressor. But
there was a way then, as there is always a way for the high spirited to save life from
bareness and desolation; and Deborah found her path. Her soul went forth to her
people, and their sad state moved her to something more than a woman’s grief and
rebellion. As years went by the traditions of the past revealed their meaning to her,
deeper and larger thoughts came, a beginning of hope for the tribes so downcast and
weary. Once they had swept victoriously through the land and smitten that very fortress
which again overshadowed all the north. It was in the name of Jehovah and by His help
that Israel then triumphed. Clearly the need was for a new covenant with Him; the
people must repent and return to the Lord. Did Deborah put this before her parents, her
husband? Doubtless they agreed with her, but could see no way of action, no opportunity
for such as they. As she spoke more and more eagerly, as she ventured to urge the men of
her village to bestir themselves, perhaps a few were moved, but the rest heard carelessly
or derided her. We can imagine Deborah in that time of trial growing up into tall and
striking womanhood, watching with indignation many a scene in which her people
showed a craven fear or joined slavishly in heathen revels. As she spoke and saw her
words burn the hearts of some to whom they were spoken, the sense of power and duty
came. In vain she looked for a prophet, a leader, a man of Jehovah to rekindle a flame in
the nation’s heart. A flame! It was in her own soul, she might wake it in other souls;
Jehovah helping her, she would.
But when in her native tribe the brave woman began to urge with prophetic eloquence
the return to God and to preach a holy war her time of peril came. Issachar lay
completely under the survey of Jabin’s officers, overawed by his chariots. And one who
would deliver a servile people had need to fear treachery. Issachar was "a strong ass
couching down between the sheepfolds he had bowed his shoulder to bear" and become

10. "a servant under task work." As her purpose matured she had to seek a place of safety
and influence, and passing southward she found it in some retired spot among the hills
between Bethel and Ramah, some nook of that valley which, beginning near Ai, curves
eastward and narrows at Geba to a rocky gorge with precipices eight hundred feet high, -
the Valley of Achor, of which Hosea long afterwards said that it should be a door of hope.
Here, under a palm tree, the landmark of her tent, she began to prophesy and judge and
grow to spiritual power among the tribes. It was a new thing in Israel for a woman to
speak in the name of God. Her utterances had no doubt something of a sibyllic strain,
and the deep or wild notes of her voice pleading for Jehovah or raised in passionate
warning against idolatry touched the finest chords of the Hebrew soul. In her rapture
she saw the Holy One coming in majesty from the southern desert where Horeb reared
its sacred peak; or again, looking into the future, foretold His exaltation in proud
triumph over the gods of Canaan, His people free once more, their land purged of every
heathen taint. So gradually her place of abode became a rendezvous of the tribes, a seat
of justice, a shrine of reviving hope. Those who longed for righteous administration
came to her; those who were hearers of Jehovah gathered about her. Gaining wisdom
she was able to represent to a rude age the majesty as well as the purity of Divine law, to
establish order as well as to communicate enthusiasm. The people felt that sagacity like
hers and a spirit so sanguine and fearless must be the gift of Jehovah; it was the
inspiration of the Almighty that gave her understanding.
Deborah’s prophetical utterances are not to be tried by the standard of the Isaiah age. So
tested some of her judgments might fail, some of her visions lose their charm. She had
no clear outlook to those great principles which the later prophets more or less fully
proclaimed. Her education and circumstances and her intellectual power determined the
degree in which she could receive Divine illumination. One woman before her is
honoured with the name of prophetess, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who led
the refrain of the song of triumph at the Red Sea. Miriam’s gift appears limited to the
gratitude and ecstasy of one day of deliverance; and when afterwards, on the strength of
her share in the enthusiasm of the Exodus, she ventured along with Aaron to claim
equality with Moses, a terrible rebuke checked her presumption. Comparing Miriam and
Deborah, we find as great an advance from the one to the other as from Deborah to
Amos or Hosea. But this only shows that the inspiration of one mind, intense and ample
for that mind, may come far short of the inspiration of another. God does not give every
prophet the same insight as Moses, for the rare and splendid genius of Moses was
capable of an illumination which very few in any following age have been able to receive.
Even as among the Apostles of Christ St. Peter shows occasionally a lapse from the
highest Christian judgment for which St. Paul has to take him to task, and yet does not
cease to be inspired, so Deborah is not to be denied the Divine gift though her song is
coloured by an all too human exultation over a fallen enemy.
It is simply impossible to account for this new beginning in Israel’s history without a
heavenly impulse; and through Deborah unquestionably that impulse came. Others were
turning to God, but she broke the dark spell which held the tribes and taught them
afresh how to believe and pray. Under her palm tree there were solemn searchings of
heart, and when the head men of the clans gathered there, travelling across the
mountains of Ephraim or up the wadies from the fords of Jordan, it was first to humble
themselves for the sin of idolatry, and then to undertake with sacred oaths and vows the
serious work which fell to them in Israel’s time of need. Not all came to that solemn

11. rendezvous. When is such a gathering completely representative? Of Judah and Simeon
we hear nothing. Perhaps they had their own troubles with the wandering tribes of the
desert; perhaps they did not suffer as the others from Canaanite tyranny and therefore
kept aloof. Reuben on the other side Jordan wavered, Manasseh made no sign of
sympathy; Asher, held in check by the fortress of Hazor and the garrison of Harosheth,
chose the safe part of inaction. Dan was busy trying to establish a maritime trade. But
Ephraim and Benjamin, Zebulun and Naphtali were forward in the revival, and proudly
the record is made on behalf of her native tribe, "the princes of Issachar were with
Deborah." Months passed; the movement grew steadily, there was a stirring among the
dry bones, a resurrection of hope and purpose.
And with all the care used this could not be hid from the Canaanites. For doubtless in
not a few Israelite homes heathen wives and half-heathen children would be apt to spy
and betray. It goes hardly with men if they have bound themselves by any tie to those
who will not only fail in sympathy when religion makes demands, but will do their
utmost to thwart serious ambitions and resolves. A man is terribly compromised who
has pledged himself to a woman of earthly mind, ruled by idolatries of time and sense.
He has undertaken duties to her which a quickened sense of Divine law will make him
feel the more; she has her claim upon his life, and there is nothing to wonder at if she
insists upon her view, to his spiritual disadvantage and peril. In the time of national
quickening and renewed, thoughtfulness many a Hebrew discovered the folly of which
he had been guilty in joining hands with women who were on the side of the Baalim and
resented any sacrifice made for Jehovah. Here we find the explanation of much Luke
warmness, indifference to the great enterprises of the church and withholding of service
by those who make some profession of being on the Lord’s side. The entanglements of
domestic relationship have far more to do with failure in religious duty than is
commonly supposed.
Amid difficulty and discouragement enough, with slender resources, the hope of Israel
resting upon her, Deborah’s heart did not fail nor her head for affairs. When the critical
point was reached of requiring a general for the war. she had already fixed upon the
man. At Kadesh-Naphtali, almost in sight of Jabin’s fortress, on a hill overlooking the
waters of Merom, ninety miles to the north, dwelt Barak the son of Abin-oaha. The
neighbourhood of the Canaanite capital and daily evidence of its growing power made
Barak ready for any enterprise which had in it good promise of success, and he had
better qualifications than mere resentment against injustice and eager hatred of the
Canaanite oppression. Already known in Zebulun and Naphtali as a man of bold temper
and sagacity, he was in a position to gather an army corps out of those tribes-the main
strength of the force on which Deborah relied for the approaching struggle. Better still,
he was a fearer of God. To Kadesh-Naphtali the prophetess sent for the chosen leader of
the troops of Israel, addressing to him the call of Jehovah: "Hath not the Lord
commanded thee saying, Go and draw towards Mount Tabor"-that is, bring by
detachments quietly from the different cities towards Mount Tabor-"ten thousand men
of Naphtali and Zebulun?" The rendezvous of Sisera’s host was Harosheth of the
Gentiles, in the defile at the western extremity of the valley of Megiddo, where Kishon
breaks through to the plain of Acre. Tabor overlooked from the northeast the same wide
strath which was to be the field where the chariots and the multitude should be delivered
into Barak’s hand.

12. Not doubting the word of God, Barak sees a difficulty. For himself he has no prophetic
gift; he is ready to fight, but this is to be a sacred war. From the very first he would have
the men gather with the clear understanding that it is for religion as much as for
freedom they are taking arms; and how may this be secured? Only if Deborah will go
with him through the country proclaiming the Divine summons and promise of victory.
He is very decided on the point. "If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt
not go with me, I will not go." Deborah agrees, though she would fain have left this
matter entirely to men. She warns him that the expedition will not be to his honour,
since Jehovah will give Sisera into the hand of a woman. Against her will she takes part
in the military preparations. There is no need to find in Deborah’s words a prophecy of
the deed of Jael. It is a grossly untrue taunt that the murder of Sisera is the central point
of the whole narrative. When Deborah says, "The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a
woman," the reference plainly is, as Josephus makes it, to the position into which
Deborah herself was forced as the chief person in the campaign. With great wisdom and
the truest courage she would have limited her own sphere. With equal wisdom and equal
courage Barak understood how the zeal of the people was to be maintained. There was a
friendly contest, and in the end the right way was found, for unquestionably Deborah
was the genius of the movement. Together they went to Kedesh, - not Kadesh-Naphtali
in the far north, but Kedesh on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, some twelve miles from
Tabor. From that as a centre, journeying by secluded ways through the northern
districts, often perhaps by night, Deborah and Barak went together rousing the
enthusiasm of the people, until the shores of the lake and the valleys running down to it
were quietly occupied by thousands of armed men.
The clans are at length gathered; the whole force marches from Kedesh to the foot of
Tabor to give battle. And now Sisera, fully equipped, moves out of Harosheth along the
course of the Kishon, marching well beneath the ridge of Carmel, his chariots thundering
in the van. Near Taanach he orders his front to be formed to the north, crosses the
Kishon and advances on the Hebrews, who by this time are visible beyond the slope of
Moreh. The tremendous moment has come. "Up," cries Deborah, "for this is the day in
which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before
thee?" She has waited till the troops of Sisera are entangled among the streams which
here, from various directions, converge to the river Kishon, now swollen with rain and
difficult to cross. Barak, the Lightning Chief, leads his men impetuously down into the
plain, keeping near the shoulder of Moreh where the ground is not broken by the
streams; and with the fall of evening he begins the attack. The chariots have crossed the
Kishon but are still struggling in the swamps and marshes. They are assailed with
vehemence and forced back, and in the waning light all is confusion. The Kishon sweeps
away many of the Canaanite host, the rest make a stand by Taanach and further on by
the waters of Megiddo. The Hebrews find a higher ford, and following the south bank of
the river are upon the foe again. It is a November night and meteors are flashing through
the sky. They are an omen of evil to the disheartened, half-defeated army. Do not the
stars in their courses fight against Sisera? The rout becomes complete; Barak pursues
the scattered force towards Harosheth, and at the ford near the city there is terrible loss.
Only the fragments of a ruined army find shelter within the gates.
Meanwhile Sisera, a coward at heart, more familiar with the parade ground than fit for
the stern necessities of war, leaves his chariot and abandons his men to their fate, his

13. own safety all his care. Seeking that, it is not to Harosheth he turns. He takes his way
across Gilboa toward the very region which Barak has left. On a little plateau overlooking
the Sea of Galilee, near Kedesh, there is a settlement of Kenites whom Sisera thinks he
can trust. Like a hunted animal he presses on over ridge and through defile till he
reaches the black tents and receives from Jael the treacherous welcome, "Turn in, my
lord, turn in to me; fear not." The pitiful tragedy follows. The coward meets at the hand
of a woman the death from which he has fled. Jael gives him fermented milk to drink
which, exhausted as he is, sends him into a deep sleep. Then, as he lies helpless, she
smites the tent pin through his temples.
In her song Deborah describes and glories over the execution of her country’s enemy.
"Blessed among women shall Jael, the wife of Heber be; with the hammer she smote
Sisera; at her feet he curled up, he fell." Exulting in every circumstance of the tragedy,
she adds a description of Sisera’s mother and her ladies expecting his return as a victor
laden with spoil, and listening eagerly for the wheels of that chariot which never again
should roll through the streets of Harosheth. As to the whole of this passage, our
estimate of Deborah’s knowledge and spiritual insight does not require us to regard her
praise and her judgment as absolute. She rejoices in a deed which has crowned the great
victory over the master of nine hundred chariots, the terror of Israel; she glories in the
courage of another woman, who single handed finished that tyrant’s career; she does not
make God responsible for the deed. Let the outburst of her enthusiastic relief stand as
the expression of intense feeling, the rebound from fear and anxiety of the patriotic
heart. We need not weight ourselves with the suspicion that the prophetess reckoned
Jael’s deed the outcome of a Divine thought. No, but we may believe this of Jael, that she
is on the side of Israel, her sympathy so far repressed by the league of her people with
Jabin, yet prompting her to use every opportunity of serving the Hebrew cause. It is
clear that if the Kenite treaty had meant very much and Jael had felt herself bound by it,
her tent would have been an asylum for the fugitive. But she is against the enemies of
Israel; her heart is with the people of Jehovah in the battle and she is watching eagerly
for signs of the victory she desires them to win. Unexpected, startling, the sign appears
in the fleeing captain of Jabin’s host, alone, looking wildly for shelter. "Turn in, my lord;
turn in." Will he enter? Will he hide himself in a woman’s tent? Then to her will be
committed vengeance. It will be an omen that the hour of Sisera’s fate has come.
Hospitality itself must yield; she will break even that sacred law to do stern justice on a
coward, a tyrant, and an enemy of God.
A line of thought like this is entirely in harmony with the Arab character. The moral
ideas of the desert are rigorous, and contempt rapidly becomes cruel. A tent woman has
few elements of judgment, and, the balance turning, her conclusion will be quick,
remorseless. Jael is no blameless heroine, neither is she a demon. Deborah, who
understands her, reads clearly the rapid thoughts, the swift decision, the unscrupulous
act and sees, behind all, the purpose of serving Israel. Her praise of Jael is therefore with
knowledge; but she herself would not have done the thing she praises. All possible
explanations made, it remains a murder, a wild, savage thing for a woman to do, and we
may ask whether among the tents of Zaanannim Jael was not looked on from that day as
a woman stained and shadowed, -one who had been treacherous to a guest.
Not here can the moral be found that the end justifies the means, or that we may do evil

14. with good intent; which never was a Bible doctrine and never can be. On the contrary,
we find it written clear that the end does not justify the means. Sisera must live on and
do the worst he may rather than any soul should be soiled with treachery or any hand
defiled by murder. There are human vermin, human scorpions and vipers. Is Christian
society to regard them, to care for them? The answer is that Providence regards them
and cares for them. They are human after all, men whom God has made, for whom there
are yet hopes, who are no worse than others would be if Divine grace did not guard and
deliver. Rightly does Christian society affirm that a human being in peril, in suffering, in
any extremity common to men is to be succoured as a man, without inquiry whether he
is good or vile. What then of justice and man’s administration of justice? This, that they
demand a sacred calm, elevation above the levels of personal feeling, mortal passion, and
ignorance. Law is to be of no private, sudden, unconsidered administration. Only in the
most solemn and orderly way is the trial of the worst malefactor to be gone about,
sentence passed, justice executed. To have reached this understanding of law with regard
to all accused and suspected persons and all evildoers is one of the great gains of the
Christian period. We need not look for anything like the ideal of justice in the age of the
judges; deeds were done then and zealously and honestly praised which we must
condemn. They were meant to bring about good, but the sum of human violence was
increased by them and more work made for the moral reformer of after times. And going
back to Jael’s deed, we see that it gave Israel little more than vengeance. In point of fact
the crushing defeat of the army left Sisera powerless, discredited, open to the
displeasure of his master. He could have done Israel no more harm.
One point remains. Emphatically are we reminded that life continually brings us to
sudden moments in which we must act without time for careful reflection, the spirit of
our past flashing out in some quick deed or word of fate. Sisera’s past drove him in panic
over the hills to Zaananhim. Jael’s past came with her to the door of the tent; and the
two as they looked at each other in that tragic moment were at once, without warning, in
crisis for which every thought and passion of years had made a way. Here the self-
pampering of a vain man had its issue. Here the woman, undisciplined, impetuous,
catching sight of the means to do a deed, moves to the fatal stroke like one possessed. It
is the sort of thing we often call madness, and yet such insanity is but the expression of
what men and women choose to be capable of. The casual allowance of an impulse here,
a craving there, seems to mean little until the occasion comes when their accumulated
force is sharply or terribly revealed. The laxity of the past thus declares itself; and on the
other hand there is often a gathering of good to a moment of revelation. The soul that
has for long years fortified itself in pious courage, in patient well doing, in high and
noble thought, leaps one day, to its own surprise, to the height of generous daring or
heroic truth. We determine the issue of crises which we cannot foresee.
PARKER, "Deborah and Her Song
Judges 4 , Judges 5 I only quote chapter 4 here.
THE fourth and fifth chapters bring into view quite a host of secondary characters, such
as Jabin and his chief captain, Sisera; Deborah and Barak; Heber, and Jael his wife; and
in the great song of triumph and judgment names come and go with flashes of colour full

15. of history and criticism. Sometimes we are told of a song that the words are nothing—the
tune is everything. That may be a happy circumstance as regards some Song of Solomon
, but that criticism has no place in reference to the Song of Deborah; it is all words, all
thoughts, all spiritual music. This song has in it something more than tune. If we do not
know the words we shall never understand the music. Poor is the singing in which you
cannot hear every word; it is then but a performance, it is but a vocal trick; we must hear
every word, every syllable, every sentiment, and judge whether the music is worthy of
the great intellectual conception. It is so with the Song of Deborah. We shall find in it
words as well as tune. Jabin, king of Canaan, had held Israel in oppression twenty years.
Jabin had resources which astounded people who lived in the hill country. Among the
mountains chariots were no use; the bow and arrow were everything, but the chariot
could not be driven over a craggy steep or unfathomable abyss. Jabin had nine hundred
chariots of iron, and he made the plain of Esdraelon tremble as they rolled along. People
who peeped down out of the crags, and saw the nine hundred chariots rolling in the
plain of Jezreel, thought Jabin a mighty king, and obeyed his behest with meekest
submission. Do not blame Jabin for oppressing the children of Israel twenty years. Jabin
did not begin the oppression. Do not let us ruin ourselves by looking at second causes,
and pouring out our denunciations upon the king of Hazor in Canaan. Hebrews , like
many other poor kings, had nothing to do with it except instrumentally. There is but one
King. It pleases us to call men kings and rulers, but there is only one sovereignty; the
Lord reigneth, and there is room for none other; his throne fills the universe, and his
kingdom ruleth over all. Jabin was an unconscious minister of God. Many men occupy
that relation to Heaven who are not aware of it. The Lord has many servants at his
threshold: he maketh the wrath of man to praise him; he finds music in strange places,
and brings all kinds of instruments into the band that plays the music of his purpose. No
doubt, Jabin thought himself a great man over Israel—lord and ruler and oppressor.
Probably he counted Israel among his riches; in adding up his little store he put Israel
down at a plain price, and said, "Israel is mine, and is worth so much in the coming and
going of things." He did not know what he was talking about The reason why Jabin had
anything to do with Israel was that Israel had done "evil in the sight of the Lord" (
Judges 4:1). It is putting the case too lightly to say that Israel "did evil in the sight of the
Lord." That might have been a first offence, and twenty years" penal servitude under a
king without a harp, was a heavy sentence for a first violation. But we have missed the
explanatory word. How often we do this in reading the Scriptures! How prone we are to
leave out the key-word, and thus create confusion for ourselves! The text literally reads,
"And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord." How great the
emphasis which ought to be laid upon the word "again"! It may not mean a second time
or a third time; it may be the thousandth time for aught the word "again" says to the
contrary. Israel did evil upon evil, as if building a black temple with black stones, and
purposing to consecrate it to the service of the devil. Twenty years" servitude was a small
penalty. God did not plead against Israel with his great power when he sentenced Israel
to this period of oppression and sorrow. How readily we look at the oppression and
forget the sin! This is characteristic of human nature. We pity the sorrow; we would even
count the tears of human distress, and make a great number of them, and turn that
number into a plea for Heaven"s mercy. We are wrong. We have started the argument
from the wrong end; the point of view is false; the perspective is out of line: the whole
vision suffers from wrong drawing and colouring. We have nothing to do with the
oppression. We must look at causes. We must say,—How did this come to pass? and in
answering that inquiry we shall vindicate Eternal Providence, and justify the ways of
God to men. We are moved more by the oppression than by the sin. That is a test of our
own spiritual quality. Men are more frequently annoyed than they are wronged. Many

16. men suffer more from an assault made upon their self-conceit than an assault made
upon the proofs of eternal righteousness. Hence men resent what are termed
personalities, whilst they look benignantly, if not approvingly, upon sin in the abstract—
violated law that hurts the vanity of no man. All this is indicative of character. Here we
see what Sin really is. It binds the sinner to his outrages against God; it endeavours to
modify its own force and gravity, and it seeks to turn attention to outside matters,
accidents, passing phases, and temporary troubles. Were we of God"s mind and of
Christ"s heart we should dwell upon the evil, the evil twice done and twice repeated, and
continued until it has become a custom—a custom so established that the repetition of it
brings with it no new sensation. But we will look at accidents and circumstances, rather
than probe into real causes, profound and true origins.
A new period dawned in Israel. Deborah the wife of Lapidoth was judge. Great questions
are settled by events. There was no inquiry as to whether it was meet that a woman
should be a judge. Israel needed a mother, and Deborah was a mother in Israel. If we
make questions of these subjects, we shall entertain one another with wordy
controversies: but when the true Deborah comes, she comes of right, and sits a queen,
without a word. There is a fitness of things—a subtle and unchangeable harmony—and
when its conditions are satisfied, the satisfaction is attested by a great content of soul. As
Deborah sat under her palm-tree in Mount Ephraim, no man said: Why are we judged by
a woman? The answer was in her eyes: she looked divine; the vindication was in her
judgment: when she spake, the spirit of wisdom seemed to approve every tone of her
voice. There is a spirit in man: he knows when the right judge is upon the bench; the
poorest listener can tell when he is in the presence of Justice; the unsophisticated heart
knows when attempts are being made to quibble and wriggle and misrepresent, and to
substitute the jingle of words for the music of righteousness. The people came up to the
famous old palm-tree, and told their tale to Deborah day by day, until the motherly heart
began to ache, and her trouble was very great. She saw, as motherly eyes only can see,
how the wrinkles were deepening, how the faces were not so plump as they used to be,
how strong men were bending under invisible burdens. She said: By the help of Heaven
we will see more clearly into this. A hundred miles away in the north there lived a Prayer
of Manasseh , Barak by name—"Barak," which Isaiah , by interpretation, "the
lightning"—and on Barak Deborah fixed her heart as on the hope of Israel. She sent for
him; but he said No. She said in effect, You must come. But he said in reply, You do not
know the case as a soldier knows it; Jabin has nine hundred chariots of iron, and the
plain of Jezreel seems to have been made into a way on purpose for them to roll in; if it
were Jabin only, I might attempt the task, but think of nine hundred chariots of iron!
Deborah said, You must come, for the time has arrived; Heaven"s hour of deliverance
has struck; and I look to you to espouse the cause of Israel. Barak said, No, I cannot,
except on one condition. Deborah said, Name your terms; what are they? Then replied
Barak, My terms are that you go along with me. Instantly she said, I am ready to go. And
Deborah, a mother in Israel, became the soldier of Israel, and Barak was her humble
servant. The news soon spread. Sisera was on the alert. This was the very thing he had
been longing for. When a man has nine hundred chariots of iron he wants something for
them to do. Kings who have standing armies are bound to create occasions of war; hence
the injustice, the turpitude, the hellishness of battle. Sisera was the chief captain, and
the nine hundred chariots of iron were under his direction, and he said, Now Esdraelon
shall tremble under this weight of iron, and Israel shall be crushed as a fly upon a wheel.
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth
set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his

17. anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh" at them, and laugh again at their chariots,
though they be iron in quality and nine hundred in number. The chariots of the Lord are
twenty thousand, yea, thousand of thousands. The battle is the Lord"s, not ours. But the
Lord will not loose his chariots upon Jabin and his nine hundred curricles. There is a
river on the field of battle, Kishon by name, quite a little silver threadlet in summer, but
soon swollen by tributaries from the hills; and a river once getting charge of a plain
makes swift work in its progress. The rains had fallen, all the hills seemed to pour out
their treasures of water, the stream expanded, the water burst and flowed over the plain,
and the nine hundred could not move. They were overcome by water! Kishon was more
than all Jabin"s iron host. Then came awful doings—men slaying one another. As for
Sisera, the captain of all the iron chariots, he fled—ran away like a hound that had seen a
tiger, and pantingly he came to a woman"s tent, and said to Jael, the wife of Heber the
Canaanite, Can you give me shelter? What are nine hundred chariots when the Lord is
against them? What are all the chariots of the earth as against the sea? They could be
sunk in the Atlantic, and the great ocean not know that they had descended to its depths.
Jael said, Come in. And Sisera went in to come out no more. "The mother of Sisera
looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is my son"s chariot so long in
coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?" At that moment Sisera was lying in the
tent of Jael with an iron nail through his head. Sisera had chariots of iron—Jael had but
one nail, but the hammer must have been God"s. There is no defence of Jael"s conduct.
Viewed in the light of our morality, it was base in and out—bad, corrupt, horrible. As she
walks softly, the softlier, the deadlier, and takes the nail and the hammer, she is the
picture of incarnate depravity. This we say, unless there be some law which takes up all
our laws and moves them into greater meanings through infinite orbits. There are
greater laws that take up all our local movements and relations, and set them in new
attitudes and invest them with new values; but of these laws we know nothing, and it is
right that we should speak frankly about the ancient morality as represented in the
action of Jael, and that Christian teachers should condemn it within the limits which are
known to them. A woman began the war and a woman ended it, judging by the literal
history. The inspiration of deliverance was a divine inspiration. Wherever there is a
movement towards freedom, that movement began in heaven. Wherever any oppressed
Prayer of Manasseh , conscious of his sin and penitent for it, lifts himself up in an
attitude of independence and looks his oppressor in the face with a calm determination
to be free, there is a distinctively divine act. God is the God of liberty. He permits slavery
or uses it, and may sanctify the use to higher issues and advantages; but beneath the
oppression, below all the trouble, there is that spirit which is akin to his own, which
asserts itself and says:—I cannot always live under this cloud, or carry this weary load; I
will be free. When such a word is spoken reverently, solemnly, honestly, it is neither
more nor less than the living voice of the living God.

18. 2
So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a
king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The
commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in
Harosheth Haggoyim.
1. Here we go again, and we see God giving the enemies of his people the upper
hand. When God is on the side of the enemy, you can kiss your freedom goodby.
These are the very people God commanded his people to cast out and kill, and now
because they refused to do so, they must suffer their affliction. If God says to get rid
of something you had better do it, for it will be your curse if you don't. They should
have no Canaanites around to rule them, but there they are, and with plenty of
power.
1B. An unknown author give us this information on the Canaanites that explain all
of God's commands to get rid of them. "The Canaanites far surpassed all of their
contemporaries in lust, cruelty, and degrading spiritual practices. Their religion
consisted of adoration of the planets and worship of a pantheon of gods, El being the
supreme deity. Baal was the chief underling of El and overlord of the lesser gods in
the pantheon. Baal was identified as the god of rain and the storm, whose voice rode
the heavens on wings of the thunderclaps. His images depicted him holding a
thunderbolt shaped into a spear. Their circle of gods also contained female figures.
Astarte, Asherah, and Anath were believed to possess the power to change their
gender as the occasion dictated.
Without spelling out sensual details, it must be noted that this grouping of gods and
goddesses promoted the most detestable sexual excesses. Promiscuity, incest, and
nudity were all glorified among the gods of Canaan. Sacred prostitution and sodomy
were also prominent in the licentious practices of these false deities. Canaanite
worship can only be characterized as a gross perversion of everything sacred to true
people of God. One can, therefore, easily understand why God commanded Israel to
drive out the Canaanites—an act frequently condemned by liberal religionists. In
reality, it was an act of mercy. God was attempting to spare Israel the agonies she
would, unfortunately, choose to suffer."
2. An unknown author wrote, "We learn from this book that you have to go all the
way with evil. If you just get rid of it piece meal it will never be gone, and even if
you destroy it, it is only temporary for it is like dandelions. They only stay dead for
a time, and then they are back, and so it is with temptation. Sin is like weeds, and
the battle with it is never over. God’s command to Israel was absolute, but they

19. made it relative and suffered greatly for it. God made it clear what their goal was to
be in Deut. 7:1-5, 16, "When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither
thou goest to possess it, ... thou shalt smite" the nations that possess it, "and utterly
destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them;
{178} neither shalt thou make marriages with them ... Ye shall destroy their altars
and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn down their
graven images with fire ... Thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy
God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them."
2. Jabin was a title, and the first Jabin was defeated by Israel as they came into
Canaan, but now there is a second Jabin who has built up his forces due to Israel
not obeying the Lord's will in driving them out of the land. These were the northern
Canaanites and they oppressed the northern tribes severely in their 20 year reign
over Israel. It is so stupid that God's people come under the rule of Canaanites,
when God promised them the land, and the Canaanites were to lose all control.
ow, due to their folly of disobedience, there enemies have God on their side in
robbing them of the promises of God. What a paradox! God against God's people,
and in favor of the enemies of his people. You can really screw up the plan of God
by paying no attention to what his will is. God will always get his will done one way
or another, but the only sensible way is to get it done by people who cooperate with
him. This is nonsense to go through all the delays we see in Judges because of the
human folly of saying no to God. Why do bad things happen to good people? That is
not always easy to answer, but in some cases it is very easy. That is the case in the
book of Judges, for we are clearly told that it was because the so-called good people
did evil in the sight of the Lord. Good people reap what they sow the same as bad
people.
3. This commander of the army names Sisera is an interesting character. Someone
gives us these details that explain why these Canaanites were superior to Israel in
the weapons they possessed. ". "Harosheth" means smiths, and "goyim" you will
recognize as the word Jews often use for Gentiles. Together, the two words mean
"smiths of the Gentiles." Sisera was a very interesting person. His name is not
Canaanite or Semitic, but Indo-European. He was probably a Philistine, one of
those people who came from the region of the Aegean Sea, from what is known
today as Greece. The Philistines were one of the groups driven out of that area by
the Greek tribes, and they came to Canaan and settled there.
The Philistines had a monopoly on iron working. As late as the beginning of the
monarchy under Saul, hardly any Israelite had iron weapons. At that time the
ultimate weapon was an iron spear or sword, but most had to be made of bronze.
The Philistines had learned how to work iron in Greece, and they maintained a
deliberate monopoly on iron working. These iron weapons were made in Harosheth-
hagoyim. If any Jew wanted an iron plowshare, or an object that pertained to
peaceful pursuits (which they were permitted to possess by the Philistines), they had
to come to Harosheth-hagoyim to have them made or sharpened. Thus the
Philistines were able to oppress the Israelites because they could prevent them from
gathering an arsenal of weapons."

20. ELLICOTT, "Verse 2
(2) Sold them.—See Judges 2:14.
Jabin.—The name means, “he is wise.” It may have been a dynastic name, like
Abimelech, Melchizedek, Pharaoh, Hadad, Agag, &c.
King of Canaan—i.e., of some great tribe or nation of the Canaanite8. In Joshua
11:1 Jabin is called king of Hazor, and sends messages to all the other Canaanite
princes.
Reigned in Hazor.—See Joshua 11:1. Hazor was in the tribe of aphtali (Joshua
19:36), and overlooked the waters of Merom (Jos., Antt. v. 5, § 1). We find from
Egyptian inscriptions of Barneses II., &c., that it was a flourishing town in very
ancient days. Owing to its importance, it was fortified by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15). Its
inhabitants were taken captive by Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15:29); and it is last
mentioned in 1 Maccabees 9:27. (Comp. Jos., Antt. xiii. 5, § 7.) De Saulcy discovered
large and ancient ruins to the north of Merom, which he identifies with this town.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells (Lord A. Hervey On the Genealogies, p. 28) has
pointed out the strange resemblance between the circumstances of this defeat and
that recorded in Joshua 11. In both we have a Jabin, king of Hazor; in both there
are subordinate kings (Judges 5:19; Joshua 11:1); in both chariots are prominent,
which, as we conjecture from Joshua 11:8, were burnt at Misrephoth-maim
(“burnings by the waters”); and in both the general outline of circumstances is the
same, and the same names occur in the list of conquered kings (Joshua 11:21-22).
This seems to be the reason why Josephus, in his account of the earlier event (Antt.
v. 1, § 18), does not mention either Jabin or Hazor, though strangely enough he says,
in both instances, with his usual tendency to exaggeration, that the Canaanites had
300,000 foot, 10,000 horse, and 3,000 chariots. It is again a curious, though it may be
an unimportant circumstance, that in 1 Samuel 12:9 the prophet mentions Sisera
before Eglon. Of course, if the received view of the chronology be correct, we must
make the not impossible supposition, that in the century and a half which is
supposed to have elapsed since the death of Joshua, Hazor had risen from its
obliteration and its ashes (Joshua 11:11; Jos., Antt. v. 5, § 4), under a new Canaanite
settlement, governed by a king who adopted the old dynastic name. If, on the other
hand, there are chronological indications that the whole period of the Judges must
be greatly shortened, we may perhaps suppose that the armies of Joshua and Barak
combined the full strength of the central and northern tribes in an attack from
different directions, which ended in a common victory. In that case, the different
tribal records can only have dwelt on that part of the victory in which they were
themselves concerned. It is remarkable that even so conservative a critic as Bishop
Wordsworth holds “that some of the judges of Israel were only judges of portions of
Canaan, and that the years run parallel to those of other judges in other districts of
the same country.” If there are difficulties in whatever scheme of chronology we
adopt, we must remember the antiquity and the fragmentary nature of the records,
which were written with other and far higher views than that of furnishing us with
an elaborate consecutive history.

21. The captain of whose host.—In Eastern narratives it is common for the king to play
a very subordinate personal part. In the last campaign of Crœsus we hear much
more of Surenas, the general of the Parthians, than of Orodes (Arsaces, 14).
Sisera.—The name long lingered among the Israelites. It occurs again in Ezra 2:53,
as the name of the founder of a family of ethinim (minor servants of the Levites, of
Canaanite origin, 2 Samuel 21; Ezra 2:43; 1 Chronicles 9:2); and in the strange
fashion which prevailed among some of the Rabbis of claiming a foreign descent, the
great Rabbi Akhivah professed to be descended from Sisera.
Harosheth.—The name means “wood-cutting.” The Chaldee renders it, “In the
strength of citadels of the nations.” It was an ingenious and not improbable
conjecture of the late Dr. Donaldson, that the town was named from the fact that
Sisera made the subject Israelites serve as “hewers of wood” in the cedar-woods and
fir-woods of Lebanon. The site of Harosheth has been precariously identified with
Harsthîeh, a hill on the south-east of the plain of Akka. (Thomson’s Land and Book,
ch. 29)
Of the Gentiles—i.e., of the nations; of mixed inhabitants; lying as it did in “Galilee
of the Gentiles.” (Comp. “Tidal, king of nations,” Genesis 14:1, and “The king of the
nations in Gilgal,” Joshua 12:23.)
BAR ES, "See Jos_11:1 note. Since the events there narrated, Hazor must have been
rebuilt, and have resumed its position as the metropolis of the northern Canaanites; the
other cities must also have resumed their independence, and restored the fallen
dynasties.
Harosheth (identified by Conder with El Harathlyeh, see Jdg_4:6) is marked by the
addition of the Gentiles, as in Galilee of the nations Gen_14:1; Isa_9:1. The name
Harosheth signifies workmanship, cutting and carving, whether in stone or wood Exo_
31:5, and hence, might be applied to the place where such works are carried on. It has
been conjectured that this being a great timber district, rich in cedars and fir-trees, and
near Great Zidon Jos_11:8, Jabin kept a large number of oppressed Israelites at work in
hewing wood, and preparing it at Harosheth for transport to Zidon; and that these
woodcutters, armed with axes and hatchets, formed the soldiers of Barak’s army.
CLARKE, "Jabin king of Canaan - Probably a descendant of the Jabin mentioned
Jos_11:1, etc., who had gathered together the wrecks of the army of that Jabin defeated
by Joshua. Calmet supposes that these Canaanites had the dominion over the tribes of
Naphtali, Zebulun, and Issachar; while Deborah judged in Ephraim, and Shamgar in
Judah.
GILL, "And the Lord sold them,.... Delivered them into a state of bondage and
slavery, where they were like men sold for slaves, see Jdg_3:8,
into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; there was a city

22. of this name, and a king of it of the same name, as here, in the times of Joshua, which
city was taken and burnt by him, and its king slain, Jos_11:1; and either the country
about it is here meant, as Jericho in the preceding chapter is put for the country adjacent
to it; or this city had been rebuilt, over which reigned one of the posterity of the ancient
kings of it, and of the same name; or Jabin was a name common to the kings of Canaan,
as Pharaoh to the Egyptian kings; and by Canaan is meant, not the land of Canaan in
general, but a particular part of it inhabited by that, or some of that nation or tribe,
which was peculiarly so called:
the captain of whose host was Sisera; Jabin maintained a standing army to keep
the people of Israel in subjection, the general of which was Sisera, of whom many things
are after said:
which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles; not Jabin, as many understand it, for
he had his royal seat and residence in Hazor; but Sisera his general, and where the army
under his command was. This place had its name either because it was built by same of
various nations, or inhabited by workmen of different countries; or rather it was a wood
originally, as the name signifies, to which many of the seven nations of the Canaanites
fled from before Joshua, and hid and sheltered themselves, and in process of time built
strong towers and fortresses in it, and became numerous and powerful; and so the
Targum paraphrases the words,"and he dwelt in the strength of the towers of the
people;''
and in other times, as Strabo relates (w), the northern parts of the land of Canaan, as
those were where Hazor and Harosheth were, were inhabited by a mixed people,
Egyptians, Arabians, and Phoenicians; such were they, he says, that held Galilee,
Jericho, Philadelphia, and Samaria.
HE RY, "Israel oppressed by their enemies. When they forsook God, he forsook
them; and then they became an easy prey to every spoiler. They alienated themselves
from God as if he were none of theirs; and then God alienated them as none of his. Those
that threw themselves out of God's service threw themselves out of his protection. What
has my beloved to do in my house when she has thus played the harlot? Jer_11:15. He
sold them into the hand of Jabin, Jdg_4:2. This Jabin reigned in Hazor, as another of
the same name, and perhaps his ancestor, had done before him, whom Joshua routed
and slew, and burnt his city, Jos_11:1, Jos_11:10. But it seems, in process of time, the
city was rebuilt, the power regained, the loss retrieved, and, by degrees, the king of
Hazor becomes able to tyrannize over Israel, who by sin had lost all their advantage
against the Canaanites. This servitude was longer than either of the former, and much
more grievous. Jabin, and his general Sisera, did mightily oppress Israel. That which
aggravated the oppression was, 1. That this enemy was nearer to them than any of the
former, in their borders, in their bowels, and by this means had the more opportunity to
do them a mischief. 2. That they were the natives of the country, who bore an implacable
enmity to them, for invading and dispossessing them, and when they had them in their
power would be so much the more cruel and mischievous towards them in revenge of the
old quarrel. 3. That these Canaanites had formerly been conquered and subdued by
Israel, were of old sentenced to be their servants (Gen_9:25), and might now have been
under their feet, and utterly incapable of giving them any disturbance, if their own
slothfulness, cowardice, and unbelief, had not suffered them thus to get head. To be
oppressed by those whom their fathers had conquered, and whom they themselves had
foolishly spared, could not but be very grievous.

23. III. Israel returning to their God: They cried unto the Lord, when distress drove them
to him, and they saw no other way of relief. Those that slight God in their prosperity will
find themselves under a necessity of seeking him when they are in trouble.
JAMISO 2-3, "Jabin king of Canaan — “Jabin,” a royal title (see on Jos_11:1).
The second Jabin built a new capital on the ruins of the old (Jos_11:10, Jos_11:11). The
northern Canaanites had recovered from the effect of their disastrous overthrow in the
time of Joshua, and now triumphed in their turn over Israel. This was the severest
oppression to which Israel had been subjected. But it fell heaviest on the tribes in the
north, and it was not till after a grinding servitude of twenty years that they were
awakened to view it as the punishment of their sins and to seek deliverance from God.
PULPIT, "4:2
Sold them. See 2:14, note. Jabin king of Hazor. The exact site of Hazor has not been
identified with certainty, but it is conjectured by Robinson, with great probability, to
have stood on the Tell now called Khuraibeh, overlooking the waters of Merom (now
called Lake Huleh), where are remains of a sepulchre, Cyclopean walls, and other
buildings. In Joshua 11:1-14 we read of the total destruction by fire of Hazor, and of the
slaughter of Jabin, the king thereof, with all the inhabitants of the city, and of the
slaughter of all the confederate kings, and the capture of their cities; Hazor, however,
"the head of all those kingdoms," being the only one which was "burnt with fire." It is a
little surprising, therefore, to read here of another Jabin reigning in Hazor, with
confederate kings under him ( 5:19), having, like his predecessor, a vast number of
chariots (cf. 4:3, 4:13 with Joshua 11:4, Joshua 11:9), and attacking Israel at the head of
a great force (cf. 4:7, 4:13, 4:16 with Joshua 11:4). It is impossible not to suspect that
these are two accounts of the same event. If, however, the two events are distinct, we
must suppose that the Canaanite kingdoms had been revived under a descendant of the
former king, that Hazor had been rebuilt, and that Jabin was the hereditary name of its
king. Gentiles, or nations, or Goim, as Joshua 12:23, and Genesis 14:1. Whether Goim
was the proper name of a particular people, or denoted a collection of different tribes,
their seat was in Galilee, called in Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:15, Galilee, of the nations, or
Gentiles, in Hebrew Goim.
BENSON, "4:2. Jabin — This Jabin was probably descended from the other prince of
that name, who fell by the hands of Joshua, Joshua 11:11. He doubtless had watched all
opportunities to recover his ancient possessions, and to revenge his own and his father’s
quarrel. King of Canaan — That is, of the land where most of the Canaanites, strictly so
called, now dwelt, which seems to have been the northern part of Canaan. That reigned
in Hazor — In the territory or kingdom of Hazor, which might now be restored to its
former extent and power. Perhaps he had seized on the spot where Hazor formerly
stood, and rebuilt that city. Harosheth of the Gentiles — So called, because it was much
frequented and inhabited by the Gentiles; either by the Canaanites, who, being beaten
out of their former possessions, seated themselves in those northern parts; or by other
nations coming thither for traffic, whence Galilee, where this was, is called Galilee of the
Gentiles.

24. COKE, "Judges 4:2. Jabin, king of Canaan— Canaan here means the Canaanites
properly so called. Jabin was, doubtless, a descendant of the Jabin spoken of Joshua
11:1; Joshua 11:23 and Jabin, probably, (like Pharaoh,) was the common name of these
kings. From the formidable number of his chariots, Judges 4:3 we may conclude that he
had little or no infantry; and as the Israelites were forbidden the use of chariots, their
fears might have arisen more naturally from this circumstance.
WHEDON, "Verse 2
2. Sold them — See note on Judges 2:14.
Jabin king of Canaan — This powerful monarch was probably a descendant of the
Jabin who headed the confederacy of the northern Canaanites against Joshua, but who
was signally defeated by that great conqueror. Joshua 11:1-15. He had taken advantage of
Israel’s many oppressions, and gradually strengthened his power in the north, and
enlarged his kingdom, until he could send into the field a vast army with nearly a
thousand iron chariots. Judges 4:3. Having reduced all Israel to the most servile
subjection, he was virtually ruler of the whole land, and called king of Canaan. The name
Jabin was probably a royal title of the kings that reigned in Hazor. On this capital, see
note at Joshua 11:1.
Captain… Sisera — Jabin, like Abimelech, (Genesis 21:22,) had a captain, or general, to
command his army. Most of the kings of that time commanded their armies in person.
Doubtless Sisera’s great military skill and sagacity had won him this honour. The famous
Rabbi Akiba is said to have descended from this Canaanite general.
Harosheth — “About eight miles from Megiddo, at the entrance of the pass to
Esdraelon from the plain of Acre, is an enormous double mound called Harothieh. It is
still covered with the remains of old walls and buildings. It was probably called
Harosheth of the Gentiles, or nations, because it belonged to those Gentiles of Acre and
the neighbouring plains which we know, from Judges 1:31, the Hebrews could not
subdue.” — Thomson.
PETT, "Verse 2
‘And Yahweh sold them, into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor,
the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Nations.’
Hazor was an important city state in northern Canaan which had great influence over
its neighbours (Joshua 11:1-2; Joshua 11:10). Archaeology tells us that it had been there
since the third millennium BC and in the second millennium was extended by the
building of a lower city. At this stage it would have about forty thousand inhabitants, a
large city indeed. The lower city contained a Canaanite temple and a small shrine. It was
referred to regularly throughout the centuries, by Egypt, Mari and Babylon, as an
important political centre, and its ruler was given the title ‘Great King’ (sarrum), a status
above that usually conferred on rulers of city states.
A previous king Jabin had ruled over this area in the time of Joshua, and had led a
confederacy against Joshua and had been defeated and slain (Joshua 11:1-15). (This

25. Jabin was probably his grandson or great-grandson). That was the first occasion when
Israel had won a great victory over chariots. And Hazor was then burned and what
remained of its inhabitants put to the sword. The lower city was destroyed by Joshua
and not later rebuilt. But many of the warriors had inevitably escaped, and it is probable
that some refugees had fled from Hazor before he returned, and they would repopulate
the city. ‘Smote them until none remained’ and ‘utterly destroyed them’ refer to what
Israel did with those they caught, in obedience to Yahweh’s commandments.
As Joshua was not in a position to occupy it, which is why he burned it as a major
Canaanite threat, upper Hazor (but not lower Hazor) was rebuilt. Good sites were too
valuable not to be re-used. So at this time it had been re-established and was now under
another Jabin. This may have been a throne name or simply a family name re-used. No
doubt Hazor was still ‘the head of the kingdoms’ (Joshua 11:10), the centre of a
confederation of cities.
“The captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Nations.” Jabin
maintained a standing army and again ruled, not only over Hazor, but probably as
overlord over a number of other cities in a confederacy. His general was named Sisera.
Sisera’s name is possibly Illyrian and it would seem he was a petty king of Harosheth of
the Nations, whose site is unknown. Its name may have arisen from its cosmopolitan
population or from the fact that it was populated with foreign mercenaries. Sisera
himself may have been a foreign mercenary.
“Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin.” Jabin had grown powerful and was
seeking to extend his empire. In this way northern parts of the tribal confederacy west of
Jordan became subject to him, and became his ‘servants’. They were ‘sold’ into his hand
by Yahweh, handed over as slaves. This would involve heavy tribute and probably heavy
taskwork (‘he mightily oppressed’ - Judges 4:3).
3
Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and
had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty
years, they cried to the LORD for help.

26. 1. ine hundred to none is the picture of Israel's force facing that of Sisera. The
Israelites did not even have metal weapons, and so they were farmers with only
wood instruments facing an army of trained warriors on iron chariots. It looks like
a David and Goliath rerun, and without the help of God they were sunk for more
than twenty years.
2. Someone wrote, "The Philistines had a monopoly on the making of iron because
they had the secret of how to manufacture it, and they would not share it with the
Israelites. So the Israelites were under Sisera's power, and they had to go all the way
up to "the city of the Gentile ironworks" to get their plowshares sharpened. In
addition, they were forbidden to own any iron weapons. They were severely
oppressed by Sisera's chariots, his army, by the iron monopoly, and by Jabin's
fortified cities. We read in chapter 5 (in the song of Deborah and Barak), that the
joy of Israel was gone--that the highways were deserted, and they had to travel
through the crooked paths in the hills."
3. Marshall Grosboll has an excellent message on the cry of the people under this
oppression. He wrote, "For twenty years the children of Israel had been suffering
under Jabin, the king of Canaan, and Sisera his captain. Year after year Israel was
unwilling to recognize the cause for their suffering and calamity, which was their
disobedience to the Lord. Many never admitted the cause. It was just natural
occurrences, they thought. But with each home burned from another raid, each
child or wife stolen to become the slave of a heathen tyrant, and each rape and
murder, there came new conviction of their sins to those receptive to the Spirit of
God. Until finally, there was at least a high percentage who repented and in
humility cried out to God for help, something they could have done twenty years
earlier. For all the things they did wrong, here was one thing they did right. They
cried out to the Lord. Why did it take them twenty years to cry out to the Lord? It
seems so foolish to wait that long, but I think I can, at least partially, understand
why they waited. It's never easy to call out to God when you know the reason you
are in trouble is you totally disobeyed the Lord and got yourself in a mess. In those
situations, you usually wait until you've taken all you can before you finally muster
the humility to call out to God. The lesson is simple. When you know you've done
wrong, don't make excuses. Don't wait until the bondage hardens your heart beyond
recovery. Don't stubbornly dig in and refuse to repent just to show God and the rest
of the church that everything is just fine, thank you very much. Bend your knee,
soften your heart, swallow your pride, take your lumps, and finally, discover the power
of just crying out to God."
CLARKE, "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.

27. GILL, "And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord,.... Because of their hard
bondage, and begged deliverance from it, being brought to a sense of their sins, and
humbled for them:
for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; the same with the αρµατα το
δρεπανηφορα, chariots which carried scythes at the side of them, fastened to the orbs of
the wheels (x), and were on both sides; and in some stood out ten cubits (y) which
running furiously among the infantry, cut them to pieces in a terrible manner; of which
Cyrus had in his army at first but an hundred, afterwards increased to three hundred (z);
and yet here a petty prince of Canaan had nine hundred of them; and which Josephus (a)
has increased, beyond all belief, to the number of three thousand; which struck great
terror into the Israelites, and who therefore durst not attempt to shake off his yoke, but
cried to the Lord for help:
and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel; as they
increased their sins, and repeated their revolts, the Lord increased their oppressions,
and continued them the longer; the first was only eight years, the next eighteen, and this
twenty, and which was a very heavy one; the other being foreign princes that oppressed
them, but this a Canaanitish king, an implacable enemy, and who doubtless used them
the more severely for what they had done to his ancestors, killed his father or
grandfather, burnt the city of Hazor, and destroyed the inhabitants of it in Joshua's
time; and the servitude was the harder, and the more intolerable to the Israelites, that
they were under a people whose land had been given them to possess, and whom they
had expelled, and now were become subject to them.
PETT, "Verse 3
‘And the 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.’
They once again recognised that Yahweh alone could help them in a situation like this
and began to turn from their idols and to seek Him once again, paying more attention to
the tribal covenant, becoming more faithful to the central sanctuary, and reinstating the
law of God. The old ways had never been completely forgotten, but had fallen into partial
disuse. Now they were restored.
“For he had nine hundred chariots of iron.” Gathering together the strength of his
confederate cities he possessed nine military units (‘hundreds’) of chariots. No wonder
they cried to Yahweh. Who else could deal with a menace like this? The nine may
represent a threefold three, thus signifying totally complete in itself.
“And he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.” This was longer than
both Cushan-rishathaim and the Moabites, although the latter in a totally different area
and possibly concurrent. ‘Mightily oppressed’ suggests that this was worse than they had
previously experienced anywhere among the tribes, partly possibly in consequence of
revenge because of the ruin that they had previously brought on Hazor, and their
behaviour then. They had not been too kind either. The tribes in mind here would
include Naphtali, Issachar, and Zebulun and possibly parts of Manasseh. They were thus
impoverished and ill-used.
Eight (Judges 3:8), eighteen (Judges 3:14), twenty (Judges 4:3) years of oppression
might not seem to us a progression mathematically, but it would be different to his

28. readers. For eight progressed to eight plus ten and then to doubled ten. They were
increasing in intensity.
4
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was
leading Israel at that time.
1. If you don't think God has a sense of humor, then you have never read this
chapter, for it was the worst enemy ever in power over them, and with the strongest
weapons of iron chariots. It was about as hopeless a situation conceivable, and God
does not send a he-man hero to deliver them, but he sends a woman. ow that's
funny. obody would vote for a woman to come to their rescue in such an
impossible military situation. It would be laughable, but as a matter of fact, the
laugh was on those who would dismiss a woman as God's instrument of deliverance.
Someone wrote, "Deborah’s story is largely about success against all odds. Though
everything about the times and the culture was against Deborah serving as the
leader of the nation, she did. Though her army was vastly outnumbered, they won.
Though her enemy tried to hide among sympathizers, one he believed to be on his
side killed him anyway. Deborah didn’t allow the circumstances around her to
overwhelm her or interfere with her belief in God’s promises to her."
1B. Her husband Lappidoth was likely a godly man, but nothing is known about
him. He is an obscure husband married to a famous and gifted woman. She is
superior to him because God chose to give her gifts that He did not give to Him. The
result was the people of Israel did not come to him, but to her for leadership. We
have no reason to doubt they had a wonderful marriage in spite of this role reversal.
It is exceptional, but the point is, the exceptional is real, and the Bible deals with it.
In the ew Testament we have another illustration in husband and wife team of
Pricilla and Aquilla. She was superior to him, and became the leader of that team.
1C. A patriot is one who loves his or her country, and zealously supports its
interests. The people of Israel were sick and tired of the 20 years of slavery to
Jabin, and they crying out to God for help. The way God spells relief is
DEBORAH. She was God's answer to their prayers. A godly woman can be the
best weapon a nation can have. We know that Eve was God's answer to Adam's
prayer, and that females have been the answer to the prayers of men all through
history. Deborah is an example of the fact that God may also answer national
prayers by raising up a woman. Deborah is one of several women mentioned in the
Bible who were in positions of leadership, but she is the only woman in all of

29. Scripture who has a major, God-given leadership role over His people.
1D. An unknown author wrote, "Her name means "honey bee." Here was a bee
with a sting for her foes, and honey for her friends. (I think God's humor is just too
much. There are 900 iron chariots running around, but God has "honey bee" sitting
under a palm tree in Ephraim!) Deborah had four different functions. First, she is
called a judge. ow a judge is one who would call the people back to the truth and
deal out wisdom and justice. She held court at a place called Bethel, "the house of
God." Secondly, she is called "a mother in Israel (chapter 5), one who's nourishing
her children, encouraging them, building them up, bringing them into maturity.
Thirdly, she is a wife, so she understands the relationship between man and woman.
Fourthly, she is a prophetess, "one who stands before the Word of God and makes it
shine"--not telling people what she thinks, but telling people what God thinks. That
is where she got her authority, and that is why people came to her. They wanted to
know who God was."
1E. "She was leading Israel, but men were the ones she led. There were not women
who were called to go to battle, and she did not wield the sword herself. She was
gifted in knowing the will of God and of leading others to obey it. She is an unusual
women in history of Israel. She is a minority with great impact, as many minorities
are." ot all are happy, however, about this part of the Bible that gives a woman
such a major role in leadership over men. It goes against the grain of the male ego.
Believe it or not, Zahava Lambert wrote, "To some of the rabbis such strong
character in a woman was very threatening. Rabbi ahman, in his dislike of "strong
women" twists the true translation of her name from "bee "to "wasp" (Genesis
Rabbah 18:1). This resistance to women in an active role by male commentators is
one factor that makes it difficult to uncover the true memory and significance of the
first biblical Deborah."
2. The prophetess was a part of Israel's history from the start as they came out of
Egypt. We have a number of texts that refer to them.
Exodus 15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her
hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.
2 Kings 22:14 Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to
speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son
of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
2 Chronicles 34:22 Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him [ One Hebrew
manuscript, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts do not have had sent
with him . ] went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum
son of Tokhath, [ Also called Tikvah ] the son of Hasrah, [ Also called Harhas ]
keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
ehemiah 6:14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they
have done; remember also the prophetess oadiah and the rest of the prophets who

30. have been trying to intimidate me.
Isaiah 8:3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son.
And the LORD said to me, " ame him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
Luke 2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe
of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her
marriage.
Acts 21:8-9 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of
Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9He had four unmarried daughters who
prophesied
3. I want to share some notes from a sermons I preached on this most unusual
woman. I wrote, " I have enjoyed war stories and war heroes since I was a small
boy watching the news on the movies screen in the local theater. I never realized,
however, that not all of the heroes were men. I heard of Joan of Arc when I got into
the upper grades of school, but I never had the concept of the heroin in my mind
until recently as a retired pastor. The history of the women warriors on the
battlefield has not been available until recent years when female historians have
brought them to light. Even those in the Bible have not been known because they
are overshadowed by the great male warriors of the Bible. It has been my delight to
discover that women have played a major role in defending the freedom and value
system of America and of the people of God through history. One of the most
outstanding is Deborah.
Here we have a woman who rose to the top in a day when all the world around here
was filled with masculine brutality. Her story takes place between the years 1209
and 1169 B.C. Life was one war after another, and every man did that which was
right in his own eyes. Moral standard were so low that even the godly people did
things that would be a disgrace in our day. Almost nothing was unacceptable. The
masses of people were following pagan practices and were not different from the
pagan people around them. But in the midst of this awful period of history we
suddenly come to chapter 4 of Judges, and to our surprise a woman is in charge. o
woman had been a judge of Israel before and none came after her. She was a one of
a kind female, and she was able by her God-given gifts to rise to the point of being
the leader of God's people. Israel had been oppressed by the cruel Canaanites for
twenty years. They were devastated and were crying out to God for help. This is
when we begin to get the story of this delightful leader named Deborah. In Judges
4:4-10 we get some basic facts about her.
She was a prophetess.
She was a wife.
She was a leader of Israel.
She was a literal judge who decided disputes.

31. She was a messenger of God's word to men.
She was a partner with the male commander of Israel's army.
In Chapter 5 we see also that
She was a poetess and a singer.
She was a mother-5:7.
What this marvelous women illustrates is that a woman can do it all. She can be a
wife and a mother, and still be a leader and public servant. She can have both a
private world and a public world where she can be successful. God delighted in this
unusual woman and used her in a unique way to bless his people.
4. It was unusual for a woman to have such a position, but, the fact is, all of the
major judges were unusual. Someone put together this list with notes indicating how
each was unusual.
•••• Othniel: "... the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother" (Judges 3:9). Bible
history teaches us that the younger brother had the less privileged position
and had the least chance of making a stamp on society.
•••• Ehud: "... the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man" (Judges 3:15).
Ehud, in the accepted way of things, had a disadvantage in that he was left-
handed (which in the course of events God turned to an advantage).
•••• Deborah: From Judges 4:4 we learn that she is a woman. That makes her an
unlikely choice for a judge.
•••• Gideon: When the Lord told Gideon that he had to go and save the people,
Gideon replied, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the
weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (Judges 6:15).
Gideon: an unlikely choice for a judge.
•••• Jephthah: Although described in Judges 11:1 as "a mighty man of valour",
he was also "the son of a prostitute." That made him an unlikely candidate.
Even his brothers rejected him, Judges 11:2.
•••• Samson: From Judges 13:7 we learn that he was a azirite, which meant that
he had to be different from the other young men of his day (cf um 6:1-21).
Samson was a social 'odd-ball': he wasn't allowed to cut his hair, was not
allowed to touch anything dead, and had to abstain from all alcohol.
Altogether, the picture arises that the major judges were rather unlikely choices for
being judges, and this was true of Deborah too. God chose what is weak, what is
base, what is despised in the eye of the world to shame the mighty and the boastful
(see I Cor 1:26ff).
COKE, "Judges 4:4-5. Deborah, a prophetess, &c.— Like Miriam, the sister of

32. Moses and Aaron, Deborah was enriched with the gifts of heaven, necessary to
instruct, to direct, and to govern: besides which, God excited her by the Holy Spirit
to declare his will to the people, as appears by the following part of this history. Her
name signifies a Bee, which has been given by other nations to illustrious women; as
among the Greeks, the nymph said to be the nurse of Jove, is called Melissa, and the
wife of Periander, king of Corinth, had the same name. See Witsii Miscel. Sac. tom.
1: lib. 1: cap. 23. The Hebrew renders it doubtful whether she was the wife of
Lapidoth, or a woman of Lapidoth, but the first is the most common opinion. She
judged Israel at that time; i.e. had the supreme authority: well known to be divinely
inspired, she was respected as such, and the people submitted to her judgment. She
dwelt under the psalm-tree of Deborah; or, as the LXX and Vulgate understand it,
She sat under the palm-tree which was called by her name, where she administered
justice. Calmet says, that it may be rendered a forest of palms.
COFFMA , "Verse 4
GOD RAISES UP DEBORAH A D BARAK (Judges 4:4-10)
" ow Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
And she dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the
hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said
unto him, Hath not Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded, saying; Go and draw
unto mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of aphtali
and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon,
Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will
deliver him into thy hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I
will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely
go with thee: notwithstanding; the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine
honor; for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose
and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called together Zebulun and aphtali
to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up
with him."
"Deborah, a prophetess, judged Israel at that time" (Judges 4:4). Deborah is clearly
the inspired leader of the deliverance that came to Israel in this crisis. Her authority
was already recognized in Israel. ote her power to summon Barak, and note his
immediate response. Her ability as a prophetess in the truest sense of the word
appears in her supernatural prediction that God would deliver Sisera into the hand
of a woman, as well as details of where the battle would occur, and of its favorable
outcome for Israel.

33. "Under the palm-tree ... in Ephraim" (Judges 4:5). It is astounding that Soggin
would affirm `that, "Ephraim was Deborah's tribe,"[10] despite the clear indication
in Judges 5:15 that, "Deborah's own tribe seems to have been Issachar."[11] Soggin
apparently assumed that because Deborah's prophetic office was exercised in "the
hill-country of Ephraim," that she necessarily belonged to that tribe. The same kind
of deduction would have made Jonah a citizen of ineveh!
"The palm of Deborah" (Judges 4:5). "This may be a confused memory of another
Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, who was buried under an oak in the same district of
Ephraim at Bethel (Genesis 35:8),"[12] o, the sacred author of Judges, whom we
believe to have been Samuel, was not the man with the "confused memory"; it was
the author of the Layman's Bible Commentary comment just cited! The tree under
which that first Deborah was buried was an oak, and the tree under which this
Deborah prophesied was a palm. Both the utility and the species of the trees were
different. There is no confusion whatever regarding these in the text!
"And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment" (Judges 4:5). "The
expression, `came up,' is applied here, as in Deuteronomy 17:8, to the place of
justice, as a spiritual height, independently of the fact that the tree was in the hill-
country."[13] As Barnes noted, "This verse shows that the `judges' exercised the as
well as the military functions of rulers."[14] Go, and draw near unto mount Tabor
(Judges 4:6). This mountain stands 1,843 feet above sea level."[15] It has a flat
surface on top where a town was erected in .T. times, and its steep sides provided a
very secure position for the rallying of Barak's ten thousand men. It has a
spectacular appearance overlooking the eastern part of the plain of Esdraelon, and
that caused it to be mentioned along with Mount Hermon, despite that mountain's
being five times as high as Tabor.
"The river Kishon" (Judges 4:7). In normal weather this river is merely a dried up
wady, but in the instance of a rain, it becomes a roaring river. Of course, Sisera
knew that, and, if it had been the rainy season, he would not have deployed his
chariots in such a dangerous location. This indicates that it was certainly an
unexpected and untimely rain that turned the battle into the advantage of the
Israelites. It was through her gift of prophecy that Deborah knew this and set in
motion the events that led to the great victory.
This river heads just west of the great ridge of mountains bordering the area of the
Jordan River and flows northwest across the plain of Esdraelon (Jezreel) near the
southern foot of Mount Tabor in the east and continuing northwestward to the
north of Mount Carmel, where it empties into the Mediterranean near Haifa. "This

34. plain of Esdraelon is one of the great battlefields of history."[16]
"Zebulun and aphtali" (Judges 4:6,10). One of the difficulties cited by scholars is
the fact that in this chapter only these two tribes are mentioned as participating in
the battle, but in Judges 5 it appears that Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, and Issachar
also participated. "There were two phases of the campaign: (1) the first in which
only aphtali and Zebulun participated, and (2) the second in which all six of the
tribes mentioned had a part."[17" translation="">Judges 4:11)">[17] In fact,
Judges 4:24 speaks of a conflict that continued "more and more," indicating an
extensive war culminating in the permanent removal of the Canaanites as a threat to
Israel. The part of that war in which Zebulun and aphtali were the sole
participants was merely the opening campaign of it.
"I will deliver him into thy hand" (Judges 4:7). ote that Deborah's words here are
not her own, but the words of the Lord, despite the fact of the customary "Thus
saith the Lord" being omitted.
"If thou wilt go with me, then I will go" (Judges 4:9). Barak should not be criticized
for his reluctance. He was in excellent company. Moses himself was, at first,
unwilling to undertake the rescue of Israel from Egypt, and Gideon also considered
himself to be the least worthy to undertake his Divine assignment. Barak recognized
the great difficulty and danger of his call to deliver Israel, and he needed the
assurance that the presence of Deborah would provide.
This verse is included here in order to explain why the residence of Heber and his
wife Jael happened to be on Sisera's route of escape when he fled from the defeat at
the river Kishon. The Kenites normally occupied the territory south of the land of
Judah, but, perhaps, being discouraged by a recent invasion of the Philistines, they
are revealed in this verse to have moved northward beyond the tribal lands of
aphtali. In their new home, they had evidently accommodated themselves to the
supremacy of the Canaanites and were considered by Sisera to be his friends or
allies. As it turned out, however, Jael was passionately devoted to Israel.
ELLICOTT, "(4) Deborah.—The name means “bee,” like the Greek Melissa. The
names of Jewish women were often derived from natural objects, as Rachel, “a
lamb,” Tamar,”a palm,” &c. It has been sometimes regarded as a title given to her
as a prophetess, just as the priestesses of Delphi were called Bees (Pindar, Pyth. iv.
106); and priests were called by the title Malebee (Essçn). But the fact that Rachel’s
nurse (Genesis 35:8) had the same name is against this supposition, though Josephus
(Antt. v., § 5) accepts it. She had, as Cornelius à Lapide quaintly says, “a sting for

35. foes, and honey for friends.” The pronunciation Debŏrah is now so deeply-rooted in
England (possibly from the Vulgate, Debbora) that it would, perhaps, be pedantic to
alter it; but properly the “ô” is long ‫;נביאה‬ LXX., Deborra and Debbôra).
A prophetess.—Literally, a woman, a prophetess; like Miriam (Exodus 15:20),
Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), oadiah ( ehemiah 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36), &c. She is the
only female judge, or, indeed, female ruler of any kind in Jewish history, except the
Phoenician murderess, Athaliah. She is also the only judge to whom the title
“prophet” is expressly given. “Prophetess” (like the Latin Vates) implies the
possession of poetic as well as of prophetic gifts (Exodus 15:20); and we see her right
to such a title, both in her predictions (Judges 4:9), her lofty courage (Judges 5:7),
and the splendour of her inspired song (Judges 5). She has modern parallels in the
Teutonic prophetesses, Veleda and Alaurinia (Tac., Germ. 8), and Joan of Arc, the
“Inspired Maid of Domremi.” Among the Jews prophetesses were the exception;
among the ancient Germans they were the rule.
The wife of Lapidoth.—This is probably the meaning of the phrase, although some
ancient commentators make it mean “a woman of Lapidoth;” as does Tennyson
(Princess), “Like that great dame of Lapidoth.” The phrase closely resembles
“Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron,” “Huldah the prophetess, wife of
Shallum.” The name Lapidoth, which occurs nowhere else, means “flames,”
“lamps,” or “splendours;” and Rashi says that she was called “a woman of lamps,”
from making the wicks for the lamps of the sanctuary; while others, with equal
improbability, interpret it of her shining gifts and of her fiery spirit. The parallels
which are adduced to support this view (Isaiah 62:1; Job 41:2; ahum 2:5) are
inadequate; as also is Ecclus. xlviii. 1, “The word of Elias burnt like a torch;” and
the Midrash, which says of Phinehas, that “when the Holy Ghost filled him, his
countenance glowed like torches” (Cassel). Perhaps there was a fancy that such a
prophetess could only be a virgin. The name Lapidoth has a feminine termination,
but this does not prove that it may not have been, like aboth, Shelomith, Koheleth,
&c., the name of a man. It is uncertain whether Deborah was of the tribe of
Ephraim or Issachar (Judges 5:15; Ewald, ii. 489).
She judged Israel.—We see from the next verse that up to this time her functions
had mainly consisted of peaceful arbitration and legal decision (Deuteronomy 17:8).
HE RY 4-5, "The year of the redeemed at length came, when Israel was to be
delivered out of the hands of Jabin, and restored again to their liberty, which we may
suppose the northern tribes, that lay nearest to the oppressors and felt most the effects
of his fury, did in a particular manner cry to God for. For the oppression of the poor, and
the sighing of the needy, now will God arise. Now here we have,
I. The preparation of the people for their deliverance, by the prophetic conduct and

36. government of Deborah, Jdg_4:4, Jdg_4:5. Her name signifies a bee; and she answered
her name by her industry, sagacity, and great usefulness to the public, her sweetness to
her friends and sharpness to her enemies. She is said to be the wife of Lapidoth; but, the
termination not being commonly found in the name of a man, some make this the name
of a place: she was a woman of Lapidoth. Others take it appellatively, Lapidoth signifies
lamps. The Rabbin say she had employed herself in making wicks for the lamps of the
tabernacle; and, having stooped to that mean office for God, she was afterwards thus
preferred. Or she was a woman of illuminations, or of splendours, one that was
extraordinarily knowing and wise, and so came to be very eminent and illustrious.
Concerning her we are here told, 1. That she was intimately acquainted with God; she
was a prophetess, one that was instructed in divine knowledge by the immediate
inspiration of the Spirit of God, and had gifts of wisdom, to which she attained not in an
ordinary way: she heard the words of God, and probably saw the visions of the
Almighty. 2. That she was entirely devoted to the service of Israel. She judged Israel at
the time that Jabin oppressed them; and perhaps, being a woman, she was the more
easily permitted by the oppressor to do it. She judged, not as a princess, by an civil
authority conferred upon her, but as a prophetess, and as God's mouth to them,
correcting abuses and redressing grievances, especially those which related to the
worship of God. The children of Israel came up to her from all parts for judgment, not so
much for the deciding of controversies between man and man as for advice in the
reformation of what was amiss in things pertaining to God. Those among them who
before had secretly lamented the impieties and idolatries of their neighbours, but knew
not where to apply for the restraining of them, now made their complaints to Deborah,
who, by the sword of the Spirit, showing them the judgment of God, reduced and
reclaimed many, and excited and animated the magistrates in their respective districts to
put the laws in execution. It is said she dwelt, or, as some read it, she sat under a palm-
tree, called ever after from her the palm-tree of Deborah. Either she had her house
under that tree, a mean habitation which would couch under a tree, or she had her
judgment-seat in the open air, under the shadow of that tree, which was an emblem of
the justice she sat there to administer, which will thrive and grow against opposition, as
palms under pressures. Josephus says that the children of Israel came to Deborah, to
desire her to pray to God for them, that they might be delivered out of the hand of Jabin;
and Samuel is said at one particular time to judge Israel in Mizpeh, that is, to bring them
back again to God, when they made the same address to him upon a like occasion, 1Sa_
7:6, 1Sa_7:8.
II. The project laid for their deliverance. When the children of Israel came to her for
judgment, with her they found salvation. So those that seek to God for grace shall have
grace and peace, grace and comfort, grace and glory. She was not herself fit to command
an army in person, being a woman; but she nominated one that was fit, Barak of
Naphtali, who, it is probable, had already signalized himself in some rencounters with
the forces of the oppressor, living near him (for Hazor and Harosheth lay within the lot
of that tribe), and thereby had gained a reputation and interest among his people. Some
struggles, we may suppose, that brave man had made towards the shaking off of the
yoke, but could not effect it till he had his commission and instructions from Deborah.
He could do nothing without her head, nor she without his hands; but both together
made a complete deliverer, and effected a complete deliverance. The greatest and best
are not self-sufficient, but need one another.
K&D, "At that time the Israelites were judged by Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of
Lapidoth, who dwelt under the Deborah-palm between Ramah (er Râm: see at Jos_

37. 18:25) and Bethel (Beitin: see at Jos_7:2) in the tribe of Benjamin, upon the mountains
of Ephraim. Deborah is called ‫ה‬ፎ‫י‬ ִ‫מ‬ְ‫נ‬ ‫ה‬ ָ ִ‫א‬ on account of her prophetic gift, like Miriam in
Exo_15:20, and Hulda the wife of Shallum in 2Ki_22:14. This gift qualified her to judge
the nation (the participle ‫ה‬ ָ‫ט‬ ְ‫ּפ‬‫שׁ‬ expresses the permanence of the act of judging), i.e., first
of all to settle such disputes among the people themselves as the lower courts were
unable to decide, and which ought therefore, according to Deu_17:8, to be referred to
the supreme judge of the whole nation. The palm where she sat in judgment (cf. Psa_
9:5) was called after her the Deborah-palm. The Israelites went up to her there to obtain
justice. The expression “came up” is applied here, as in Deu_17:8, to the place of justice,
as a spiritual height, independently of the fact that the place referred to here really stood
upon an eminence.
Jeff Garrison, "We’ll be learning about Deborah today, Israel’s female judge.
Interestingly, unlike most of the rest of the Judges we find in this book, Deborah even
acts like a judge. We first meet her sitting under a palm tree settling disputes. This was
after the death of Ehud, the judge who was considered to be physically impaired. Israel
has again done what was evil in the sight of the Lord and God has allowed a Canaanite,
King Jabin, to rise up and oppress her for 20 years. We don’t learn much about the king,
it’s his general, Sisera, who is terrorizing the Hebrew people. Sisera has 900 chariots at
his command, with which he terrorizes the people. With 900 chariots, he’s more
powerful than Pharaoh, when Israel back was up against the sea.[1] This General is
feared and the people are unable to stop him. So again, they cry out to God for relief.
This is where our story begins. I’ll read from Judges 4:4-9:
At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to
sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of
Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak
son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel,
commands you, "Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe
of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army,
to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into
your hand.' " 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." And she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on
which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand
of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
This story is over 3000 years old. It originates in a time when women had few rights.
Yet Deborah appears to have a lot of freedom. We learn that she is married, yet we learn
nothing of her husband and what he thought of his wife gallivanting around with the
head of Israel’s underground army. We find that she’s already a judge, before God
instructs her on how to defeat Jabin’s army. Why did God decide to use Deborah, a
woman, as his messenger? Perhaps because this story follows Ehud’s story, we’re again
being reminded of how God can use people who would have been considered
marginalized in the ancient world to bring about his purposes. In other words, Deborah
is another example of how with God, nothing is impossible; how with God, the weak
become strong; how with God, the last become the first.
As I noted, Deborah is already a judge. She also a prophet, speaking for God and

38. directing Baark, Israel’s military commander, to prepare for war. Barak is skeptical and
agrees to the operation only after Deborah promises to accompany him into battle. But
there is a caveat to her willingness to accompany Barak. He will not obtain any glory
from the battle. Instead, Sisera’s downfall will be at the hands of a woman."
BENSON, "4:4. A prophetess — Such a one as Miriam, Exodus 15:23; Huldah, 2 Kings
22:14, and divers others; but the word prophets, or prophetesses, is ambiguous,
sometimes being meant of persons extraordinarily inspired by God, and endowed with
the power of working miracles, and foretelling things to come; and sometimes of persons
endowed with special gifts or graces, for the better understanding and discoursing about
the word and mind of God. Of this sort were the sons of the prophets, or such as were
bred in the schools of the prophets, who are often called prophets, 1 Samuel 10:5; 1
Samuel 10:10. And because we read nothing of Deborah’s miraculous actions, some have
thought she was only a woman of eminent holiness, and knowledge of the Holy
Scriptures, by which she was singularly qualified for judging the people according to the
laws of God. It appears, however, from 4:7; 4:9, that she was endowed with the gift of
prophecy, properly so called, or of foretelling, at least in some instances, future events.
Judged Israel — That is, determined causes and controversies arising among the
Israelites, as is implied, 4:5. And this Jabin might suffer to be done, especially by a
woman. Yet the frequent discharge of this part of the judge’s office, whereby she gained
great power and authority with the people, did, in a peculiar manner, (though not
observed by the tyrant,) prepare the way for her sliding into the other part of her office,
which was to defend and rescue the people from their enemies.
WHEDON, "4. Deborah, a prophetess — One of the most celebrated women and most
remarkable characters of the Old Testament. The title prophetess indicates her
possession of a divine gift which exalted her above the dignity of a military commander,
and made her an oracle to whom the people came for counsel. Rebecca’s nurse had
borne her name, (Genesis 35:8,) and Moses’ sister Miriam had possessed the spirit of
prophecy (Exodus 15:20) ages before this date, but never before had a woman appeared
who combined in herself such wisdom, authority, and power as this “mother in Israel.”
The manly energy and spirit of the nation had almost expired, when a woman appeared
to be the saviour. Joan of Arc may be cited as a somewhat singular parallel to Deborah in
modern history. No great and noble act which she has power to do is out of woman’s
sphere.
Wife of Lapidoth — The versions and most interpreters take Lapidoth as a proper
name, and understand it of Deborah’s husband, and this is the most natural and simple
explanation. Others translate the word as the plural of lapid, a lamp, and render, a
woman of lights or of splendours, thus poetically designating the brilliancy and force of
her genius and power. Cassel renders, woman of a fiery spirit, and explains that she was
a divinely-lighted torch to kindle the languid hearts of Israel. Some rabbins have thought
that she was so called from having had charge of the lamps in the tabernacle.
She judged Israel — By giving counsel and pronouncing decisions on cases that were
submitted to her.
PETT, "Verse 4

39. ‘Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.’
Deborah is one of three prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament, two of whom
were powerful figures. The others were Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings
22:14). Deborah means ‘a bee’ and was a relatively common name. The fact that she was
a prophetess indicated that she had the Spirit of Yahweh. Her influence was so powerful
that she was made a judge of Israel. All recognised an aura about her. It is significant
that while prophetesses were officially allowed as religious functionaries, priestesses
were not. Women could serve at the door of the Tabernacle but they could not enter it
(Exodus 38:8). This may have been partly because of the function that priestesses served
in other religions with their sexual rites. The Tabernacle was an asexual reserve.
BI 4-11, "Deborah, a prophetess . . . Judged Israel.
Deborah: woman’s attribute
1. Amongst the women of the Bible Deborah stands out in great prominence, though
we know but little of her character. She is one of those who show forth a distinctive
characteristic of women—the power of contrivance and design carried out to such an
extent as to make some doubt whether her acts were within the limits of religion and
morality.
2. Deborah seems to have been a kind of oracle in the unsettled state of things that
existed among the Jewish tribes; her advice was attended to and her voice followed
by leaders and by armies with the most implicit devotion. Her parallels are many,
both in Scripture and history. We are irresistibly reminded of one whose spirit once
bore up the flagging energies of France in the annals of the latter, of Judith in those
of the former. One circumstance strikes us as highly significant. Starting up close
beside her was the kindred spirit of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Though not
strictly answerable for the act of Jael, she nevertheless celebrated that act as one of
her objects of gratulation in her magnificent hymn.
3. We must view her in two lights. She was of course under a heavenly inspiration, as
well as under the guidance of a strong natural character. In the former capacity she is
simply to be viewed as one of those instances in which God chooses to show forth
His power through the weak things of this world, and to bring about great national
crises through the instrumentality of the weaker sex. But placing this view of the
subject aside, I will consider her in reference to her natural character and ordinary
position, as a woman in the midst of vast and depressing circumstances rousing by
the vigour, boldness, and freshness of her character, the flagging energies of men.
We see this in many instances of life, public as well as private. How remarkable and
almost miraculous it is that the wife, who shares the anxious cares of the husband, be
he labourer or mechanic, is able to keep up her spirit and to hope to the end! How
often would the man, who has had to contend with the waves of constant trouble,
succumb to increasing difficulties; and how many a crisis of difficulty, in connection
with illness, accidents, or the like, in the domestic circle, calls forth the presence of
mind of the mother, when the father would shrink from the difficulty, and lend no
hand to help. Nor is it only this power that is felt so beneficially in the cottage as well
as in richer homes. The eye that sees a brighter day and that pierces the fast rolling
clouds of present adversity, perceiving the glow of a brighter morning when “the
tyranny will be overpast,” is especially the eye of woman. One other attribute of
woman which comes out in Deborah’s story is the deep impression that her mission

40. was Divine, and that the instincts of nature were the gifts of inspiration. There is that
spirit in the weaker sex which, in the moment of high crisis and difficulty, would
often justify the impression; but this spirit is the gift of God for a special purpose,
and is a substitute for those bolder and more persevering qualities which belong to
the stronger sex. There are many periods, both in private and in public life, which
need rather light shed by a ready and present mind than the steady beam of the more
enduring fire. From the lack of it we may miss the object of our life’s search. It is the
want felt in such conjunctures as these that woman supplies; she bears the lamp of
the midnight; and sometimes when with weary watching other lamps have gone out,
hers is trimmed.
4. Such is woman’s prerogative, such her peculiar characteristic. For though
Deborah may be an exaggeration in a remarkable crisis of the characteristics of her
sex, they nevertheless exist in more or less force in every representative of it. It is
seemingly paradoxical, but no less true, that women should have the power of
meeting imminent danger with a calmness and perseverance often denied to man.
Let them view these gifts as the direct ordering of Heaven, and, while they glory in
them as their heritage, let them cultivate and improve them as the talents committed
to their trust. (E. Monro, M. A.)
Lessons from an old story
1. In an age and a season of perpetual unrest, how refreshing is it to the spirit to have
before us the example, albeit in a remote past, of one judge who could dwell under
the palm-tree between Rama and Bethel, and to whom the children of Israel could go
up for judgment. If the right kind of men, a few of them, could be set free to think, to
advise, to originate, to counsel, what a gain would this be to a people laden with care,
full of intellectual and spiritual perplexities, and feeling themselves terribly alone in
their difficult and embarrassing way. For lack of this many lives go utterly astray,
and many minds are wrecked on shoals and sandbanks of doubting. It might be said
that the two offices of action and thought are only kept distinct in the present state of
things, and that those who want counsel have no lack of help from an innumerable
crowd of writers. Unhappily the thinkers are too often too much isolated from action,
so that they run into vain and profitless speculation, having neither help for this life
nor hope in that which is to come. It is the combination which helps: the judge
sitting under the palm-tree, but Israel coming up to him for judgment. The moral of
it all is, busy men, snatch moments for reflection! let no day be quite without it!
2. We see the true place and dignity of woman here in the positive and in the
negative. Deborah was a prophetess. God spoke to her. She saw within and beneath
the appearance of things. She did not allow the visible to crush out the invisible. She
was not appalled by the nine hundred chariots of iron. She knew that there was still a
God in Israel who rules in the kingdom of men, and though He bears long with evil,
and sometimes sets up over nations the basest of men, He can yet be called on by
prayer, and in the long run will make it to be well with the righteous. In a great
emergency she became an influence; she called Barak to her, set him his task,
assured him of his commission, and even consented at his request to accompany him
on his march. This was heroic, but it was also feminine. Deborah did not assume the
command of the army; she was the influence, she was the inspiration, but she left the
leadership and the generalship to another. Not for nothing have we the record of
another woman on the same page with that of Deborah. We shrink instinctively from

41. the bloodstained hand of Jael. She has overstepped the line between the feminine
and the masculine—nay, between the enthusiast and the fanatic. The excitement of
victory might draw forth the impassioned cry even from one of the male sex, even
from one of God’s utterers, “Blessed above women”; but that cry has never found
even an echo in evangelical hearts; that cry has given trouble and pain to champions
of revelation. We cannot receive it as the voice of God’s Spirit, except in some
modified and softened-down form, in which it hails, and justly hails, the victory as a
victory of the cause of the monotheistic idea as against the polytheistic; as a victory
of the cause of progress, of the cause of development, and therefore in some sense
the cause of mankind and of the world.
3. One last thought occurs, and it might seem at first hearing to conflict with the
foregoing; but it is not so. Deborah says to Barak, “Hath not the Lord God of Israel
commanded?” And he replies to her—a woman—“If thou wilt go with me, then I will
go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” She rejoined yet again, “I will
surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for
thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” We are not
concerned with the last phrase—“God shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
Scripture readers see the hand of God every-where—go so far as to say, “Shall there
be evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it?” We ask what was the point, what
was the characteristic, the differentia in the faith of Barak, that the Epistle to the
Hebrews should single him out for mention? And we find it here in the self-
forgetfulness of Barak in doing God’s work. What if one woman set him on it, and
another woman is to finish it? What if the journey he took was not to be for his own
honour? Shall that stop him? What will the troops say if they see a woman marching
by his side; see him consult her about his tactics; hear him confess that she is his
monitress and his inspirer? Shall that thought deter him? No. He has God’s cause in
hand; God’s honour, not his, is the thing to aim at. Here is faith forgetting itself in
the cause. It is a grand heroism; for lack of it much good work is spoilt and much
forborne. There is a phrase which more often disguises than precludes the self-
glorifying. Humble instruments all call themselves; yet the same modest disclaimer
asserts the instrumentality. Propose to omit the name from the subscription list or
the list of patrons, where will the humble instrument be then? “The journey which
thou takest shall not be for thine honour.” No, for one woman suggested it and
another woman shall complete it. What then? Faith is willing to have it so; for faith is
the sight of the invisible, and this arrangement will show the Invisible, the Doer.
(Dean Vaughan.)
The duty of woman to women
It is a suggestive and on the whole perhaps a creditable fact that heroic women are not
so interesting to women as to men. We read about that German prophetess who roused
her people against the invaders from Rome, or about Joan of Arc, who, simple peasant
girl that she was, communing with mysterious angels’ voices (as the legend runs),
kindled the French nation against the English dominion when princes and statesmen
had well-nigh given up the cause; or we read about Deborah, like St. Louis under the oak
at Vincennes, sitting under a Judaean palm, not with downcast eyes and folded hands
and extinguished hopes, but all on fire with faith and energy, with the soul of courage
and the voice of command, and we are constrained to pay homage to her daring and her
fearlessness, to her strong will and her unshrinking purpose. But if I were to ask any
young girl whether she were ambitious of such a career, there is not one in a score who

42. would say so. A woman’s idea of happiness and usefulness ordinarily centres in a home.
We have been accustomed to hear the constantly reiterated assertion that “woman’s
sphere is the home.” I confess for one that in view of the actual facts of society, as they
exist around us, there is often in such words a sound of cruel irony. Do not you and I
know, that there are thousands of women to whom a home is as impossible a thing as a
castle in Spain? Do we not know that there are thousands of young girls who have no
human being but themselves to depend upon, and who must somehow make their way
and earn their own bread in life? Will you tell me how a home or anything else than a
room and a hard, stern struggle for life is possible to these? We have now reached a
point in the social progress of this age when it is necessary that we should every one of
us recognise the crisis that is upon us. A much larger number of women must hereafter
support themselves than have ever done so before. There are some callings from which,
as it seems to me, women must for ever remain shut out. Any calling which requires
conspicuous publicity, masculine activities, and out-door leadership is not, I venture to
submit, for a woman. For one, I should not care to see her hanging from a yard-arm,
driving a steam-engine, digging in a coal-mine, or vociferating in congress. But when we
have eliminated from the question those occupations from which healthy self-respect
would restrain any really womanly woman, there remain a vast range of employments on
which women have not yet entered, but for which, nevertheless, they have singular and
supreme qualifications. Already women have acquired the science of telegraphy, and
they are, of course, more expert in it than men can possibly be. Women are already
training themselves to be phonographic reporters. And here again their peculiar
aptitudes are a pre-eminent qualification. Why should they not oftener provide for them
an honourable maintenance? It is a curious and scarcely known fact that in the middle
ages, the daughters as well as the sons in a family often inherited and carried on the
family art or handicraft. When one goes to Nuremberg, or Prague, or Heidelberg, he will
find bits of wood carving, artistic work in metal or stone, which no modern hand can
pretend to rival. How are we to explain this earlier perfection? Simply on this wise: the
calling of the father was the calling of the children. Exquisite workmanship was a
hereditary trait. “Among goldsmiths the daughters executed chasing, among furniture-
makers carving, among stone-masons sculpture, among engravers drawing and graving.”
Could there be more pleasing or wholesome employment of one’s best aptitudes? It is
time that every woman among us, and especially every young girl with culture and
influence and social power, should awaken to the needs of her own sex. What Deborah
was under the palm-tree at Mount Ephraim every brave and true-hearted woman is
called to be in the service of as holy a cause and as precious interests. We call Deborah a
prophetess, and so she was. We regard her as somehow separated by her rare natural
endowments and her exceptional inspiration from the other women of her time, and so
she was. But in a very real and a very living and lofty sense every woman is a prophetess,
with a prophet’s gifts and a prophet’s calling. For what are prophets’ gifts but that Divine
insight, that swift and heaven-born intuition, which is your rarest gift, your loftiest
endowment? Shall I be opening an old wound if I say that it was a woman’s voice and
pen that, more than any other, roused this land to the evils and the cruelties of slavery?
and as truly I believe they must be women’s voices that must waken us men to the
cruelties of that other servitude in which too often and too widely the weak of your sex
are to-day oppressed. Do not, then, be afraid to lift your voice in any good cause that
aims to elevate women to equal chance and equal respect and equal emolument with
men in the great struggle of life. Be, each one of you, a Deborah to cry to some
slumberous and sluggish Barak, “Up and do the Master’s Work, in the spirit of the
Master’s example!” (Bp. H. C. Potter.)

43. If thou wilt go with me, then I will go.
Self-reliance
It was very natural that Barak should desire the presence of Deborah. She was a woman
of natural influence, possessed of sagacity, able to read the signs of the times. As it has
been said the best definition of a fool is a man who is wise too late, so the best definition
of wisdom is wisdom at the right moment; and she possessed that wisdom, and
understood what was the proper occasion when it was desirable to strike the blow for
freedom. Her intellectual powers had made her influence great among the people;
difficult cases were brought to her; her knowledge and her sagacity had won its way and
established its influence in Israel. But it was not only natural; there was a certain
appearance of piety in the profession. Deborah was not merely one of those persons
whose gifts give them a high dominating influence over their fellow-beings, but she was
believed by the people to be inspired by the breath of the Spirit of God. And, therefore,
there was in their view a certain sanction of the Divine power which came, as it were,
from her lips. Was it not, then, because he regarded her as the Divine representative that
he said, “If thou wilt go with me I will go”? May we not argue further, and say precisely,
because she was the one person in Israel at that time in whose words you could trace the
meanings of the Divine Spirit, therefore was it not an attitude of the spirit of piety which
would say, “I Cannot undertake this expedition alone; I must be assured of the presence
of the prophetess of the Lord”? Is there not piety in the resolution, “If thou wilt go with
me, then I will go”? And yet, it is necessary for us to try and understand the motive
before we declare whether it is good or bad. “If thou wilt come with me, then I will go.”
In what strain ought a man to face the obvious duties of life? Is it true that we are always
to wait for the assistance of others, or are we bound to do what lies before us, regardless
of the sympathy we may receive? The message sent by Deborah was an emphatic
message, “Go there with ten thousand men, and I,” says the voice of the Lord, “will draw
thy adversaries to the river Kishon.” There is not the slightest hint or any suggestion of
condition; it is a plain, simple, and absolute order. The hour is come; the blow is to be
struck; it is your duty to do it; here are your instructions. You know the class of persons
who are never able to do any duty without the assistance of others; you know the
schoolboy who always does his work when he can get his sister to stand beside him; you
know the class of man who is always reluctant to quit with company and undertake any
irksome duty by himself. He is not the character which impresses us as possessing
strong, marked, or admirable lines. You want some one more determined and self-
relying. If a duty has to be done, in the name of that duty, and in the name of your God
who gives you that duty, do it like a man, and do not stop to make conditions which
betray your weakness, and say, “If this condition be fulfilled, if I am assisted by the
presence of another, then I think I can do my duty, but I do not think I can face the
frowning face of duty alone.” I say this is a character which does not possess the highest
order of self-reliance. It is also an answer which betrays slackness and feebleness of life.
By the very law by which Israel was then governed, by the law of that very religious
sentiment which had been operating in the minds of the chosen people, one thought was
predominant in all their minds, “The Lord is the God of Israel.” It is the realisation of the
Divine presence, and that alone, which marks the higher range of faith; the power to say,
“I will go in His strength because He sends me, and I ask not Deborah to go with me to
jeopardise her life; she has her work to do and I have mine to do, and the God who
inspired her can make my hand strong.” But what was the result? As a fact the victory
was won; but you know how truly the scorn of Deborah burst forth when she received
the conditions of Barak, “If thou wilt go with me.” “Then let it be known that the laurels

44. of this victory are not for thy brow. If thou hast thought that only with a woman at thy
side thou canst face the crowning hour of battle, those honours which you would boast
are reserved for a woman. The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Barak
sinks down into the second place in the story, and the opportunity which might have
been his was snatched from his hand, as in the hour when he was tested he betrayed
weakness. What, then, should we gather from this? The enormous and measureless
importance of self-reliance in every affair of life. Life is a constant movement from
companionship into isolation. As I pass through the road of life I have to determine
certain questions, and I must determine them by the law of my own existence and my
own conscience as in the sight of God. Over and over again we are bound to have that
experience. We think we have others to help us in certain matters, but the final decision
rests with us. Does it not mean that in the purposes of God we are to be taught self-
reliance? Sometimes we are told that Christianity is deficient in the virile virtues. That is
only because we have misunderstood the story. What is the story of the Redeemer? Is it
the story of one who relied so completely upon others that by a dexterous adjustment of
His teaching to the wants of the day He was able so to establish His ascendancy over
others as to be able to bring forward a community willing to be called by His name? That
is the very reverse of the genesis of Christianity. (Bp. Boyd Carpenter.)
Influence
Every human being has influence, which is a part of himself, and helps to make up his
personal being. And as long as he lives it goes out from him to others, for weal or for
woe. Nay, more; it is not limited to time. Once having lived, it never dies. For the
individual may go down to the tomb and perish; but his influence shall go on evermore.
I. We are accountable for our influence. This is evident from the very nature of
influence. What is it? It is power; the power of one will over another. This power and
authority go forth from us to others in various ways—in speech, by action, by the glance
of the eye, by the expression of feeling, by the show of passion, by the play of the
countenance, by the motion of the hand, by our dress, our habits, our style of living, and
our conduct. And now I ask—if I cause a man to do an act, am I not responsible, i.e., so
far forth as I lead him to do it? Of course I am not to bear the entire burden of his
conduct, for he is a man as well as I, and he is bound to think and judge for himself. But
if I am the stronger, more controlling character, and use my influence to guide him
astray, and start him on his way to ruin, surely I am responsible for what I do. But it is
manifest that this principle is not one that is local, partial, or limited. It is a broad,
general, universal principle; pertaining to souls under all circumstances. And see how it
reaches our fellow-creatures on every side, with awful significance and tremendous
power. I am responsible for my influence; I am held accountable by the Almighty for the
way in which I affect and prompt the souls of my fellow-men. Then I am responsible for
my influence upon you. Then you are responsible for your influence upon me; and each
and every one of us is responsible for the influence we exert upon our neighbours. Then
we are responsible for the channels by which our influence goes forth from us to others.
And we are responsible for their outflowings; and though the influence of a man differs
somewhat, in kind, from his specific acts, yet the law of Divine justice comes in here,
with the same force and authority as in any outward deed.
II. The measure of our responsibility is proportioned to our influence. Herein lies our
stewardship. We are stewards of God in the particular item of influence. A little girl is
beloved by her schoolmate; and so great power has she over her, that that schoolmate

45. will do anything she wants her to do, good or bad. She is responsible for her control over
that child’s soul, and to God. They are both responsible for the power they possess, the
one over the other. Here is a man in a community, of such commanding power, whether
through wealth, talent, or character, that everybody quotes him as authority, and aims to
follow in his track. As sure as God liveth, He will hold him responsible for his popularity
and his power.
III. Influence is an awful, a perilous thing when it assumes the form and proportions of
mastery and control. And this is often the case. The mass of men, the world over, are
governed by opinion and example. Imitation, too, is a most powerful agent in deciding
the convictions and habits of men. No doubt it is God’s will that certain prominent men
should have authoritative influence; that is their calling; to that they are elected by the
Almighty Himself, to the end that they may help to quicken inferior wills, and to decide
human destinies. Thus in the family relation the words of a father or mother go with
children to mature manhood, and may descend to children’s children. How in our
school-days our hearts have become knit “as with hooks of steel” to companions whom
we have loved as Jonathan loved David, with a “love passing the love of women.” I have
myself seen men moving about through a nation, after whom millions of men flowed as
with the mighty current of a torrent; and when they spoke, momentous questions were
settled, as though decisive utterances had come forth from an oracle or a god. But the
illustrations of this controlling influence of men is as common in the lowlier spheres of
life as in the higher. Sometimes a grand, noble parent serves his generation and blesses
it, and then sends down the crystal purity of his honour and the odour of his sanctity to
children’s children. Sometimes it is the reverse, and the alcoholic blood and the alcoholic
breath of a drunkard triumphs over the dominion of the grave, and reaches over a whole
generation of men to his descendants, poisoning the atmosphere and polluting society
by the sottishness of sons and grandsons. (A. Crummell.)
Is not the Lord gone out before thee?—
A sermon for the new year
Wherever we may be called upon to go, our Lord has gone before us.
I. We are entering into darkness. God is light. What does it matter what we see, or
whether we see at all, if He has seen and known that the way is safe?
II. We are entering upon uncertainty. But all things are fixed and ordered by God’s
power, and from knowledge.
III. We are entering upon difficulty. God is almighty in power.
IV. We are to meet with pain and death. God cannot die. Learn:
1. To distrust all human help and consolation.
2. To trust in Him who is so well able to do for us, and to be to us all we need.
3. To implicitly follow and confidently resign ourselves to His leadership. (Homilist.)
CONSTABLE, "Verses 4-11
Deborah was one of three prophetesses identified as such in the Old Testament (
Judges 4:4), along with Miriam ( Exodus 15:20) and Huldah ( 2 Kings 22:14). Anna (

46. Luke 2:36) and Philip"s four daughters ( Acts 21:8-9) were also prophetesses.
Deborah was also one of the judges ( Judges 4:4). Another translation of "wife of
Lappidoth" is "woman of torches." This may be the meaning since she motivated
Barak and demonstrated conquering power, which torches symbolize (cf. Judges 5:7;
Isaiah 62:1; Daniel 10:6; Zechariah 12:6). [Note: McCann, pp51-52.] The account of
her life and ministry shows that some of the judges served as civil leaders almost
exclusively. [Note: See M. O"Connor, "The Women in the Book of Judges ," Hebrew
Annual Review10 (1986):277-93.] Samuel was a similar type of Judges , whose
military exploits were minor.
"The very looseness of early Israelite social and political organization, along with the
requirements of a subsistence economy, probably explains why women could play
such a major role in Israelite life, as they clearly do in the book of Judges , especially
in chapters4-5 ..." [Note: McCann, p56.]
Deborah lived in the hill country of Ephraim ( Judges 4:5). Her name means "Bee,"
and she did what often marks a bee. She stung the enemy, and she brought sweet
refreshment to her people. However, her name also suggests her prophetic role as
she spoke to Barak, since the consonants in her name are the same as those in the
Hebrew word translated "speak" and "word." The writer may have referred to her
palm tree, another source of sweetness, to contrast it with the oak of Zaanannim
under which the compromising Heber worked ( Judges 4:11).
Barak apparently was a well-known military leader in Israel at this time. He lived in
far north Israel in Kadesh of Naphtali ( Judges 4:6), which was fairly close to Hazor.
It stood at the southwest corner of the Sea of Chinnereth. [Note: Yohanan Aharoni,
Land of the Bible, p204.] Some scholars favor a Kadesh north of Lake Huleh. Barak"s
name means "Lightning," which he proved to be in his battle against the Canaanites.
As a prophetess Deborah sent orders to Barak to assemble10 ,000 soldiers, or
possibly10 units of soldiers, at Mt. Tabor southwest of the Sea of Chinnereth
(Galilee). Note that God"s command to Barak was clear. He was to "Go" (Heb.
masak, lit. to draw along) with his recruits and wait at the mountain. God said He
would draw Sisera out to come against Barak. Barak was then to move west against
Sisera"s forces at the Kishon River just north of the Carmel mountain range, which
stood on the south side of the Jezreel Valley.
"RSV rightly renders torrent (Hebrew nahal), the Kishon in its upper course being
indeed a seasonal wadi, which, however, rises quickly and strongly in its lower
course, swollen by flash floods from the slopes of Carmel and the hills of Lower
Galilee as they converge upon it near Harosheth." [Note: Gray, p278.]
On this occasion Israel"s forces were very numerous. They had perhaps a10 to one
advantage over the Canaanites. Gideon"s later battle with the Midianites would be
the opposite with Israel"s forces in the minority. God promised to give the

47. Canaanites into Barak"s hand ( Judges 4:7).
Barak"s refusal to go on this mission without Deborah raises questions. He may have
been afraid to go into battle without Deborah"s comforting company. Probably he
wanted to have this prophetess with him so he could obtain God"s guidance through
her if he needed to do so. A third explanation follows.
". . . his mistrust of his own strength was such that he felt too weak to carry out the
command of God. He wanted divine enthusiasm for the conflict, and this the
presence of the prophetess was to infuse into both Barak and the army that was to be
gathered around him." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, p303.]
Whatever his motivation may have been, he put a condition on obeying God. The will
of God was clear. He even had God"s promise of victory. Nevertheless he refused to
obey unless Deborah accompanied him. Barak would defeat the Canaanites, but a
woman would get the credit for defeating the commander, Sisera. This was Barak"s
punishment for putting a condition on his obedience to God ( Judges 4:9). Barak
probably assumed that the prediction in Judges 4:9 referred to Deborah, but, as
things turned out, Jael the Kenite received the glory that might have been his. Even
though Barak had faith ( Hebrews 11:32), his faith was not as strong as it should have
been.
Apparently some of the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses" brother-in-law,
had moved north to continue their semi-nomadic life in the northern part of western
Manasseh. Hobab was probably Moses" brother-in-law (NIV) rather than his father-
in-law (AV, NASB cf. Numbers 10:29). The consonants of the Hebrew words
translated "father-in-law" and "brother-in-law" are the same (i.e, htn). Only the
vowels, which later scribes supplied, are different (hoten being "father-in-law" and
hatan being "brother-in-law").
Most of the Kenites lived in southern Judah. Heber"s family was able to maintain
good relations with both the Canaanites and the Israelites ( Judges 4:17). Heber"s
name means "Ally" and reflects his alliance with the Canaanites. "Kenite" means
"smith" as in "blacksmith." Heber seems to have been plying his trade under the oak
of Zaanannim. Was he one of the blacksmiths responsible for keeping the
Canaanites" 900 iron chariots in good repair? Oak trees were often the sites of pagan
Canaanite worship. Had he set up shop at the cultic shrine of Baal in his area? If
Song of Solomon , he contrasts sharply with Deborah, who carried out her work of
revealing the words of God and ruling His people under a palm tree ( Judges 4:5).
Here was a descendant of Moses" family who may have been fraternizing with the
very people Moses had commanded the Israelites to exterminate!
They say, "Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned," but I tell you, Hell hath no fury
like a woman filled with the power of God. Let’s hear it for Deborah and Jael. Here
were two women who feared God rather than men. These two women dared to defy

48. the odds and stand for what they knew was right. So much so that they took action
and defeated enemies that Israel was afraid to stand against or that Israel was in bed
with…literally.
WERN, "I don’t know about you, but I am tired of our male dominant patriarchal
society that says that women are not good leaders. That’s bull$#!+ (pardon my
French). I could give you illustration after illustration of women in the Bible and
history that stood stronger than the men around them and changed the course of
human events. Many of the significant church movements were started with women
and many of the most spiritually gifted people I know are women. God is not a
respecter of person or gender. He wants a willing heart and many many women have
both; a heart after God and a willingness to follow Him.
Reading about Deborah today got me thinking about leadership in the church. So
many times we are more concerned about gender, skill and presence than we are
about character, heart and obedience. Pretty much every leader in scripture wasn’t
qualified, by the worlds standards, to lead until God picked them and empowered
them to accomplish the task. God is looking for followers first who will then lead and
not leaders who will follow.
It reminds me of a time when I had an opportunity to go to the In and Out Burger
training center to see how they do things. We saw where they train people to make
those wonderful burgers and fries. As the representative talked about their training
process, he said that they hire smiles. When asked to explain, he went on to say that
they look for attitude first. Skills they can teach, but attitude comes from the heart
and that has to be first.
God is looking for attitude. He will take a Deborah or a Jael or a Gideon who has no
skill, and turn them into the fiercest warriors if they have the heart to follow God.
So how is your attitude? Have you given up and thrown in the towel for an easier life
following Baal or is God stirring you to stand for what is right and go against the
odds. You may not think you have what it takes, but God is not looking at your skills,
He is looking at your heart and your willingness to trust Him. Who knows, you could
be the next Deborah or Gideon for this generation. Ask God this week to reveal the
warrior in you. You may be surprised at what He shows you.
Jim Wern – hidden warrior
CHARLES ENSLEY JR. "What does the brief story of Deborah’s intervention in the
future of the Israelites say to us? First, it shows a person of faith, of assurance, of
determination. Judge Debbie sat under her own palm tree and imparted holy
wisdom to her people. When she declared, “The Lord, the God of Israel,” had
commanded something, more than 10,000 Israelites listened and heeded her advice.

49. This kind of wisdom does not develop in a soul that is obsessed with shallow
victories and fairy tale endings. This kind of wisdom blossoms in a soul that seeks
God’s will.
Second, the story lifts up the value and role of women in ancient Hebrew life, and our
own. Donna Strom, professor at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Northern
India, laments that women have, in the main, been involved only in increasing the
human population, and done so little (“except for a rare Margaret Thatcher or Indira
Gandhi” she interjects) to join men in ruling the earth. So she writes of Deborah:
“What Deborah’s example obviously teaches is that women should not be excluded
from any levels of decision-making, religious or political.”
In Wednesday’s Bible study when we studied this text, we thought of women who
have been influential in politics and society in our lifetimes: Eleanor Roosevelt, the
afore-mentioned Margaret Thatcher, Madeline Albright, Condoleza Rice. Former
First Lady Barbara Bush, a formidable woman herself, once delivered a
commencement address at Wellesley College. “Someday someone will follow in my
footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president’s spouse,” she declared.
“I wish him well!”
While women have always had an influence on the operation and success of the
institutional church in this country, some denominations have been more
progressive than others. The Congregational Church first ordained a woman in
1850; the Episcopalians waited until 1975. When I entered seminary in 1970, there
was not one women enrolled at the Episcopal seminary across the street. Now, half
of the students in most Protestant seminaries are women. Ordained women have
advanced to the positions of senior minister in many churches, as they have to
positions of conference ministers and bishops across several denominations. One of
the foremost Episcopal preachers of the last decade is Barbara Brown Taylor of
Georgia.
Third, Deborah does not act alone to ensure victory for the Israelites. There is a
remarkable display of teamwork throughout this tale. First, Deborah and Barak
work together in planning, presence and action to defeat the Canaanites on the
battlefield. Then, after Sisera’s escape, the third member of this “team” becomes
Jael, not an Israelite but from a neighboring tribe with whom they were at peace. It
is her hand, not Barak’s, not Deborah’s, that kills Sisera and leads to Israel’s final
freedom.
Teamwork is something we should comprehend and participate in, whether in our
home activities, school or work life, our staff here at church, or what we together
accomplish for good as a congregation. It is not what any one minister, or any one
church member, does alone. It is what we all seek to do together in Christ’s name.
When we look at Deborah’s life, we see a person who models what’s needed in our

50. lives. When we’re not into power and control, when we know our place in God’s
world, when we understand that God will do as God desires, when we’re available to
God and others, when we’re a doer and not a worrier—when all of that comes
together as it did for Deborah, we’re going to be at peace: with God, with ourselves,
with our neighbors.
DEBORAH THE DELIGHTFUL Based on Judges 4
By Pastor Glenn Pease
I have enjoyed war stories and war heroes since I was a small boy watching the
news on the movies screen in the local theater. I never realized, however, that not all
of the heroes were men. I heard of Joan of Arc when I got into the upper grades of
school, but I never had the concept of the heroin in my mind until recently as a
retired pastor. The history of the women warriors on the battlefield has not been
available until recent years when female historians have brought them to light. Even
those in the Bible have not been known because they are overshadowed by the great
male warriors of the Bible. It has been my delight to discover that women have
played a major role in defending the freedom and value system of America and of the
people of God through history. One of the most outstanding is Deborah.
Here we have a woman who rose to the top in a day when all the world around
here was filled with masculine brutality. Her story takes place between the years
1209 and 1169 B.C. Life was one war after another, and every man did that which
was right in his own eyes. Moral standard were so low that even the godly people did
things that would be a disgrace in our day. Almost nothing was unacceptable. The
masses of people were following pagan practices and were not different from the
pagan people around them. But in the midst of this awful period of history we
suddenly come to chapter 4 of Judges, and to our surprise a woman is in charge. No
woman had been a judge of Israel before and none came after her. She was a one of a
kind female, and she was able by her God-given gifts to rise to the point of being the
leader of God's people. Israel had been oppressed by the cruel Canaanites for twenty
years. They were devastated and were crying out to God for help. This is when we
begin to get the story of this delightful leader named Deborah. In Judges 4:4-10 we
get some basic facts about her.
She was a prophetess.
She was a wife.
She was a leader of Israel.
She was a literal judge who decided disputes.

51. She was a messenger of God's word to men.
She was a partner with the male commander of Israel's army.
In Chapter 5 we see also that
She was a poetess and a singer.
She was a mother-5:7.
What this marvelous women illustrates is that a woman can do it all. She can be a
wife and a mother, and still be a leader and public servant. She can have both a
private world and a public world where she can be successful. God delighted in this
unusual woman and used her in a unique way to bless his people. Lets look at the
ways she was used of God by some of the roles she played.
1. AS PROPHETESS.
This means God used her as a spokesperson to communicate his message to
others. You do not choose this, for it is God's choice as to who is going to give his
word to others. God does not discriminate against women and use only male
instruments to communicate. The role of prophetess is found in both the Old and the
New Testament. Miriam the sister of Moses was a prophetess as we read in Ex.
15:20. It is of interest to note that Miriam was also a poetess and singer like Deborah.
It makes me feel that women who are closest to God will be channels of joy and song
for others. Much, if not most of the poetry and song by which believers have praised
God all through history has come to us through gifted women. Others called
prophetesses are Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14, Noadiah in Nehemiah 6:14, Anna in Luke
2:36, and the four daughters of Philip in Acts 21:9.
These women received direct revelation from God, and this enabled them to
announce what God was going to do. They were the only people who could know the
future and tell others what was going to be. They were extremely valuable when it
came to knowing how a battle was going to turn out. Anyone can be brave in facing a
battle if they know ahead of time that they are going to win. Deborah knew that the
forces of Israel could now overcome the enemies of Israel, and so she was a pure
delight to Barak the commander of the army of Israel. So much so that he says in v.8
that he will not go to war unless she comes with him. Here is a male warrior who
refuses to enter the battlefield without this female by his side. Because she knew the
future she was a picture of faith and confidence, and he and his men needed that.
She was to the army of Israel what Joan of Arc was to the forces of France. She gave
them motivation and confidence to fight with assurance of victory.

52. We see God's sense of humor in this whole setting, for Sisera the enemy
commander has 900 iron chariots at his side, and Barak has Deborah at his side.
The name Deborah means honey bee, and this was the weapon that gave him
courage. He was going head on against 900 iron chariots with a honey bee at his
side. It was the bee verses the iron beast, but here was a bee with a sting for her foes
and honey for her friends. Those who messed with this bee were stung into defeat,
and those who followed this bee were blest with the sweet honey of peace for the next
40 years. She is called a mother in Israel, and a mother is one who nourishes and
encourages her children. This is what Deborah did, and that is why all the people
delighted in her.
2. AS JUDGE.
Most prophetesses were not the leaders of the land. They were gifted to
communicate the message of God, but they were not gifted with the wisdom to settle
disputes and to be the ultimate authority in governing the people. Deborah stands
out as extremely unique in this sense. Being a judge in the time of Judges was
equivalent to being the king or the president. She was the supreme court, the
legislature and the President all rolled into one, and this made her one of a kind in
history. Most all of the other judges of this period were known for their leadership in
battle. They were great with the weapons of warfare. Deborah was great with the
mind. She was an educator who helped people in unique ways that made them
delight in her caring spirit. No other judge did what she did.
The people of Israel came to her to settle disputes, and so people had confidence
in her just like they had in Solomon later because she was obviously wise and fair.
They trusted her judgment for she was a woman who was committed to do the will of
God, and she sought God's guidance for her decisions. In the midst of so much
ungodliness her court was an oasis of godliness. It was so rare to have such a wise
woman judging the nation's people at that time, but in our day there are many
women in our courts as judges, right up to the Supreme Court of the land. We even
have a Jewish woman by the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as one of our Supreme
Court justices. Women have always been capable of being educated and rising to the
top of any profession, but they never had the chance through much of history. That is
why it is a delightful surprise to find a Deborah in the day of the Judges rising to the
top.
She just illustrates that God has never been opposed to using women for the
highest purposes in his plan for the world. If they are rare in olden times it is because
they never had the opportunities that they have today. The important thing to
recognize is that it has always been acceptable to God to have a woman in the highest
places of leadership. The people were open to it in the day of Deborah, but when the

53. society looks down on female leadership then it is not possible for them to rise to
such positions. Today there are many female leaders because we live in a culture
where they are free to use all of the gifts God has endowed them with. This has not
always been the case even in Christian cultures. There is still the feeling among many
males that is threatening about a woman leading them, and so the story of Deborah
is often ignored and not taught in Bible classes.
There are still those who will not let a woman teach men, but this is folly if the
woman is the best qualified to teach, which is often the case. John Macarthur is a
well known Bible Teacher of our day, and he says this in a message about Deborah:
"Just because we think a woman can't or shouldn't do something, doesn't make it so.
Now let me add that I'm actually very conservative when it comes to woman's work.
I'm not always comfortable with some roles women take on and I believe there are
some jobs they shouldn't do. But just because I think that way it doesn't limit who
God can use for whatever purpose he has in mind. Deborah led Israel not because
there were no men who would do it but because, from God's perspective, she was the
most qualified. You see it did not matter if Deborah was a man or woman because it
was God working through her not the other way around.
"God will use you today not because of your gender or your age or your position or
your abilities but based on your submission to him. That's why Paul could write in
Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus." God will use any of us if we will let him. The problem
is we often hinder God by our obsession with titles and positions. Who cares if you
are a man or a woman? Who cares if you are an elder or deacon? Who cares if you
have a graduate degree from a Bible College or barely finished high school? Who
cares if you are articulate or shy? We do. God doesn't."
3. AS PARTNER.
Many women feel that they need to oppose men in order to become equal, and
they make the battle of the sexes their focus. This is not what we see in Deborah. She
used her wisdom to cooperate with the male leaders, and this unity of the sexes is
what led to victory and blessing for the people of God. Any woman is at her best
when men admire her and gladly follow her leading. There was no desire of Barak to
dominate Deborah, and he did not go all to pieces with a deflated male ego when
Deborah said that a woman would get the honor he might have had by killing the
commander of the enemy forces. Jael got that honor, but Barak was just delighted to
be a partner with women who were used of God. Deborah actually told Barak that he
did not need her and that he could win the war without her. She did not try to
dominate him either. She was humble in her leadership and sought for no glory but
the glory of God. It was this ideal relationship of male and female leadership that
God blest. Deborah makes it clear that strong female leadership is based on
partnership and full cooperation with male leadership. A woman who wants to lead
in hostility to men is not wise in the long run, for God blesses unity of the sexes.

54. Barak could have said that he was not going to take advice from a woman who had
no military experience. She came up with the hair-brained scheme of calling an army
together who had no decent weapons to face a vast enemy who had the best weapons
in the world. He had every right to be skeptical of her plan, but he had respect for her
as a woman of God and he knew she would not come up with this idea unless God
had given it to her. Had he not believed in her being an authentic messenger of God
he would not dream of following her lead. Here was a man who had full confidence in
a woman's word as being the very word of God. He had more confidence in her than
he had in himself, for he would not fight without her at his side. Rare is the man who
will listen to a woman in an area where he is supposed to be the expert. He delighted
in Deborah, however, for she was clearly God's spokesperson.
Matthew Henry comments, "Some struggles, we may suppose, that brave man had
made towards the shaking off of the yoke, but could not effect it till he had his
commission and instructions from Deborah. He could do nothing without her head,
nor she without his hands; but both together made a complete deliverer, and effected
a complete deliverance. The greatest and best are not self-sufficient, but need one
another." She had the greater faith, but she needed male leadership to get the job
done. We see the perfect unity of male and female leadership in this relationship.
Everyone has to delight is such a rare and beautiful partnership. Some want to
accuse Barak of being a wimp for needing Deborah, but God honored him as a great
man of faith in Heb. 11:32. His faith in Deborah was faith in God, for he believed her
as a true source of the word of God. He would not be in the great faith chapter if his
trust in Deborah was not pleasing to God.
If you study the history of women in warfare, it is surprising how often women
join men on the battlefield just to be encouraging partners. During the Civil War it
was not uncommon for a wife to go with her husband into battle. There are examples
of soldiers who, like Barak, refused to go to war unless their wives could come with
them. Keith Blaylock refused to go without his wife, and so the recruiting officer
allowed Melinda Blaylock to be sworn in as his brother, and listed her as Sam. Many
women have insisted that they have the right to fight along side of the men. Since it
was not officially permitted the women usually had to disguise themselves by
dressing as men. They were willing to give up their identity in order to be partners
with men. It is estimated that between 500 to a 1000 women fought in the Civil War
disguised as men. Several even rose to the rank of sergeant without being discovered.
Many were discovered and discharged, but some managed to maintain their disguise
all through the war. Others were allowed to remain even when it was known they
were women. Here, for example, is the record of one woman.
"Goodrich, Ellen Her father disowned Goodrich when she announced that she
intended to join her fiancée in the war. She fought by his side for three years and
was wounded in the arm by a minnie ball. She nursed her fiancée when he was ill
and married him a day or so before he died."
Deborah was not a warrior, as far as the text would indicate, but she was there as
one who could give the commander and the soldiers moral support. She did not go
into battle and kill the enemy, but stood with the commander overlooking the
battlefield. She was delighted, however, when Sisera, who was the commander of the

55. enemy forces, was killed by the hand of a woman named Jael. Deborah had
predicted that a woman would have this honor, and when she wrote her song of
praise that is recorded in Judges 5, she gave praise to Jael for her role as female
partner in defeating the foes of Israel. God had used two woman as partners in
delivering His people from the oppression of the Canaanites.
It was rare for women to play the roles that Deborah and Jael played, but the
important point is that they were honored for these roles in Israel. The Word of God
does not hide them, but exalts them. That is all that should have been necessary for
people of future generations to know in order to recognize and reward female
partnership in the battles for freedom. Unfortunately, custom and tradition has
always been allowed to be more powerful than God's revelation. The result has been
that it has taken many centuries before woman could get the honor and recognition
they deserve as equal partners with men in warfare.
Dr. Mary Walker was a Civil War doctor who wore men's clothing and carried two
pistols at all times. She fought for freedom and saved many lives. She was captured
and spent four months in an enemy prison. She was scarred physically and
emotionally, but she continued to serve her country, even though she was resisted
constantly because she was a woman. She was of such a benefit in the war that she
was rewarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1865. But it was rescinded in
1917. She refused to give it back and wore it until her death in 1919 at the age of 87. It
was 58 years later before the U.S. Congress posthumously reinstated her medal. It
was restored by President Carter on June 10, 1977. She is the only woman in the
history of American warfare to receive the Medal of Honor. My point in sharing this
is that she was not honored while she lived, and she died alone and penniless with
the feeling of being rejected by the country she served. This was due to the Bible
record not being the basis by which people are measured and respected. Had the
record of Deborah been respected, Mary Walker would have been a great heroin in
our culture, and children would have been singing of her service to our nation.
The record of Deborah is in the Bible because God inspired it to be there. It was
real history, and God ordained history. It is there for an example of how God uses
women as well as men in the highest roles of leadership. They are partners in every
realm of life, and those who let the Word of God be their guide will delight in them
and give them the honor they deserve, just as God gave honor to Deborah the
delightful leader of His people.
DEBORAH THE WISE Based on Judges 4
By Pastor Glenn Pease
Everyone has heard of Paul Revere, but very few would recognize the name of
Sybil Ludington. Her father was a colonel in the Revolutionary Army in Connecticut.
One night a messenger came banging on the door of their home. Sybil let him in and
went to get her father. She listened as her father received the report that 200 British
troops had over run Danburg, Conn.

56. The British had taken advantage of the fact that the American troops had gone
home to their farms to plant their fields. The British easily stormed past the guards,
and they began to loot and burn the town. Colonel Ludington realized the messenger
has to go out to the militia immediately, but the messenger was too exhausted. Sybil
volunteered, but her father refused to let a 16 year old girl go riding into such a dark
and dangerous night. But Sybil insisted, for she knew the country and there was no
one else to go, and time was running out.
Sybil got her horse prepared and off she rode. Through the night she rode to
every farm house and shouted the message, "The British are burning Danburg. Meet
at Colonel Ludington's mill." She fought back many tears in the lonely night and her
voice gave out. Her horse was also exhausted, but she achieved the goal, and the
British were driven back to their ships. Sybil became known as the female Paul
Revere. In 1975 a stamp was issued in her memory, and a statue of her stands in
Memorial Hall in Washington, D. C.
All through history women have played a major role in war, and in the defense of
their people. Women warriors who actually led troops in battle are more frequent in
history than most of us would ever think likely. Probably the most famous of all is
Joan of Arc who lived from 1412 to 1431. This 19 year old girl led France to victory in
a war they had been losing to England for 75 years. Joan had no schooling, and
never learned to read, but she heard the call of God to save France. She persuaded
the French Commander to give her the chance. They had nothing to lose, for it
looked hopeless, but this young girl rallied the French Army and won victory after
victory. She united a divided nation and reestablished France as a major world
power.
We want to focus our attention on Judges 4 where we see the Joan of Arc of the
Old Testament. Deborah also rallied the forces of the nation of Israel, and she won
for her people freedom from what seemed hopeless odds. For 20 years Israel had
suffered oppression from Jabin the king of Canaan. He had 900 chariots of iron, and
Israel had a grand total of zero. You talk about an uneven balance of power. This
was like trying to fight tanks with bows and arrows. In our world today one of the
key issues is balance of power, and who has the most and fastest strike capability
weapons. Israel was certainly not the leader in that day.
When Israel did evil and developed life styles out of God's will, the pagan nations
around her won all the wars, and they were slaves. When they repented and called
upon God for deliverance God would raise up a leader who would set them free even
though their weapons were inferior. Weapons were never the key factor in the wars
of the Bible. The key was always the relationship of people to God. Unless God has
changed His ways of dealing with nations, the future for Israel and America is more a
matter of worship than of weapons. When people turn to God, and call upon Him
for His guidance and help, then he raises up leaders to accomplish His will in history.
That is what the book of Judges is all about. One of these judges that God raised up

57. was this female judge by the name of Deborah.
Why God raised up a woman to do what is generally considered a man's task,
I do not know. But its in the Book, and we have to face up to the fact that God is an
equal opportunity employer when it comes to using the sexes to do His will in
history. Every so often God uses a woman to do what he usually does by means of a
man. This forces us to keep our minds open to God's leading, and not be limited by
custom or tradition. If God gives a woman the gifts to lead men for their good and
God's glory, then let her lead. The legalistic Christian says, "We never did it this way
before." The biblical Christian says, "God is always doing things like He never did
before. If He empowers a woman with superior gifts, then we need to submit to God
and follow her leadership."
This is precisely what we see the people of Israel doing with Deborah. God was on
and exaltation of womanhood campaign in this period. He not only raised up
Deborah to lead His people as a prophet, a patriot, and poet, but He made sure that
no man got the glory for killing the cruel oppressor Sisera. By His providence this
job was done by the hand of the woman named Jael. God wanted women to be the
heroines of this period of history. It ought to keep the greatest of men humble to see
that they have done nothing that God could not have done as well through a woman
if that was His choice.
Sexual pride has no support from the Bible. The Bible has no interest in the issue
of which is superior, the male or female. The Bible is very clear on this issue, for it
says that the godly male or female is superior to the ungodly male or female.
Sexuality is not the issue, but spirituality is, and that is why Paul stresses that in
Christ there is no male or female. The only status that really matters to God is not,
are you a Jew or Gentile, are you male or female, are you in bonds or free, but what
matters is, are you in Christ, or out of Christ?
Deborah was used of God, not because she was a woman, but because she was a
woman of faith who committed all of her abilities to be used by God. Like the other
judges of Israel, she came to power by the sheer force of her marvelous gifts. She
had no royal blood, but was just an amazing and brilliant woman. Men came to her
for guidance because she was so wise. We want to look at the three areas where her
wisdom was revealed. First she was wise as-
I. A PROPHETESS.
A prophetess is not the wife of a prophet-she is a prophet -a female prophet. Her
husband Lappidoth was likely a godly man, but nothing is known about him. He is
an obscure husband married to a famous and gifted woman. She is superior to him
because God chose to give her gifts that He did not give to Him. The result was the
people of Israel did not come to him, but to her for leadership. We have no reason to
doubt they had a wonderful marriage in spite of this role reversal. It is exceptional,

58. but the point is, the exceptional is real, and the Bible deals with it. In the New
Testament we have another illustration in husband and wife team of Pricilla and
Aquilla. She was superior to him, and became the leader of that team.
What the Bible demands is just common sense. If the wife is gifted in some area
or all areas, then wisdom demands that she be the leader where she is strong. Paul
recognized this with Pricilla. He puts her name first whenever he refers to them.
Does this destroy what Paul says about wives being submissive to their husbands?
Not at all. It just destroys the legalistic application of the principle, which is the only
thing any woman could object to about that principle. Submission is simple an
acknowledgement of another's gifts, wisdom, and authority. Paul demands that it be
mutual between mates, for sometimes the wife has superior gifts. Both the Old
Testament and New Testament illustrate this, and Deborah is the prime example.
The times were chaotic and pressures were tremendous, and yet we see the people
of Israel turning to a woman for wisdom. Women are not supposed to be as
emotionally stable in a crisis, but this was long before any of those studies were
published, and so Deborah just went on giving her wise judgments. Deborah means,
"A bee," and just like the bumble bee who never read the reports that it is not built
right to fly, goes on flying, so she went on doing what women are not supposed to do
well. She kept cool, and gave forth the Word of God for personal and national
guidance.
She is the one who sent for Barak, and gave him the Word of God that he was to be
the general of Israel's army to fight Sisera the general of Jabin's army. She is the one
who gave him the prophecy that he would win the battle. God gave a woman the gift
of prophecy, and this exalted that sex to the level of being the very mouthpiece of
God along side of men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. I have not heard
many women preachers myself, but regardless of how I, or anyone else, might feel
about them, in the light of Deborah I would not have the audacity to ever say it is not
biblical for women to proclaim the Word of God. This is a hot issue for many, but it
certainly wasn't in the day of Deborah.
The thing that impresses me about this whole account of Deborah is its
naturalness. It is just recorded as fact. Deborah was wise, and she was a prophetess
that everybody accepted as God's choice for leadership. There is no big hassle made
about changing history to herstory, or boycott to girlcott, and all of the nonsense we
have in our day about trying to change sexes language. The Christian is to simply
accept the providence of God as did Israel. If God gives a woman gifts, then let them
be used, and praise God for them. The male or female that is God's choice will be a
blessing to both sexes.
If God raises up a gifted woman, men need not fear to follow her, for her
leadership will only exalt the male role. Deborah is the one who got Barak exalted to
a place in Heb. 11 where she never made it herself. The male role and status are not
threatened by her leadership. By this we can discern between women who are truly

59. sent of God, and those who desire to use their gifts to defeat and dominate men for
their own glory. Deborah's concern was for the glory of God and the good of His
people. A great and godly woman will always be one who lifts men to a nobler level.
Deborah did just that, and made her mark in the public arena of political leadership
with God and the people's full approval.
As a prophetess Deborah was able to discern the mind of God, and to declare it to
men, and, thereby, see God's will accomplished. Thank God for men who know
when to listen to women. Had Pilate listened to his wife he may have treated Jesus
differently. Had Nabal listened to his wise wife Abigail and let her handle his public
relations, he would not have gone down in history as a blundering fool. The point is,
the Bible supports the truth that most of us have to learn the hard way, and that is
that your wife may be right, and you need to listen to her. She may, in fact, be your
best advisor, just as Deborah was the best for Israel.
The opposite is also true, for Ahab never should have listened to Jezebel, and
Herod never should have listened to his wife. Solomon undermined most of his
wisdom by listening to his foreign wives. The female is equal in folly as well as in
faith, and so we are not trying to superficially exalt the female as a paragon of virtue.
We are simply recognizing that the female has all the same potential for good or evil
as the male. Therefore, she is to be treated, and related to, in ways that acknowledge
that equality.
That prince of expositors G. Campbell Morgan writes, "The one great message of
the story seems to be that it warns us to take heed that we do not imagine ourselves
to be wiser than God. When He calls and equips a woman to high service, let us
beware less we dishonor Him by refusing to recognize her, or cooperate with her." In
other words, the Christian attitude is to let women rise to the level of their gifts and
abilities. Listening to, and following, a wise and godly woman can be the key to
God's best in life. God can do what He wills without a woman or a man, for that
matter, but that is what makes it so wonderful, for He chooses to change history by
using men and women who will cooperate with Him. Next let us consider Deborah
as-
II. A PATRIOT.
A patriot is one who loves his or her country, and zealously supports its interests.
The people of Israel were sick and tired of the 20 years of slavery to Jabin, and they
crying out to God for help. The way God spells relief is DEBORAH. She was God's
answer to their prayers. A godly woman can be the best weapon a nation can have.
We know that Eve was God's answer to Adam's prayer, and that females have been
the answer to the prayers of men all through history. Deborah is an example of the
fact that God may also answer national prayers by raising up a woman.
Deborah was the real source of inspiration and leadership, and this is

60. acknowledged by Barak the general in verse 8 where he says to Deborah, "If you will
go with me I will go: But if you will not go with me, I will not go." Barak was a man
of faith, but he was not going after 700 iron chariots without the presence of
Deborah. She was obviously a charismatic personality that gave confidence and
assurance to all who were with her. He needed someone special, for he was taking on
a well drilled army with the best and newest fighting machines. He was fighting with
men out of training, and with nothing but homemade weapons. He needed her to
motivate his men.
Deborah was no Cleopatra, eager to reign over men and dominate them. She was
eager to inspire them to do the will of God, and gain freedom from their enemies that
they might more effectively live for God and His purposes. She aroused her nation
from its lethargy and despair. She awakened in them a determination to be free from
their bondage. Without her the victory would never have been attempted. Deborah
is proof that a woman may be the best national advisor. For a woman to be on the
supreme court of our land, or to be in the president's cabinet is no problem for those
who see how God has worked in the history of His people. History and the Bible
make it clear that patriotic women are a vital part of any nation that is blessed by
God.
Deborah went from settling personal disputes among God's people to settling
international disputes. All through history God has used women, not just in the
home and the church, but in the public arena of politics. It is not for all, or even
most women, but the point is, when God calls women to get involved in major
political ways, they have a tremendous impact. Never underestimate the power of
women to change the course of history. Deborah's leadership reversed the history of
Israel, and instead of living as slaves, they had 40 years of peace and freedom
because of her.
In our own land we enjoy enormous blessings because of patriotic women. I think
of just one group that God has used so uniquely in our land. The Quaker women
have always been treated as equals. They receive the same good education, and the
same freedom to use their gifts. The results are that this small group of women have
had a profound influence on all Americans. They were a major force in fighting
slavery, and in building institutions for care and education. They provided the first
battlefield nurses. Lucretia Mott became one of the greatest women leaders of the
19th century. She and other Quaker women, like the Grimke sisters were the first
Americans women to speak out in public and win for women the right to express
themselves in public. Then came Susan B. Anthony whose labors led women to gain
the right to vote. Quaker women were the first to do many things in our land to
benefit the whole nation. Their theology allowed them to enter into the freedoms of
our nation, and they expanded those freedoms for all. The third area of Deborah's
wisdom is that she was-
III. A POETESS.

61. Judges chapter 5 is considered one of the first pieces of literature ever written,
and Deborah was its author. One of its famous lines is, "The stars in their courses
fought against Sisera." It is a poetic way of saying that the universe is behind what is
good, and that nature itself will fight the forces of evil. Women did write parts of the
Bible. It was mostly songs like those of Miriam and Deborah in the Old Testament,
and Mary and Elizabeth in the New. A number of scholars are convinced also that
Pricilla is the author of the book of Hebrews. That may never be determined, but
what is determined is that God has, and does, inspire women as well as men.
Deborah was something of a female Solomon. She was wise in discerning what
was right, and people respected her judgments. She also had his creative gift of
writing songs. This is patriotic song of Israel, which records and rejoices in the
Lord's guidance to bring victory to them. It is of interest that women have always
enjoyed equality with men in the area of writing poetry and songs. History is filled
with women who have excelled in this area of creativity. Some of our most patriotic
songs were written by women. America the Beautiful was written by Katherine Lee
Bates, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic was written by Julia Ward Howe.
Many of the songs we sing to praise God, and to express our faith, are songs that
God has given to us through the minds and pens of women. This is a vast field of
study on its own. As Deborah's gifts were used to bless God's people in her day, so
the gifts of women have blessed the whole family of God all through history, and will
continue to do so until history ends. The point of all this is not that women should
go away singing, "Anything you can do I can do better," but that they rejoice with
men in the God who loves and uses both sexes to bless His people, and through them
the people of the world.
5
She held court under the Palm of Deborah
between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of
Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have
their disputes decided.
1. An unknown author wrote, "Deborah really was a shade-tree prophetess. She did
not occupy an office in Jerusalem, but worked beneath the shade of a “Date Palm

62. tree” nearly ten miles to the north, in the mountains of Ephraim, between Ramah
and Bethel (verse 5). People came out to her at this palm tree, and she settled their
disputes (or more literally “judged them”). This appears to be the same kind of
“judging” we see Moses doing (Exodus 18:13-27), and later his 70 helpers ( umbers
11:16-30). Her judging, like that of Moses and his helpers, was enabled by the Holy
Spirit. It may be that the gift of prophecy she possessed first became evident in her
judging. Who better to “judge” a matter than one who can “see” the situation
exactly as it is? As the word got out that God’s will could be known through
Deborah, many came to her for judgment. It would seem that she was but one of a
very few judging prophets, and even more likely that she was the only person gifted
and functioning in this way at this time."
1B. Most prophetesses were not the leaders of the land. They were gifted to
communicate the message of God, but they were not gifted with the wisdom to settle
disputes, and to be the ultimate authority in governing the people. Deborah stands
out as extremely unique in this sense. Being a judge in the time of Judges was
equivalent to being the king or the president. She was the supreme court, the
legislature and the President all rolled into one, and this made her one of a kind in
history. Most all of the other judges of this period were known for their leadership
in battle. They were great with the weapons of warfare. Deborah was great with the
mind. She was an educator who helped people in unique ways that made them
delight in her caring spirit. o other judge did what she did. She is the only person
besides Samuel to be called both judge and prophet.
2. The people of Israel came to her to settle disputes, and so people had confidence
in her just like they had in Solomon later because she was obviously wise and fair.
They trusted her judgment for she was a woman who was committed to do the will
of God, and she sought God's guidance for her decisions. In the midst of so much
ungodliness her court was an oasis of godliness. It was so rare to have such a wise
woman judging the nation's people at that time, but in our day there are many
women in our courts as judges, right up to the Supreme Court of the land. We even
have a Jewish woman by the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as one of our Supreme
Court justices. Women have always been capable of being educated and rising to the
top of any profession, but they never had the chance through much of history. That
is why it is a delightful surprise to find a Deborah in the day of the Judges rising to
the top.
3. She just illustrates that God has never been opposed to using women for the
highest purposes in his plan for the world. If they are rare in olden times it is
because they never had the opportunities that they have today. The important thing
to recognize is that it has always been acceptable to God to have a woman in the
highest places of leadership. The people were open to it in the day of Deborah, but
when the society looks down on female leadership, then it is not possible for them to
rise to such positions. Today there are many female leaders because we live in a
culture where they are free to use all of the gifts God has endowed them with. This
has not always been the case even in Christian cultures. There is still the feeling
among many males that is threatening about a woman leading them, and so the

63. story of Deborah is often ignored and not taught in Bible classes.
4. There are still those who will not let a woman teach men, but this is folly if the
woman is the best qualified to teach, which is often the case. John Macarthur is a
well known Bible Teacher of our day, and he says this in a message about Deborah:
"Just because we think a woman can't or shouldn't do something, doesn't make it
so. ow let me add that I'm actually very conservative when it comes to woman's
work. I'm not always comfortable with some roles women take on and I believe
there are some jobs they shouldn't do. But just because I think that way it doesn't
limit who God can use for whatever purpose he has in mind. Deborah led Israel not
because there were no men who would do it but because, from God's perspective,
she was the most qualified. You see it did not matter if Deborah was a man or
woman because it was God working through her not the other way around. God will
use you today not because of your gender or your age or your position or your
abilities but based on your submission to him. That's why Paul could write in
Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus." God will use any of us if we will let him. The
problem is we often hinder God by our obsession with titles and positions. Who
cares if you are a man or a woman? Who cares if you are an elder or deacon? Who
cares if you have a graduate degree from a Bible College or barely finished high
school? Who cares if you are articulate or shy? We do. God doesn't."
BAR ES, "She dwelt - Rather, “she sat,” namely, to judge the people Jdg_4:10, but
not in the usual place, “the gate” Rth_4:1-2; Pro_22:22. It suited her character, and the
wild unsafe times better, that she should sit under a palm-tree in the secure heights of
Mount Ephraim, between Ramah and Bethel (Jdg_20:33 note). This verse shows that
the Judges exercised the civil as well as military functions of rulers 1Sa_7:15-17.
GILL, "And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah,.... Her dwelling house
was under a palm tree, or rather she sat under one, in the open air, when the people
came to her with their cases, and it was called from hence after her name; though some,
as Abarbinel observes, think it was so called, because Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah,
was buried here, and which was near Bethel, one of the places next mentioned, see Gen_
35:8,
between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim; which places were in the tribe of
Benjamin in the borders of Ephraim, see Jos_16:2. The Jews conclude, from the
situation of her, that she was a very opulent woman; the Targum is,"she was dwelling in
a city in Ataroth, Deborah was supported of her own; she had palm trees in Jericho,
orchards in Ramah, olives producing oil in the valley, a place of watering in Bethel, and
white dust in the kings mountain:"
and the children of Israel came up to her; from all parts of the land to the mount
of Ephraim:
for judgment: to have her advice and counsel in matters of difficulty, and to have
causes between contending parties heard and decided by her, so that she might be truly
reckoned among the judges.

64. ELLICOTT, "(5) She dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah.—Similarly Abraham is said
to have lived under the oak of Mamre (Genesis 14:13), and Saul under the pomegranate
of Migron (1 Samuel 14:2). “Such tents the patriarchs loved “(Coleridge). Dean Stanley
(Jewish Chron. i. 318) draws a fine contrast between the triumphant “mother of Israel”
(Judges 5 under her palm, full of the fire of faith and energy,and Judæa Captiva,
represented on the coins of Titus as a weeping woman sitting under a palm-tree, “with
downcast eyes and folded hands, and extinguished hopes.” The words “she dwelt” are
literally she was sitting, which may merely mean that she took her station under this
well-known and solitary palm when she was giving her judgment (comp. Psalms 9:3);
just as St. Louis, under the oak-tree at Vincennes (Stanley, Jewish Chron. i. 218), and as
Ethelbert received St. Austin and his monks under an oak. The tree won its name as the
“Deborah palm” from her, and may also have originated the name Baal-Tamar, “the lord
of the palm” (Judges 20:33). Near it was another very famous tree—Allon-Bachuth—the
oak or terebinth of weeping; so called from the weeping at the burial of the other
Deborah (Genesis 35:8), which is alluded to in 1 Samuel 10:3, if the true reading there be
“the oak of Deborah,” and not of Tabor, as Thenius conjectures.
Between Ramah and Beth-el.—Both towns were on the confines of Benjamin and
Ephraim (see Joshua 18:25; Joshua 16:2).
In mount Ephraim.—The one secure spot in Palestine. (See Note on Judges 3:27.) The
Chaldee prosaically amplifies this into “she lived in Ataroth (Joshua 15:2), having
independent means, and she had palm-trees in Jericho, gardens in Ramah, olive-yards
in the valley, a well-watered land in Bethel, and white clay in the king’s mount.”
Came up.—A technical term for going before a superior (Numbers 16:12; Deuteronomy
25:7). Deborah, unlike the German Veleda—who lived in a tower, in awful seclusion—
allowed the freest access to her presence as she sat beneath her palm.
BENSON, "4:5. And she dwelt — Or, as the Septuagint and Vulgate understand it, she
sat: she had her judgment-seat in the open air, under the shadow of that tree, which was
an emblem of the justice she administered there: thriving and growing against
opposition, as the palm-tree does under pressures. Came to her — To have their suits
and causes determined by her sentence.
WHEDON, "5. Dwelt under the palm tree — This was her official seat or throne. “She sat
under a large palm, public and free, accessible to all; not like the German Velleda, who,
according to Tacitus, sat in a tower, and to whom no one was admitted, in order to
increase the veneration in which she was held. The palm was the common symbol of
Canaan; it adorned the coins of both the Phenicians and the Jews.” — Cassel. From its
being the well known place where this prophetess judged, and being popularly called
after her, it was still known to the historian as the palm tree of Deborah.
Between Ramah and Beth-el — These cities fell within the territory of Ephraim, and were
about six miles apart. The great mountain range in which they lay early acquired the
name of Mount Ephraim, from its being largely allotted to that tribe. Joshua 16.
Came up to her for judgment — They came unto the prophetess as unto a divine oracle,
seeking to know the divine will and judgment in cases of difficulty or danger.

65. PETT, "Verse 5
‘And she stationed herself under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and
Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for
judgment.’
When local justice failed, or cases were too complicated, or inter-tribal, or needed
special discernment, the people would come to her. She was seen as having wisdom
from God. She stationed herself under a palm tree (which would provide shade)
which was ever afterwards called ‘the palm tree of Deborah’. (There is little reason
for identifying it as the oak under which Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried).
Under a prominent tree would appear to have been a regular place for giving
judgments, and made the judge accessible.
“Between Ramah and Bethel.” This would be in Benjaminite territory, and central
for the tribes. It would be near Mizpah where the tribes met for judgment (Judges
20:1).
“And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.” One of the
responsibilities of the judges was administration and justice. But all who were called
judges were seen as having Yahweh with them in one way or another. Such a
position required the Spirit of Yahweh.
6
She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh
in aphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God
of Israel, commands you: `Go, take with you ten
thousand men of aphtali and Zebulun and lead
the way to Mount Tabor.
1. She is the one who sent for Barak, and gave him the Word of God that he was to
be the general of Israel's army to fight Sisera the general of Jabin's army. She is the
one who gave him the prophecy that he would win the battle. God gave a woman
the gift of prophecy, and this exalted that sex to the level of being the very
mouthpiece of God along side of men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. I
have not heard many women preachers myself, but regardless of how I, or anyone
else, might feel about them, in the light of Deborah I would not have the audacity to
ever say it is not biblical for women to proclaim the Word of God. This is a hot
issue for many, but it certainly wasn't in the day of Deborah.

66. 2. The thing that impresses me about this whole account of Deborah is its
naturalness. It is just recorded as fact. Deborah was wise, and she was a
prophetess that everybody accepted as God's choice for leadership. There is no big
hassle made about changing history to herstory, or boycott to girlcott, and all of the
nonsense we have in our day about trying to change sexist language. The Christian
is to simply accept the providence of God as did Israel. If God gives a woman gifts,
then let them be used, and praise God for them. The male or female that is God's
choice will be a blessing to both sexes.
3. If God raises up a gifted woman, men need not fear to follow her, for her
leadership will only exalt the male role. Deborah is the one who got Barak exalted to
a place in Heb. 11 where she never made it herself. The male role and status are not
threatened by her leadership. By this we can discern between women who are truly
sent of God, and those who desire to use their gifts to defeat and dominate men for
their own glory. Deborah's concern was for the glory of God and the good of His
people. A great and godly woman will always be one who lifts men to a nobler level.
Deborah did just that, and made her mark in the public arena of political leadership
with God and the people's full approval.
4. As a prophetess Deborah was able to discern the mind of God, and to declare it to
men, and, thereby, see God's will accomplished. Thank God for men who know
when to listen to women. Had Pilate listened to his wife he may have treated Jesus
differently. Had abal listened to his wise wife Abigail and let her handle his public
relations, he would not have gone down in history as a blundering fool. The point is,
the Bible supports the truth that most of us have to learn the hard way, and that is
that your wife may be right, and you need to listen to her. She may, in fact, be your
best advisor, just as Deborah was the best for Israel.
5. The opposite is also true, for Ahab never should have listened to Jezebel, and
Herod never should have listened to his wife. Solomon undermined most of his
wisdom by listening to his foreign wives. The female is equal in folly as well as in
faith, and so we are not trying to superficially exalt the female as a paragon of
virtue. We are simply recognizing that the female has all the same potential for
good or evil as the male. Therefore, she is to be treated, and related to, in ways that
acknowledge that equality.
6. That prince of expositors G. Campbell Morgan writes, "The one great message of
the story seems to be that it warns us to take heed that we do not imagine ourselves
to be wiser than God. When He calls and equips a woman to high service, let us
beware less we dishonor Him by refusing to recognize her, or cooperate with her."
In other words, the Christian attitude is to let women rise to the level of their gifts
and abilities. Listening to, and following, a wise and godly woman can be the key to
God's best in life.
BAR ES, "The name Barak signifies lightning, an appropriate name for a warrior. It

67. is found also as Barca or Barcas, among Punic proper names. Compare Mar_3:17. On
Kedesh-Naphtali see the marginal reference.
Deborah speaks of God as Yahweh the God of Israel, because she speaks, as it were, in
the presence of the pagan enemies of Israel, and to remind the Israelites, in the day of
their distress, that He was ready to perform the mercy promised to their fathers, and to
remember His holy covenant. This title, too, would recall to their memories in an instant
all His past acts in Egypt, at the Red Sea, in the wilderness, and in the conquest of
Canaan.
The object of “drawing (toward Mount Tabor” rather, spreading out, compare Jdg_
20:37) was to effect a junction of the northern tribes with the tribes of Ephraim and
Benjamin, who were separated from them by the plain of Esdraelon, where Sisera’s
chariots would naturally congregate and be most effective. Mount Tabor rises from the
plain of Esdraelon, about 1,865 ft. above the sea, and its broad top of nearly a mile in
circumference afforded a strong position, out of reach of Sisera’s chariots. If El
Harathiyeh be Harosheth, Sisera must have marched from the west. Harathiyeh is a
height in the range which separates Esdraelon from the plains of Acre, under which the
Kishon breaks through in its course to the sea.
CLARKE, "She sent and called Barak - She appointed him to be general of the
armies on this occasion; which shows that she possessed the supreme power in the state.
Mount Tabor - “Mount Tabor,” says Maundrell, “stands by itself, about two or three
furlongs within the plains of Esdraelon. It has a plain area at the top, both fertile and
delicious of an oval figure, extending about one furlong in breadth, and two in length.
The prospect from the top is beautiful: on the N.W. is the Mediterranean; and all around
you have the spacious plains of Esdraelon and Galilee, which present you with a view of
many places famous for the resort and miracles of the Son of God. At the bottom of
Tabor, westward, stands Daberah, a small village, supposed to have taken its name from
Deborah. Near this valley is the brook Kishon. During the rainy season, all the water that
falls on the eastern side of the mountain, or upon the rising ground to the southward,
empties itself into it, in a number of torrents: at which conjuncture it overflows its
banks, acquires a wonderful rapidity, and carries all before it. It might be at such a time
as this when the stars are said to fight against Sisera, Jdg_5:20, Jdg_5:21, by bringing
an abundance of rain, whereby the Kishon became so high and rapid as to sweep away
the host of Sisera, in attempting to ford it.” See Maundrell and Shaw. This mountain is
very difficult of ascent; it took Mr. Maundrell nearly an hour to reach the top; this, with
its grand area on the summit, made a very proper place for the rendezvous of Barak’s
army. Antiochus used it for the same purpose in his wars; and Josephus appears to have
fortified it; and Placidus, one of Vespasian’s generals, was sent to reduce it. See more in
Calmet.
GILL, "And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of
Kedeshnaphtali,.... So called to distinguish it from other places of the same name, this
being in the tribe of Naphtali, and a city of refuge, Jos_20:7; of which tribe and place
Barak was, but who he and his father Abinoam were we have no other account; it seems
clear from hence that he was not the husband of Deborah, as the Jews say, or they would
have lived together; though, according to Ben Gersom, she lived separate from him,
because of the spirit of prophecy that was upon her; however, in this mission and
message to Barak she acted not as a private person, but as a judge in Israel, and as
having and exercising public power and authority:

68. and said unto him; when come to her upon her summons:
hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded: can any doubt be made of it? can
Barak in the least question it, as if she should say? the interrogation carries in it a strong
affirmation, that the Lord had commanded, and that he had commanded by her mouth:
saying, go and draw toward Mount Tabor; a mountain on the border of Zebulun,
and between the tribes of Issachar and Naphtali, and so lay very convenient for the
inhabitants of these tribes to meet here; of which See Gill on Jos_19:22; here Balak is
directed to steer his course, and betake himself, and draw others with him by persuasive
motives and arguments, urging the command of God by Deborah the prophetess, and
the assurance given from the Lord by her of victory over their enemies, and deliverance
from them; for otherwise the children of Israel were in great fear of Jabin, because of his
large army, and iron chariots:
and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the
children of Zebulun? which were near at hand, and were the tribes which perhaps
were most oppressed, and therefore more easily to be persuaded to engage in this
expedition; and the number of them is fixed, as being sufficient for this service, and
whose hearts the Lord would engage in it, so that Barak would have little to do but to
move it to them, and enforce it with proper arguments; and as they would willingly offer
themselves, as it appears afterwards they did, he was at once to take them with him to
Mount Tabor, on the top of which was a plain of twenty six furlongs or about three miles,
as Josephus (b) says, surrounded by a wall; though modern travellers make it much less,
on which, however, he might draw up his army of ten thousand men, and muster and
exercise them.
HENRY 6-7, " The project laid for their deliverance. When the children of Israel came
to her for judgment, with her they found salvation. So those that seek to God for grace
shall have grace and peace, grace and comfort, grace and glory. She was not herself fit to
command an army in person, being a woman; but she nominated one that was fit, Barak
of Naphtali, who, it is probable, had already signalized himself in some rencounters with
the forces of the oppressor, living near him (for Hazor and Harosheth lay within the lot
of that tribe), and thereby had gained a reputation and interest among his people. Some
struggles, we may suppose, that brave man had made towards the shaking off of the
yoke, but could not effect it till he had his commission and instructions from Deborah.
He could do nothing without her head, nor she without his hands; but both together
made a complete deliverer, and effected a complete deliverance. The greatest and best
are not self-sufficient, but need one another.
1. By God's direction, she orders Barak to raise an army, and engage Jabin's forces,
that were under Sisera's command, Jdg_4:6, Jdg_4:7. Barak, it may be, had been
meditating some great attempt against the common enemy; a spark of generous fire was
glowing in his breast, and he would fain do something to the purpose for his people and
for the cities of his God. But two things discouraged him:
(1.) He wanted a commission to levy forces; this therefore Deborah here gives him
under the broad seal of heaven, which, as a prophetess, she had a warrant to affix to it:
“Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded it? Yet, certainly he has; take my word for
it.” Some think she intends this as an appeal to Barak's own heart. “Has not God, by a
secret whisper to thyself, given thee some intimation of his purpose to make use of thee

69. as an instrument in his hands to save Israel? Hast not thou felt some impulse of this
kind upon thy own spirit?” If so, the spirit of prophesy in Deborah confirms the spirit of
a soldier in Barak: Go and draw towards Mount Tabor. [1.] She directs him what
number of men to raise - 10,000; and let him not fear that these will be too few, when
God hath said he will by them save Israel. [2.] Whence he should raise them - only out of
his own tribe, and that of Zebulun next adjoining. These two counties should furnish
him with an army sufficient; he need not stay to go further. And, [3.] She orders him
where to make his rendezvous - at Mount Tabor, in his own neighbourhood.
(2.) When he had an army raised, he knew not how he should have an opportunity of
engaging the enemy, who perhaps declined fighting, having heard that Israel, if they had
but courage enough to make head against any enemy, seldom failed of success. “Well,”
says Deborah, in the name of “God, I will draw unto thee Sisera and his army.” She
assured him that the matter should be determined by one pitched battle, and should not
be long in the doing. [1.] In mentioning the power of the enemy, Sisera, a celebrated
general, bold and experienced, his chariots, his iron chariots, and his multitude of
soldiers, she obliged Barak to fortify himself with the utmost degree of resolution; for
the enemy he was to engage was a very formidable one. It is good to know the worst, that
we may provide accordingly. But, [2.] In fixing the very place to which Sisera would draw
his army, she gave him a sign, which might help to confirm his faith when he came to
engage. it was a contingent things, and depended upon Sisera's own will; but, when
afterwards Barak should see the event falling out just as Deborah had foretold, he might
thence infer that certainly in the rest she said she spoke under a divine direction, which
would be a great encouragement to him, especially because with this, [3.] She gave him
an express promise of success I will (that is, God will, in whose name I speak) deliver
them into thy hand; so that when he saw them drawn up against him, according to
Deborah's word, he might be confident that, according to her word, he should soon see
them fallen before him. Observe, God drew them to him only that he might deliver them
into his hand. When Sisera drew his forces together, he designed the destruction of
Israel; but God gathered them as sheaves into the floor, for their own destruction, Mic_
4:11, Mic_4:12. Assemble yourselves, and you shall be broken to pieces, Isa_8:9. See
Rev_19:17, Rev_19:18.
K&D 6-7, "But in order to secure the rights of her people against their outward foes
also, she summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh, in the tribe of Naphtali, on
the west of the Huleh lake (see at Jos_12:22), and made known to him the commands of
the Lord: “Up and draw to Mount Tabor, and take with thee 10,000 men of the children
of Naphtali and Zebulun; and I will draw to thee into the brook-valley of Kishon, Sisera
the captain of Jabin's army, and his chariots, and his multitude (his men of war), and
give him into thy hand.” ָ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫מ‬ has been explained in different ways. Seb. Schmidt,
Clericus, and others supply ‫ן‬ ֶ‫ר‬ ֶ ַ‫ה‬ or ‫ר‬ ָ‫ּופ‬ ַ‫,ה‬ draw with the trumpet (cf. Exo_19:13; Jos_
6:5), i.e., blow the trumpet in long-drawn tones, upon Mount Tabor, and regard this as
the signal for convening people; whilst Hengstenberg (Diss. ii. pp. 76, 77) refers to
Num_10:9, and understands the blowing of the horn as the signal by which the
congregation of the Lord made known its need to Him, and appealed to Him to come to
its help. It cannot indeed be proved that the blowing of the trumpet was merely the
means adopted for convening the people together; in fact, the use of the following ‫י‬ ִ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫,מ‬
in the sense of draw, is to be explained on the supposition that ָ ‫כ‬ ַ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫מ‬ is used in a double
sense. “The long-drawn notes were to draw the Lord to them, and then the Lord would

70. draw to them Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army. Barak first calls the helper from
heaven, and then the Lord calls the enemy upon earth.” Nevertheless we cannot
subscribe to this explanation, first of all because the supposed ellipsis cannot be
sustained in this connection, when nothing is said about the blowing of a trumpet either
in what precedes or in what follows; and secondly, because Num_10:9 cannot be
appealed to in explanation, for the simple reason that it treats of the blowing of the
silver trumpets on the part of the priests, and they must not be confounded with the
shopharoth. And the use made of the trumpets at Jericho cannot be transferred to the
passage before us without some further ground. We are disposed therefore to take the
word ְ‫ך‬ ַ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫מ‬ in the sense of draw (intransitive), i.e., proceed one after another in a long-
drawn train (as in Jdg_20:37 and Exo_12:21), referring to the captain and the warriors
drawing after him; whilst in Jdg_4:7 it is to be translated in the same way, though with a
transitive signification. Mount Tabor, called ᅾταβύριον by the Greeks (see lxx Hos_5:1),
the mountain of Christ's transfiguration according to an early tradition of the church,
the present Jebel et Tur, is a large truncated cone of limestone, which is almost perfectly
insulated, and rises to the height of about a thousand feet, on the north-eastern border
of the plain of Jezreel. The sides of the mountain are covered with a forest of oaks and
wild pistachios, and upon its flat summit, which is about half an hour in circumference,
there are the remains of ancient fortifications (see Robinson, Pal. iii. pp. 211ff., and v.
Raumer, Pal. pp. 37, 38). The words “and take with thee 10,000 men” are not to be
understood as signifying that Barak was to summon the people together upon the top of
Mount Tabor, but the assembling of the people is presupposed; and all that is
commanded is, that he was to proceed to Mount Tabor with the assembled army, and
make his attack upon the enemy, who were encamped in the valley of Kishon, from that
point. According to Jdg_4:10, the army was collected at Kedesh in Naphtali. Nachal
Kishon is not only the brook Kishon, which is formed by streams that take their rise from
springs upon Tabor and the mountains of Gilboa, flows in a north-westerly direction
through the plain of Jezreel to the Mediterranean, and empties itself into the bay of
Acca, and which is called Mukatta by the natives (see Rob. iii. pp. 472ff., and v. Raumer,
pp. 39, 50), but the valley on both sides of the brook, i.e., the plain of Jezreel (see at Jos_
17:16), where the greatest battles have been fought for the possession of Palestine from
time immemorial down to the most recent times (see v. Raumer, pp. 40ff.).
ELLICOTT, "(6) Barak.—The name means “lightning” (Jos., Antt.), as does Barca, the
family name of Hannibal and Hasdrubal. So in Virgil, the Scipios are called “two
lightnings of war.” (Comp. Boanerges, Mark 3:17.)
Kedesh-naphtali.—The name “Kedesh” means a holy city. There were, therefore, many
towns of the name, as Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 20:1; Joshua 15:23), and Kedesh in
Issachar (Joshua 12:22). Jerusalem is called “the holy, the noble” (El kuds, es shereef).
This sanctuary of Naphtali was a Levitical refuge city in Galilee (Joshua 19:35; Joshua
20:7; Joshua 21:32). Josephus says that it was not far from Phœnicia (Jos., Antt. xiii. 5, §
6). The site of it is probably at Kades, four miles north-west of Lake Merom. The reading
of the Syriac and Arabic versions here—Rakam—is inexplicable. The fact that the fame of
Barak had penetrated from the northern city to the southern limits of Ephraim shows
that he must have been a man of great mark.
Draw.—The meaning of the word is uncertain. The Rabbis understand “the people,”
others understand “thy steps,” referring to Genesis 37:21; Exodus 12:21 (Heb.). The

71. LXX. has “thou shalt depart;” the Vulgate, “lead;” the Chaldee, “spread out,” as in Judges
20:37. There, however, our version gives in the margin the alternative “made a long
sound with the trumpet,” and the verb is used in that sense in Exodus 19:13; Joshua 6:5,
but there the substantive is added. The word probably implies that Barak is to draw his
troops together in small contingents to prevent suspicion.
Mount Tabor.—The broad flat top of this strong, beautiful, and easily fortified
mountain (which is nearly a mile in circumference) would serve the double purpose of a
watch-post and a stronghold. It was in the district of Issachar, about six miles from
Nazareth, and its peculiarities attracted notice in very early days (see Joshua 19:22;
Psalms 89:12; Jeremiah 46:18). Josephus calls it Itaburion; he held it for some time
successfully against Placidus and the Romans (Jos., B. J. iv. 1, § 8). Its huge truncated
cone of limestone rises isolated from the plain to the height of nearly nineteen hundred
feet, and its sides are clothed with oaks and terebinths. It is now called Jebel et Tur. It
was long regarded as the scene of the Transfiguration, but it must yield this glory to
Mount Hermon. But the sacred character of the hill seems to be distinctly intimated in
Deuteronomy 33:19 : “They (Zebulon and Issachar) shall call the people unto the
mountains; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;” Jeremiah 46:18 : “As I live,
saith the King, whose name is the Lord of Hosts, surely as Tabor is among the
mountains . . . so shall he come.”
Of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.—The northern tribes
would feel most painfully the tyranny of Jabin, and these were the two most energetic of
them.
BENSON, "4:6. Called Barak — By virtue of that power which God had given her, and
the people owned in her. Out of Kedesh-naphtali — So called, to distinguish it from other
places of that name, one in Judah, and another in Issachar. Hath not the Lord, &c. —
That is, assuredly God hath commanded thee; this is not the fancy of a weak woman,
which peradventure thou mightest despise; but the command of the great God by my
mouth, Mount Tabor — A place most fit for his purpose, as being in the borders of divers
tribes, and having a large plain at the top of it, where he might conveniently marshal and
discipline his army. Naphtali and Zebulun — These she names, because they were
nearest, and best known to Barak, and therefore would soonest be brought together;
because they were nearest, to the enemy, and therefore must speedily be assembled, or
else they were likely to be hindered in their design; while the other tribes, being at a
distance, had better opportunity of gathering forces for their succour; and because these
had most smarted under this oppressor, who was in the heart of their country; but these
are not named exclusively, as appears by the concurrence of some other tribes.
WHEDON, "6. She sent and called Barak — The prophetess has a higher divine calling
and authority than the commander of the army, and, like Elisha in the war with Mesha, a
later king of Moab, gives directions which the officers of the army must obey. The name
Barak means lightning — appropriate name for the hero of the flashing sword.
Kedesh-naphtali — So called from being in the tribe territory of Naphtali. Joshua
19:37. It was a city of refuge, and the sacred city of the northern tribes. Joshua 20:7.

72. Hath not the Lord… commanded — The interrogative form of expressing a most
emphatic affirmation.
Draw toward — Proceed in small companies, one after another, so as not to attract
notice, or excite too sudden alarm. Mount Tabor is in several respects the most
remarkable mountain of Palestine. It rises from the northeastern part of the great Plain
of Esdraelon, and, according to Newman, its graceful form varies with the standpoint of
the beholder. Viewed from the heights of Carmel, it resembles a truncated cone; as seen
from the northern hills of Galilee, it reminds one of the pyramids of Egypt; from the
mountains of Samaria it appears like the segment of a great circle; and from the hills just
south, it is not unlike a terraced mound or woodland park. Its summit commands a
magnificent view of the great Plain of Jezreel below, which from the time of Deborah and
Barak has been the battlefield of the nations. The occupation of Tabor gave Barak an
advantage over Sisera’s forces, which were at Harosheth, near the mouth of the Kishon
valley, and must approach to meet him in the plain below.
Ten thousand men — An even number, to indicate approximately the force required. It
was not to be too large, so as to be unwieldy; nor too small, so as to lack the force and
enthusiasm of a considerable host. Of…
Naphtali and… Zebulun — These tribes, who had chiefly felt the bitter oppression of
Jabin, braved most, and probably suffered most, in this war. Comp. note on chap.
Judges 5:18. These tribes, too, were nearest to the field of battle, and most readily
summoned by Barak, whose home was in Naphtali.
PETT, "Verse 6
‘And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-naphtali. And said
to him, “Has not Yahweh, the God of Israel commanded? Go, and draw toward Mount
Tabor, and take with you ten eleph men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children
of Zebulun.” ’
The Spirit of Yahweh was at work for Deborah had foreseen short term coming events.
She was thus completely in charge. We must assume that Barak was a recognised battle
leader whose influence was such that she knew men would follow him. The power of her
influence is seen in that he came. His name means ‘lightning’, a worthy opponent for
Baal, the god of lightning who was worshipped in Hazor. He was to be Yahweh’s
lightning. He lived in Naphtali territory, of which Hazor was one of the cities allotted to
them. Perhaps both were in her mind when she chose him.
“And said to him, “Has not Yahweh, the God of Israel commanded?”” Yahweh of
Hosts, the God of Israel, was in charge of operations here. He was their commander
(compare Joshua 5:14). And He was doing it through Deborah.
“Go, and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten eleph men of the children
of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun.” Mount Tabor was a mountain rising from
the plain of Jezreel to a height of 588 metres (1900 feet). It was steep-sloped and on the
Zebulun-Issachar border. There they would be safe from chariots, which would

73. encourage the Israelite fighting men. ‘Go and draw’ refers to the plan to draw Sisera’s
chariots towards Mount Tabor. He was to take ten largish units of men. Military units
were split into ‘elephs’, ‘hundreds’ and ‘tens’ (Judges 20:10), but as often with military
units the number was theoretical. The actual group would be far smaller.
COKE, "Verse 6-7
Judges 4:6-7. And she sent and called Barak, &c.— In virtue of her supreme authority,
which was uncontested by the whole nation, she sent for Barak; concerning whom we
know no more than that he was born or dwelt in the city of Kedesh, in the tribe of
Naphtali. Tabor, towards which Barak was ordered to draw his forces, was a famous
mountain not far from Kedesh, in the tribe of Zebulun, and upon the confines of
Issachar and Manasseh; which had a large plain at the top of it, where an army might be
drawn up and exercised commodiously. Modern travellers confirm this. "Mount Tabor,"
says Maundrell, "stands by itself, about two or three furlongs within the plain of
Esdraelon: after a very laborious ascent, which took up near an hour, we reached the
highest part of the mountain: it has a plain area at the top, most fertile and delicious, of
an oval figure, extending about one furlong in breadth, and two in length. This area is
inclosed with trees on all parts, except towards the south. It was anciently environed
with walls and trenches, and other fortifications, of which it exhibits many remains at
this day.—From the top of Tabor you have a prospect which well rewards the labour of
ascending it. It is impossible for man's eye to behold a higher gratification of this nature.
On the north-west you discern at a distance the Mediterranean; and all around you have
the spacious and beautiful plains of Esdraelon and Galilee, which present you with the
view of many places memorable for the resort and miracles of the Son of God. At the
bottom of Tabor westward, stands Daberah, a small village, supposed to take its name
from Deborah. Near this valley is the fountain of Kishon." See Journey from Aleppo, p.
114. Concerning Kishon, Dr. Shaw tells us, "In travelling under a south-east brow of
Carmel, I had an opportunity of seeing the sources of the river Kishon, three or four of
which lie within less than a furlong of each other, and are called Rasel-Kishon, or the
head of Kishon. These alone, without the lesser contributions, nearer the sea, discharge
water enough to form a river half as big as the Isis. During the rainy season, all the water
which falls on the eastern side of the mountain, or upon the rising ground to the
southward, empties itself into it in a number of torrents, at which conjunctures it
overflows its banks, acquires a wonderful rapidity, and carries all before it. It might be at
such a conjuncture as this when the stars are said to fight against Sisera, (ch. Judges
5:21.) by bringing an abundance of rain, whereby the Kishon was occasionally so high
and rapid, as to sweep away the host of Sisera in attempting to ford it. But these
inundations are extemporaneous only, without any duration; for the course of the
Kishon, which is but about seven miles in length, runs very briskly, till within half a
league of the sea, where it loses itself." See Travels, p. 274.
7

74. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army,
with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon
River and give him into your hands.'"
BAR ES, "The brook or stream Kishon (Nahr Mukutta), so called from its winding
course, caused by the dead level of the plain of Esdraelon through which it flows, rises,
in respect to one of its sources or feeders, in Mount Tabor, and flows nearly due west
through the plain, under Mount Carmel, and into the Bay of Acre. In the early or eastern
part of its course, before it is recruited by the springs on Carmel, it is nothing but a
torrent, often dry, but liable to swell very suddenly and dangerously, and to overflow its
banks in early spring, after rain or the melting of snow. The ground on the banks of the
Kishon near Megiddo (Mujedd’a, see Jos_12:21 note) becomes an impassable morass
under the same circumstances, and would be particularly dangerous to a large number
of chariots.
GILL, "And I will draw unto thee,.... Which are the words of the Lord by Deborah, as
are the preceding, signifying, that by the secret and powerful influence of his providence
he would so order things, and the circumstances of them; and so powerfully operate on
the mind and heart of the Canaanitish general as to engage him to come
to the river Kishon, Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots,
and his multitude; called the ancient river, the river Kishon, Jdg_5:21. According to
Mr. Maundrell (c), the fountain of it was near the valley, at the bottom of Mount Tabor,
where Barak was to have his army in readiness to attack Sisera; and which river,
according to the same traveller (d) cuts his way down the middle of the plain of and then
continuing his course close by the side of Mount Carmel, falls into the sea at a place
called with which agrees the account of Mr. Sandys (e), says it flows from the mountains
of Tabor and Hermon, and, gliding by the north skirts of Carmel, discharges itself into
the sea. This river is supposed to be the Chorsaeus of Ptolemy (f): hither the Lord in his
providence would incline the mind of Sisera to come with his large army and chariots,
and give Barak an opportunity to fall upon him:
and I will deliver him into thine hand; not his person only, but his numerous
hosts, and his nine hundred chariots.
ELLICOTT, "(7) To the river Kishon.—This word rendered “river” is nachal, which
means rather “a torrent-bed” or “water-course,” the Arabic wady, the Italian fiumara—
such as the bed of the Kedron and the Rhinocolura. (LXX. cheimarrous, Vulg. torrens.)
The river is always prominently mentioned in connection with this great victory (Psalms
83:9), because the overwhelming defeat of Canaan was due in great measure to the
providential swelling of the torrent-waters, which turned its banks into a morass and
rendered the iron chariots worse than useless. It contributed in the same way to the
defeat of the Turks in the battle of Mount Tabor, April, 1799. The river is now called the
Mukatta, i.e., “the river of slaughter.” It rises partly in Mount Tabor and flows into the
Bay of Acre, under Mount Carmel. (Comp. 1 Kings 18:40.) The plain of Jezreel

75. (Esdraelon), through which it flows, has been in all ages the battle-field of Palestine.
WHEDON, "7. I will draw unto thee… Sisera — She speaks in the name of Jehovah, who
has power to influence human hearts, and turn them whithersoever he will.
River Kishon — See on Judges 5:21.
With his chariots — Rather, and his chariots. Jehovah disposed the events and
controlled the issues of this war so as to bring victory to his people. In drawing Sisera’s
hosts and chariots towards Barak, and along the Kishon, Jehovah prepared the way for
their utter ruin by means of the driving tempest and the swelling flood. Compare Judges
5:4-5; Judges 5:20-22.
PETT, "Verse 7
“And I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his
chariots and his large body of fighting men, and I will deliver him into your hand.”
These were the words of their battle general, Yahweh. Once Sisera heard of their
gathering on Mount Tabor, in what was clearly an attempt at rebellion, he would take his
chariots and men over to the mount in accordance with Yahweh’s plan. Then Yahweh
would arrange for them to be delivered into the hands of Barak’s small army.
But the song of Deborah makes clear that Barak had reserves to call on from the tribal
confederacy. Some came from Ephraim, others from Benjamin, and more from Machir
(Manasseh) (Judges 5:14).
8
Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go;
but if you don't go with me, I won't go."
1. Deborah knew that the forces of Israel could now overcome the enemies of Israel,
and so she was a pure delight to Barak the commander of the army of Israel. So
much so that he says in that he will not go to war unless she comes with him. Here is
a male warrior who refuses to enter the battlefield without this female by his side.
Because she knew the future she was a picture of faith and confidence, and he and
his men needed that. She was to the army of Israel what Joan of Arc was to the
forces of France. She gave them motivation and confidence to fight with assurance
of victory.
2. "Here we have the humor of a male general not willing to go to battle without the

76. presence of a female judge. He had a wimpy attitude and so he was told he would
win but not get the glory, for that would go to a woman. What a joke, a warrior who
says I am not going to fight if this woman will not go with me. All the soldiers did
not hear this hopefully, for they would be thinking, “He has all of us ready and
armed to do battle, and he refused to go without the skirt at his side. What kind of
sissy is leading this army?”
3. Henry has a different perspective that seems more likely to be the case. He wrote,
"Barak insisted much upon the necessity of her presence, which would be to him
better than a council of war (v. 8): "If thou wilt go with me to direct and advise me,
and in every difficult case to let me know God's mind, then I will go with all my
heart, and not fear the chariots of iron; otherwise not." Some make this to be the
language of a weak faith; he could not take her word unless he had her with him in
pawn, as it were, for performance. It seems rather to arise from a conviction of the
necessity of God's presence and continual direction, a pledge and earnest of which
he would reckon Deborah's presence to be, and therefore begged thus earnestly for
it. "If thou go not up with me, in token of God's going with me, carry me not up
hence." othing would be a greater satisfaction to him than to have the prophetess
with him to animate the soldiers and to be consulted as an oracle upon all
occasions."
3B. Another author took this positive view of Barak also and wrote, "Many people
think that this was the response of a weak man. But Barak was not a stupid man. I
think that he showed great wisdom in this decision. Barak knew that the Lord was
with Deborah. After all, God had appointed Deborah a judge. Barak hesitated to
lead the army without "spiritual" guidance from God through Deborah. That is
why he is a hero of the faith. (Hebrews 11:32) And what shall I more say? for the
time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae;
of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:"
4. An unknown author wrote, "Just what was it that caused Barak to respond in
this way? I think we can say with confidence that Barak lacked the faith to act
without Deborah. But what did Barak fear? What was it he felt Deborah would
contribute by coming along? It was surely not her battle skills. She was not a David,
who could handle a Goliath on his own. She was, in fact, a wife (Judges 4:4) and
mother (Judges 5:7). It may be that Barak feared no one would follow him. Such
fears were not unfounded. After all, the Israelites had been oppressed for 20 years
by the Canaanites. The Canaanites were well armed; the Israelites were virtually
unarmed. Many had been coming to Deborah for judgment. Perhaps they would
follow her into battle, even if they would not follow Barak. Or, perhaps it was
simply that Barak wanted to have this prophetess with him so that he would have a
means of obtaining divine guidance at this critical time. This would not have been
such a terrible request. After all, did the Israelites not take the means of discerning
God’s will into battle with them at other times (1 Samuel 14:3, 18-20; 30:7-8)? Even
Jonathan sought a sign to confirm that his attack was God’s will (1 Samuel 14:6-14).
The difference here is that God’s will has been revealed to Barak, and he is
reluctant to act on the command he has already been given."

77. 5. We, nevertheless, see God's sense of humor in this whole setting, for Sisera the
enemy commander has 900 iron chariots at his side, and Barak has Deborah at his
side. The name Deborah means honey bee, and this was the weapon that gave him
courage. He was going head on against 900 iron chariots with a honey bee at his
side. It was the bee verses the iron beast, but here was a bee with a sting for her foes
and honey for her friends. Those who messed with this bee were stung into defeat,
and those who followed this bee were blest with the sweet honey of peace for the
next 40 years. She is called a mother in Israel, and a mother is one who nourishes
and encourages her children. This is what Deborah did, and that is why all the
people delighted in her.
BAR ES, "Barak, like Gideon Jdg_6:15, Jdg_6:36, Jdg_6:40, and Abraham Gen_
15:2-3; Gen_17:18, and Moses Exo_4:10, Exo_4:13, and Peter Mat_14:30-31, exhibited
some weakness of faith at first. But this only makes his example more profitable for our
encouragement, though he himself suffered some lost by his weakness Jdg_4:9.
GILL, "And Barak said unto her,.... To Deborah, after she had delivered the words
of the Lord unto him:
if thou wilt go with me, then I will go; which showed faith hi the word of the Lord,
for which he is commended, and a readiness to do the will of God, and courage to engage
in such a work with a powerful adversary, and is therefore reckoned among the heroes
for faith, Heb_11:32,
but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go; which though it might discover
some weakness in him, yet showed the high opinion he had of Deborah as a judge of
Israel, and prophetess of the Lord; being desirous that he might have her with him to
pray to God for him, to give him advice and counsel on any emergency, she being as the
oracle God; and whereby he testified his regard to the Lord, and to his presence, which
he concluded he should have, the prophetess being with him; and more especially his
reason for insisting on her going with him might be to prevail upon the inhabitants of
Naphtali and Zebulun to go with him, who he might fear would not believe him, or pay
any regard to his words, and be in dread of engaging with the enemy, unless she was
present; which he supposed would satisfy them as to the mind of God in it, and animate
them, and give them heart and spirit.
HENRY 8-9, " At Barak's request, she promises to go along with him to the field of
battle. (1.) Barak insisted much upon the necessity of her presence, which would be to
him better than a council of war (Jdg_4:8): “If thou wilt go with me to direct and advise
me, and in every difficult case to let me know God's mind, then I will go with all my
heart, and not fear the chariots of iron; otherwise not.” Some make this to be the
language of a weak faith; he could not take her word unless he had her with him in pawn,
as it were, for performance. It seems rather to arise from a conviction of the necessity of
God's presence and continual direction, a pledge and earnest of which he would reckon
Deborah's presence to be, and therefore begged thus earnestly for it. “If thou go not up
with me, in token of God's going with me, carry me not up hence.” Nothing would be a
greater satisfaction to him than to have the prophetess with him to animate the soldiers
and to be consulted as an oracle upon all occasions. (2.) Deborah promised to go with

78. him, Jdg_4:9. No toil nor peril shall discourage her from doing the utmost that becomes
her to do for the service of her country. She would not send him where she would not go
herself. Those that in God's name call others to their duty should be very ready to assist
them in it. Deborah was the weaker vessel, yet had the stronger faith. But though she
agrees to go with Barak, if he insists upon it, she gives him a hint proper enough to move
a soldier not to insist upon it: The journey thou undertakest (so confident was she of the
success that she called his engaging in war but the undertaking of a journey) shall not be
for thy honour; not so much for thy honour as if thou hadst gone by thyself; for the Lord
shall sell Sisera (now his turn comes to be sold as Israel was, Jdg_4:2, by way of
reprisal) “into the hands of a woman;” that is, [1.] The world would ascribe the victory
to the hand of Deborah: this he might himself foresee. [2.] God (to correct his weakness)
would complete the victory by the hand of Jael, which would be some eclipse to his
glory. But Barak values the satisfaction of his mind, and the good success of his
enterprise, more than his honour; and therefore will by no means drop his request. He
dares not fight unless he have Deborah with him, to direct him and pray for him. She
therefore stood to her word with a masculine courage; this noble heroine arose and
went with Barak.
JAMISON, "Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go — His
somewhat singular request to be accompanied by Deborah was not altogether the result
of weakness. The Orientals always take what is dearest to the battlefield along with
them; they think it makes them fight better. The policy of Barak, then, to have the
presence of the prophetess is perfectly intelligible as it would no less stimulate the valor
of the troops, than sanction, in the eyes of Israel, the uprising against an oppressor so
powerful as Jabin.
K&D 8-11, "Barak replied that he would not go unless she would go with him -
certainly not for the reason suggested by Bertheau, viz., that he distrusted the divine
promise given to him by Deborah, but because his mistrust of his own strength was such
that he felt too weak to carry out the command of God. He wanted divine enthusiasm for
the conflict, and this the presence of the prophetess was to infuse into both Barak and
the army that was to be gathered round him. Deborah promised to accompany him, but
announced to him as the punishment for this want of confidence in the success of his
undertaking, that the prize of victory - namely, the defeat of the hostile general - should
be taken out of his hand; for Jehovah would sell (i.e., deliver up) Sisera into the hand of
a woman, viz., according to Jdg_4:17., into the hand of Jael. She then went with him to
Kedesh, where Barak summoned together Zebulun and Naphtali, i.e., the fighting men of
those tribes, and went up with 10,000 men in his train (“at his feet,” i.e., after him, Jdg_
4:14; cf. Exo_11:8 and Deu_11:6) to Tabor (“went up:” the expression is used here to
denote the advance of an army against a place). Kedesh, where the army assembled, was
higher than Tabor. ‫ק‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ‫,ז‬ Hiphil with acc., to call together (cf. 2Sa_20:4-5). Before the
engagement with the foe is described, there follows in Jdg_4:11 a statement that Heber
the Kenite had separated himself from his tribe, the children of Hobab, who led a nomad
life in the desert of Judah (Jdg_1:16), and had pitched his tents as far as the oak forest at
Zaanannim (see at Jos_19:33) near Kedesh. This is introduced because of its importance
in relation to the issue of the conflict which ensued (Jdg_4:17 ff). ‫ד‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫פ‬ִ‫נ‬ with Kametz is a
participle, which is used in the place of the perfect, to indicate that the separation was a
permanent one.

79. COKE, "Judges 4:8. And Barak said unto her— Does not Barak shew here some degree
of incredulity, ill agreeing with that eulogy given of him by St. Paul, Hebrews 11:32?
Certainly not: his is not the language of incredulity, but of prudence and precaution. He
doubts not that Deborah speaks to him in the name of the Lord; he refuses not to
undertake what she enjoins; but he is solicitous that she should attend him, both to
assist him with her advice, and to inspire his soldiers with the courage necessary for so
hazardous an undertaking. See Calmet. Deborah tells him, Judges 4:9. (according to Mr.
Saurin's exposition,) that if she was in his army, it was to her that they would attribute
the victory, and that it would be a kind of dishonour for him, that a woman should carry
away that glory which ought to be the ambition of the general; but I should rather think
that the words of Deborah allude to Jael's exploit.
REFLECTIONS.—Twenty years the iron yoke of Jabin lay heavy upon Israel; when
now at last God hears his people's cry, and comes to deliver them. Deborah, a
prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, at that time judged Israel. She was raised up by the
spirit of God, endued with wisdom, and favoured with prophetic foresight. All these
gifts, as her name implies, she industriously employed for the public; sweet to her
friends, but armed with a sting to smite her enemies. To her the people resorted for
judgment in their controversies, and for direction in their religious concerns. Her abode,
or rather her seat of justice, was under a palm-tree in mount Ephraim. Grieved at the
sufferings of the people, she here, under a divine impulse, forms plans for their rescue;
but being, as a woman, unfit to head the armies in the field, she calls Barak to her
assistance. Him she directs what forces to levy, points out the encampment, and assures
him from God, that, strong as the hosts of Jabin were, yet they and their captain should
both fall into his hand. Barak hesitates; yet, if she will go with him, consents to
undertake the expedition; her presence, as a prophetess, being more his dependence
than the sword of his soldiers: Note; (1.) When we go to war against our spiritual
enemies, it is a great encouragement to have the advice and prayers of those upon whose
experience and piety we can depend. (2.) When God will destroy his enemies, their
resistance is in vain; and their gathering to battle, is only rushing into the snare.
ELLICOTT, "(8) If thou wilt go with me.—The enterprise seemed so daring and so
hopeless, that if not for his own sake, yet for the sake of his army, Barak felt how much
would be gained by the presence of the inspired prophetess. The LXX. has the
remarkable addition, “Because I know not the day in which the Lord prospers the angel
with me.” This is a sort of excuse for his want of perfect faith. He depends on Deborah to
give him the immediate augury of victory. “In the Messenian war the soldiers fought
bravely because their seers were present” (Pausan. iv. 16—Cassel).
UNKNOWN AUTHOR, " And Barak said unto Deborah, "IF thou wilt go with me, then
I will go: but IF thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go." Judges 4:8 (KJV)
The Israelites once again did evil in the sight of the Lord, indicating their continuing
tailspin into the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites (meaning humiliation). Here the
Northern tribes of Israel were oppressed for 20 years by a coalition of Canaanites united
under Jabin (earthly understanding). Deborah (meaning "honeybee") was both a
prophetess and a judge (she was leading Israel). She "dwelt" between Ramah (elevated

80. place) and Bethel (House of God) in the hill country of Ephraim (meaning fruitful). (4:2-
4) Finally, "the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." Not for what their
itching ears wanted, but for the real Word. Literally repentance and surrender to God's
will and plan for their lives. (vs.5) As a result, God spoke to Deborah, and she laid out
the plan of destiny and battle to Barak (meaning lightning). Barak had a "Conditional
Response." 4:8-9.
Regardless of his motivation, Barak’s conditional response to Deborah (if you don’t go
with me, I won’t go) was an unfitting response to a command from God, to a purported
man of God. Perhaps Barak simply wanted to be assured of the divine presence in battle,
represented by His prophetess-judge Deborah. Deborah agreed to go but said that
Barak’s conditional response to the divine command (the way you are going about this)
was the basis for withholding the honor of victory over Sisera from Barak (the Lord will
hand Sisera over to a woman). Barak no doubt thought she meant herself, but the
statement was prophetic, anticipating the role of Jael (meaning one that is ascending)
(Judges 4:21).
If you don't want a conditional response FROM God, don't give a conditional response
TO God. Respond in Faith, nothing wavering, and go forth. Be like Jael, one that
ascends, to the prophetess position in the Kingdom, an elevated place of God that is
fruitful.
BENSON, "4:8. If thou wilt go with me, then I will go — No doubt he thought he had
great reason for making this resolution, because he might want her advice in doubtful
matters, and her authority also, both to raise men and to keep them together in good
order, and likewise to inspire them with courage. His offer to go with her shows the
truth of his faith, for which he is praised, Hebrews 11:32; but his refusal to go without
her shows the weakness of his faith, that he could not trust God’s bare word, as he ought
to have done, without the pledge of the presence of his prophetess.
WHEDON, "8. If thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go — The great general at
once recognizes that Jehovah speaks in Deborah, and that as messenger of God she is
not only his own superior, but her presence the pledge of his success. Pausanias says,
that in the Messinian war “The soldiers fought bravely because their seers were present.”
PETT, "Verse 8
‘And Barak 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.’
Barak was a warleader, not a prophet. He considered the ten units he would have with
him on Mount Tabor and he considered the nine units of chariots, and the further large
army of fighting men, a standing army trained for war, and he did not like the odds. So,
yes, he was willing to trust Yahweh’s plan, but only if Deborah confirmed her faith in it
by going with him. Furthermore he felt that this would aid the fulfilment of the plan, for
he had every confidence that Yahweh would fight for Deborah. And the men of Naphtali
(with Issachar) and Zebulun would be far more likely to come if she was among them, so
great was the common belief that Yahweh was with her. He had faith but he also wanted
some kind of confirmation and guarantee.

81. 9
"Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you.
But because of the way you are going about this,
the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will
hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went
with Barak to Kedesh,
1. There was no desire of Barak to dominate Deborah, and he did not go all to pieces
with a deflated male ego when Deborah said that a woman would get the honor he
might have had by killing the commander of the enemy forces. Jael got that honor,
but Barak was just delighted to be a partner with women who were used of God.
Deborah actually told Barak that he did not need her, and that he could win the war
without her. She did not try to dominate him either. She was humble in her
leadership and sought for no glory but the glory of God. It was this ideal
relationship of male and female leadership that God blest. Deborah makes it clear
that strong female leadership is based on partnership, and full cooperation with
male leadership. A woman who wants to lead in hostility to men is not wise in the
long run, for God blesses unity of the sexes.
2. Barak could have said that he was not going to take advice from a woman who
had no military experience. She came up with the hair-brained scheme of calling an
army together who had no decent weapons to face a vast enemy who had the best
weapons in the world. He had every right to be skeptical of her plan, but he had
respect for her as a woman of God and he knew she would not come up with this
idea unless God had given it to her. Had he not believed in her being an authentic
messenger of God he would not dream of following her lead. Here was a man who
had full confidence in a woman's word as being the very word of God. He had more
confidence in her than he had in himself, for he would not fight without her at his
side. Rare is the man who will listen to a woman in an area where he is supposed to
be the expert. He delighted in Deborah, however, for she was clearly God's

82. spokesperson.
2B. God was on an exaltation of womanhood campaign in this period. He not only
raised up Deborah to lead His people as a prophet, a patriot, and poet, but He made
sure that no man got the glory for killing the cruel oppressor Sisera. By His
providence this job was done by the hand of the woman named Jael. God wanted
women to be the heroines of this period of history. It ought to keep the greatest of
men humble to see that they have done nothing that God could not have done as well
through a woman if that was His choice. Sexual pride has no support from the
Bible. The Bible has no interest in the issue of which is superior, the male or female.
The Bible is very clear on this issue, for it says that the godly male or female is
superior to the ungodly male or female. Sexuality is not the issue, but spirituality is,
and that is why Paul stresses that in Christ there is no male or female. The only
status that really matters to God is not, are you a Jew or Gentile, are you male or
female, are you in bonds or free, but what matters is, are you in Christ, or out of
Christ?
3. Matthew Henry comments, "Some struggles, we may suppose, that brave man
had made towards the shaking off of the yoke, but could not effect it till he had his
commission and instructions from Deborah. He could do nothing without her head,
nor she without his hands; but both together made a complete deliverer, and
effected a complete deliverance. The greatest and best are not self-sufficient, but
need one another." She had the greater faith, but she needed male leadership to get
the job done. We see the perfect unity of male and female leadership in this
relationship. Everyone has to delight is such a rare and beautiful partnership.
Some want to accuse Barak of being a wimp for needing Deborah, but God honored
him as a great man of faith in Heb. 11:32. His faith in Deborah was faith in God, for
he believed her as a true source of the word of God. He would not be in the great
faith chapter if his trust in Deborah was not pleasing to God.
4. If you study the history of women in warfare, it is surprising how often women
join men on the battlefield just to be encouraging partners. During the Civil War it
was not uncommon for a wife to go with her husband into battle. There are
examples of soldiers who, like Barak, refused to go to war unless their wives could
come with them. Keith Blaylock refused to go without his wife, and so the recruiting
officer allowed Melinda Blaylock to be sworn in as his brother, and listed her as
Sam. Many women have insisted that they have the right to fight along side of the
men. Since it was not officially permitted the women usually had to disguise
themselves by dressing as men. They were willing to give up their identity in order
to be partners with men. It is estimated that between 500 to a 1000 women fought in
the Civil War disguised as men. Several even rose to the rank of sergeant without
being discovered. Many were discovered and discharged, but some managed to
maintain their disguise all through the war. Others were allowed to remain even
when it was known they were women. Here, for example, is the record of one
woman. Ellen Goodrich was an amazing woman. Her father disowned Goodrich
when she announced that she intended to join her fiancée in the war. She fought by
his side for three years and was wounded in the arm by a minnie ball. She nursed

83. her fiancée when he was ill and married him a day or so before he died.
5. Deborah was not a warrior, as far as the text would indicate, but she was there as
one who could give the commander and the soldiers moral support. She did not go
into battle and kill the enemy, but stood with the commander overlooking the
battlefield. She was delighted, however, when Sisera, who was the commander of the
enemy forces, was killed by the hand of a woman named Jael. Deborah had
predicted that a woman would have this honor, and when she wrote her song of
praise that is recorded in Judges 5, she gave praise to Jael for her role as female
partner in defeating the foes of Israel. God had used two woman as partners in
delivering His people from the oppression of the Canaanites.
6. It was rare for women to play the roles that Deborah and Jael played, but the
important point is that they were honored for these roles in Israel. The Word of God
does not hide them, but exalts them. That is all that should have been necessary for
people of future generations to know in order to recognize and reward female
partnership in the battles for freedom. Unfortunately, custom and tradition has
always been allowed to be more powerful than God's revelation. The result has been
that it has taken many centuries before woman could get the honor and recognition
they deserve as equal partners with men in warfare.
7. Dr. Mary Walker was a Civil War doctor who wore men's clothing and carried
two pistols at all times. She fought for freedom and saved many lives. She was
captured and spent four months in an enemy prison. She was scarred physically and
emotionally, but she continued to serve her country, even though she was resisted
constantly because she was a woman. She was of such a benefit in the war that she
was rewarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1865. But it was rescinded in
1917. She refused to give it back and wore it until her death in 1919 at the age of 87.
It was 58 years later before the U.S. Congress posthumously reinstated her medal. It
was restored by President Carter on June 10, 1977. She is the only woman in the
history of American warfare to receive the Medal of Honor. My point in sharing this
is that she was not honored while she lived, and she died alone and penniless with
the feeling of being rejected by the country she served. This was due to the Bible
record not being the basis by which people are measured and respected. Had the
record of Deborah been respected, Mary Walker would have been a great heroin in
our culture, and children would have been singing of her service to our nation.
8. The record of Deborah is in the Bible because God inspired it to be there. It was
real history, and God ordained history. It is there for an example of how God uses
women as well as men in the highest roles of leadership. They are partners in every
realm of life, and those who let the Word of God be their guide will delight in them
and give them the honor they deserve, just as God gave honor to Deborah the
delightful leader of His people.
9. American history reveals that woman played roles that were important to victory.
Everyone has heard of Paul Revere, but very few would recognize the name of Sybil
Ludington. Her father was a colonel in the Revolutionary Army in Connecticut.

84. One night a messenger came banging on the door of their home. Sybil let him in
and went to get her father. She listened as her father received the report that 200
British troops had over run Danburg, Conn. The British had taken advantage of the
fact that the American troops had gone home to their farms to plant their fields.
The British easily stormed past the guards, and they began to loot and burn the
town. Colonel Ludington realized the messenger has to go out to the militia
immediately, but the messenger was too exhausted. Sybil volunteered, but her
father refused to let a 16 year old girl go riding into such a dark and dangerous
night. But Sybil insisted, for she knew the country and there was no one else to go,
and time was running out.
Sybil got her horse prepared and off she rode. Through the night she rode to every
farm house and shouted the message, "The British are burning Danburg. Meet at
Colonel Ludington's mill." She fought back many tears in the lonely night and her
voice gave out. Her horse was also exhausted, but she achieved the goal, and the
British were driven back to their ships. Sybil became known as the female Paul
Revere. In 1975 a stamp was issued in her memory, and a statue of her stands in
Memorial Hall in Washington, D. C.
10. It is true that Deborah and Jael got most of the glory and honor for the victory
over the enemy, but what could be a greater honor than to be listed in the great faith
chapter of Heb. 11? Barak is in that list with all the great heroes of the faith, and so
he really did not miss out on anything in the long run.
BAR ES, "Mark the unhesitating faith and courage of Deborah, and the rebuke to
Barak’s timidity, “the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Jael, Jdg_4:22).
For a similar use of a weak instrument, that the excellency of the power might be of God,
compare the history of Gideon and his 300, David and his sling, Shamgar and his ox-
goad, Samson and the jawbone of the ass. (See 1Co_1:26, 1Co_1:31.) Barak would
probably think the woman must be Deborah. The prophecy was only explained by its
fulfillment. Her presence as a prophetess would give a divine sanction to Barak’s attempt
to raise the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. To Barak himself it would be a pledge of her
truth and sincerity. She probably commissioned some chief to raise the tribes of
Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (Jdg_5:14, compare Psa_80:2), while she went with
Barak and mustered Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar.
CLARKE, "The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman - Does not
this mean, If I go with thee, the conquest shall be attributed to me, and thou wilt have no
honor? Or, is it a prediction of the exploit of Jael? In both these senses the words have
been understood. It seems, however, more likely that Jael is intended. The Septuagint
made a remarkable addition to the speech of Barak: “If thou wilt go with me I will go;
but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go; ᆍτι ουκ οιδα την ᅧµεραν εν ᇽ ευοδοι Κυριος
τον αγγελον µετ’ εµου, because I know not the day in which the Lord will send his angel to
give me success.” By which he appears to mean, that although he was certain of a Divine
call to this work, yet, as he knew not the time in which it would be proper for him to
make the attack, he wishes that Deborah, on whom the Divine Spirit constantly rested,
would accompany him to let him know when to strike that blow, which he knew would

85. be decisive. This was quite natural, and quite reasonable, and is no impeachment
whatever of Barak’s faith. St. Ambrose and St. Augustine have the same reading; but it is
found in no MS. nor in any other of the versions. See Jdg_4:14.
GILL, "And she said, I will surely go with thee, She made no hesitation about it,
but agreed at once to go with him for his encouragement; perceiving some degree of
weakness in him, and yet an hearty and sincere inclination to engage in the work
proposed, and that this might be no hinderance, she readily assents to it: adding:
notwithstanding the journey thou takest; the way or course he steered, the
methods he took in insisting on it that she should go with him:
shall not be for thine honour; as a general of an army, who is commonly solicitous
to have the whole glory of an action:
for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman; meaning either herself,
for she being judge of Israel, and going along with him, would have the glory of the
victory ascribed to her, as usually is to the principal person in the army; and so it would
be said in future time, that the Lord delivered Sisera and his army, not into the hand of
Barak, but into the hand of Deborah, whereby he would not have all the honour which
otherwise he would have, if she went not with him; or else Jael, Heber's wife, is meant,
into whose hands Sisera did fall, and by whom he was slain; but this seems to have no
connection with Deborah's going or not going with him, it did not depend upon that one
way or another; unless it can be thought that thus it was ordered in Providence as a
rebuke of his diffidence and weakness, that because he would not go without a woman,
Sisera should fall not into his hands, but into the hands of a woman; and if so, this is a
clear instance of Deborah's having a spirit of prophecy, and of a prediction of a future
contingent event:
and Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh; that is, they went together
from the palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, to Kedesh in Mount
Naphtali, in order to raise the ten thousand men that were to fight with Sisera.
ELLICOTT, "(9) I will surely go with thee.—Literally-Going, I will go.
Shall not be for thine honour.—Literally, thy pre-eminence (LXX. “proterçma”; Luther,
“der Preis “) shall not be on the path which thou enterest.
Of a woman.—To enter into the force of this we must remember the humble and almost
down-trodden position of women in the East, so that it could hardly fail to be a
humiliation to a great warrior to be told that the chief glory would fall to a woman. He
may have supposed that the woman was Deborah herself; but the woman was not the
great prophetess, but Jael, the wife of the nomad chief (R. Tanchum, and Jos., Antt. v. 5,
§ 4). Compare the feeling implied in Judges 9:24.
BENSON, "4:9. The journey thou takest — Hebrew, the way thou takest, which may
mean the course he had resolved upon, not to go without her. Shall not be for thine
honour — Though his faith was accepted, yet the weakness of it somewhat eclipsed his
glory. The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman — It is greatly to the honour of
a conqueror to take the general of the enemy’s army, or to kill him with his own hand;

86. which, she tells him, should be denied him, as a small punishment for his diffidence and
reluctance to comply with her directions; and as he would not go without a woman, so a
woman should take away his honour from him.
WHEDON, "9. Not be for thine honour — The honour would go to Jehovah as the
author, and to a woman as the instrument. No one, indeed, could say, “No thanks to
Barak,” for he bravely led the hosts to battle; but how immensely greater his honour had
he gone without the prophetess, trusting solely in the word and power of his God!
Sell Sisera into the hand of a woman — The victory will be ascribed to Deborah rather
than to Barak, and Sisera will fall by a woman’s hand, even by the hand of Jael, the wife
of Heber. Judges 4:21. Thus Barak suffered loss of honour in that Deborah, in a general
sense, and Jael more particularly, robbed him of this crown. This prophecy, that Sisera
was to fall by a woman’s hand, was probably noised abroad, and reached the ears of
Heber’s wife.
Went with Barak — “For the sake of the great national cause she leaves her peaceful
palm, and by her readiness to share in every danger evidences the truth of her
announcements.” — Cassel.
To Kedesh — The house of Barak, and the rendezvous of the northern tribes. Judges 4:6.
PETT, "Verse 9
Judges 4:9 a
‘And she said, “I will surely go with you. Except that now the journey you take will not be
for your honour, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
Deborah’s confidence in Yahweh was total and she unhesitatingly agreed. But as a result
of his unwillingness to trust God on his own Barak was now warned that the greatest
honour of victory, the slaying of Sisera, would not be his. Instead it would be by a
woman’s hand, although it would still be Yahweh’s doing. Barak was content. He
probably thought she meant herself.
Like much prophecy her prophecy had a twofold fulfilment, a conscious one and an
unconscious one. Possibly even Deborah did not know that. Yahweh gave her the words
but the details of the fulfilment must await events. Firstly it would be because as judge of
Israel she would now be commander-in-chief and when the battle was won the glory
would go primarily to her. Barak had forfeited his chief place. But secondly it was
because Yahweh had other plans for Sisera. Instead of a glorious death he would be
humiliated.
“Yahweh will sell Sisera.” This indicates Yahweh’s complete control over Sisera. He had
the right to ‘sell’ him. He would do to Sisera what He had previously done to the children
of Israel (Judges 4:2). He would be ‘sold off’, handed over like a bondservant who could
not do anything about it.
Judges 4:9 b
‘And Deborah rose and went with Barak to Kedesh.’
In accordance with her promise Deborah went with Barak to his home town (Judges
4:6). Meanwhile, as the song of Deborah makes clear, the call went out to the tribes of

87. the confederacy to come to the aid of their brothers. (The non-mention here
demonstrates how careful we must be in interpreting the silences of Scripture. Writers
were not giving an inclusive history but an outline of events that, while true, conveyed
their spiritual message).
10
where he summoned Zebulun and aphtali. Ten
thousand men followed him, and Deborah also
went with him.
GILL, "And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh,.... This he did either
by the sound of a trumpet, as Ehud did, or by sending messengers to them to collect ten
thousand men from among them, which they accordingly did, and came to him in
Kedesh:
and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet; they following him up to
Mount Tabor cheerfully and readily, being all footmen; for the Israelites had no cavalry,
and yet got the victory over Sisera's army, which, according to Josephus (g), had ten
thousand horses in it:
and Deborah went up with him; and his ten thousand footmen, to the top of Mount
Tabor, to encourage him and them with her presence, and give her best advice when to
descend and engage the enemy.
HAWKER, "Though the Lord’s army were, by the express orders of Deborah, to be
gathered from those two tribes, yet from some expressions we meet with after in
Deborah’s song, it should seem t hat there were others, who were, perhaps, volunteers in
this sacred service. See Jdg_5:15.
HENRY 10-11, "Here, I. Barak beats up for volunteers, and soon has his quota of men
ready, Jdg_4:10. Deborah had appointed him to raise an army of 10,000 men (Jdg_4:6),
and so many he has presently at his feet, following him, and subject to his command.
God is said to call us to his feet (Isa_41:2), that is, into obedience to him. Some think it
intimates that they were all footmen, and so the armies of the Jews generally were,
which made the disproportion of strength between them and the enemy (who had horses
and chariots) very great, and the victory the more illustrious; but the presence of God
and his prophetess was abundantly sufficient to balance that disproportion. Barak had
his men at his feet, which intimates their cheerfulness and readiness to attend him

88. whithersoever he went, Rev_14:4. Though the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were
chiefly depended on, yet it appears by Deborah's song that some had come in to him
from other tribes (Manasseh and Issachar), and more were expected that came not, from
Reuben, Dan, and Asher, Jdg_5:14-17. 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 Jdg_
4:11, 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 (Jdg_1:16),
into the northern country, comes in for the sake of what was to follow concerning the
exploit of Jael, a wife of that family.
BENSON, "4:10. With ten thousand men at his feet — That is, following
him as their leader. Possibly it also intimates that they were all footmen,
there being no horses in Judea but what were brought out of other
countries. This made the victory the more glorious, by the overthrow of a
vast number of chariots and horses in the opposite army.
PETT, "Verse 10
‘And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. And there
went up ten eleph of men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.’
Zebulun and Naphtali responded to his call and sent him the ten units of
fighting men that he asked for. All knew what this meant. The die was cast.
They would be seen as rebels.
And he led them up Mount Tabor. And Deborah, as she had promised,
went with them. ‘At his feet’ indicates that they followed him up the ascent.
It was probably a great comfort to that hardy group of men to see among
them the one whom they believed had the Spirit of Yahweh within her.
ELLICOTT, "(10) Called.—The word used is the technical word for
summoning an army (2 Samuel 20:4-5). Naturally Zebulun and Naphtali
would be more difficult to arouse than the central tribes, because, though
they felt the oppression most, they would have to bear the brunt of the
vengeance in case of defeat. Ephraim and Benjamin (Judges 5:14), being
more strong and secure, could raise their contingents without the personal
help of Deborah, especially if that view of the chronology be admissible
which avoids other difficulties by the difficult supposition that this event
took place before the death of Joshua.
Zebulun and Naphtali.—(See Judges 5:18.) Of course it is only meant that
in the first instance the leaders of those tribes were invited to a conference,
like those of the Swiss on the Rütli in 1307.
At his feet.—That is simply “after him,” as it is rendered in Judges 4:14.
(Comp. Judges 5:15; Judges 8:5; Exodus 11:8; 1 Kings 20:10.)
Deborah went up with him.—A trace of this fact may yet be preserved in
the name Debarieh, given to a village at the foot of Tabor.

89. 11
ow Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites,
the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law,
and pitched his tent by the great tree in
Zaanannim near Kedesh.
BAR ES, "Read, “Heber the Kenitc had severed himself from the Kenites which were
of the children of Hobab,” etc., “unto the oak (or terebinth tree) in Zaanaim” (or
Bitzaanaim, which Conder identifies with Bessum, twelve miles southeast of Tabor, and
near Kedesh on the Sea of Galilee). This migration of Heber the Kenite, with a portion of
his tribe, from the south of Judah to the north of Naphtali, perhaps caused by Philistine
oppression, had clearly taken place recently. It is mentioned here to account for the
subsequent narrative, but possibly also because the news of the great muster of the
Israelites at Kedesh had been carried to Sisera by some of the tribe Jdg_4:12, whose
tents we are here informed were in the immediate neighborhood of Kedesh.
CLARKE, "Hohab the father-in-law of Moses - For a circumstantial account of
this person, and the meaning of the original word ‫חתן‬ chothen, which is translated son-
in-law in Gen_19:14, see the notes on Exo_2:15, Exo_2:16, Exo_2:18; Exo_3:1; Exo_
4:20, Exo_4:24; Exo_18:5.
GILL, "Now Heber the Kenite,.... A descendant of Kain, a principal man among the
Midianites; the Targum calls him the Salmaean:
which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses; who came
along with the children of Israel through the wilderness into the land of Canaan, and
first settled about Jericho, and then removed into the wilderness of Judah, Jdg_1:16,
had severed himself from the Kenites; which dwelt in the said wilderness; to
whom he belonged when this separation was made, and on what account is not certain.
Abarbinel thinks that it was done now, and with a design to help Israel, that hearing

90. Barak was gone up to Mount Tabor, and seeing Sisera prepared to fight with him, he
made as if he was disgusted with his own people, and separated from them, that Jabin,
with whom he was at peace, might the more confide in him; when it was out of love to
Israel, and with a view to assist them, as occasion should offer, that he removed; but this
is not very likely, as these Kenites were a people that kept themselves from meddling
with military affairs as much as possible:
and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh: for these
people dwelt in tents as the Midianites did, from whence they sprung, and as the Scenite
Arabs; and yet near to cities, as here, and in places fit for the pasturage of their cattle, in
which they were chiefly employed, and here pitched upon a plain where were fields and
meadows: the Targum calls it a plain of pools, where were pools of water for the
watering of their flocks; or rather it might be rendered the oak or grove of oaks of
Zaanaim, the same with Alonzaanannim; see Gill on Jos_19:33. This place lay between
Harosheth of the Gentiles, from whence Sisera came, and Mount Tabor, where Barak
was. This little piece of history is inserted here, partly to account for it that there should
be any Kenites here, when we are told before they settled in the wilderness of Judah, and
partly on account of the following narrative of Sisera being slain by this man's wife.
JAMISON, "Now Heber the Kenite ... pitched his tent — It is not uncommon,
even in the present day, for pastoral tribes to feed their flocks on the extensive commons
that lie in the heart of inhabited countries in the East (see on Jdg_1:16).
plain of Zaanaim — This is a mistranslation for “the oaks of the wanderers.” The
site of the encampment was under a grove of oaks, or terebinths, in the upland valley of
Kedesh.
COFFMAN,"Verse 11
"Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the
children of Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak
in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh."
"The oak which is by Kedesh." According to Judges 4:9, Kedesh was not far from the
area where the battle was fought. However, it was far enough from the battle area that
Sisera's flight to the tent of Heber was a sufficient distance to leave him totally exhausted
after traversing it. "Apart from this information, and the obvious fact that it lay on
Sisera's escape route, there is no certain knowledge of exactly where this place was
located."[18]
BENSON, "Verse 11-12
4:11-12. Now Heber the Kenite — The husband of Jael. Had severed himself from the
Kenites — From the rest of his brethren, who lived in the wilderness of Judah. What the
reason was of his leaving them, is not known; but there was a special providence of God
in it. Pitched his tent — That is, his dwelling, which probably was in tents, as shepherds
used to live. They showed Sisera — That is, his people showed him, or his spies.
WHEDON, "11. The Kenite — On the Kenites, see note at chap. Judges 1:16. The
Hebrew reads, And Heber the Kenite had separated himself from Kain, of the sons of

91. Hobab. Heber’s emigration from the wilderness south of Arad, and his settlement here
near Kedesh, is introduced at this point to prepare the reader for what follows in Judges
4:17-22.
Hobab — See at Numbers 10:29.
Father-in-law of Moses — In Numbers he is called the son of Raguel, (Raguel or Reuel
is the same person as Jethro; compare Exodus 2:18, with Judges 3:1,) and that is
probably the more accurate statement. In this merely casual reference the writer does
not pause for exact and detailed statements. According to Cassel “ ‫חתן‬ means to contract
affinity by marriage; and just as in German schwaker (father-in-law) and schwager (brother-in-
law) are at bottom one, so the Hebrew ‫חתן‬ may stand for both father in law and brother in law.”
The plain of Zaanaim — Rather, the oak in Zaanaim. The Zaanannim of Joshua 19:33, was
probably the same place. “The oak was probably some noted tree, perhaps a patriarch in a sacred
grove, beneath or around which the nomad shepherds of those days were accustomed to pitch
their tents, as Abraham pitched his by the oak of Mamre. The green pastures which abound
around the ruins of Kedesh are studded to this day with large oak trees; and the writer has seen,
at more than one place, the black tents of the nomad Turkman pitched beneath them. The name
Zaanaim, which appears to signify removings, (as if a camping ground,) has passed away; at least
no trace of it has bees discovered.” — Porter.
PETT, "Verse 11
‘Now Heber, the Kenite, had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the
children of Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the
oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.’
The purpose of this verse is to explain why Heber was where he was when the later
events occurred. For some reason Heber had left the group of Kenites who had gathered
to Hobab (Judges 1:16). He had not wanted to be a part of Judah. His presence here was
providential. As semi-nomads, Kenites lived in tents and kept themselves to themselves,
and that is how he wanted it. They probably survived by doing metalwork. They were
thus useful to farmers and to fighting men alike. The oak in Zaanannim was a famous
landmark (compare Joshua 19:33) and would have cultic connections among the
Canaanites (the Hebrew used always has such in mind). To them it was a sacred place.
This probably later gave Sisera more of a sense of security.
ELLICOTT, "(11) Heber the Kenite.—See Judges 1:16; Judges 3:31; Numbers 10:29.
Which was of the children of Hobab.—Rather, had separated himself from Kain,from
the children of Hobab. Nomadic settlements are constantly liable to send off these
separate colonies. The life and movements of the Kenites resembled those of gipsies,
except that they had flocks and herds. To this day a small Bedouin settlement presents

92. very nearly the same aspect as a gipsy camp.
The father in law of Moses.—Rather, the brother-in-law. The names for these
relationships are closely allied. (See Note on Judges 1:16.)
Pitched his tent.—(Genesis 12:8, &c.) The “tents” of the Bedouin are not the bell-
shaped tents with which we are familiar, but coverings of black goats’ hair, sometimes
supported on as many as nine poles. The Arab word for tent is beit, “house.”
Unto the plain of Zaanaim.—Rather, unto the terebinth in Zaanaim. (See Joshua
19:33.) Great trees are often alluded to in Scripture. (Allon-Bachuth, Genesis 35:8, “the
oak of Tabor”; 1 Samuel 10:3, “the oak of the house of grace”; 1 Kings 4:9, “the
enchanters’ oak”; Judges 9:37; Joshua 24:26, &c.) This terebinth is again alluded to in
Joshua 19:33; and the size and beauty of the terebinths on the hills of Naphtali, to which
we find allusion in the blessing of Jacob, probably led to its adoption as the symbol of
the tribe. “Naphtali is a branching terebinth” (Genesis 49:21). The word elon ( ‫)אלון‬ is
constantly rendered “plain” by our translators (Judges 9:6-37; Genesis 12:6; Genesis 13:18; 1
Samuel 10:3, &c), because they were misled by the Targums and the Vulgate, which render it
sometimes by vallis and convallis. They always render the cognate word allon by “oak,” and, in
the looseness of common nomenclature, the “oak” and the “terebinth” were not always carefully
distinguished. There is a large terebinth, called Sigar em-Messiah, six miles north-west of Kedes.
The word Zaanaim (also written Zaannanim) means “wanderings,” or “unlading of tents,” with
possible reference to this nomad settlement. The LXX. render it “the oak of the covetous,”
because they follow another reading. In contrast with these “wandering tents” of the Bedouin,
Jerusalem is called in Isaiah 33:20 “a tent that wanders not.”
Ewald, following the Targum, makes it mean “the plain of the swamp,” and this is also found
in the Talmud, which seems to indicate this place by Aquizah hak-Kedesh (“swamp of the holy
place”).
Which is by Kedesh.—Oaks and terebinths are still found abundantly in this neighbourhood;
and such a green plain studded with trees would be a natural camping-ground for the Kenites.
12

93. When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam
had gone up to Mount Tabor,
GILL, "And they showed Sisera,.... Either some of the Canaanites that dwelt near
Tabor, or some spies that Sisera had out; though some think the Kenites told him, who
were at peace with Jabin, Jdg_4:17; yet whether out of good will or ill will cannot be
said: however, so it was ordered by the providence of God, that by some means or
another Sisera should be informed
that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor; and no doubt at
the same time he was told the number of men that went with him; from whence he
might well conclude, that such a warlike man, with such a force collected together, and
having posted himself in an high and strong mountain, must have some design to cause
a revolt of Israel from Jabin his prince.
HE RY 12-13, " Sisera, upon notice of Barak's motions, takes the field with a very
numerous and powerful army (Jdg_4:12, Jdg_4:13): They showed Sisera, that is, it was
shown to him. Yet some think it refers to the Kenites, mentioned immediately before,
Jdg_4:11. They gave Sisera notice of Barak's rendezvous, there being peace at this time
between Jabin and that family, Jdg_4:17. Whether they intended it as a kindness to him
or no, it served to accomplish what God had said by Deborah (Jdg_4:7): I will draw
unto thee Sisera. Sisera's confidence was chiefly in his chariots; therefore particular
notice is taken of them, 900 chariots of iron, which, with the scythes fastened to their
axle-trees, when they were driven into an army of footmen, did terrible execution. So
ingenious have men been in inventing methods of destroying one another, to gratify
those lusts from which come wars and fightings.
K&D 12-14, "As soon as Sisera received tidings of the march of Barak to Mount
Tabor, he brought together all his chariots and all his men of war from Harosheth of the
Goyim into the brook-valley of the Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up; for this is
the day in which Jehovah hath given Sisera into thy hand. Yea (‫ּא‬‫ל‬ ֲ‫,ה‬ nonne, as an
expression indicating lively assurance), the Lord goeth out before thee,” sc., to the battle,
to smite the foe; whereupon Barak went down from Tabor with his 10,000 men to attack
the enemy, according to Jdg_5:19, at Taanach by the water of Megiddo.
PETT, "Verse 12
‘And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.’
“They” is general. There were many Canaanites who would not look happily on an
Israelite rebellion. It would suit them for Sisera to learn of it immediately. ‘Barak is out
to cause trouble and has gathered some fighting men on Mount Tabor’, they would tell
Sisera.
Sisera would know that the force could not be too large from the fact that they were on
Mount Tabor. He probably never dreamed that they actually expected to fight his chariot
force, but appreciated that when Israelites banded together it was Canaanites who would

94. suffer. And he did not want armed bands on his territory. It is possible, however, that he
also received information that the call had gone out to other tribes. Thus he would then
know that the threat might soon be a major one, and had to be dealt with at once. The
expectation of others joining them would explain why they were waiting in a place where
his chariots could not touch them. The only thing to do was stamp out he rebellion
immediately. The last thing he considered was that they were there as a provocation to
him.
COFFMAN, "Verse 12
THE OPENING ENGAGEMENT OF THE WAR
"And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all
the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, unto the river Kidron.
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which Jehovah hath delivered
Sisera into thy hand; is not Jehovah gone out before thee? So Barak went down from
mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And Jehovah discomfited Sisera, and all
his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera
alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots,
and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell by the
edge of the sword; there was not a man left."
When Sisera learned of the military muster of the Israelites at mount Tabor, he
deployed his forces at the river Kishon, where he no doubt supposed that his force of
nine hundred chariots of iron would be more than a match for Barak's troops. However,
there was a very heavy untimely rain that made a roaring river out of the Kishon and
flooded the plains at the foot of mount Tabor (Judges 4:5:4,19-21). Simultaneously,
Barak with his ten thousand men rushed down the steep slopes of Tabor and cut to
pieces Sisera's entire force. The chariots of iron were not merely useless, bogged down in
the mud; but the charioteers, trapped in their mired vehicles, were an easy prey to
Barak's men. Sisera himself, seeing that the engagement was a total disaster, left his
chariot and fled away on foot. This astounding debacle that broke the back of Canaanite
power could have been nothing other than a Divine intervention upon behalf of the
Chosen People. It was God who planned and precipitated the engagement, and it was
God who sent the untimely rain. It was God's foreknowledge of that rain and the very
time when it would occur that lay behind this remarkable victory!
But there was yet another providential element in the encounter that the Lord had
prophesied, namely that God would deliver Sisera into the hand of a WOMAN, and the
next paragraph relates how that occurred.
CONSTABLE, "Verses 12-16
When word reached Sisera that Barak had mustered Israelite troops at Mt. Tabor, he
moved east across the Jezreel Valley with his900 iron chariots and warriors to engage
Barak.
Structurally Judges 4:14 is the center of a chiasm. The chiastic structure of this
chapter focuses the reader"s attention on Yahweh as Israel"s deliverer (cf. Judges 4:15;

95. Exodus 15:3; 1 Samuel 8:20; 2 Samuel 5:24). This is the writer"s main point in the story.
It is also one of the main emphases in the Song of Deborah in chapter5.
A The sons of Israel are oppressed ( Judges 4:1-3).
B Deborah, the prophetess, is featured ( Judges 4:4-9).
C Barak and Sisera call out ( Judges 4:10-13).
D Yahweh is Israel"s warrior ( Judges 4:14 a).
C" Barak and Sisera go down ( Judges 4:14-16).
B" Jael, wife of Heber, is featured ( Judges 4:17-22).
A" Jabin, king of Canaan, is subdued ( Judges 4:23-24). [Note: Davis, p71.]
Barak was not afraid to engage the enemy now. Commenting on Judges 4:14, one
expositor wrote the following.
"The most important characteristic of a Christian leader, in whatever area of life, is a
dynamic, bold faith in God." [Note: Inrig, p63.]
Evidently God sent an unseasonable thunderstorm that mired Sisera"s chariots in the
softened valley soil (cf. Judges 5:4-5; Judges 5:20-21). The main battle apparently took
place near Taanach near the south central portion of the valley ( Judges 5:19). The
Israelites destroyed the whole Canaanite army that participated in this encounter (
Judges 4:16).
This loss was a double disappointment for the Canaanites. Not only did they lose
control of the lowlands that their chariots had dominated, but their god had failed them.
The Canaanites believed Baal controlled storms and rode upon the clouds.
"He is uniformly depicted as wielding a club in one hand and a stylized spear in the
other, representing thunder and lightning respectively." [Note: Cundall and Morris,
p87.]
Instead of Baal striking his enemies as lightning, Barak ("Lightning") had struck the
enemies of Yahweh. Yet it was really the Lord ( Judges 4:15) who overwhelmed Sisera
and his forces. Barak pursued the fleeing Canaanites west.

96. 13
Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron
chariots and all the men with him, from
Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
GILL, "And Sisera gathered together all his chariots,.... Or "therefore" he
gathered them together, which might lie some in one place, and some in another, for the
better quartering of the men that belonged to them:
even nine hundred chariots of iron; and which, as before observed, are magnified
by Josephus, and made to be three thousand:
and all the people that were with him; his soldiers, Jabin's army, of which he was
captain, and are called a multitude, Jdg_4:7; and which, the above writer says (h),
consisted of three hundred thousand foot, and ten thousand horse, besides the iron
chariots: these he collected together, and brought with him:
from Harosheth of the Gentiles; the place where he resided with his army, Jdg_4:2,
unto the river of Kishon; which was near Mount Tabor, the rendezvous of Barak and
his men, see Jdg_4:6.
JAMISO , "the river of Kishon — The plain on its bank was chosen as the
battlefield by Sisera himself, who was unconsciously drawn thither for the ruin of his
army.
PETT, "Verse 13
‘And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and
all the people who were with him from Harosheth of the Nations, to the river Kishon.’
Sisera was taking no chances, and this was to be a massive show of strength to prevent
such incidents happening again. He called together his chariot force of nine units of
chariots, and his soldiers and mercenaries who dwelt in Harosheth of the Nations,
probably a garrison town. These were the forces immediately available. Then he amassed
them in the plain beside the river Kishon. This was within easy reach of Mount Tabor.

97. 14
Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day
the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has
not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak
went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten
thousand men.
1. BARAK—THE FACELESS
Comes Jabin like a foul plague
To smite the chosen seed,
And with him noxious Sisera
To consummate the deed.
Great chariots of iron roll,
ine hundred by the count,
To turn Esdraelon’s comely plain
Into a bloody fount.
Far up on Tabor’s wooded slope
Waits Barak and his host.
A man quite ill equipped, it seems,
To stand a warrior’s post.
But this man holds the surest sword
God’s foes to recompense.
The tempered, twin-edged,
Heaven-forged blades—
FAITH and OBEDIE CE.
1B. Here we have a woman giving the command to charge an enemy that was so
superior, and yet these men heard the voice of this woman and they charged. It was
like charging a tank with a pea shooter, for this enemy was armed with such
superior weapons, but these men went with confidence. Deborah was the real source
of inspiration and leadership, and this is acknowledged by Barak the general in
verse 8 where he says to Deborah, "If you will go with me I will go: But if you will
not go with me, I will not go." Barak was a man of faith, but he was not going after
700 iron chariots without the presence of Deborah. She was obviously a charismatic
personality that gave confidence and assurance to all who were with her. He needed
someone special, for he was taking on a well drilled army with the best and newest
fighting machines. He was fighting with men out of training, and with nothing but

98. homemade weapons. He needed her to motivate his men.
2. Deborah was no Cleopatra, eager to reign over men and dominate them. She was
eager to inspire them to do the will of God, and gain freedom from their enemies
that they might more effectively live for God and His purposes. She aroused her
nation from its lethargy and despair. She awakened in them a determination to be
free from their bondage. Without her the victory would never have been attempted.
Deborah is proof that a woman may be the best national advisor. For a woman to
be on the supreme court of our land, or to be in the president's cabinet is no
problem for those who see how God has worked in the history of His people.
History and the Bible make it clear that patriotic women are a vital part of any
nation that is blessed by God.
3. Deborah went from settling personal disputes among God's people to settling
international disputes. All through history God has used women, not just in the
home and the church, but in the public arena of politics. It is not for all, or even
most women, but the point is, when God calls women to get involved in major
political ways, they have a tremendous impact. ever underestimate the power of
women to change the course of history. Deborah's leadership reversed the history of
Israel, and instead of living as slaves, they had 40 years of peace and freedom
because of her.
4. In our own land we enjoy enormous blessings because of patriotic women. I think
of just one group that God has used so uniquely in our land. The Quaker women
have always been treated as equals. They receive the same good education, and the
same freedom to use their gifts. The results are that this small group of women have
had a profound influence on all Americans. They were a major force in fighting
slavery, and in building institutions for care and education. They provided the first
battlefield nurses. Lucretia Mott became one of the greatest women leaders of the
19th century. She and other Quaker women, like the Grimke sisters were the first
Americans women to speak out in public and win for women the right to express
themselves in public. Then came Susan B. Anthony whose labors led women to gain
the right to vote. Quaker women were the first to do many things in our land to
benefit the whole nation. Their theology allowed them to enter into the freedoms of
our nation, and they expanded those freedoms for all. The third area of Deborah's
wisdom is that she was-
CLARKE, "Up; for this is the day - This is exactly the purpose for which the
Septuagint state, Jdg_4:8, that Barak wished Deborah to accompany him. “I know not,”
says he, “The Day in which God will send his angel to give me prosperity: come thou with
we that thou mayest direct me in this respect.” She went, and told him the precise time
in which he was to make the attack: Up, for This is the Day in which the Lord hath
delivered Sisera into thine hand.
Went down from Mount Tabor - He had probably encamped his men on and near
the summit of this mount. See the note on Jdg_4:6.

99. GILL, "And Deborah said unto Barak, up,.... Not go up higher for they were upon
the top of a mountain; but rise, bestir thyself, prepare for battle, put the army in rank
and file, and march and meet the enemy without delay:
for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand;
by a spirit of prophecy she knew this was the precise day, the exact time in which it was
the will of God this deliverance should be wrought; and she speaks of it as if it was past,
because of the certainty of it, and the full assurance she had of it, and Barak might have;
nor is what she says any contradiction to what she had said before, that Sisera should be
sold or delivered into the hands of a woman, Jdg_4:9; for both were true, Sisera first fell
into the hands of Jael, a woman, and then into the hands of Barak, and into the hands of
both on the same day:
is not the Lord gone out before thee? it was manifest he was, at least to Deborah,
who was fully assured of it, and therefore it became Barak and his men, and great
encouragement they had, to follow, since as the Lord went before them as their
Generalissimo, they might be sure of victory: perhaps there might be some visible
appearance, some shining lustre and splendour of the Shekinah, or divine Majesty; the
Targum is,"is not the angel of the Lord gone out before thee, to prosper thee?"
so Barak went from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him; no
mention is made of Deborah's coming down with them, perhaps she stayed on the
mountain till the battle was over: nor might Barak be urgent upon her now to go with
him, being confident of success, and having all the ends answered by her presence he
could wish for.
HENRY, " Deborah gives orders to engage the enemy, Jdg_4:14. Josephus says that
when Barak saw Sisera's army drawn up, and attempting to surround the mountain on
the top of which he and his forces lay encamped, his heart quite failed him, and he
determined to retire to a place of greater safety; but Deborah animated him to make a
descent upon Sisera, assuring him that this was the day marked out in the divine
counsels for his defeat. “Now they appear most threatening they are ripe for ruin. The
thing is as sure to be done as if it were done already: The Lord hath delivered Sisera into
thy hand.” See how the work and honour of this great action are divided between
Deborah and Barak; she, as the head, gives the word, he, as the hand, does the work.
Thus does God dispense his gifts variously, 1Co_12:4, etc. But, though ordinarily the
head of the woman is the man (1Co_11:3), he that has the residue of the Spirit was
pleased to cross hands, and to put the head upon the woman's shoulders, choosing the
weak things of the world to shame the mighty, that no flesh might glory in his presence.
It was well for Barak that he had Deborah with him; for she made up what was defective,
1. In his conduct, by telling him, This is the day. 2. In his courage, by assuring him of
God's presence: “Has not the Lord gone out before thee? Darest not thou follow when
thou hast God himself for thy leader?” Note, (1.) In every undertaking it is good to be
satisfied that God goes before us, that we are in the way of our duty and under his
direction. (2.) If we have ground to hope that God goes before us, we ought to go on with
courage and cheerfulness. Be not dismayed at the difficulties thou meetest with in
resisting Satan, in serving God, or suffering for him; for has not the Lord gone out
before thee? Follow him fully then.
JAMISON, "Barak went down from mount Tabor — It is a striking proof of the
full confidence Barak and his troops reposed in Deborah’s assurance of victory, that they

100. relinquished their advantageous position on the hill and rushed into the plain in face of
the iron chariots they so much dreaded.
BENSON, "4:14. Deborah said unto Barak, Up — Hebrew, Arise, Delay not. If we have
ground to believe that God goes before us, we may well go on with courage and
cheerfulness. Is not the Lord gone before thee? — Namely, as general of thine army, to
fight for thee. So Barak went down — He did not make use of the advantage which he
had of the hill, where he might have been out of the reach of Sisera’s iron chariots, but
boldly marched down into the valley, to give him the opportunity of using all his horses
and chariots, that so the victory might be more glorious. 4:15. The Lord discomfited
Sisera — The particulars of the battle are not recorded in the sacred text; but it evidently
appears from thence that there was something extraordinary and miraculous in this
defeat of Jabin’s host. The Hebrew word ‫,יהם‬ jaham, imports that they were discomfited with
great terror and noise, probably with thunder, lightning, and hail- stones, poured upon them
from heaven, as is implied 5:20 ; and as the same word is used Joshua 10:10; and 1 Samuel 7:10.
Josephus confirms this opinion, assuring us that “as soon as the armies were engaged, there arose
a prodigious tempest of hail and rain, which drove in the faces of the Canaanites, and occasioned
a total rout of them.” — Antiq., lib. 5. cap. 5. The heavens, therefore, had the principal share in
this great overthrow. With the edge of the sword — That is, by the sword of Barak and his army,
whose ministry God used; but so, it seems, that they had little else to do but to kill those whom
God, by more powerful arms, had put to flight. And fled away on his feet — He thought his
chariot not swift enough to carry him out of danger, and imagined he should be less exposed to
observation, and less liable to be discovered, when he fled like a common soldier. To which we
may add, that in ancient times valiant men were wonderfully swift of foot; as is observed of
Asahel, 2 Samuel 2:18; and every one knows it was the character of Achilles among the Greeks.
PETT, "Verse 14
‘And Deborah said to Barak, “Up, for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered
Sisera into your hand. Is not Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from
Mount Tabor, and ten eleph men after him.’
The Canaanite army were gathered at the river Kishon, not expecting an attack. After
all it was they who were the hunters. The last thing they expected was for the Israelites to
come down to meet them, and they would be taken totally by surprise. It was probably
the last thing that the Israelites had expected either. But at Deborah’s words,
communicated to them by Barak, they responded. Was the Spirit of Yahweh not with
her? And now she had promised that He would be with them.
“So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten eleph men after him.” At Deborah’s
command the Israelite forces swept down the mountain - had she not promised that
Yahweh had gone in front of them? - and attacked the Canaanite force, taking them by
surprise.

101. “Is not Yahweh gone out before you?” In chapter 4 there is not a word to explain the
significance of this, except as a general theological promise. Nothing is said about the
rainstorm. But their victory proved it was true. Yahweh was there fighting for them. Had
we not, however, had the song of Deborah we would not have had the full explanation
which was that while the troops and chariots of Sisera waited by the banks of the river,
heavy rains fell on the surrounding mountains causing flash floods and further heavy
rains which swept down and flooded the plain (Judges 5:21), which was already possibly
soggy. As a result the chariot wheels were bemired in the mud. Clad in their iron
weaponry and accoutrements the footsoldiers too would find the going heavy. The song
puts it in terms reminiscent of the delivery from the soldiers of Pharaoh at the Sea of
Reeds.
Thus when the army of Barak, fervent and more lightly clad, and therefore more
capable of dealing with the mud, suddenly and unexpectedly swept down on them they
were thrown into even more confusion. Their chariots were useless, their leadership
caught up in them, and the unexpected attack caught them unprepared.
ELLICOTT, "(14) This is the day.—See the addition of the LXX. to Judges 4:8. The
ancients attached the utmost importance to fortunate and unfortunate days, and Barak
was guided by a prophetess, not by idle auguries.
Is not the Lord gone out before thee?—“Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against
those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle” (Zechariah 14:3; comp.
Deuteronomy 9:3).
Went down from mount Tabor.—As he had neither cavalry nor chariots it required no
little faith in Barak to abandon his strong post and assume the aggressive against the
kind of forces which struck most terror into the Israelites (Hebrews 11:32). Hence the
emphatic addition, “at his feet” (Heb., and see Judges 4:10). If the beginning of the
battle was at Taanach, the Israelites had to march thirteen miles along the caravan road.
Probably the Canaanites watched this bold and unexpected movement with as much
astonishment as the huge Persian host saw the handful of Athenians charge down from
the hill-sides into the plain of Marathon.
15
At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and
all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera
abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

102. BAR ES, "Lighted down off his chariot - Probably his chariot stuck in the
morass (see the note at Jdg_4:7); or he might leave his chariot in order to mislead his
pursuers, and in hope of gaining a place of safety while they were following the track of
the chariot-wheels and the bulk of the host.
CLARKE, "The Lord discomfited Sisera - ‫יהוה‬ ‫ויהם‬ vayiahom Jehovah; the Lord
Confounded, threw them all into confusion, drove them pell-mell - caused chariots to
break and overthrow chariots, and threw universal disorder into all their ranks. In this
case Barak and his men had little to do but kill and pursue, and Sisera in order to escape,
was obliged to abandon his chariot. There is no doubt all this was done by supernatural
agency; God sent his angel and confounded them.
GILL, "And the Lord discomfited Sisera and all his chariots, and all his
host,.... Frightened them, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, or disturbed
them with a noise and tumult, as the word signifies; with a noise in the heavens, which
were in their ears, as Abarbinel observes, like the noise of a large army, as was the case of
the Syrians, 2Ki_7:6; and they saw, he says, horses and chariots of fire, and the like,
which terrified them; and all this he supposes was done before Barak descended from
the mountain, so that he had nothing to do when he came but to pursue and kill,
whereby it plainly appeared it was the Lord's doing. Josephus (i) says there was a great
tempest of rain and hail, and the wind blew the rain in their faces, which so blinded their
eyes, that their slings and arrows were of no use to them; and they that bore armour
were so benumbed, that they could not hold their swords. Something of this kind is
intimated by Deborah in her song, Jdg_5:20; and this was accompanied or followed by a
slaughter
with the edge of the sword before Barak; the fright and dread they were put into
was increased by the appearance of Barak, who fell upon them in their confusion, and
cut them to pieces:
so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet; being
very probably swift of foot; and besides thought it safest to quit his chariot, which in the
confusion was in danger of being run against by others; as also he might judge he should
not be so easily discerned who he was when on foot, as a common soldier, as in his
splendid chariot; and this he might do in his fright, not considering his horses were
swifter than he: thus Homer represents a Trojan warrior leaping out of his chariot to
escape Diomedes, and another as doing the same to get clear of Achilles (k).
HENRY, " God himself routs the enemy's army, Jdg_4:15. Barak, in obedience to
Deborah's orders, went down into the valley, though there upon the plain the iron
chariots would have so much the more advantage against him, quitting his fastnesses
upon the mountain in dependence upon the divine power; for in vain is salvation hoped
for from hills and mountains; in the Lord alone is the salvation of his people, Jer_3:23.
And he was not deceived in his confidence: The Lord discomfited Sisera. It was not so
much the bold and surprising alarm which Barak gave their camp that dispirited and
dispersed them, but God's terror seized their spirits and put them into an unaccountable

103. confusion. The stars, it seems, fought against them, Jdg_5:20. Josephus says that a
violent storm of hail which beat in their faces gave them this rout, disabled them, and
drove them back; so that they became a very easy prey to the army of Israel, and
Deborah's words were made good: “The Lord has delivered them into thy hand; it is
now in thy power to do what thou wilt with them.”
JAMISON, "the Lord discomfited Sisera — Hebrew, “threw his army into
confusion”; men, horses, and chariots being intermingled in wild confusion. The
disorder was produced by a supernatural panic (see on Jdg_5:20).
so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet — His
chariot being probably distinguished by its superior size and elegance, would betray the
rank of its rider, and he saw therefore that his only chance of escape was on foot.
K&D 15-16, "“And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army,
with the edge of the sword before Barak.” ‫ם‬ ָ‫ה‬ָ ַ‫,ו‬ as in Exo_14:24 and Jos_10:10, denotes
the confounding of the hostile army by a miracle of God, mostly by some miraculous
phenomenon of nature: see, besides Exo_14:24; 2Sa_22:15; Psa_18:15, and Psa_144:6.
The expression ‫ם‬ ָ‫ה‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ places the defeat of Sisera and his army in the same category as the
miraculous destruction of Pharaoh and of the Canaanites at Gibeon; and the
combination of this verb with the expression “with the edge of the sword” is to be taken
as constructio praegnans, in the sense: Jehovah threw Sisera and his army into
confusion, and, like a terrible champion fighting in front of Israel, smote him without
quarter, Sisera sprang from his chariot to save himself, and fled on foot; but Barak
pursued the routed foe to Harosheth, and completely destroyed them. “All Sisera's army
fell by the edge of the sword; there remained not even to one,” i.e., not a single man.
WHEDON,"15. The Lord discomfited Sisera — Confused and confounded him, and
gave such an impulse to the warriors of Barak that the vigorous use of their swords was
more terrible than Jabin’s chariots, and filled all the Canaanitish host with such sudden
alarm that they fled panic stricken before the Israelites. There was also direct miraculous
interposition. “They fought from heaven,” says Judges 5:20, and Josephus states that
there came a violent tempest and hail, which so obscured the eyes of Sisera’s host that
they could not use their arrows and slings, and many were killed by their own horses and
chariots. The rain had swelled the Kishon to a flood, so that its rushing waters swept
multitudes away. Judges 5:21. The flight of the defeated host would naturally be down
the valley towards Harosheth.
Sisera lighted — Hoping, probably, to elude pursuit.
PETT, "Verse 15
Judges 4:15 a
‘And Yahweh discomfited Sisera and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of
the sword before Barak.’
It was a total rout. Without iron accoutrements to hinder them, and more lightly
armed, and fired by the belief that Yahweh had done this, the Israelites could cope with
the conditions much better. And the Canaanites were already in disarray. So while there

104. would undoubtedly be some resistance, they were totally unprepared. And not knowing
how many of these dreadful barbarians were coming against them, and being without
their main officers, who were caught up in their chariots, to rally them, they panicked
and eventually turned and fled. And a fleeing army is easily beaten, especially by the
more lightly clad.
Judges 4:15 b
‘And Sisera lighted down from his chariot, and fled away on his feet.’
This is the only indication we have in Judges 4 of the flooding of the plain. Sisera must
have left his chariot because it was unusable. Only flooding could have done that, and
caused him to panic in this way. Possibly his officers were the ones who told him to save
himself while they fought a rearguard action, or perhaps he got away in the confusion,
but it emphasises the panic that had seized hold of the Canaanite army, and Sisera as
well. They had heard about the activities of Yahweh, God of Israel, and now they were
seeing Him in action. They did not like the odds.
ELLICOTT, "(15) Discomfited.—The same word as in Exodus 14:24; Joshua 10:10. The
LXX. exestçse, and the Vulg. perterruit, imply the element of immediate Divine aid in
the battle.
Sisera, and all his chariots.—“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will
remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalms 20:7; comp. Psalms 33:16-17;
Proverbs 21:31).
And all his host.—“Do unto them . . . as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook of Kison,
which perished at Endor, and became as the dung of the earth” (Psalms 83:9-10).
Considering the allusion to the swollen waters of the Kishon and the storm in Judges
5:20-22, it seems probable that Josephus is following a correct Jewish tradition when he
describes the battle thus:—“They joined battle, and as the ranks closed a violent storm
came on, and much rain and hail; and the wind drove the rain against the faces of the
Canaanites, darkening their outlook, so that their archeries and their slings were
rendered useless, and their heavy-armed soldiers, because of the cold, were unable to
use their swords. But since the storm was behind the Israelites, it caused them less
harm, and they further took courage from their belief in God’s assistance, so that,
driving into the midst of the enemy, they killed many of them,” &c. (Antt. v. 5, § 4). The
battle thus closely resembled that of Timoleon against the Carthaginians at the
Crimessus (Grote, xi. 246), and the English victory at Crecy, as has been graphically
described by Dean Stanley (Jew. Church, i. 329). We may add that similar conditions
recurred in the battle of Cannæ, except that it was the storm of dust and not of rain that
was blown in the faces of the Romans by the Scirocco (Liv. 22:46; Plut. Fab. 16).
Sisera lighted down off his chariot.—We find an Homeric hero, Idæus (Il. v. 20), doing
the same thing. On this the frivolous critic Zoilus made the objection, “Why did he not
fly in his chariot?” The answer is the same as here: Sisera would have far more chance of
escaping into concealment if he left the well-known chariot of a general. Besides this, his
chariot—like those of the Egyptians at the Red Sea—was probably struggling in the
trampled morass. “It was left to rust on the banks of the Kishon, like Roderick’s on the

105. shores of the Guadelete” (Stanley).
COKE, "Judges 4:15. And the Lord discomfited Sisera— Though the expression in the
text may be well understood according to the Scripture idiom, without any miraculous
interposition; yet it is generally supposed, from the signification of the original word ‫ויהם‬
vayaham, (which imports a terror by the noise of thunder and lightning; see Schultens Orig. Heb.
lib. 1: p. 140.) that the Lord interposed miraculously: see 1 Samuel 7:10. Joshua 10:10.; and
something of this kind seems to be acknowledged by Deborah in her song, Judges 4:20. Josephus,
who is of this opinion, greatly aggrandizes the affair. He says, that as soon as the armies were
engaged, there arose a prodigious tempest of hail and rain, which drove in the faces of the
Canaanites, and occasioned a total rout of them. See Antiq. lib. 5: cap. 5.
REFLECTIONS.—Barak, at Deborah's command, having quickly raised the ten thousand
men, chiefly out of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, encamped on mount Tabor; and
Deborah, according to her promise, accompanied him. Sisera is soon informed of these military
preparations, either by the Canaanites or the Kenites, who lately removed into this part of the
country out of Judah, and were at peace with Jabin. He immediately collects his army, with his
nine hundred chariots of iron, in which his strength lay, and against which ten thousand footmen
were a very unequal match. When the armies were thus encamped, the one at the brook beneath,
and the other in the mountain above;
1. Deborah issues the order for the battle to begin. Barak and the people might well tremble at
the sight before them; but she assures them that they need not fear; God is with them, and this
very day should they see his great salvation. The victory is already won, since God has promised
it. Note; If God be for us, let us never fear who are against us.
2. Barak obeys. He trusts not to his encampment on the mountain, nor waits there to be
attacked; but, trusting on the divine promise, boldly descends. Struck with a panic fear, the army
of Sisera dares not to abide his coming, but, discomfited of God, seek in vain by flight to save
themselves from the sword of Barak. Note; (1.) They who go forth in faith must return victorious.
(2.) When God pursues the sinner, flight is vain.
3. A total overthrow is given to these numerous hosts. They are pursued to the very gates of
their city, and not a man spared from the sword: both chariots and horses are fallen, and Sisera

106. alone escapes on foot, only to fall more ignominiously in the tent of Jael. Note; (1.) When God
begins in earnest with his enemies, he will also make an end. (2.) We do well to prosecute our
successes against our corruptions, and quicken our diligence the more we prevail against them.
16
But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far
as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera
fell by the sword; not a man was left.
GILL, "But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto
Harosheth of the Gentiles,.... The place from whence they came, and to which they
endeavoured to escape: but he followed them, so close all that way, and made such havoc
of them, that
all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a
man left; no, not one, excepting Sisera, as in Jdg_4:17; or "even to one" (l), as in the
original text; not one escaped to Hazor to acquaint Jabin of the loss of his army. Philo
Byblius says, that nine hundred and ninety seven thousand of Sisera's army were slain.
HENRY, " Barak bravely improves his advantage, follows the blow with undaunted
resolution and unwearied diligence, prosecutes the victory, pursues the scattered forces,
even to their general's head-quarters at Harosheth (Jdg_4:16), and spares none whom
God had delivered into his hand to be destroyed: There was not a man left. When God
goes before us in our spiritual conflicts we must bestir ourselves; and, when by grace he
gives us some success against the enemies of our souls, we must improve it by
watchfulness and resolution, and carry on the holy war with vigour.
JAMISON, "But Barak pursued ... unto Harosheth — Broken and routed, the
main body of Sisera’s army fled northward; others were forced into the Kishon and
drowned (see on Jdg_5:21).
BENSON, "Verse 16-17
4:16-17. There was not a man left — In the field; for there were some who fled away, as

107. Sisera did. The tent of Jael — For women had their tents apart from their husbands. And
here he probably thought he would be more secret and secure than in her husband’s
tent, or in any other place in that encampment, as it would have been a much greater
insult to Heber for any Israelite to search for him there than in any other of his tents. For
there was peace between Jabin and the house of Heber — Not a covenant of friendship,
which they were forbidden to make with the Canaanites, but a cessation of hostilities,
which Jabin granted them, because they were peaceable people, abhorring war, and
wholly minding pasturage, and were not Israelites, with whom his principal quarrel was.
Add to this, that God disposed his heart to favour those who were careful to shun
idolatry, and other sins wherewith Israel had corrupted themselves.
PETT, "Verse 16
‘But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, as far as Harosheth of the
Nations. And all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword and there was not a man
left.’
Some of the chariots were able to get themselves clear of the mud and escape, which
was the only thing now on their minds, while the footsoldiers also fled, hindering the
chariots. That proud and powerful army, with its mighty chariots, that had swept so
triumphantly and confidently on to the plain by Kishon, now fled, a bedraggled, mud-
bespattered, broken and totally spent force, prey to the flashing blades of the men of
Naphtali and Zebulun who followed with blazing eyes and triumphant cries.
“There was not a man left.” That is, that they could find to slaughter. They killed all
that they could find. But there was at least one who had escaped their flashing blades,
who fled for his life, seeking refuge.
17
Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were
friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor
and the clan of Heber the Kenite.
BAR ES, "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.

108. GILL, "Howbeit, Sisera fled away on his feet,.... Got off, and made his escape
to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; before spoken of, Jdg_4:11; and
he made to that, because he might think himself safer in a tent than in a town; and
especially in the tent of a woman, where he might imagine no search would be made; for
women of note, in those times, had separate tents, see Gen_24:67; and the rather he
made his escape hither for a reason that follows:
for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber
the Kenite; which Jabin might the more readily come into, because these were not
Israelites, nor did they make any claim to the country, and lived only in tents, and
attended their flocks, and were a quiet people, and not at all disposed to war; and it
might be so ordered by the providence of God, as a rebuke to the Israelites for their sins,
when those who were only proselytes kept close to the worship of God, and so enjoyed
liberty, peace, and prosperity.
HENRY, "We have seen the army of the Canaanites totally routed. It is said (Psa_83:9,
Psa_83:10, where the defeat of this army is pleaded as a precedent for God's doing the
like in after times) that they became as dung for the earth. Now here we have,
I. The fall of their general, Sisera, captain of the host, in whom, it is likely, Jabin their
king put an entire confidence, and therefore was not himself present in the action. Let us
trace the steps of this mighty man's fall.
1. He quitted his chariot, and took to his feet, Jdg_4:15, Jdg_4:17. His chariots had
been his pride and his confidence; and we may suppose he had therefore despised and
defied the armies of the living God, because they were all on foot, and had neither
chariot nor horse, as he had. Justly therefore is he thus made ashamed of his confidence,
and forced to quit it, and thinks himself then most safe and easy when he has got clear of
his chariot, though we may well suppose it the best made, and best drawn, of any of
them. Thus are those disappointed who rest on the creature; like a broken reed, it not
only breaks under them, but runs into their hand, and pierceth them with many sorrows.
The idol may quickly become a burden (Isa_46:1), 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. Put not your trust in princes, if they may so
soon be brought to this, if he who but lately trusted to his arms with so much assurance
must now trust to his heels only with so little.
2. He fled for shelter to the tents of the Kenites, having no strong-hold, nor any place
of is own in reach to retire to. The mean and solitary way of the Kenites' living, perhaps,
he had formerly despised and ridiculed, and the more because religion was kept up
among them; yet now he is glad to put himself under the protection of one of these tents:
and he chooses the wife's tent or apartment, either because less suspected, or because it
happened to be next to him, and the first he came to, Jdg_4:17. 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. Jabin did them no harm, did
not oppress them as he did the Israelites, their plain, quiet, harmless way of living
making them not suspected nor feared, and perhaps God so ordering it as a recompence
for their constant adherence to the true religion. Sisera thought he might therefore be
safe among them; not considering that, though they themselves suffered not by Jabin's

109. power, they heartily sympathized with the Israel of God that did.
JAMISON,"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.
COFFMAN, "Verse 17
JAEL DESTROYS SISERA (Judges 4:17-22)
"Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Heber the Kenite; for there was
peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went
out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And he
turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said unto her,
Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of
milk; and gave him drink; and covered him. And he said unto her, Stand in the door of
the tent, and it shall be when any man shall come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there
any man here? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin, and took
a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples,
and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and
died. And behold as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto
him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And he came unto her; and
behold Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples."
"And she covered him with a rug" (Judges 4:18). "This should be rendered, `with the
coverlet,' such as was always at hand in the nomad tent."[19]
"The tent-pin ... and a hammer" (Judges 4:21). It is said that the business of pitching
and striking the tent was usually assigned to the women among the nomads, and Jael,
therefore, would have been quite skilled in the use of this equipment.
"So he swooned and died" (Judges 4:21). This could not possibly be an acceptable
translation of what is said here. "Swooning," that is, "fainting," is not exactly what
happens to a man with a tent-pin driven through his temples! The New Revised
Standard Version renders this clause simply" " - and he died."
"Evidently, the Canaanites had not oppressed the nomadic Kenites who had moved
into their territory from the south, and, since the Kenites had not taken part in the
muster of Israel's forces at Mount Tabor, Sisera, from these facts, had reason to believe
that he would be SAFE, if he reached the tent of Heber."[20]
Speaking of the morality of this action on Jael's part, what can be said? The falsehood,
treachery, deception and cold-blooded murder appearing in this event can only be
denounced as sinful, and yet there were surely mitigating circumstances. We can admire
Jael's courage, her love of the people of God, and her audacious action in taking the life
of their chief enemy. It is nowhere indicated in the Bible that God approved of Jael's
behavior in this episode. The prophecy that something like this would surely happen

110. cannot be interpreted as God's approval of how it happened. Still, in the next chapter,
Deborah referred to Jael as "blessed"; and Jael herself appeared to be quite happy with
her achievement as she showed Sisera's body to Barak.
We are not given any account of how Barak must have reacted to what Jael showed
him. In ancient times, it was considered the ultimate dishonor for a brave warrior to be
slain by a WOMAN. Barak must have recalled the words of Deborah that prophesied the
very thing that he encountered in the tent of Heber the Kenite.
WHEDON, "17. Tent of Jael — According to Dr. Thomson, Heber had removed for the
time from his home near Kedesh, and pitched his tent for winter quarters at the border
of the Plain of Esdraelon. Hence the tent of Jael was not so far from the battle field as
Kedesh, which was nearly two days’ journey distant. “I once,” says Thomson, “crossed
the lower part of Esdraelon in the winter. It was then full of Arab tents, and at first I felt
a little nervous; but my guide assured me there was no danger, for he was well
acquainted with these Arabs. Their home was in the mountains north of Nazareth, and
they only came down here to pass the cold months of winter. This was the very thing that
Heber did, and who knows but these Arabs are lineal descendants of that heroic Jaal.”
Peace between Jabin… and… Heber — This shows why Sisera so readily entered Jael’s
tent, and seemed to have such confidence in her. He was probably acquainted with Jael,
and knew of Heber’s alliance with Jabin, and fled to her tent with the purpose and
expectation of being sheltered there.
PETT, "Verse 17
‘However, 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.’
Before going into detail the writer summarised what was to happen, and humiliates
Sisera. ‘He fled away on his feet’. That mighty charioteer of Canaan, running for his life,
his chariot deserted. ‘To the tent of Jael.’ The very thought would startle the listener.
They would freeze at the thought. That was unforgivable. His ally’s wife’s tent, a place he
should never ever have considered entering, even in his last extremity. And yet it offered
safety, for no one would imagine him entering such a place.
“For there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the
Kenite.” Not a peace between equals but a peace because Heber and his encampment
were useful as metalworkers. They had received permission from Jabin to camp there
because their activities were useful, and they presented no threat. But under such a
treaty Sisera should have been concerned to protect his ally’s wife.
ELLICOTT, "(17) Fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael.—In a different direction
from that taken by his army, which fled towards Harosheth (Kimchi). The expression is
probably used by anticipation. He could hardly have meant to fly to Jael rather than to
Heber, until Jael came to meet him, unless there are circumstances unknown to us.
Women had separate tents (Genesis 18:6), and these were regarded as inviolably secure.
He thought that there he would lie unsuspected till the pursuers passed (comp. Genesis
24:67). The name Jael means “gazelle” (like Tabitha, Dorcas), “a fit name for a Bedouin’s

111. wife—especially for one whose family had come from the rocks of Engedi, the spring of
the wild goat or chamois” (Stanley).
For there was peace.—This enabled Sisera boldly to appeal to these nomads for
dakheel—the sacred duty of protection. A poor strolling Bedouin tribe might well be left
by Jabin to its natural independence; tribute can only be secured from Fellahîn—i.e.,
from settled tribes. Three days must have elapsed since the battle before it would be
possible for Sisera to fly on foot from the Kishon to “the nomad’s terebinth.” It may well
be conceived that the unfortunate general arrived there in miserable plight—a starving
and ruined fugitive.
COKE, "Verses 17-20
Judges 4:17-20. Sisera fled—to the tent of Jael— The common Arabs so far observe the
modes of the east, as to have a separate apartment in their tents for their wives, made by
letting down a curtain, or a carpet, upon occasion, from one of their pillars; though they
are not so rigid as some of the eastern people in these matters. Dr. Pococke tells us, that
his conductor, who was an Arab, led him two or three miles to his tent, where there was
an encampment of Arabs; and that there he sat down with his conductor's wife and
others round the fire.—"The Arabs," says he, "are not so scrupulous as the Turks about
their women; and though they have their harem, or woman's part of the tent, yet such as
they are acquainted with come into them. I was kept in the harem for greater security,
the wife being always with me; no stranger ever daring to come into the woman's
apartment, unless introduced." According to the custom of the present Arabs, therefore,
it was not absurd in Sisera to hope that he might be received into Jael's tent, the harem
of Heber. It appears too, that her tent was a much safer place than any other in that
encampment, wherein to secrete himself, as it would have been a much greater insult to
this Kenite Emir, for any Israelite to have attempted to search for him there, than in any
other of his tents. Observations, p. 79.
CONSTABLE, "Verses 17-22
However Sisera, the Canaanite commander, fled east to save his skin. He sought
refuge in the tent of "Ally" Heber. Little did he realize that even though Heber"s
sentiments apparently favored the Canaanites, his wife Jael was a loyal worshipper of
Yahweh. She was no compromiser, as her husband seems to have been. That Heber had
established very friendly relations with the Canaanites seems clear since Sisera felt
perfectly safe in Heber"s tent as he hid from the pursuing Israelites.
It is interesting that Jael commanded the Canaanite commander to "Turn aside" (
Judges 4:18), as Deborah had commanded the Israelite commander to "March to Mt.
Tabor" ( Judges 4:6). God was using two women to lead His people to victory on this
occasion.
One writer suggested the following translation of the last part of Judges 4:18 and
Judges 4:19. Instead of "she covered him with a rug. He said to her ... then she covered
him," she divided the Hebrew words differently. She came up with "she overwhelmed
him with perfume. He grew faint and said to her ... then [she] closed it [the container of
milk] again." [Note: Elizabeth Wilkinson, "The Hapax Legomenon of Judges IV:18 ,"
Vetus Testamentum33:4 (October1983):512-13.] While this translation is provocative

112. and possible, the problems with the traditional rendering are minimal and do not
require this change.
Sisera "had systematically violated every covenant of the code governing the actions of
host and guest." [Note: Victor H. Matthews, "Hospitality and Hostility in Judges 4 ,"
Biblical Theology Bulletin21 (Spring1992):18.] Sisera should have gone directly to
Heber, the head of the household, not to his wife"s tent. This violation of hospitality
customs would have alerted Jael that something was amiss. Furthermore Sisera should
not have accepted Jael"s offer of hospitality, but when he did, this doubtless indicated to
Jael again that his intentions were not right. Sisera proceeded to make two requests of
his host. He requested something to drink and that Jael would stand guard at the door of
the tent, evidently to lie about his presence, which would have endangered her safety.
Good guests did not make requests of their hosts in that culture nor did they put them in
danger. So Sisera was asking for trouble.
"Sisera is a famous military commander ( Judges 4:2-3), and since conquering male
heroes generally had their way with women (see Judges 5:30), and since Sisera had
violated hospitality customs by entering Jael"s tent, Jael may very well have feared that
she was going to be raped. Instead, in what some commentators describe as a reverse
rape, it is Sisera who "gets nailed" by Jael-literally, by Jael"s use of the hammer and tent
peg, and perhaps figuratively as well, a possibility captured by the sexual connotation of
the contemporary idiom used above." [Note: McCann, pp54-55.]
Jael probably gave Sisera milk [buttermilk? Heb. hem"ah] instead of water ( Judges
4:19) because milk was a better drink and would have assured Sisera of Jael"s good will
toward him. Furthermore she may have intended that it would induce sleep in him.
Wine has the opposite effect, at least in moderation.
"It was probably a kind of yogurt or curdled milk ( Judges 5:25)-a drink called leben,
which is still commonly used by the Arabs." [Note: Wolf, p407.]
Jael"s name means "Mountain Goat." Interestingly she did two things we associate
with mountain goats. She proved to be a tough creature, and she produced milk.
Note the vulnerability and dependence of Sisera in Judges 4:19 and his blind self-
confidence in Judges 4:20. He thought he was safe and in control, but he was in mortal
danger, about to die, and he did not even suspect it. Such is often the case with people,
especially the enemies of God"s people (cf. Proverbs 16:18).
Even though Jael was God"s instrument of delivering Sisera into the Israelites" hands,
some scholars have criticized her methods. [Note: E.g, Keil and Delitzsch, p306. ]
Compare Rahab"s lie and Ehud"s strategy. Oriental hospitality required Jael to protect
her guest. Instead she treacherously assassinated him. Yet in the light of Sisera"s
violation of hospitality customs it seems that Jael"s act was self-defense. Moreover, this
was war, and holy war at that. What she did shows her commitment to do God"s will,
namely, destroying the inhabitants of the land (cf. Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Deuteronomy
32; Joshua 1:1-9). [Note: Wood, Distressing Days . . ., pp198-99.] I believe that is the

113. reason Deborah honored her in the poem that follows in chapter5.
"Jael"s actions ... contain conscious misuse of this [hospitality] ritual to lure Sisera to
his death. However, Sisera is more culpable than Jael in his systematic violation of every
step in the customary [hospitality] ritual. He brought shame on himself and on the
household of Heber by disregarding the proper roles of guest and host. It is the
contention of this writer that a conscious effort has been made on the part of the
writers/editors of this material to use the strictures of the hospitality code to further
heighten the literary character of the story. Each violation provides further assurance to
the audience that violence, when it comes, as it surely must, is justified." [Note:
Matthews, p20. This article provides much help in understanding the hospitality
customs of the ancient Near East, some of which continue to the present day.]
"Her dexterity with the tent peg (RSV) and hammer, or wooden mallet, is explained by
the fact that the erection and taking down of tents was the work of a woman." [Note:
Cundall and Morris, p89.]
To die by the hand of a woman was a disgrace in the ancient Near East (cf. Judges
9:54). Jael reminds me of a charmed snake. Sisera thought he had her under his control,
but at the crucial moment she struck him fatally. He died of a splitting headache!
Judges 4:22 is amusing. Somehow Barak had gotten on Sisera"s trail and finally found
his way to Heber"s tent at the east end of the valley. As Deborah had commanded Barak
to "Go" ( Judges 4:6), now Jael commanded him to "Come." They used the same Hebrew
word in addressing him on both occasions. The man who should have taken the
initiative in attacking Israel"s enemy years earlier now got another order from a woman.
18
Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him,
"Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid."
So he entered her tent, and she put a covering
over him.

114. 1. In the two stories a man relies on a woman who pretends to offer help; both
women use trickery. Rahab tells the King’s soldiers that the spies have already left
and encourages the soldiers to chase after them (Josh 2,5). The soldiers believe her,
but the spies are actually hiding in the house (Josh 2,7.22). Yael invites Sisera to her
tent and shows him hospitality. He trusts her (Judg 4,20), while she intends to kill
him.
Lies and deceit are all a part of warfare, and those who use them wisely against
enemies of God are praised for it. Only a most foolish legalist would insist that when
we fight evil we must be always free of deceit and lies.
2. This seems like an appropriate place to put my sermon on Jael, for it deals with a
number of issues all in one place.
JAEL THE ASSASSI Based on Judges 4 and 5
By Pastor Glenn Pease
Assassins are never heroes in the history of Americans, for they are always those
who seek to kill our presidents whom we admire. This is not always the case in other
nations. The Jews, for example, have some assassins who are heroes in their history.
Two of them are Hakim and Bet Zuri. They were sent to Egypt to kill Lord Moyne,
who was the British Minister of State and the man who shrugged off a German offer
to free a million Jews: "But what would I do with a million Jews" Their was
justifiable hatred toward a man who would refuse to save the lives of a million
people, and they targeted him for death. They succeeded in their mission, and
though they were captured and hung, they became heroes of the Jews.
There are many heroic assassins in history. It does not sound like a noble
profession, but it can be the very tool of God to bring judgment on those who are
ripe for judgment. This is the case with Jael who assassinated Sisera while he was
sleeping in her tent. It may not sound as noble as most assassin stories, but it was
just as effective. Sisera has been the oppressor of Israel for twenty years, and finally
God gave Israel a female leader who motivated the army to go to battle with this
powerful commander of 900 iron chariots. He was watching his army being wiped
out and so he leaped off his iron horse and high tailed it to a safer place, he thought.
He headed for the tent of an old friend, but Heber the Kenite was not home. His
wife, however was completely hospitable. Jael invited him in and treated him like
royalty. She assured him that he had nothing to fear. "Come on in." she said with a
cheerful voice. It was just what he needed-a place of refuge. He did not hear the
message behind the voice that was, "Come in said the spider to the fly." He was
totally taken in by her friendly manner, and was confident she would protect him
and even lie about him being there to lead any pursuers astray. She even gave him
milk instead of the water for which he asked, for she knew this would help put him
to sleep. Then when he was all comfy in bed and fast asleep, she took a hammer and
tent peg and drove it through his temple and nailed him to the ground.
By that act of assassination she became a heroine of Jewish history. Deborah and

115. Barek sing of her heroic deed in their great song in Judges 5. In 5:24 she is called
the most blessed of women. But this act which made her so famous and praised also
made her one of the most controversial persons in the Bible. The debate is over
whether she can be considered honorable or horrible because of the way she carried
out her plot. She did not face her foe and strike him when he could defend himself.
She lied to him and deceived him. She broke all the codes of hospitality, and so
many consider her a terrible person and not a heroine at all. Before we defend this
woman as a biblical heroine we want to look at the negative perspective first.
I. THE EGATIVE PERSPECTIVE.
We all know it is not fair to shoot an unarmed man, and it is not fair to shoot
him in the back. There are rules for a fair fight, and it appears that Jael never read
the manual for fair fighting. She broke all the rules in the book, and this means she
is not to be admired. She is better off forgotten, and many have done just that so
that millions of people have heard the Bible expounded all their lives and never once
heard of Jael the female assassin. She killed a man in cold blood while he was
sleeping, and this is never justifiable. Many feel her image is blotted with the foul
taste of treachery, and is no model to be put forth for praise.
Rev Dr Susan Durber had done some great research on this issue and she quotes
this sermon preached in 1876, which gives a typical Victorian view of Jael.
"How are we to regard this deed of Jael? There seems to me to be no doubt as to
the answer. Her act was one of vilest treachery with scarcely a single extenuating
circumstance. . . . We are in no way bound to find excuses for the act, because it is
recorded in God's Word. . . . or need we feel any compunction at speaking thus
strongly, because Jael appears to have been a special instrument in the hands of
God for bringing to pass a deliverance for Israel. . . . We must confess that Deborah
actually praised this horrible act of Jael's. But the words of Deborah are not the
words of God. . . . The song of Deborah is the utterance of human passion and
human weakness, not of divine unswerving justice and strength."
Dr. Durber goes on to point out that this was the teaching in the textbooks of the
time. William Smith's Concise Dictionary of the Bible from 1865 made it clear that
there could be no justification for her act. I was reading the famous commentary by
Keil and Delitzsch when I came across their perspective: "Such conduct as that was
not the operation of the Spirit of God, but the fruit of a heroism inspired by flesh
and blood; and even in Deborah's song it is not lauded as a divine act." There are
some strong feelings against admiring and praising this female assassin.
A Doctor Lord de Tabley wrote a long poem titled Jael back in 1893, and in it he
implies that Jael had ambitions to get notoriety, and that was the motive for her
treachery. He wrote,
"And in his sidelong temple, where bright curls
Made crisp and glorious margin to his brows-
So that a queen might lay her mouth at them
or rise again less royal for their kiss-

116. There, in the interspace of beard and brow,
The nail had gone tearing the silken skin;
And, driven home to the jagged head of it,
Bit down into the tent-boards underneath;
And riveted that face of deadly sleep."
This was a poetic description of what the text says, but then he decides to make a
judgment of the motive behind Jael's act. He wrote,
"This woman was a mother, think of that;
A name which carries mercy in its sound,
A pitiful meek title one can trust;
She gave her babe the breast like other wives,
In cradle laid it, had her mother heed
To give it suck and sleep. You would suppose
She might learn pity in its helpless face;
A man asleep is weaker than a child,
And towards the weak God turns a woman's heart;
Hers being none. She is ambitious, hard,
Vain, would become heroic; to nurse babes
And sit at home, why any common girl
Is good enough for that. She must have fame;
She shall be made a song of in the camp,
And have her name upon the soldier's lip
Familiar as an oath."
ow we need to look at her defense and focus on-
II. THE POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE.
The first line of defense is that those things that are not acceptable in daily life
are a normal part of life in warfare. You do not lie and deceive people as a way of
life or you are a villain of the worst kind. But if you are a commander in time of war
you do all you can to deceive the enemy. You set up an ambush if possible and kill
them before they have a chance to fire back. We say all is fair in love and war, and
though that is not an absolute, it has much truth to it. In war it is kill or be killed,
and so the primary rule is get them before they get you, and this may call for all
kinds of deceit and trickery. This is what we see Jael doing to Sisera. She has a plan
to kill him, and the best and safest way to do that is to lure him into a sense of
security where he will take a nap. Who would expect this housewife to try and take
down an experienced man of war, who has killed many a man in hand to hand
combat?
It is folly to criticize a woman for doing what a woman does best in such a
situation. She is not alone in using her feminine charms to lure a man of war to his
death. Another of the great female heroes of Jewish history is Judith, and she did
the same thing as Jael. She deceived a warrior leader into thinking she was a friend,
and that she would be willing to share some sexual favors. She was exceedingly
beautiful, and he was captivated by her beauty. He gladly allowed her to have a time

117. in private with him where she got him drunk and cut off his head. She thereby
saved her people and became a heroine. Assassins are not held to the same code of
ethics as are the non-assassin. Any woman doing what Jael or Judith did in time of
peace would be arrested as murderers in the first degree. But in time of war they did
what no man could do, and that is why they are heroines.
Someone has beautifully summarized the famous story of Judith that is told in
the Apocrypha. I believe it was the Rev Dr Susan Durber
"Book of Judith opens with Assyrian emperor ebuchadnezzar's conquest of the
ear East. As his forces mount the invasion of Israel, the town of Bethulia is
besieged by his foremost general, Holofernes. The pass defended by the town is
strategically vital: if Bethulia yields, the whole country will fall into his hands.
Ground down by famine, the populace begs the city's elders to surrender, and they
agree to do so within days should the Lord fail to rescue his people. When Judith, a
respected widow, hears of this, she summons the elders to a meeting and upbraids
them for their lack of faith. Who are they to set time-limits on God? She herself
undertakes to save the city within five days, although she will not reveal her plan.
However desperate the situation may seem, she avers, God shall overcome.
Divinely inspired and fortified by prayer, she departs for the Assyrian camps.
There, claiming to have foreseen Bethulia's doom and offering to reveal a stratagem
for taking the city, she is welcomed. Holofernes himself, much smitten with her
remarkable beauty, invites her to a banquet after which he intends to seduce her or
failing that, rape her. When he retires to his bed in an alcoholic stupor, they are left
alone in his tent. Judith takes up his sword and decapitates him. With his severed
head she steals back to Bethulia. When its general's corpse is discovered, the
Assyrian camp is thrown into confusion. Meanwhile, displaying the head to the
Israelites, Judith encourages them to seize their advantage by a rapid surprise
attack. They are victorious. From start to finish, Judith is a self-reliant heroine."
"Judith led the community with a feminist anthem written specially for the
occasion.
'The Lord Almighty has thwarted them by a woman's hand
It was no young man that brought their champion low;
no Titan struck him down,
no tall giant set upon him;
but Judith, Merari's daughter,
disarmed him by her beauty.'
This female assassin has suffered the same criticism as Jael. The history of art
has portrayed her as a femme fatale who used sex to allure poor Holophernes to a
violent death by her betrayal. She is pictured as a cold hearted man killer. She is
seen as no more than a cut-throat prostitute. The critics cannot bear to face the
truth that a woman can, just because is a woman, be used of God to do what a man
cannot do. It is true that their sexuality and beauty can lure men to do evil, but they
can also lure the enemy into a state of carelessness so they can be defeated. God has
used women for this very purpose. God delights in using the weak to defeat the
strong. When women are his best tool that is what he uses.
The men these women killed were cold blooded killers who had no compassion on

118. people. They violated all the rules of humanity, and anyone who could rid them of
the planet would be honored with songs of praise. You notice that both of these
women went for the head. They were not taking any chances that their victim would
recover. The Encyclopedia Judica tries to make Jael more justified in her deception
by claiming Sisera had sex with her 7 times, and so she was an abused woman
getting revenge and justice. There is nothing in the text to support this, but it does
illustrate my point. When you are dealing with an evil person who kills and abuses
others, there comes a point where justifiable homicide is in order. Korean and
Filipino women who kill for the purpose of freedom are seen in a positive light, and
any of us would see them that way if it was our necks being saved by their
courageous acts of assassination. These stories of heroic female assassins are well
known in the Philippines and in Asia, but are hardly ever preached on in the
Western nations. We have not needed women to be deliverers and so we look down
on the very concept.
In the Eastern world Jael gets more honor than Deborah, and Deborah gives her
more credit than she gives herself in her song. The song of Deborah is probably the
primary reason that we must take a positive view of Jael. It was gruesome, as was
the cutting off of the head by Judith, but they were agents of God's judgment and
they are praised in Israel and celebrated. It is going against the revelation of God to
say these words of praise are not God's word. If we can pick and choose what parts
of the Bible are truly God's Word and which ones we say are just the flesh speaking,
then we have returned to the day of Judges where every man did what was right in
his own eyes. We must accept the song of Deborah as God's authentic Word. She
was God's spokesperson of the day. She predicted that a woman would kill Sisera,
and when it happened she praised God and the woman he used to fulfill the
prophecy. It takes a great deal of audacity to claim that these two women who
dominate this chapter are not pleasing to God in all that is recorded here. Reading
in our own opinion is not expounding the Word. To expound it is to explain what it
says and not to explain it away and reject what it says.
Read it again in 5:24. "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the
Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women." I do not read it saying cursed be Jael
for not conforming to my ideas of what is fair for women to do in times of warfare. I
do not read it saying how terrible that such an act of treachery should be honored. I
do not read it implying that Jael should be sent to jail for her brutal assassination. I
read it clearly saying "Most blessed of women be Jael." I have written my own
poem to honor this woman so honored by the Word of God.
Seldom does one hear a tale
Like that of the women whose name was Jael.
It was by faith she did prevail
Over Sisera, a powerful male.
All hail to Jael,
Who with hammer and nail,
Did this wicked male impale.
She was female and frail,

119. But she did not quail, nor sit and wail,
And let the opportunity go stale.
Her true intent she did wisely veil,
And showed no fear with face gone pale.
It was a victory of grandest scale
When this evil man she did derail
And did his oppression forever curtail.
She won the day and did not fail
When she worked out every detail,
And conquered the foe with hammer and nail.
She had Sisera pegged from the start. He was a man who abused women and
used them as things. We know this from his own mother's testimony. She wonders
why he does not return from the battle and she speculates that he is delayed because
of the great spoils and the women they are taking, as stated in 5:30. He was a man
who took women as spoils of war and made them sexual slaves. Jael knew the ways
of such a pagan leader and she was not about to let the chance slip through her
hands to let him live and abuse more women. She may have known some of his
captives from previous battles, and she saw herself as a liberator of woman by this
assassination. There is no way to know all that motivated her to do this deed, for
that is as hidden as was her hatred for him when she treated him as a favored guest.
Such secrecy and deceit are valid weapons of warfare.
Those who criticize her make their sexism apparent, for they do not criticize men
who used these same weapons to be successful assassins. One of the other judges did
the same thing and you will find that he is honored for his cleverness. His story is in
chapter 5:12-30. He lied and deceived the king of Moab who was Eglon. Then when
he had him alone under the pretense of wanting to tell him a secret he plunged a
hidden knife into his stomach until it came out the other side. This enemy was
brought to his death by clever deception, and he is a hero in Israel. Jael does the
same thing and men want to say she was not a hero for doing it under the conditions
of such deceit. Such critics know nothing of the rules of war. They expect her to
have found a more pleasant way to have dispatched this bloody tyrant. The fact is
she had only this one chance to kill him and rid the world of a most cruel man. She
took it and God's people considered her a heroine. And so do all who accept the
Word of God, which gives her honor.
There have been women of other cultures that did what was similar to Jael, and
they are honored for their courage. For example,
Tomyris, Queen of the Massagetae
(sixth century B.C.E.)
Ruler of the Massagetae, a tribal people who lived east of the lands of Persia,
Tomyris is most famous for her defeat of Cyrus the Great, the powerful king of
Persia. When Tomyris's son was captured by Cyrus and committed suicide, the
queen promised Cyrus "more blood than he could drink." After her troops had

120. destroyed the Persians in battle, she cut off her enemy's head and put it into a bag
filled with blood, thus fulfilling her vow.
The role of women in warfare has been varied and so not all of their role is in the
killing of the enemy, but much has been in the role of spy and deceiver in order to
help men defeat the enemy. Some have been very clever in saving their loved ones
who otherwise would have been killed. God's providence worked through Michal,
the first wife of David to save his life. We need to keep in mind that he was a major
player in God's plan, and that it was essential for him to live and reign and be the
bloodline to the Messiah. He was spared to be this by the clever acts of a woman
who loved him. The whole story is found in I Sam. 19:11-17.
In Exodus 1:17-21, Hebrew midwives were able to outsmart the Pharaoh and save
the lives of the Jewish baby boys.
Joshua 2:1-16 describes how Rahab, a prostitute, hid two Israelite spies and saved
their lives by misdirecting the soldiers.
Some non-biblical examples of women of warfare show us that there have been
many women in history who have been honored because of their ability to defeat an
enemy.
Amanirenas, Queen of Kush
(late first century, B.C.E.)
Like Zenobia, this queen of Kush took advantage of unrest that distracted Roman
troops from her realm, the kingdom of Meroe. The Emperor Augustus had recently
attempted to tax the Kushites and Amanirenas, one in a long line of ruling Kushite
women, took offense. With her son Akinidad, she attacked a Roman fort at Aswan,
left the few survivors a warning message about unwarranted taxes, and returned to
Meroe with the bronze head of a statue of Augustus. This they buried under the
threshold of Amanirenas' palace. When Augustus mounted the expected retaliation,
under the general Petronius, the Romans were at first successful, but Amanirenas
herself took the field against them and forced them to the bargaining table. She sent
her ambassadors to the island of Samos, where they negotiated return of all
conquered lands and the remission of the controversial tax. Amanirenas' title,
Kandake, is thought to be the origin of the common woman's name Candace.
Matilda, Countess of Tuscany
(c. 1046-1115)
After all her brothers died or were killed in battle, Matilda succeeded her father,
Bonifacio II, as ruler of a territory much larger than the modern Italian province of
Tuscany. Supposedly, she was an athletic girl, who studied weapons and strategy
with a soldier named Arduino della Paluda, learning to handle lance, pike, and
battle-axe. She was also a linguist, and literate in an age when many nobles were
not. This was a period of virtually unbroken conflicts between the Holy Roman
Empire and the Pope. In these, she sided undeviatingly with the Papacy, even

121. leading her own armies into battle to protect the various popes (most notably
Gregory the Great) from division and deposition. Her steadfastness and her tactical
skill left a lasting impression on the chroniclers.
These and many more examples make it clear that woman can be anything that
men can be in terms of heroic actions of courage in warfare. Jael was one of the
women God honored by giving her assassination account in His Word. It could have
been left out and who would be the worse? But he had it recorded so that we might
see that women can be his chosen agents for terrible and well as wonderful tasks.
They can even be godly assassins.
CLARKE, "Jael went out to meet Sisera - He preferred the woman’s tent
because of secrecy; for, according to the etiquette of the eastern countries, no person
ever intrudes into the apartments of the women. And in every dwelling the women have
a separate apartment.
GILL, "And Jael went out to meet Sisera,.... Seeing him coming, and knowing him
full well, she stepped forward towards him, to invite him into her tent: some think she
was looking out, that if she saw Israelite in distress to take him in; and very probably had
been some time at her tent door, to inquire the battle went, and which, no doubt, living
so near Kedesh, she knew was expected:
and said unto him, turn in, my lord; that is, into her tent: and she addresses him
with the title of "lord", for the sake of honour, having been general of a large army; and
not because her husband was a servant, and in subjection to him, as Abarbinel suggests:
turn in to me, fear not; she repeats the invitation, to show she was hearty and
sincere, and that he had nothing to fear from her, nor in her house; and it may be at first
she had no thought of doing what she afterwards did to him, it put into her heart after
this:
and when he had turned in unto her in the tent; and laid himself down upon the
ground, being weary:
she covered him with a mantle; either to hide him, should any search be made for
him, or it may be to keep him from catching cold, being in a sweat through his flight, and
being also perhaps inclined to sleep through weariness. The word for a mantle,
according to Kimchi, signifies such a garment which has locks of wool on both sides of it,
a sort of rug, and so very fit to cover with, and keep warm. So David de Pomis (m)
describes it, as having locks and threads hanging down here and there.
HENRY 18-20, "Jael invited him in, and bade him very welcome. Probably she stood
at the tent door, to enquire what news from the army, and what the success of the battle
which was fought not far off. (1.) She invited him in. Perhaps she stood waiting for an
opportunity to show kindness to any distressed Israelite, if there should be occasion for
it; but seeing Sisera come in great haste, panting and out of breath, she invited him to
come and repose himself in her tent, in which, while she seemed to design the relieving
of his fatigue, perhaps she really intended the retarding of his flight, that he might fall
into the hands of Barak, who was not in a hot chase after him (Jdg_4:18), and it may

122. well questioned whether she had at first any thought of taking away his life, but rather
God afterwards put it into her heart. (2.) She made very much of him, and seemed
mighty careful to have him easy, as her invited guest. Was he weary? she finds him a
very convenient place to repose himself in, and recruit his strength. Was he thirsty? well
he might. Did he want a little water to cool his tongue? the best liquor her tent afforded
was at his service, and that was milk (Jdg_4:19), which, we may suppose, he drank
heartily of, and, being refreshed with it, was the better disposed to sleep. Was he cold, or
afraid of catching cold? or did he desire to be hid from the pursuers, if they should
search that tent? she covered him with a mantle, Jdg_4:18. All expressions of care for
his safety. Only when he desired her to tell a lie for him, and to say he was not there, she
declined making any such promise, Jdg_4:20. We must not sin against God, no, not to
oblige those we would show ourselves most observant of. Lastly, We must suppose she
kept her tent as quiet as she could, and free from noise, that he might sleep the sooner
and the faster. And now was Sisera least safe when he was most secure. How uncertain
and precarious is human life! and what assurance can we have of it, when it may so
easily be betrayed by those with whom it is trusted, and those may prove its destroyers
who we hoped would be its protectors! It is best making God our friend, for he will not
deceive us.
K&D, "Jdg_4:18
Jael received the fugitive into her tent in the usual form of oriental hospitality (‫,סוּר‬ as
in Gen_19:2-3, to turn aside from the road and approach a person), and covered him
with a covering (‫ה‬ ָ‫יכ‬ ִ‫מ‬ ְ‫,שׂ‬ ᅋπ. λεγ., covering, or rug), that he might be able to sleep, as he
was thoroughly exhausted with his flight.
BENSON, "4:18-19. Jael said unto him, Turn in, my lord — If Jael now intended to
betray and deliver him to Barak, or otherwise to injure him, her addressing him in this
manner was dissimulation and treachery, and is not to be excused. But it is highly
probable that she had now no other intention toward him, in inviting him into her tent,
than merely to afford him that shelter and protection which he sought of her, and such
relief and refreshment as she would have afforded to any weary and distressed Israelite.
Accordingly she covered him with a mantle, that he might take rest in sleep, and when
he asked for a little water to drink, because he was thirsty, she opened a bottle of milk
and gave him drink. In what she did afterward she seems to have been actuated by a
divine impulse or suggestion, of which she had beforehand neither thought nor
conception. God, it must be remembered, had foretold by the prophetess, not only
before the battle, but before the enterprise to shake off the yoke of Jabin was
undertaken, that he would deliver Sisera “into the hand of a woman,” 4:9. This method
then, God, who is wise in all his ways, and holy in all his works, took to accomplish this
prediction. He brought Sisera to Jael’s tent, disposed her mind to invite him in, and
when he lay sunk in sleep, powerfully suggested to her mind what before was the very
reverse of all her thoughts, namely, to take his life, and that in a way so very singular and
unprecedented, that one can hardly suppose she would ever have thought of it, had not
God put it into her mind, and impelled her to it. Bishop Patrick justly observes, “she
might as well have let Sisera lie in his profound sleep till Barak took him, if she had not
felt a divine power moving her to this, that the prophecy of Deborah might be fulfilled.”
Dr. Waterland is of the same opinion. “It can scarce be doubted,” says he, “but that Jael
had a divine direction or impulse to stir her up to this action. The enterprise was
exceeding bold and hazardous, above the courage of her sex, and the resolution she took

123. very extraordinary, and so it has the marks and tokens of its being from the
extraordinary hand of God.” Certainly, as Dr. Dodd remarks, “nothing but this authority
from God could warrant such a fact, which seemed a breach of hospitality, and to be
attended with several other crimes; but was not so when God, the Lord of all men’s lives,
ordered her to execute his sentence upon Sisera. In this view all is clear and right, and no
objectors will be able to prove there was any treachery in it: for she ought to obey God
rather than man; and all obligations to man cease, when brought in competition with
our higher obligations toward God.” And that this is the true view of the action appears
still more evident from the celebration of it by Deborah the prophetess, in a hymn or
song of solemn praise and thanksgiving offered to God on the occasion of it: see 5:24-27.
In Dr. Leland’s answer to Christianity as Old as the Creation, p. 2, and in Saurin’s 11th
Discourse, vol. 3, the reader will find a more complete justification of this affair.
WHEDON, "18. Jael went out to meet him — It is probable that tidings of Sisera’s
defeat and Israel’s great victory had already reached her by some swift-footed fugitive,
and she was looking out for further news, when lo! Sisera himself came rushing towards
her tent. We understand that, being acquainted with Deborah’s prediction, (Judges 4:9,)
she planned the murder of Sisera as soon as she saw him flying towards her, the
conviction flashing that moment upon her that hers was the woman’s hand by whom the
Canaanitish chief should fall. See note at the end of the chapter.
ELLICOTT, "Verse 18
(18) Jael went out to meet Sisera.—This makes it probable that her design was already
formed, unless we suppose that Jael as a chieftainess was placed above the ordinary
rules which regulate the conduct of Oriental women. As nothing is said of Heber, he may
have been absent, or he may have kept out of the way in order to further his wife’s
designs.
Turn in to me.—Without that special invitation Sisera would not have ventured to
violate every law of Oriental propriety by entering the privileged sanctuary of the harem.
Fear not.—Treachery is far too common among Bedouin tribes to render the
exhortation needless.
She covered him with a mantle.—Rather, with the tent-rug. Evidently, the moment he
was satisfied that her intentions were honest the weary and unfortunate fugitive flung
himself down on the ground, or on a divan, to sleep. The word used for “mantle”—
semîcah (Vulg., “pallio”; Luther, “mit einan Mantel”)—occurs nowhere else; from its root
it probably means “a coverlet” (LXX., epibolaion, for which the Alexandrine Codex reads
derrhis, “a skin”). A large “tent-rug” of goat’s hair is usually a part of the furniture of an
Arab tent.
BI 18-24, "Jael went out to meet Sisera.
Life’s crises
Emphatically are we reminded that life continually brings us to sudden moments in
which we must act without time for careful reflection, the spirit of our past flashing out

124. in some quick deed or word of fate. Sisera’s past drove him in panic over the hills to
Zaanaim. Jael’s past came with her to the door of the tent; and the two as they looked at
each other in that tragic moment were at one, without warning, in a crisis for which
every thought and passion of years had made a way. Here the self-pampering of a vain
man had its issue. Here the woman, undisciplined, impetuous, catching sight of the
means to do a deed, moves to the fatal stroke like one possessed. It is the sort of thing we
often call madness, and yet such insanity is but the expression of what men and women
choose to be capable of. The casual allowance of an impulse here, a craving there, seems
to mean little until the occasion comes when their accumulated force is sharply or
terribly revealed. The laxity of the past thus declares itself; and on the other hand there
is often a gathering of good to a moment of revelation. The soul that has for long years
fortified itself in pious courage, in patient welt-doing, in high and noble thought, leaps
one day, to its own surprise, to the height of generous daring or heroic truth. We
determine the issue of crises which we cannot foresee. (R. A. Watson, M. A.)
Jael and Sisera
“What then!” might we, upon the first cursory perusal of this narrative, be inclined to
exclaim. “Has the all pure and all holy Jehovah belied His unspeakable attributes, has
He laid aside His thunder, and renounced those direful visitations which, by the mouth
of His servant Moses, He had threatened against the wilful shedder of man’s blood? Why
are the rights of hospitality, so jealously hedged in, in the Mosaic law, and so sacredly
observed in many previous instances (as in the preservation of his guest by the besieged
Lot and the sparing of the Gibeonites by the deceived yet forbearing Joshua), why are
these rights, here first, with impunity violated?”
I. The whole of the Canaanitish nations had long since by their idolatrous iniquities and
abounding profligacy and wickedness, merited the condemnation and fiery wrath of
Jehovah, which had indeed been denounced against them unambiguously by the mouth
of Moses on the other side of Jordan in the wilderness. No one who has read the
intimations of their guilt in the Book of Leviticus can question for one moment the
justice of the Almighty in blotting them from the face of the earth. Jabin, king of Canaan,
trusted in the number and weight of his iron chariots, and in the almost countless host
of his armed men. The God of Israel designed, therefore, to humble him to the dust by
scattering his forces before the resolute assault of but a few ill-equipped Israelites, while
He would sell the mighty leader of all this armament into the hands of a weak and
unarmed woman. Thus would He teach the rebellious nations to “put not their strength
in horses, nor in the sons of men,” but to fear and reverence the one true and only God,
the Lord of lords, and King of kings—the fearful God of Sabaoth.
II. The Scripture narrative simply details the progress of these wonderful events for our
warning and exhortation, but not necessarily for our example. It would be as reasonable
to assert that, because in the book of God’s revealed truth we read of the cruelty of Saul
and the transgression of David, that therefore we are to imitate them in their
wickedness, as to infer from this history of the slaughter of Sisera that hence treachery is
allowable. Jael’s conduct, like that of the unjust steward in the parable, is commended to
our notice—not for imitation, but for warning. (F. F. Statham, B. A.)
The defence and example of Jael

125. If Jael received Sisera into her tent with the intention of murdering him, she must be left
to the execrations of posterity. But there are, we think, plain and straightforward reasons
from which to infer that Jael had no design of killing Sisera—that she acted, therefore,
with perfect honesty, and not with atrocious duplicity, when she offered him shelter.
What likelihood is there that Jael proposed to murder Sisera? He was not her enemy, for
there was peace between her husband’s family and the Canaanites. She had nothing to
gain by his death; and if she had, she needed only to refuse him a shelter. The enemy was
in pursuit, and would quickly have overtaken the fugitive. Had she wished his death ever
so much, she had nothing more to do than to leave him to his fate. He was a doomed
man, and there was no necessity that she should endanger herself to ensure his
destruction; for let it be well observed that the killing of Sisera was a most dangerous
undertaking for a lonely woman. Whatever account may be given of her subsequent
conduct, the only candid construction to be put on this part of the narrative is that Jael
was thoroughly sincere in offering an asylum to Sisera—that it was not with the language
of deceit, nor in order to cloak a bloody purpose, but simply in truthfulness of heart, and
with the earnest desire of succouring a distressed man, that she invited the fugitive into
her tent, covered him with a mantle, and refreshed him with milk. “Nevertheless,” you
will say, “she killed Sisera; whether premeditated or not, the murder was committed.
What is to be urged in extenuation of so barbarous a deed? “ This brings us to examine
by what motives Jael was instigated, or on what principles she acted in putting to death
her slumbering guest. We reckon it a satisfactory explanation of her conduct, and one
which removes every difficulty, that she was led by a Divine impulse, or in obedience to a
Divine command, to take away Sisera’s life. She had probably acted from her natural
feeling when offering shelter to the fugitive and giving most hospitable entertainment.
We only think it a kindly part that she should go out to meet Sisera in his distress, and
endeavour to shield him from further injury; but when the deep slumber was on him
there came an intimation to Jael, I cannot tell you how conveyed—but certainly in such a
manner as that there could be no doubt of its origin—an intimation from God that her
guest must die, and that, too, by her hand. And if such were the case, again we remind
you that nothing but a Divine command will explain a Divine approval. If such were the
case, we challenge you to find in all the annals of Scripture a mightier display of the
power of faith than was exhibited by Jael. What if Sisera should awake just in time to
discover and defeat the murderous design! It was likely. He seemed indeed in deep sleep,
but fresh as he was from battle, his brain must have been full of confused imagery, and
the least noise must startle him as though his foes were at the door; and she having but a
woman’s hand and a woman’s strength—shall she dare to attempt the nailing the
sleeping warrior to the earth? Will not her courage fail her at the most critical moment,
when there is enough done to arouse Sisera, but not to overcome? Besides, why must she
be the executioner? There was little probability that Sisera could escape; in a short time
the pursuers would arrive, and then the fate of Sisera could be sealed without her
interference, We will believe that thoughts such as these crowded into Jael’s mind; we
can believe that it was a moment of terrible perplexity when she felt that she had
received a commission from God, and considered the fearfulness and the peril of its
execution. There must have been the natural shrinking from the shedding of blood; there
must have come the cutting reflection that Sisera was her guest, and that she was
pledged to his defence; there must have been dread of his revenge if she should betray
her cause in its execution; but the faith of this woman triumphed over all that is most
calculated to confound and dismay her. There is yet another question, which will,
perhaps, suggest itself to your minds as full of great importance as those already
considered. You may, perhaps, now be disposed to allow the great probability, if not the
certainty, that Jael acted on a Divine command, conveyed to her after Sisera had been

126. admitted into the tent, and you may on this account acquit her of any charge of treachery
or cruelty. Then you will ask, how it could be consistent with the character of God to
issue such a command? Since murder is a crime which is expressly forbidden, with what
propriety could He enjoin its perpetration? Now, just think! No one would have felt any
surprise had Sisera perished in the battle. He was the oppressor of the Lord’s people:
what marvel, then, that he should be overtaken by vengeance? Thus also with the
Canaanites; their wickedness marked them out for extermination, just as did that of the
unbelief of the world before the flood came; so that if in place of employing the sword of
the Israelites, God had employed a deluge, or a pestilence, we should not have had a
word to say, but must have admitted the justice of His ridding the land of those by whom
it was profaned. And could either Jael or the Israelites be charged with murder in
performing by Divine command a just though severe action? They were only the
executioners of a righteous sentence: could they on that account contract guiltiness?
Why, when the law of the land has condemned a man to death, who thinks of charging
the executioner with murder, because he is instrumental in executing the penalties of
that law? Indeed, he has not actually invaded and rifled the sanctuary of life, as a
midnight assassin who steals on his victim, and leaves him weltering in his blood; but
because a competent authority has directed him to inflict death, he is no murderer, but
only an obedient servant of the State when he takes the life of a fellow-man. And now
having vindicated Jael, we shall not hesitate to go further, and hold her forth as an
example which it should be your endeavour to imitate. We do not merely mean that
having displayed strong faith, and obeyed the law, when obedience was beyond measure
difficult, she has left a pattern to be followed by all who are summoned to special
difficulties and sacrifices in the service of God; over and above this, the case of Jael and
Sisera has a peculiar similarity to many—yea, even all—amongst yourselves, who are
required by God to inflict death where they have offered hospitality. Yea, if it be the
Scriptural demand that we “crucify”—“crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts”—oh,
then, there is vast similarity between our own ease and that of Jael. We too must put to
death the enemy whom we have cherished and received. We too must determine that we
will act the executioner where we have been the patron and the host. We too must be
ready to strike down that which we have embraced, and pierce that which we have
admitted not only into the tent, but into the heart. (H. Melvill, B. D.)
Jael, a type of the unscrupulous helpers of a good cause
Long has the error prevailed that religion can be helped by using the world’s weapons,
by acting in the temper and spirit of the world. Of that mischievous falsehood have been
born all the pride and vainglory, the rivalries and persecutions that darken the past of
Christendom, surviving in strange and pitiful forms to the present day. If we shudder at
the treachery in the deed of Jael, what shall we say of that which through many a year
sent victims to inquisition, dungeons, and to the stake in the name of Christ? And what
shall we say now of that moral assassination which in one tent and another is thought no
sin against humanity, but a service of God? Among us are too many who suffer wounds
keen and festering that have been given in the house of their friends, yea, in the name of
the one Lord and Master. The battle of truth is a frank and honourable fight, served at no
point by what is false or proud or low. To an enemy a Christian should be chivalrous,
and surely no less to a brother. Granting that a man is in error, he needs a physician, not
an executioner; he needs an example, not a dagger. How much farther do we get by the
methods of opprobrium and cruelty, the innuendo and the whisper of suspicion?
Besides, it is not the Siseras to-day who are dealt with after this manner. It is the

127. “schismatic” within the camp on whom some Jael falls with a hammer and a nail. If a
Church cannot stand by itself, approved to the consciences of men, it certainly will not
be helped by a return to the temper of barbarism and the craft of the world (2Co_10:4).
(R. A. Watson, M. A.)
Sin slain
If the story of the world’s sufferings under different tyrants could all be written, there
would be no man found who would be capable of reading it. I believe that even the
despots themselves, who have committed the atrocities to which I refer, would not be
sufficiently cold-blooded to sit down and read the account of the agonies which their
own victims have endured. I have been struck in passing through many lands with the
horrible sufferings which in the olden times were endured by the poor at the hands of
the rich kings and lords who were their oppressors. In almost every town in which you
enter, you either have shown to you the rack, the dark dungeon, the thumb-screw, or the
infernal machine, or instruments too horrible to describe—that make one’s blood run
chill at the very thought and sight of them. Sin has brought more plagues upon this earth
than all the earth’s tyrants.
I. First let us try to picture The sinner growing uneasy under the yoke of his sins, and
planning a revolt against his oppressors. It is said that when a man is born a slave,
slavery is not near so irksome as when he has once been free. You will have found it,
perhaps, in birds and such animals that we keep under our control. If they have never
known what it is to fly to and fro in the air from tree to tree, they are happy in the cage;
but if, after having once seen the world, and floated in the clear air, they are condemned
to live in slavery, they are far less content. This is the case with man—he is born a slave.
Until the Spirit of God comes into the heart—so strange is the use of nature—we live
contented in our chains; we walk up and down our dungeon, and think we are at large. It
is one of the first marks of Divine life when we grow discontented and begin to fight
against sin.
II. And now we have the second picture—the sinner having gone to war with his own
sins has, to a great extent, by God’s grace, overcome them; but he feels when this is
done, that it is not enough, that external morality will not save the soul. Like Barak, he
has conquered Sisera; but, not content with seeing him flee away on his feet, he wants to
have his dead body before him. Rest not content till the blood of thine enemy stain the
ground, until he be crushed, and dead, and slain. Oh, sinner, I beseech thee never be
content until grace reign in thy heart, and sin be altogether subdued. Indeed, this is what
every renewed soul longs for, and must long for, nor will it rest satisfied until all this
shall be accomplished.
III. I stand at the door to-day, not of a tent, but of a tomb, and as I stand here I say to
the sinner who is anxious to know how his sins may be killed, how his corruption may be
slain, “Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest, and when you shall come
in, you shall see your sins lying dead, and the nails in their temples.” Sinner, the sin thou
dreariest is forgiven, thou hast wept sore before God, and thou hast cast thyself on
Christ and on Christ alone. In the name of Him who is the Eternal God I assure thee that
thy sins are all forgiven. Further—dost thou ask where thy sin is? I tell thee thy sin is
gone, so that it never can be recalled. Thou art so forgiven that thy sins can never have a
resurrection. The nail is not driven through the hands of thy sins, but through their
temples. The spear that pierced the Saviour’s heart pierced the heart of thine iniquity;
the grave in which He was buried was the tomb of all thy sins; and His resurrection was

128. the resurrection of thy spirit to light and joy unspeakable. God forbid we should ever
glory in sin, but it is a theme for joy to a Christian when he can look upon his sins
drowned in the blood of Jesus. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Jael’s deed
When Jael received him, she did so no doubt in good faith, nor had she heard of his
overwhelming disaster. She would be only too ready to afford shelter to the proudest
warrior of those regions. It is not unlikely that while he was sleeping she began to reflect
upon the strangeness of his being in a condition to need such succour, and that from
fugitives and others passing by she learned the story of that eventful day. She found that
it was no longer a victor, but a baffled and helpless fugitive, who lay in her tent. She
probably had a dim idea also of his character, as an enemy of the God of heaven whom
the Israelites worshipped. A sudden impulse seized her; she would despatch him as he
lay. Was he not the worst of oppressors? Did he deserve to live? Besides, the cries of the
pursuers already echo through the mountains, and their weapons flash amid the foliage.
The wretched Sisera is too exhausted to offer a dangerous resistance. She enters the
apartment and strikes him. He staggers up; then in a swoon he falls at her feet. An iron
tent pin, to which the cords of the tent were fastened, is in her hand, and a mallet. She
drives the iron pin through his temples into the earth, with a blow given in the
superhuman strength of frenzied excitement. Then voices are heard in the forest. The
pursuers have come up; it is Barak himself (Jdg_4:22). The whole story appears
perfectly natural; nor is there any need for the supposition of Jael acting under a Divine
impulse or a special Divine commission. Her act was dictated as much by self-interest as
by any other motive. It was a moment of wild excitement, and cannot be judged by the
rules of our peaceable and decorous time. If in the great Indian mutiny we had heard of
Nana Sahib having been entrapped and killed by some wild woman of a wandering tribe,
the public opinion of England would not have scrutinised too closely the morality of the
action, in its joy at being rid of the most infamous of murderers. It is, in fact, the eulogy
pronounced by Deborah which has constituted the difficulty. And a difficulty it must
always remain to those who believe that every word uttered by those who of old had the
name and rank of prophets is a direct utterance of the Divine will. The difficulty,
however, disappears if we view the splendid ode of Deborah as being included by the
guidance of the Spirit of God among the records of His ancient Church, and as
expressing the feelings of an Israelite patriot of that day. The holiest and most devout of
the Church of that age would respond to Deborah’s language. Whether such sentiments
would be appropriate in our own day is not in question: we believe in the doctrine and in
the fact of progressive light. (L. H. Wiseman, M. A.)
PETT, "Verse 18
Judges 4:18 a
‘And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, ‘Turn in, my lord, turn in to me. Do
not be afraid.’
Jael went out to meet him. She would see the hunted look of the fugitive and realise what
had happened. She would also know how important a man he was for the wellbeing of
the Canaanites. It may be that she knew that he was making for Hazor and determined

129. to prevent him reaching there by a ruse. But it may be that she had some private reason
for revenge. There is much about the narrative, including its silences, to suggest so. But
the writer is not interested in her private revenge, only in the fulfilment of Deborah’s
prophecy. And he is enjoying what happened.
So she offered him refuge, but in a forbidden place, in a woman’s tent, the tent of his
ally’s wife, alone. This was a breach of etiquette of the highest level, especially between
men who had some kind of covenant between them. A nobler and less terrified man
would have refused. He must have known what her husband’s view would be. What the
view of all good men would be. And it would be disastrous for her reputation for him to
be alone with her. The truth is that ‘Turn in to me’ was possibly seen by him as an
invitation to enjoy more than just food and drink, otherwise he would surely have
protested, which makes his behaviour even more despicable. What protection did he
deserve when he behaved like this? But he was used to being welcomed by women. He
would make use of her in two ways at the same time. He may well have made the attempt
before.
“My lord.” A polite address to an important man. But she would call her husband ‘my
lord’ as well.
Judges 4:18 b
‘And he turned in to her into the tent; and she covered him with a covering.’
This was possibly in order to hide him, but more likely it was because he stripped some
of his ‘armour’ off. It was heavy and uncomfortable and he was very hot, very tired, and
felt safe. The covering or rug (some kind of covering - the word occurs only here and its
specific meaning is not known) was to preserve some level of propriety. But how could
that be in a married woman’s tent? It accentuates the position.
JAEL THE ASSASSIN Based on Judges 4 and 5
By Pastor Glenn Pease
Assassins are never heroes in the history of Americans, for they are always those who
seek to kill our presidents whom we admire. This is not always the case in other nations.
The Jews, for example, have some assassins who are heroes in their history. Two of them
are Hakim and Bet Zuri. They were sent to Egypt to kill Lord Moyne, who was the British
Minister of State and the man who shrugged off a German offer to free a million Jews:
"But what would I do with a million Jews" Their was justifiable hatred toward a man
who would refuse to save the lives of a million people, and they targeted him for death.
They succeeded in their mission, and though they were captured and hung, they became
heroes of the Jews.

130. There are many heroic assassins in history. It does not sound like a noble profession,
but it can be the very tool of God to bring judgment on those who are ripe for judgment.
This is the case with Jael who assassinated Sisera while he was sleeping in her tent. It
may not sound as noble as most assassin stories, but it was just as effective. Sisera has
been the oppressor of Israel for twenty years, and finally God gave Israel a female leader
who motivated the army to go to battle with this powerful commander of 900 iron
chariots. He was watching his army being wiped out and so he leaped off his iron horse
and high tailed it to a safer place, he thought.
He headed for the tent of an old friend, but Heber the Kenite was not home. His wife,
however was completely hospitable. Jael invited him in and treated him like royalty. She
assured him that he had nothing to fear. "Come on in." she said with a cheerful voice. It
was just what he needed-a place of refuge. He did not hear the message behind the voice
that was, "Come in said the spider to the fly." He was totally taken in by her friendly
manner, and was confident she would protect him and even lie about him being there to
lead any pursuers astray. She even gave him milk instead of the water for which he
asked, for she knew this would help put him to sleep. Then when he was all comfy in bed
and fast asleep, she took a hammer and tent peg and drove it through his temple and
nailed him to the ground.
By that act of assassination she became a heroine of Jewish history. Deborah and
Barek sing of her heroic deed in their great song in Judges 5. In 5:24 she is called the
most blessed of women. But this act which made her so famous and praised also made
her one of the most controversial persons in the Bible. The debate is over whether she
can be considered honorable or horrible because of the way she carried out her plot. She
did not face her foe and strike him when he could defend himself. She lied to him and
deceived him. She broke all the codes of hospitality, and so many consider her a terrible
person and not a heroine at all. Before we defend this woman as a biblical heroine we
want to look at the negative perspective first.
I. THE NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVE.
We all know it is not fair to shoot an unarmed man, and it is not fair to shoot him
in the back. There are rules for a fair fight, and it appears that Jael never read the
manual for fair fighting. She broke all the rules in the book, and this means she is not to
be admired. She is better off forgotten, and many have done just that so that millions of
people have heard the Bible expounded all their lives and never once heard of Jael the
female assassin. She killed a man in cold blood while he was sleeping, and this is never
justifiable. Many feel her image is blotted with the foul taste of treachery, and is no
model to be put forth for praise.
Rev Dr Susan Durber had done some great research on this issue and she quotes this
sermon preached in 1876, which gives a typical Victorian view of Jael.
"How are we to regard this deed of Jael? There seems to me to be no doubt as to the
answer. Her act was one of vilest treachery with scarcely a single extenuating
circumstance. . . . We are in no way bound to find excuses for the act, because it is

131. recorded in God's Word. . . . Nor need we feel any compunction at speaking thus
strongly, because Jael appears to have been a special instrument in the hands of God for
bringing to pass a deliverance for Israel. . . . We must confess that Deborah actually
praised this horrible act of Jael's. But the words of Deborah are not the words of God. . . .
The song of Deborah is the utterance of human passion and human weakness, not of
divine unswerving justice and strength."
Dr. Durber goes on to point out that this was the teaching in the textbooks of the time.
William Smith's Concise Dictionary of the Bible from 1865 made it clear that there could
be no justification for her act. I was reading the famous commentary by Keil and
Delitzsch when I came across their perspective: "Such conduct as that was not the
operation of the Spirit of God, but the fruit of a heroism inspired by flesh and blood; and
even in Deborah's song it is not lauded as a divine act." There are some strong feelings
against admiring and praising this female assassin.
A Doctor Lord de Tabley wrote a long poem titled Jael back in 1893, and in it he
implies that Jael had ambitions to get notoriety, and that was the motive for her
treachery. He wrote,
"And in his sidelong temple, where bright curls
Made crisp and glorious margin to his brows-
So that a queen might lay her mouth at them
Nor rise again less royal for their kiss-
There, in the interspace of beard and brow,
The nail had gone tearing the silken skin;
And, driven home to the jagged head of it,
Bit down into the tent-boards underneath;
And riveted that face of deadly sleep."
This was a poetic description of what the text says, but then he decides to make a
judgment of the motive behind Jael's act. He wrote,
"This woman was a mother, think of that;
A name which carries mercy in its sound,
A pitiful meek title one can trust;
She gave her babe the breast like other wives,
In cradle laid it, had her mother heed
To give it suck and sleep. You would suppose
She might learn pity in its helpless face;
A man asleep is weaker than a child,
And towards the weak God turns a woman's heart;
Hers being none. She is ambitious, hard,

132. Vain, would become heroic; to nurse babes
And sit at home, why any common girl
Is good enough for that. She must have fame;
She shall be made a song of in the camp,
And have her name upon the soldier's lip
Familiar as an oath."
Now we need to look at her defense and focus on-
II. THE POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE.
The first line of defense is that those things that are not acceptable in daily life are a
normal part of life in warfare. You do not lie and deceive people as a way of life or you
are a villain of the worst kind. But if you are a commander in time of war you do all you
can to deceive the enemy. You set up an ambush if possible and kill them before they
have a chance to fire back. We say all is fair in love and war, and though that is not an
absolute, it has much truth to it. In war it is kill or be killed, and so the primary rule is
get them before they get you, and this may call for all kinds of deceit and trickery. This is
what we see Jael doing to Sisera. She has a plan to kill him, and the best and safest way
to do that is to lure him into a sense of security where he will take a nap. Who would
expect this housewife to try and take down an experienced man of war, who has killed
many a man in hand to hand combat?
It is folly to criticize a woman for doing what a woman does best in such a situation.
She is not alone in using her feminine charms to lure a man of war to his death. Another
of the great female heroes of Jewish history is Judith, and she did the same thing as Jael.
She deceived a warrior leader into thinking she was a friend, and that she would be
willing to share some sexual favors. She was exceedingly beautiful, and he was captivated
by her beauty. He gladly allowed her to have a time in private with him where she got
him drunk and cut off his head. She thereby saved her people and became a heroine.
Assassins are not held to the same code of ethics as are the non-assassin. Any woman
doing what Jael or Judith did in time of peace would be arrested as murderers in the
first degree. But in time of war they did what no man could do, and that is why they are
heroines.
Someone has beautifully summarized the famous story of Judith that is told in the

133. Apocrypha. I believe it was the Rev Dr Susan Durber
"Book of Judith opens with Assyrian emperor Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of the Near
East. As his forces mount the invasion of Israel, the town of Bethulia is besieged by his
foremost general, Holofernes. The pass defended by the town is strategically vital: if
Bethulia yields, the whole country will fall into his hands. Ground down by famine, the
populace begs the city's elders to surrender, and they agree to do so within days should
the Lord fail to rescue his people. When Judith, a respected widow, hears of this, she
summons the elders to a meeting and upbraids them for their lack of faith. Who are they
to set time-limits on God? She herself undertakes to save the city within five days,
although she will not reveal her plan. However desperate the situation may seem, she
avers, God shall overcome.
Divinely inspired and fortified by prayer, she departs for the Assyrian camps. There,
claiming to have foreseen Bethulia's doom and offering to reveal a stratagem for taking
the city, she is welcomed. Holofernes himself, much smitten with her remarkable beauty,
invites her to a banquet after which he intends to seduce her or failing that, rape her.
When he retires to his bed in an alcoholic stupor, they are left alone in his tent. Judith
takes up his sword and decapitates him. With his severed head she steals back to
Bethulia. When its general's corpse is discovered, the Assyrian camp is thrown into
confusion. Meanwhile, displaying the head to the Israelites, Judith encourages them to
seize their advantage by a rapid surprise attack. They are victorious. From start to finish,
Judith is a self-reliant heroine."
"Judith led the community with a feminist anthem written specially for the occasion.
'The Lord Almighty has thwarted them by a woman's hand
It was no young man that brought their champion low;
no Titan struck him down,
no tall giant set upon him;
but Judith, Merari's daughter,
disarmed him by her beauty.'
This female assassin has suffered the same criticism as Jael. The history of art has
portrayed her as a femme fatale who used sex to allure poor Holophernes to a violent
death by her betrayal. She is pictured as a cold hearted man killer. She is seen as no
more than a cut-throat prostitute. The critics cannot bear to face the truth that a woman
can, just because is a woman, be used of God to do what a man cannot do. It is true that
their sexuality and beauty can lure men to do evil, but they can also lure the enemy into a
state of carelessness so they can be defeated. God has used women for this very purpose.
God delights in using the weak to defeat the strong. When women are his best tool that
is what he uses.
The men these women killed were cold blooded killers who had no compassion on
people. They violated all the rules of humanity, and anyone who could rid them of the
planet would be honored with songs of praise. You notice that both of these women went
for the head. They were not taking any chances that their victim would recover. The
Encyclopedia Judica tries to make Jael more justified in her deception by claiming Sisera
had sex with her 7 times, and so she was an abused woman getting revenge and justice.
There is nothing in the text to support this, but it does illustrate my point. When you are

134. dealing with an evil person who kills and abuses others, there comes a point where
justifiable homicide is in order. Korean and Filipino women who kill for the purpose of
freedom are seen in a positive light, and any of us would see them that way if it was our
necks being saved by their courageous acts of assassination. These stories of heroic
female assassins are well known in the Philippines and in Asia, but are hardly ever
preached on in the Western nations. We have not needed women to be deliverers and so
we look down on the very concept.
In the Eastern world Jael gets more honor than Deborah, and Deborah gives her more
credit than she gives herself in her song. The song of Deborah is probably the primary
reason that we must take a positive view of Jael. It was gruesome, as was the cutting off
of the head by Judith, but they were agents of God's judgment and they are praised in
Israel and celebrated. It is going against the revelation of God to say these words of
praise are not God's word. If we can pick and choose what parts of the Bible are truly
God's Word and which ones we say are just the flesh speaking, then we have returned to
the day of Judges where every man did what was right in his own eyes. We must accept
the song of Deborah as God's authentic Word. She was God's spokesperson of the day.
She predicted that a woman would kill Sisera, and when it happened she praised God
and the woman he used to fulfill the prophecy. It takes a great deal of audacity to claim
that these two women who dominate this chapter are not pleasing to God in all that is
recorded here. Reading in our own opinion is not expounding the Word. To expound it is
to explain what it says and not to explain it away and reject what it says.
Read it again in 5:24. "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women." I do not read it saying cursed be Jael for not
conforming to my ideas of what is fair for women to do in times of warfare. I do not read
it saying how terrible that such an act of treachery should be honored. I do not read it
implying that Jael should be sent to jail for her brutal assassination. I read it clearly
saying "Most blessed of women be Jael." I have written my own poem to honor this
woman so honored by the Word of God.
Seldom does one hear a tale
Like that of the women whose name was Jael.
It was by faith she did prevail
Over Sisera, a powerful male.
All hail to Jael,
Who with hammer and nail,
Did this wicked male impale.
She was female and frail,
But she did not quail, nor sit and wail,
And let the opportunity go stale.
Her true intent she did wisely veil,

135. And showed no fear with face gone pale.
It was a victory of grandest scale
When this evil man she did derail
And did his oppression forever curtail.
She won the day and did not fail
When she worked out every detail,
And conquered the foe with hammer and nail.
She had Sisera pegged from the start. He was a man who abused women and used
them as things. We know this from his own mother's testimony. She wonders why he
does not return from the battle and she speculates that he is delayed because of the great
spoils and the women they are taking, as stated in 5:30. He was a man who took women
as spoils of war and made them sexual slaves. Jael knew the ways of such a pagan leader
and she was not about to let the chance slip through her hands to let him live and abuse
more women. She may have known some of his captives from previous battles, and she
saw herself as a liberator of woman by this assassination. There is no way to know all
that motivated her to do this deed, for that is as hidden as was her hatred for him when
she treated him as a favored guest. Such secrecy and deceit are valid weapons of warfare.
Those who criticize her make their sexism apparent, for they do not criticize men who
used these same weapons to be successful assassins. One of the other judges did the
same thing and you will find that he is honored for his cleverness. His story is in chapter
5:12-30. He lied and deceived the king of Moab who was Eglon. Then when he had him
alone under the pretense of wanting to tell him a secret he plunged a hidden knife into
his stomach until it came out the other side. This enemy was brought to his death by
clever deception, and he is a hero in Israel. Jael does the same thing and men want to say
she was not a hero for doing it under the conditions of such deceit. Such critics know
nothing of the rules of war. They expect her to have found a more pleasant way to have
dispatched this bloody tyrant. The fact is she had only this one chance to kill him and rid
the world of a most cruel man. She took it and God's people considered her a heroine.
And so do all who accept the Word of God, which gives her honor.
There have been women of other cultures that did what was similar to Jael, and they
are honored for their courage. For example,
Tomyris, Queen of the Massagetae
(sixth century B.C.E.)
Ruler of the Massagetae, a tribal people who lived east of the lands of Persia, Tomyris is
most famous for her defeat of Cyrus the Great, the powerful king of Persia. When
Tomyris's son was captured by Cyrus and committed suicide, the queen promised Cyrus
"more blood than he could drink." After her troops had destroyed the Persians in battle,
she cut off her enemy's head and put it into a bag filled with blood, thus fulfilling her

136. vow.
The role of women in warfare has been varied and so not all of their role is in the
killing of the enemy, but much has been in the role of spy and deceiver in order to help
men defeat the enemy. Some have been very clever in saving their loved ones who
otherwise would have been killed. God's providence worked through Michal, the first
wife of David to save his life. We need to keep in mind that he was a major player in
God's plan, and that it was essential for him to live and reign and be the bloodline to the
Messiah. He was spared to be this by the clever acts of a woman who loved him. The
whole story is found in I Sam. 19:11-17.
In Exodus 1:17-21, Hebrew midwives were able to outsmart the Pharaoh and save the
lives of the Jewish baby boys.
Joshua 2:1-16 describes how Rahab, a prostitute, hid two Israelite spies and saved their
lives by misdirecting the soldiers.
Some non-biblical examples of women of warfare show us that there have been many
women in history who have been honored because of their ability to defeat an enemy.
Amanirenas, Queen of Kush
(late first century, B.C.E.)
Like Zenobia, this queen of Kush took advantage of unrest that distracted Roman troops
from her realm, the kingdom of Meroe. The Emperor Augustus had recently attempted
to tax the Kushites and Amanirenas, one in a long line of ruling Kushite women, took
offense. With her son Akinidad, she attacked a Roman fort at Aswan, left the few
survivors a warning message about unwarranted taxes, and returned to Meroe with the
bronze head of a statue of Augustus. This they buried under the threshold of
Amanirenas' palace. When Augustus mounted the expected retaliation, under the
general Petronius, the Romans were at first successful, but Amanirenas herself took the
field against them and forced them to the bargaining table. She sent her ambassadors to
the island of Samos, where they negotiated return of all conquered lands and the
remission of the controversial tax. Amanirenas' title, Kandake, is thought to be the origin
of the common woman's name Candace.
Matilda, Countess of Tuscany
(c. 1046-1115)
After all her brothers died or were killed in battle, Matilda succeeded her father,
Bonifacio II, as ruler of a territory much larger than the modern Italian province of
Tuscany. Supposedly, she was an athletic girl, who studied weapons and strategy with a

137. soldier named Arduino della Paluda, learning to handle lance, pike, and battle-axe. She
was also a linguist, and literate in an age when many nobles were not. This was a period
of virtually unbroken conflicts between the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope. In these,
she sided undeviatingly with the Papacy, even leading her own armies into battle to
protect the various popes (most notably Gregory the Great) from division and
deposition. Her steadfastness and her tactical skill left a lasting impression on the
chroniclers.
These and many more examples make it clear that woman can be anything that men
can be in terms of heroic actions of courage in warfare. Jael was one of the women God
honored by giving her assassination account in His Word. It could have been left out and
who would be the worse? But he had it recorded so that we might see that women can be
his chosen agents for terrible and well as wonderful tasks. They can even be godly
assassins.
19
"I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some
water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a
drink, and covered him up.
GILL, "And he said unto her, give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for
I am thirsty,.... Which might be occasioned by the heat of the battle, and by the heat of
the day, and by heat in running; he asks for a little water, that being very desirable by
persons athirst. Some think he did not ask for wine, because he knew the Kenites did not
drink any, and so of course kept none in their tents; but though this was the custom of
the Rechabites, who were the same with the Kenites, Jer_35:8; yet it is very probable
this custom had not yet obtained among them, since it was enjoined by Jonadab their
father, who lived in the times of Jehu, 2Ki_10:15,
and she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink; which she did either out
of courtesy, being a better liquor, or with design to throw him into a sleep, which milk
inclines to, making heavy, as all the Jewish commentators observe; though Josephus (n)
has no authority to say, as he does? that the milk she gave him was bad and corrupt:
and covered him: again, after he had taken a draught of milk, which it seems she
poured into a dish with the cream on it, see Jdg_5:25.
JAMISO , "she ... gave him drink, and covered him — Sisera reckoned on this
as a pledge of his safety, especially in the tent of a friendly sheik. This pledge was the

138. strongest that could be sought or obtained, after he had partaken of refreshments, and
been introduced in the inner or women’s apartment.
K&D, "Jdg_4:19
On his asking for water to drink, as he was thirsty (‫י‬ ֵ‫מ‬ ָ‫,צ‬ defective form for ‫י‬ ִ ‫א‬ ֵ‫מ‬ ָ‫,)צ‬ she
handed him milk from her bottle, and covered him up again. She gave him milk instead
of water, as Deborah emphatically mentions in her song in Jdg_5:25, no doubt merely
for the purpose of giving to her guest a friendly and hospitable reception. When
Josephus affirms, in his account of this event (Ant. v. 5, 4), that she gave him milk that
was already spoiled (διεφθορᆵς ᅪδη), i.e., had turned sour, and R. Tanchum supposes
that such milk intoxicated the weary man, these are merely later decorations of the
simple fact, that have no historical worth whatever.
WHEDON, "19. A bottle of milk — “He asked water and she gave him milk.” Chap.
Judges 5:25. Josephus states that it was milk already sour. Sour or curdled milk
(lebban) is still a common and favourite drink among the Arabs. Thus Jael satisfied
Sisera’s thirst by giving him a drink esteemed better than water, and by such apparent
kindness allayed suspicion.
PETT, "Verse 19
Judges 4:19 a
‘And he said to her, “Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink, for I am parched.”
It should be noted that up to this stage she had not offered hospitality. Perhaps he
should have taken a hint from that. To hide a male fugitive in your tent might be one
thing, to feed him there another. So he has committed another breach of etiquette.
Much is made here by commentators of the question of hospitality, but it is
questionable whether that was always seen as fully applying to women. There was no
hospitality shown to the woman when the old man offered the Levite’s concubine to the
sodomites gathered outside his house (Judges 19:24), even though she had eaten at his
table. It was the preservation of the men that was seen as important. That may suggest
that in hospitality matters it was often in fact the menfolk who were seen as the ones
who counted. Perhaps the women were in many cases merely sheltered because of their
menfolk. Thus Jael may not have felt that similar laws applied to her. And the laws of
hospitality did not provide for a married woman having a man alone with her in her tent.
That was a flagrant breach of hospitality.
Judges 4:19 b
‘And she opened a leather skin of milk, and gave him drink and covered him.’
It may be she had no water, or perhaps she was trying to reassure him of her friendly
intent. The covering was probably so that he could sleep.

139. ELLICOTT, "(19) Give me, I pray thee, a little water.—The request was natural
enough; but, as he had not made it at first, we may suspect that he wanted to taste food
in the tent, as a way of rendering still more secure the inviolable laws of Eastern
hospitality. Saladin refuses to let Reginald of Chatillon drink in his tent, because he
means to kill him.
A bottle of milk.—Rather, the skin of milk. The word “bottle” means, of course, a
leathern bottle or skin. Josephus says that the milk was “already corrupted,” i.e., that it
was butter-milk (Antt v. 6, § 5). This is quite probable, because butter-milk (lebban) is a
common drink in Arab tents. When R. Tanchum adds that butter-milk inebriates, and
Rashi that it produces deep sleep, and that it was her object to stupefy him, they are
simply giving reins to their imagination. Josephus says, “He drank so immoderately that
he fell asleep.” It might have been supposed that she would naturally offer him wine; but
it is far from certain that even “must” or “unfermented wine”—much less fermented
wine, which requires considerable art to make—would have been found in those poor
tents; and, further, these Kenites may have been abstainers from wine, as their
descendants the Rechabites were. ( Jeremiah 35:2.)
20
"Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her.
"If someone comes by and asks you, `Is anyone
here?' say ` o.'"
BAR ES, "Stand in the door ... - The characteristic duplicity of the Oriental
character, both in Sisera and Joel, is very forcibly depicted in this narrative. It is only by
the light of the Gospel that the law of truth is fully revealed.
CLARKE, "Stand in the door of the tent - As no man would intrude into the
women’s apartment without permission, her simply saying, there is no man in my tent,
would preclude all search.
GILL, "And he said unto her, stand in the door of the tent,.... This he said, not
in an imperious way, as some think, but by entreaty:
and it shall be, when any man shall come and inquire of thee; seeing her at the
door, and where he desired she would stand to prevent their coming into the tent:

140. and say, is there any man here? any besides what belongs to the family? or any of
Sisera's army?
that thou shalt say, no; there is no man; but to this she made no answer that is
recorded.
JAMISO , "he said unto her, ... when any man doth come and enquire of
thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No — The privacy of
the harem, even in a tent, cannot be intruded on without express permission.
K&D, "Jdg_4:20-21
In order to be quite sure, Sisera entreated his hostess to stand before the door and
turn any one away who might come to her to seek for one of the fugitives. ‫ּד‬‫מ‬ ֲ‫ע‬ is the
imperative for ‫י‬ ִ‫ד‬ ְ‫מ‬ ִ‫ע‬ rof , as the syntax proves that the word cannot be an infinitive. The
anomaly apparent in the use of the gender may be accounted for on the ground that the
masculine was the more general form, and might therefore be used for the more definite
feminine. There are not sufficient grounds for altering it into ‫ּוד‬‫מ‬ ָ‫,ע‬ the inf. abs. Whether
Jael complied with this wish is not stated; but in the place of anything further, the chief
fact alone is given in Jdg_4:21, namely, that Jael took a tent-plug, and went with a
hammer in her hand to Sisera, who had fallen through exhaustion into a deep sleep, and
drove the plug into his temples, so that it penetrated into the earth, or the floor. The
words ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ ‫ם‬ ַ ֶ‫ר‬ִ‫הוּא־נ‬ְ‫ו‬ are introduced as explanatory of the course of the events: “but he
was fallen into a deep sleep, and exhausted,” i.e., had fallen fast asleep through
exhaustion. “And so he died.” ‫ּת‬‫מ‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ is attached as a consequence to ‫וגו‬ ‫ח‬ַ‫נ‬ ְ‫צ‬ ִ ַ‫ה‬ ... ‫ע‬ ַ‫ק‬ ְ‫ת‬ ִ ַ‫,ו‬
whereas ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ belongs to the parenthetical clause ‫ם‬ ַ ְ‫ר‬ִ‫נ‬ ‫הוּא‬ְ‫.ו‬ This is the explanation adopted
by Rosenmüller, and also in the remark of Kimchi: “the words ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ ‫ם‬ ַ ְ‫ר‬ִ‫נ‬ indicate the
reason why Sisera neither heard Jael approach him, nor was conscious of the blow
inflicted upon him.” For the combination of ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ ַ‫ו‬ with ‫ּת‬‫מ‬ָ ַ‫,ו‬ “then he became exhausted
and died,” which Stud. and Bertheau support, does not give any intelligible thought at
all. A man who has a tent-peg driven with a hammer into his temples, so that the peg
passes through his head into the ground, does not become exhausted before he dies, but
dies instantaneously. And ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ ַ‫,ו‬ from ‫,עוּף‬ equivalent to ‫ף‬ֵ‫י‬ ָ‫ע‬ (Jer_4:31), or ‫ף‬ ַ‫ע‬ָ‫,י‬ and written
with Patach in the last syllable, to distinguish it from ‫,עוּף‬ volare, has no other meaning
than to be exhausted, in any of the passages in which it occurs (see 1Sa_14:28, 1Sa_
14:31; 2Sa_21:15). The rendering adopted by the lxx, ᅚσκοτώθη, cannot be grammatically
sustained.
WHEDON, "20. Thou shalt say, No — On these words Bush has the following: “The
custom adopted in some families of instructing servants to say, ‘Not at home,’ when a
master or mistress does not wish to receive company, is directly at variance with the
dictates of Christian simplicity and sincerity; nor is it anything in its favour that it here
has the sanction of a wicked heathen warrior, doomed to destruction.” On the morality

141. of Jael’s action, see at the end of the chapter.
PETT, "Verse 20
‘And he said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man shall
come and enquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? That you will say, no.”
If Jael is to be criticised for dishonesty, what about Sisera? He wanted her not only to
lie for him, but also to do so in a way that would put her in danger. If they forced their
way into her tent at least she would have some excuse, but to blatantly lie to hide him
would put not only her, but the whole encampment, at risk. He thought only of himself.
Thus he forfeited any right he had to hospitality. The whole incident covers him in
dishonour. If she had had any qualms about what she was about to do before, from a
hospitality point of view, they would surely have disappeared by now.
ELLICOTT, "(20) Stand.—The imperative here used has the masculine, not the
feminine termination, but probably only because it is used generally.
That thou shalt say, No.—In that age, and among those nations, and under such
circumstances, a lie would have been regarded as perfectly natural and justifiable; even
under the Christian dispensation, many casuists declare a lie for self-preservation to be
venial, though it is to be hoped that there are millions who, without condemning such a
falsehood in others, would suffer any extremity rather than be guilty of it themselves.
Under any circumstances, it would be very unfair to judge by the standard of Christianity
the words and actions of ignorant nomads and idolatrous Canaanites, more than a
thousand years before Christ. Sisera and Jael would have acted, without the faintest
sense of conscientious scruple, on the heathen advice of Darius—“When it is necessary to
lie, lie” (Herod. iii. 72).
21
But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a
hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast
asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his
temple into the ground, and he died.
BAR ES, "If we can overlook the treachery and violence which belonged to the
morals of the age and country, and bear in mind Jael’s ardent sympathies with the
oppressed people of God, her faith in the right of Israel to possess the land in which they
were now slaves, her zeal for the glory of Yahweh as against the gods of Canaan, and the
heroic courage and firmness with which she executed her deadly purpose, we shall be
ready to yield to her the praise which is her due. See Jdg_3:30 note.

142. CLARKE, "A nail of the tent - One of the spikes by which they fasten to the ground
the cords which are attached to the cloth or covering.
He was fast asleep and weary - As he lay on one side, and was overwhelmed with
sleep through the heat and fatigues of the day, the piercing of his temples must have in a
moment put him past resistance.
GILL, "Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent,.... When she perceived he
was fast asleep, and it being now put into her heart to kill him, having an impulse upon
her spirit, which she was persuaded, by the effect it had upon her, that it was of God; not
filling her with malice and revenge, but a concern for the glory of God, the interest of
religion, and the good of Israel, she took this method to effect the death of this enemy of
God, and his people; having no arms in the house, for the Kenites used none, she took up
an iron pin, with which her tent was fastened to the ground:
and took a hammer in her hand; which perhaps she knew full well how to handle,
being used to drive the pins of the tents into the ground with it:
and went softly unto him; lest she should awake him
and smote the nail into his temples: as he lay on one side, these being the tenderest
part of the head, from whence they have their name in the Hebrew language, and into
which therefore a nail, or iron pin, might be more easily driven:
and fastened it into the ground; she smote the nail with such force and violence,
that she drove it through both his temples into the ground on which he lay; and then, as
it seems, from Jdg_5:26; cut off his head, to make sure work of it:
for he was fast asleep and weary; and so heard not; when she came to him:
so he died; not in the field of battle, but in a tent; not by the sword, but by a nail; not by
the hand of a man, but of a woman, as Deborah foretold, Jdg_4:9.
HE RY, "When he lay fast asleep she drove a long nail through his temples, so
fastened his head to the ground, and killed him, Jdg_4:21. And, though this was enough
to do the business, yet, to make sure work (if we translate it rightly, Jdg_5:26), she cut
off his head, and left it nailed there. Whether she designed this or no when she invited
him into her tent does not appear; probably the thought was darted into her mind when
she saw him lie so conveniently to receive such a fatal blow; and, doubtless, the thought
brought with it evidence sufficient that it came not from Satan as a murderer and
destroyer, but from God as a righteous judge and avenger, so much of brightness and
heavenly light did she perceive in the inducements to it that offered themselves, the
honour of God and the deliverance of Israel, and nothing of the blackness of malice,
hatred, or personal revenge. (1.) It was a divine power that enabled her to do it, and
inspired her with a more than manly courage. What if her hand should shake, and she
should miss her blow? What if he should awake when she was attempting it? Or suppose
some of his own attendants should follow him, and surprise her in the face, how dearly
would she and all hers be made to pay for it? Yet, obtaining help of God, she did it
effectually. (2.) It was a divine warrant that justified her in the doing of it; and therefore,

143. since no such extraordinary commissions can now be pretended, it ought not in any case
to be imitated. The laws of friendship and hospitality must be religiously observed, and
we must abhor the thought of betraying any whom we have invited and encouraged to
put a confidence in us. And, as to this act of Jael (like that of Ehud in the chapter
before), we have reason to think she was conscious of such a divine impulse upon her
spirit to do it as did abundantly satisfy herself (and it ought therefore to satisfy us) that
it was well done. God's judgments are a great deep. The instrument of this execution was
a nail of the tent, that is, one of the great pins with which the tent, or the stakes of it,
were fastened. They often removing their tents, she had been used to drive these nails,
and therefore knew how to do it the more dexterously on this great occasion. he that
thought to destroy Israel with his many iron chariots is himself destroyed with one iron
nail. Thus do the weak things of the world confound the mighty. See here Jael's glory
and Sisera's shame. The great commander dies, [1.] In his sleep, fast asleep, and weary.
It comes in as a reason why he stirred not, to make resistance. So fettered was he in the
chains of sleep that he could not find his hands. Thus the stout-hearted are spoiled at
thy rebuke, O God of Jacob! they are cast into a dead sleep, and so are made to sleep
their last, Psa_76:5, Psa_76:6. Let not the strong man then glory in his strength; for
when he sleeps where is it? It is weak, and he can do nothing; a child may insult him
then, and steal his life from him; and yet if he sleep not he is soon spent and weary, and
can do nothing either. Those words which we here put in a parenthesis (for he was
weary) all the ancient versions read otherwise: he struggled (or started, as we say) and
died, so the Syriac and Arabic, Exagitans ses mortuus est. He fainted and died, so the lxx.
Consocians morte soporem, so the vulgar Latin, joining sleep and death together, seeing
they are so near akin. He fainted and died. He dies, [2.] With his head nailed to the
ground, an emblem of his earthly-mindedness. O curve in terram animoe! His ear (says
bishop Hall) was fastened close to the earth, as if his body had been listening what had
become of his soul. He dies, [3.] By the hand of a woman. This added to the shame of his
death before men; and had he but known it, as Abimelech (Jdg_9:54), we may well
imagine how much it would have added to the vexation of his own heart.
JAMISON, "Then Jael took a nail of the tent — most probably one of the pins
with which the tent ropes are fastened to the ground. Escape was almost impossible for
Sisera. But the taking of his life by the hand of Jael was murder. It was a direct violation
of all the notions of honor and friendship that are usually held sacred among pastoral
people, and for which it is impossible to conceive a woman in Jael’s circumstances to
have had any motive, except that of gaining favor with the victors. Though predicted by
Deborah [Jdg_4:9], it was the result of divine foreknowledge only - not the divine
appointment or sanction; and though it is praised in the song [Jdg_5:24-27], the eulogy
must be considered as pronounced not on the moral character of the woman and her
deed, but on the public benefits which, in the overruling providence of God, would flow
from it.
SBC, "Jael appears to us as a hateful murderess; our feeling towards her is one of horror
and indignation. Yet in the Bible she is extolled as amongst the noblest of heroes. The
question is, what vindication can be offered for her conduct? If Jael received Sisera into
her tent with the intention of murdering him, she must be left to the execrations of
posterity.
But there are plain and straightforward reasons from which to infer that Jael had no
design of killing Sisera; that she acted therefore with perfect honesty, and not with

144. atrocious duplicity, when she offered him shelter. The action was too perilous; it
required too much of more than masculine hardihood, or rather ferocity, even if there
had been the strongest inducements; whereas there appears to have been no inducement
at all, but rather the reverse, and we add to this, that since you have only the silence of
Jael when she was asked by Sisera to tell a lie in his cause, the probability is that she had
a reverence for truth; and if so she must have meant what she said when she gave the
invitation and the promise, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not."
II. What were the motives which instigated Jael in putting to death her slumbering
guest? We reckon it a satisfactory explanation of her conduct and one which removes
every difficulty, that she was led by a Divine impulse or in obedience to a Divine
command, to take away Sisera’s life. It is true we are not told, as in the case of Abraham,
that God commanded the action, but we are told that God approved the action. And
since the action in itself, independent of His command, would have been a flagrant
offence, we necessarily infer that what He approved He also directed.
III. There is a third question which suggests itself here. Granting that Jael acted on a
Divine command, how could it be consistent with the character of God to issue such a
command? Since murder is a crime which is expressly forbidden, with what propriety
could He enjoin its perpetration? The answer is, that no one would have felt surprised
had Sisera perished in battle. He was the oppressor of the Lord’s people; what marvel,
then, that he should be overtaken by vengeance?
Jael was but the executioner directed by God to slay a condemned criminal, and can we
charge her with blood-guiltiness because she did not refuse to obey that direction. She
had a hard task to perform, one demanding faith and dependence on God, but she
performed it without flinching, and she deserves our admiration as a mighty heroine.
H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 1677.
BENSON, "4:21-22. Then Jael took a nail of the tent — That is, one of that sort on which
the cords of the tent were fastened, and which consequently were of a large size. Come,
and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest — Thus both parts of Deborah’s
prophecy concerning Sisera were fulfilled. He was delivered into the hand of Barak,
according to the prediction, 4:7; but not alive, and therefore not to Barak’s honour, as
was foretold 4:9. For, when he came into her tent, behold Sisera lay dead, and the nail
was in his temples.
WHEDON, "21. A nail of the tent — Or, a tent-pin, sometimes made of iron, but
commonly of wood, to which, when driven into the ground, the ropes of a tent are
fastened. “The nail which Jael used was a tent-pin, now, as then, called wated, and the
hammer was the mallet with which it is driven into the ground. It is not necessary to
suppose that either of them were of iron. The wated was probably a sharp-pointed pin of
hard wood, and the hammer was the ordinary mallet used by these tent-dwelling Arabs.”
— Thomson.
Smote the nail into his temples — Stanley thus pictures this scene: “Her attitude, her
weapon, her deed, are described both in the historic and poetic account of the event, as if
fixed in the national mind. She stands like the personification of the figure of speech so
famous in the names of Judas the Maccabee, (the Hebrew word for hammer is maccab,)

145. and Charles Martel — the Hammer of her country’s enemies. Step by step we see her
advance: first, the dead silence with which she approaches the sleeper, slumbering with
the weariness of one who has run far and fast; then the successive blows with which she
hammers, crushes, beats, and pierces through and through the forehead of the upturned
face, till the point of the nail reaches the very ground on which the slumberer is
stretched; and then comes the one startling bound, the contortion of agony with which
the expiring man rolls over from the low divan, and lies weltering in blood between her
feet as she strides over the lifeless corpse.”
Fastened it into the ground — Rather, it went down into the ground; the tent pin passed
through his head so as to reach to the very earth beneath him.
For he was fast asleep and weary — This statement is parenthetical, showing how it was
practicable for Jael to dispatch Sisera in the way she did. Compare the poetical
description in Judges 5:26-27.
PETT, "erse 21
‘Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin, and took a mallet in her hand, and went quietly
to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground. For
he was in a deep sleep. So he swooned and died.’
It was because he had gone to sleep that she was able to do this. Using a tent-pin and
mallet was second nature to such a woman who in an encampment would use them
regularly. It was seen as a job for women. That is why they were in her tent. Thus she
would be very adept with them. The weapon was more effective than a knife for this
purpose. The bones would not deflect it. They also meant that if he suddenly woke up
while she was crossing over to him it would not look so suspicious.
Thus did she ensure that this enemy of Israel did not escape. That it was her deliberate
purpose to kill him from the start we cannot doubt. That she breached etiquette in doing
so is, as we have seen, doubtful. Everything about his actions was wrong. He himself
breached every rule of etiquette with regard to a man’s wife, and he was willing to take
advantage of her and put her at risk into the bargain. He had forfeited any right to
consideration. And what other method could a woman have used to kill such a powerful
enemy?
It is possible that she did it because her sympathies lay with Israel, and Israel’s God,
although Heber may have left the family of Hobab because he was not prepared to enter
covenant with Yahweh. But there is no mention of Yahweh or of any such motive. In fact
there is a remarkable and studied silence about it. Why no exultation? Why no praise to
Yahweh? Why no reference to Him having delivered Sisera into her hand? We might be
embarrassed about her deed but it is doubtful if anyone in her time would have anything
but admiration for it. Yet she must have had some special reason for her act, for hating
him so.

146. Perhaps he had previously shamed her in some way. Perhaps he had previously made
lewd advances towards her during visits to the camp, or used his position to force his
attentions on her. Like many men he would persuade himself that really she would enjoy
it, (even if he thought about it). He was a Canaanite to whom sexual misbehaviour was
second nature, with the power and authority to do almost what he wanted. And she was
a semi-nomad, with little power. But as such she had the stricter moral ideas of her type.
We cannot know all that lay behind it and should therefore hesitate to judge. But let us
make no mistake about it. She took her revenge on a man who revealed what he was by
being where he was. No woman of her type would have doubted the rightness of what
she did.
His death at the hand of a woman would lead to mockery by fellow soldiers. His
breaching of her tent would cause shock among tent dwellers. His death brought
rejoicing throughout Israel. And he died a coward for the way he deserted his men. And
the ribald laughter at the way he had been deceived would echo everywhere. He died
without honour anywhere.
ELLICOTT, "(21) Then.—Many commentators have ventured to assume that at this
instant Jael received a Divine intimation of what she was to do. To make such an
assumption as a way of defending an act of assassination peculiarly terrible and
peculiarly treacherous seems to be to the last degree unwarrantable. If any readers
choose to adopt such methods for themselves they ought not to attempt the enforcement
of such “private interpretations” on others. The mind which is unsophisticated by the
casuistry of exegesis will find little difficulty in arriving at a fair estimate of Jael’s
conduct without resorting to dangerous and arbitrary interpolations of supposition into
the simple Scripture narrative.
Heber’s wife.—This addition, being needless, might be regarded as emphatic, and as
involving an element of condemnation by calling prominent attention to the “peace
between Jabin and the house of Heber,” which has been mentioned where last his name
occurs (Judges 4:17). It is, however, due in all probability to the very ancient and
inartificial character of the narrative.
A nail of the tent.—Probably one of the great tent-pegs used to fasten down the cords
which keep the tent in its place (Exodus 27:19; Isaiah 22:23; Isaiah 54:2, &c). Josephus
says an iron nail, but there is nothing to show whether it was of iron or of wood, and the
LXX., by rendering it passalon (“a wooden plug “), seem to have understood the latter.
An hammer.—Rather, the hammer. The ponderous wooden mallet kept in every tent to
beat down the cord-pegs. The word is Makkebeth, from which is derived the word
Maccabee. The warrior-priests, to whom that title was given, were the “hammers” of
their enemies, and Karl received the title of Martel for a similar reason.
Went softly unto him.—So as not to awake him. The description of Sisera’s murder is
exceedingly graphic, but as far as the prose account of it is concerned, the silence as to

147. any condemnation of the worst and darkest features of it by no means necessarily
excludes the idea of the most complete disapproval. The method of the narrative is the
same as that found in all ancient literature, and is a method wholly different from that of
the moderns, which abounds in subjective reflections. Thus Homer sometimes relates an
atrocity without a word of censure, and sometimes indicates disapproval by a single
casual adjective.
Smote.—With more than one blow, if we take the poet’s account (Judges 5:26) literally.
Fastened it into the ground.—Rather, it (the nail) went down into the around. The verb
used is rendered “lighted off” in Judges 1:14.
For he was fast asleep and weary.—The versions here vary considerably, but the English
version seems to be perfectly correct. The verb for “he was fast asleep” is the same as in
the forcible metaphor of Psalms 76:6 : “The horse and chariot are cast into a deep sleep.”
The description of his one spasm of agony is given in Judges 5:27. There is no authority
in the original for the gloss found in some MSS. of the LXX.: “And he was convulsed (
ὰπηεσκάρισεν) between her knees, and fainted and died.” The words here used are only
meant to account for his not being awakened by the approach or preparations of Jael
(Kimchi), unless they involve a passing touch of pity or disapproval. Similarly it was,
when Holofernes was “filled with wine,” that Judith “approached to his bed, and took
hold of the hair of his head . . . and smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she
took away his head from him.” (Judith 13:2; Judith 13:7-8.)
COKE, "Verse 21
Judges 4:21. Then Jael, Heber's wife, &c.— This nail was one of those great pins with
which they fastened the tents to the ground. Bishop Patrick upon this event observes,
that she might as well have let Sisera lie in his profound sleep till Barak took him, if she
had not felt a Divine power moving her to this, that the prophesy of Deborah might be
fulfilled. Nothing but this authority from God could warrant such a fact, which seemed a
breach of hospitality, and to be attended with several other crimes; but was not so, when
God, the Lord of all men's lives, ordered her to execute his sentence upon Sisera. It can
scarcely be doubted, says Dr. Waterland, that Jael had a divine direction or impulse to
stir her up to this action. The enterprise was exceedingly bold and hazardous, above the
courage of her sex. The resolution she took appears very extraordinary, and shows the
marks and tokens of its being from the extraordinary hand of God. In this view all is
clear and right, and no objectors will be able to prove that there was any treachery in it:
for she ought to obey God rather than man; and all obligations to man cease, when
brought in competition with our higher obligations towards God. But we are to consider,
that what is done in very uncommon cases, and upon occasions very extraordinary, is
not to be judged of by common rules. See Scrip. Vind. p. 75. They, who would enter into
a more complete justification of this affair, will find satisfaction in Dr. Leland's answer
to Christianity as old as the Creation, p. 2.
REFLECTIONS.—The army being destroyed, we have here an account of the death of

148. their general.
1. His flight. His chariot was now no longer his safety; and though, in this confidence, he
drew near to battle, he finds by experience how vain a thing is this to save a man.
Creature-dependances thus usually fail us.—The tents of the Kenites seemed to promise
a safe retreat; and as there was peace between Jabin and them, he flees thither for
protection.
2. His reception here was seemingly as hospitable as he could wish. Jael, the wife of
Heber, stood at the tent-door; invited him in, to repose in her apartment; refreshed him,
thirsty with his flight; and covered him up as weary, for sleep as well as for concealment.
Having wished her to deny others entrance there, and by a lie to divert his pursuers, he
thinks he may now lie down in peace, and take his rest. How delusive are appearances!
how often is our danger nearest, when we conceive ourselves most secure, and our ruin
meditating by those in whom we place the greatest confidence! Note; They who trust in
man will usually be disappointed; they who trust in God, never.
3. His death. Fatigued with his flight, his senses were soon locked up in sleep, and Jael,
on divine warrant, meditates and performs the fatal deed.—Stealing softly to him, with
one of the nails of the tent and a hammer in her hand, as he lay on his side, she smote
him through both his temples, and fastened him to the ground: so he fell, as was
foretold, by the hand of a woman. Note; God often chooses the weak things of the world
to confound the mighty.
4. Barak comes, and finds Sisera slain. Jael welcomes him to her tent, and shews him his
enemy fallen, to their common joy. Note; The death of an oppressive tyrant is a general
mercy.
5. From that day Israel pursued the blow, subdued Jabin, and destroyed his people and
cities; and thus, taught by experience, acted more conformably to the divine command
and their own advantage, in utterly destroying this devoted people. Note; (1.) It is
wisdom to improve under past experience. (2.) God's commands and our real interests
are inseparable.
NISBET, "WAS JAEL A MURDERESS?
‘Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and
went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the
ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.’
Judges 4:21
Jael appears to us as a hateful murderess; our feeling towards her is one of horror and
indignation. Yet in the Bible she is extolled as amongst the noblest of heroes. The
question is what vindication can be offered for her conduct? If Jael received Sisera into
her tent with the intention of murdering him, she must be left to the execrations of

149. posterity.
I. But there are plain and straightforward reasons from which to infer that Jael had no
design of killing Sisera; that she acted therefore with perfect honesty, and not with
atrocious duplicity, when she offered him shelter. The action was too perilous; it
required too much of more than masculine hardihood, or rather ferocity, even if there
had been the strongest inducements; whereas there appears to have been no inducement
at all, but rather the reverse, and we add to this, that since you have only the silence of
Jael when she was asked by Sisera to tell a lie in his cause, the probability is that she had
a reverence for truth; and if so she must have meant what she said when she gave the
invitation and the promise, ‘Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not.’
II. What were the motives which instigated Jael in putting to death her slumbering
guest?—We reckon it a satisfactory explanation of her conduct and one which removes
every difficulty, that she was led by a Divine impulse or in obedience to a Divine
command, to take away Sisera’s life. It is true we are not told, as in the case of Abraham,
that God commanded the action, but we are told that God approved the action. And
since the action in itself, independent of His command, would have been a flagrant
offence, we necessarily infer that what He approved He also directed.
III. There is a third question which suggests itself here.—Granting that Jael acted on a
Divine command, how could it be consistent with the character of God to issue such a
command? Since murder is a crime which is expressly forbidden, with what propriety
could He enjoin its perpetration? The answer is, that no one would have felt surprised
had Sisera perished in battle. He was the oppressor of the Lord’s people; what marvel,
then, that he should be overtaken by vengeance?
Jael was but the executioner directed by God to slay a condemned criminal, and can we
charge her with bloodguiltiness because she did not refuse to obey that direction? She
had a hard task to perform, one demanding faith and dependence on God, but she
performed it without flinching, and she deserves our admiration as a mighty heroine.
—Canon H. Melvill.
Illustration
‘I loved Frederick Maurice, as every one did who came near him; and have no doubt he
did all that was in him to do of good in his day. Which could by no means be said either
of Rossetti or of me: but Maurice was by nature puzzle-headed, and, though in a
beautiful manner, wrong-headed; while his clear conscience and keen affections made
him egotistic, and in his Bible-reading, as insolent as any infidel of them all. I only went
once to a Bible-lesson of his; and the meeting was significant and conclusive.
The subject of lesson, Jael’s slaying of Sisera. Concerning which, Maurice, taking an
enlightened modern view of what was fit and not, discoursed in passionate indignation;

150. and warned his class, in the most positive and solemn manner, that such dreadful deeds
could only have been done in cold blood in the Dark Biblical ages; and that no religious
and patriotic Englishwoman ought ever to think of imitating Jael by nailing a Russian’s
or Prussian’s skull to the ground—especially after giving him butter in a lordly dish. At
the close of the instruction, through which I sate silent, I ventured to inquire, why then
had Deborah the prophetess declared of Jael, “Blessed above women shall the wife of
Heber the Kenite be”? On which Maurice, with startled and flashing eyes, burst into
partly scornful, partly alarmed, denunciation of Deborah the prophetess, as a mere
blazing Amazon; and of her Song as a merely rhythmic storm of battle-rage, no more to
be listened to with edification or faith than the Norman’s Sword-song at the battle of
Hastings.
Whereupon there remained nothing for me—to whom the Song of Deborah was as
sacred as the Magnificat—but total collapse in sorrow and astonishment; the eyes of all
the class being also bent on me in amazed reprobation of my benighted views and
unchristian sentiments. And I got away how I could, and never went back.
That being the first time in my life that I had fairly met the lifted head of Earnest and
Religious Infidelity—in a man neither vain nor ambitious, but instinctively and
innocently trusting his own amiable feelings as the final interpreters of all the possible
feelings of men and angels, all the songs of the prophets, and all the ways of God.’
John Ruskin in Præterita.
PULPIT, "Then Jael, etc. Sisera, having taken every precaution, had lain him down to
rest; not, like David, trusting to the Lord to make him dwell in safety, but confiding in
Jael's friendship and his own crafty directions. But no sooner had he fallen into a deep
sleep, than the crafty and courageous woman, into whose hands Sisera was to be sold,
took a tent pin and the heavy hammer with which they drove the pin into the ground,
and with a desperate blow forced it through his temples, and pinned him to the ground.
Without a struggle, he swooned and died. Instead of and fastened it into the ground, it is
better to translate, that it (the pin) came down to the ground. It is the same word as is
translated lighted Joshua 15:18. In the last clause put the full-stop after asleep, and read,
So he swooned and died. It is impossible for us to view Jael's act in the same light as her
contemporaries did, on account of its treachery and cruelty; but we can admire her faith
in the God of Israel, her lave for the people of God, and her marvellous courage and
strength of mind in carrying out her purpose, and make allowance for the age in which
she lived.
PULPIT, "The variety of God's instruments.
The weakness of God's instruments. Nothing is more remarkable in the history of God's
providential dealings with his people, whether under the Old or New Testament
dispensations, than the great variety of instruments by which he carries out his designs.
And amidst this variety a marked feature often is the weakness in themselves of those

151. instruments by which the greatest results are accomplished. "God," says St. Paul to the
Corinthians, "hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound, the things which are mighty,…
that no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). "We have this
treasure," he says again, "in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of
God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). THESE TWO FEATURES OF VARIETY IN THE
CHOICE OF INSTRUMENTS, AND OF THE WEAKNESS OFTTIMES OF THE
INSTRUMENTS THEMSELVES, RUN THROUGH THE BIBLE. To look only at the
deliverances in the Book of Judges,—Othniel the Kenite, a stranger and a foreigner;
Ehud, the left-handed Benjamite; Shamgar, the son of Anath. armed with an ox-goad;
Barak, the timid, hesitating Naphtalite; Gideon, one of the least of a poor family of
Manasseh, threshing his wheat secretly for fear of the Midianites, and then rushing upon
the Midianite camp with his 300 followers, armed with lamps and pitchers and
trumpets; Jephthah, the wild outcast Gileadite; and Samson, the man of supernatural
strength, with his impulsive actions and his unrestrained passions,—what an infinite
variety do they display of character, of circumstance, and of resource. And so the manna
in the wilderness, the drying up of the waters of the Red Sea, the flight of quails, the
falling of the walls of Jericho at the blast of the trumpet, the ministry of Samuel, the
character and kingdom of David, the grand episode of Elijah the Tishbite, the
deliverance of Hezekiah from the army of Sennacherib, the succession of the prophets,
the great figure of Daniel, and the countless other incidents and personages which stand
out in the pages of Holy Scripture, how largely do they exemplify the manifold resources
of the power of God, working out his ends with unerring wisdom and unfailing certainty.
The present chapter supplies another striking example. Here we see the Israelites in
extreme distress: their independence gone; a great heathen power overshadowing and
oppressing them by military violence; all means of resistance at an end; their princes
slaves; their warriors cowed; their leaders dispersed. But their time of deliverance was
come. And who were they that should break that iron yoke, and let the oppressed go
free? who were they before whose might the heathen hosts should melt away, the iron
chariots be burnt with fire, and the invincible chieftain be laid low in death? Two
women! One known only for her prophetic speech and her skill in civil judgment; the
other an alien, belonging to a weak and broken tribe of foreigners. The one, filled with
the spirit of God, awakens the sleeping spirit of a captain and 10,000 of her countrymen,
and urges them to battle and to victory; the other, alone and unaided, with her single
hand slays the leader of unnumbered hosts. The people are set free from their
oppressors, and have rest for forty years. The lesson then which this chapter impresses
upon us, in addition to those which it teaches in common with the preceding, is the
variety and the strangeness of the methods of God's deliverances, and especially THAT
GOD'S STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN HUMAN WEAKNESS. He ordains strength
in the hands of weak women, as well as out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. "Fear
not, thou worm Jacob; I will help thee, saith the Lord," is an exhortation which under
every possible circumstance is made easy to comply with by the recollection of these
wonderful acts of God.

152. 22
Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went
out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show
you the man you're looking for." So he went in
with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg
through his temple--dead.
K&D, "Jdg_4:22
When Barak, who was in pursuit of Sisera, arrived at Jael's tent, she went to meet him,
to show him the deed which he had performed. Thus was Deborah's prediction to Barak
(Jdg_4:9) fulfilled. The Lord had sold Sisera into the hand of a woman, and deprived
Barak of the glory of the victory. Nevertheless the act itself was not morally justified,
either by this prophetic announcement, or by the fact that it is commemorated in the
song of Deborah in Jdg_5:24. Even though there can be no doubt that Jael acted under
the influence of religious enthusiasm for the cause of Israel and its God, and that she was
prompted by religious motives to regard the connection of her tribe with Israel, the
people of the Lord, as higher and more sacred, not only than the bond of peace, in which
her tribe was living with Jabin the Canaanitish king, but even than the duties of
hospitality, which are so universally sacred to an oriental mind, her heroic deed cannot
be acquitted of the sins of lying, treachery, and assassination, which were associated
with it, by assuming as Calovius, Buddeus, and others have done, that when Jael invited
Sisera into her tent, and promised him safety, and quenched this thirst with milk, she
was acting with perfect sincerity, and without any thought of killing him, and that it was
not till after he was fast asleep that she was instigated and impelled instinctu Dei arcano
to perform the deed. For Jehovah, the God of Israel, not only abhors lying lips (Pro_
12:22), but hates wickedness and deception of every kind. It is true, He punishes the
ungodly at the hand of sinners; but the sinners whom He employs as the instruments of
His penal justice in carrying out the plans of His kingdom, are not instigated to the
performance of wicked deeds by an inward and secret impulse from Him. God had no
doubt so ordered it, that Sisera should meet with his death in Jael's tent, where he had
taken refuge; but this divine purpose did not justify Jael in giving to the enemy of Israel
a hospitable reception into her tent, making him feel secure both by word and deed, and
then murdering him secretly while he was asleep. Such conduct as that was not the
operation of the Spirit of God, but the fruit of a heroism inspired by flesh and blood; and
even in Deborah's song (Jdg_5:24.) it is not lauded as a divine act.
GILL, "And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera,.... Knowing the way he took, at least
as he supposed:

153. Jael came out to meet him; as she did Sisera, but with greater pleasure:
and said unto him, come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest;
for she full well knew whom he was in pursuit of:
and when he came into her tent; at her invitation:
behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples: which she did not
attempt to draw out, but left it there, that it might be seen in what way she had
dispatched him.
HAWKER, "I leave the Reader to his own reflection, to consider what must have been
the thoughts of Barak, concerning divine mercies, when he beheld Sisera dead before
him, and was enabled to trace the Lord’s hand in the whole battle. And I would equally
leave the Reader to his own reflections, if he will make a comparative view of this
subject, with the circumstances of his own life, if so be the Lord hath brought him
acquainted with the spiritual conflicts in the life of grace, and hath at any time found
such a glorious and unexpected deliverance as this from them. Oh! how sweet, how very
sweet is it, to the true soldier of Jesus’s little army, when he speaks of his grace as
sufficient for him, and when the Lord’s strength is literally made perfect in human
weakness. 2Co_13:9.
HENRY 22-24, " The glory and joy of Israel hereupon. 1. Barak their leader finds his
enemy dead, (Jdg_4:22), and no doubt, he was very well pleased to find his work done
so well to his hand, and so much to the glory of God and the confusion of his enemies.
had he stood too nicely upon a point of honour, he would have resented it as an affront
to have the general slain by any hand but his; but now he remembered that this
diminution of his honour he was sentenced to undergo, for insisting upon Deborah's
going with him (the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman), though then it was
little thought that the prediction would be fulfilled in such a way as this. 2. Israel is
completely delivered out of the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, Jdg_4:23, Jdg_4:24.
They not only shook off his yoke by this day's victory, but they afterwards prosecuted the
war against him, till they had destroyed him, he and his nation being by the divine
appointment devoted to ruin and not to be spared. The Israelites, having soundly
smarted for their foolish pity in not doing it before, resolved now it is in their power to
indulge them no longer, but to make a thorough riddance of them, as a people to whom
to show mercy was as contrary to their own interest as it was to God's command; and
probably it is with an eye to the sentence they were under that this enemy is named three
times here in these last two verses, and called king of Canaan; for as such he was to be
destroyed; and so thoroughly was he destroyed that I do not remember to read of the
kings of Canaan any more after this. The children of Israel would have prevented a great
deal of mischief if they had sooner destroyed these Canaanites, as God had both
commanded and enabled them; but better be wise late, and buy wisdom by experience,
than never wise.
K&D, "Jdg_4:22
When Barak, who was in pursuit of Sisera, arrived at Jael's tent, she went to meet him,
to show him the deed which he had performed. Thus was Deborah's prediction to Barak
(Jdg_4:9) fulfilled. The Lord had sold Sisera into the hand of a woman, and deprived

154. Barak of the glory of the victory. Nevertheless the act itself was not morally justified,
either by this prophetic announcement, or by the fact that it is commemorated in the
song of Deborah in Jdg_5:24. Even though there can be no doubt that Jael acted under
the influence of religious enthusiasm for the cause of Israel and its God, and that she was
prompted by religious motives to regard the connection of her tribe with Israel, the
people of the Lord, as higher and more sacred, not only than the bond of peace, in which
her tribe was living with Jabin the Canaanitish king, but even than the duties of
hospitality, which are so universally sacred to an oriental mind, her heroic deed cannot
be acquitted of the sins of lying, treachery, and assassination, which were associated
with it, by assuming as Calovius, Buddeus, and others have done, that when Jael invited
Sisera into her tent, and promised him safety, and quenched this thirst with milk, she
was acting with perfect sincerity, and without any thought of killing him, and that it was
not till after he was fast asleep that she was instigated and impelled instinctu Dei arcano
to perform the deed. For Jehovah, the God of Israel, not only abhors lying lips (Pro_
12:22), but hates wickedness and deception of every kind. It is true, He punishes the
ungodly at the hand of sinners; but the sinners whom He employs as the instruments of
His penal justice in carrying out the plans of His kingdom, are not instigated to the
performance of wicked deeds by an inward and secret impulse from Him. God had no
doubt so ordered it, that Sisera should meet with his death in Jael's tent, where he had
taken refuge; but this divine purpose did not justify Jael in giving to the enemy of Israel
a hospitable reception into her tent, making him feel secure both by word and deed, and
then murdering him secretly while he was asleep. Such conduct as that was not the
operation of the Spirit of God, but the fruit of a heroism inspired by flesh and blood; and
even in Deborah's song (Jdg_5:24.) it is not lauded as a divine act.
PETT, "Verse 22
‘And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him,
“Come, and I will show you the man who you are looking for.” And he came to her, and
behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.’
Barak, probably accompanied by some of his men, was on Sisera’s track. He would not
want him to escape. And Jael went out to meet him. She was presumably expecting
pursuit.
“And said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man who you are looking for”.” Her
quiet approach, with no sense of exhilaration, but rather with a sense of grim
satisfaction, would seem to confirm that she had had a private reason for what she did.
She was not celebrating Yahweh’s victory but quietly enjoying her own revenge.
“And he came to her, and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.”
He found the man he was hunting down, lying in the tent with the tent-pin through his
temples. She wanted it known what she had done. A woman’s vengeance.
Note that the word ‘come’ used by Jael is the same as the word ‘go’ used by Deborah
(Judges 4:6). Because of his unwillingness to act alone his victory was dependent on two
women.
ELLICOTT, "(22) Behold, Sisera lay dead.—Thus the glory, such as it was, of having
slain the general of the enemy passed to a woman (Judges 4:9). The scene which thus

155. describes the undaunted murderess standing in the tent between the dead and the living
chieftains—and glorying in the decision which had led her to fling to the winds every rule
of Eastern morality and decorum—is a very striking one.
23
On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite
king, before the Israelites.
GILL, "So God subdued on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the
children, of Israel. Freed Israel from subjection to him and delivered him into the
hands of the Israelites; for Josephus (o) says, that as Barak went towards Hazor, he met
Jabin, and slew him; who perhaps having heard of the defeat of his army under Sisera,
came forth with another against Israel, which being overcome by them, he was slain, and
the city utterly destroyed, as the same writer says; but by what follows it seems rather
that the total conquest of him was afterwards and gradually accomplished.
K&D 23-24, "“So God subdued at that time Jabin the king of Canaan before the
children of Israel; and the hand of the Israelites became heavier and heavier in its
pressure upon him, until they had destroyed him.” ‫ה‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫ק‬ְ‫ו‬ ְ‫ּוך‬‫ל‬ ָ‫ה‬ ... ‫ד‬ַ‫י‬ ְ‫ך‬ ֶ‫ל‬ ֵ ַ‫,ו‬ “the hand ...
increased more and more, becoming heavy.” ְ‫ך‬ ַ‫ל‬ ָ‫,ה‬ used to denote the progress or
continual increase of an affair, as in Gen_8:3, etc., is connected with the infinitive
absolute, and with the participle of the action concerned. ‫ה‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫ק‬ is the feminine participle
of ‫ה‬ ֶ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫,ק‬ like ‫ל‬ ֵ‫ד‬ָ in Gen_26:13 (see Ges. §131, 3, Anm. 3). The overthrow of Jabin and his
rule did not involve the extermination of the Canaanites generally.
PETT, "Verse 23
‘So God subdued on that day Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the children, of Israel.’
Jabin’s efforts through his standing army had been thwarted, and instead it was he
who had been subdued. His general was dead, his army decimated. It was something
from which he would never recover. Note the use of ‘God’ instead of Yahweh. What had
happened in Jael’s tent was not seen as a direct act of Yahweh. She had been inspired by
other motives.
ELLICOTT, "(23) So God subdued.—The word used for God is here Elohim, while
Jehovah occurs through the rest of the narrative. We are not yet in a position to
formulate the law which regulates the interchange of these names. It need hardly be

156. added that this attribution of the deliverance of Israel to God’s providence and aid does
not necessarily involve the least approval of the false and cruel elements which stained
the courage and faith of Jael. Though God overrules even criminal acts to the fulfilment
of His own purposes, the crimes themselves meet with their own just condemnation and
retribution. This may be seen decisively in the case of Jehu. His conduct, like that of
Jael, was of a mixed character. He was an instrument in the hands of God to punish and
overthrow the guilty house of Ahab, and in carrying out this Divine commission, he, too,
showed dauntlessness and faith, yet his atrocious cruelty is justly condemned by the
voice of the prophet (Hosea 1:4), just as that of Baasha had been (1 Kings 16:7), though
he, too, was an instrument of Divine retribution. To explain this clause, and the
triumphal cry of Deborah—“So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord”—as Bishop
Wordsworth does, to mean that “the work of Jael is represented by the sacred writer as
the work of God,” is to claim Divine sanction for a wish that wicked or hostile powers
should always “so” perish by cruel and treacherous assassination. At the same time, Jael
must not be classed with women actuated only by a demoniacal thirst for vengeance, like
Criemhild, in the Niebelungen; or even with Aretophila, of Cyrene, whom Plutarch so
emphatically praises (On the Virtues of Women, p. 19, quoted by Cassel); but rather with
women like Judith in ancient, or Charlotte Corday in modern times, who regarded
themselves as the champions of a great and good cause.
COFFMAN, "Verse 23
THE CONCLUSION OF THE CANAANITE WAR (Judges 4:23-24)
"So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of
Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan."
These verses are a summary of the extensive war against the Canaanites which ensued
following the tremendous victory detailed in this chapter. How long the war lasted, we
are not told, but the words, "more and more ... until," etc. indicate that far more was
involved than this single victory. The following chapter reveals that six of the tribes of
Israel were involved in the conflict instead of merely the two mentioned in Judges 4.
Besides that, the Canaanite threat to Israel is no more mentioned in the Word of God, a
result that simply could not have followed merely a single battle along the river Kishon,
impressive as that victory surely was. "What is meant in this chapter is that Barak's great
victory was the beginning of successful resistance to Jabin, by which Israel recovered
their independence, and finally broke the Canaanite power."
CONSTABLE, "Verse 23-24
This victory broke the back of Canaanite domination at this period in Israel"s history.
The Israelites continued to put pressure on the Canaanites until they finally destroyed
Jabin and his kingdom. This may have taken several years. [Note: For a very helpful
exposition of this chapter with emphasis on its chiastic literary structure, see John H.
Stek, "The Bee and the Mountain Goat: A Literary Reading of Judges 4 ," in A Tribute to
Gleason Archer, pp53-86.] The Canaanites never oppressed Israel again militarily, as far
as Scripture records, but their religion continued to ensnare God"s people (cf. the
Moabites" and Midianites" two strategies in Numbers).

157. "If up to now the author of the book of Judges tended to tell of saviors that were raised
up, from this war on it is clear that the human heroes are only a background for
highlighting the divine salvation." [Note: Yairah Amit, " Judges 4 : Its Contents and
Form," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament39 (October1987):99.]
This is certainly the most important lesson this chapter teaches. However, this story
also warns us about putting conditions on our obedience to God. If we do this, God may
use someone else, and we will not achieve all we could for His glory. God honored Barak,
but he has forever remained in Deborah"s shadow. He defeated the Canaanites, but he
failed to defeat their leader.
God uses women in key roles in His work. There are at least22individuals or groups of
women in Judges , , 10 of these have speaking parts. They are Achsah ( Judges 1:11-15);
Deborah (chs4-5); Jael ( Judges 4:17-23; Judges 5:4-27); the mother of Sisera ( Judges
5:28); her "wisest princesses" ( Judges 5:29-30); Gideon"s concubine, the mother of
Abimelech ( Judges 8:31; Judges 9:1-3); "a certain woman" ( Judges 9:53) who kills
Abimelech; Jephthah"s mother ( Judges 11:1); Gilead"s wife ( Judges 11:2-3); Jephthah"s
daughter ( Judges 11:34-40); the companions of Jephthah"s daughter ( Judges 11:37-
38); "the daughters of Israel" ( Judges 11:40); Samson"s mother, the wife of Manoah (
Judges 13:2-25); Samson"s "wife" from Timnah ( Judges 14:1 to Judges 15:8); the
prostitute whom Samson visited in Gaza ( Judges 16:1-3); Delilah ( Judges 16:4-22); the
women of the Philistines ( Judges 16:27); Micah"s mother ( Judges 17:1-6); the Levite"s
concubine ( Judges 19:1-30); the virgin daughter of the Levite"s host at Gibeah ( Judges
19:24); the400 young virgins of Jabesh-gilead ( Judges 21:12); and the young women of
Shiloh ( Judges 21:21). Remember also the women who ministered to Jesus, Priscilla,
Phoebe, and Dorcas, as well as others.
Women could prophesy in the meetings of the early church ( 1 Corinthians 11:5). Just
because He has excluded women from the authoritative leadership of churches as elders
( 1 Timothy 2:12) does not mean they can do nothing. This limitation has led some to
conclude that there are more divine restrictions on the ministry of women in the New
Testament than there were in the Old. However the opposite is true. Women could not
be priests under the Mosaic Covenant, but they are priests under the New Covenant ( 1
Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). God has excluded men from some ministries too, such as
being mothers. This is one of the greatest and most influential ministries any human
being can have. "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." [Note: William Ross
Wallace, John o" London"s Treasure Trove. Cited in The Oxford Dictionary of
Quotations, p557.] Normally God chose to use men as prophets both in Old Testament
times and in the early church. However in both periods He occasionally selected women
for this ministry. If it were not for the ministry of women, God"s work throughout
history would have suffered greatly. Think of Amy Carmichael, Fanny Crosby, Wetherill
Johnson, Elisabeth Elliot, Isobel Kuhn, and countless others, who have advanced and
blessed the church.
This chapter also teaches us that God will use unusual people with unusual equipment
if they desire to do His will (cf. Ehud and Shamgar). Jael used what she had at hand to
serve Him. Through a "Bee" and a "Mountain Goat," two women of faith and courage,
God restored peace to the land of milk and honey. [Note: Stek, pp75 , 78.]

158. 24
And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and
stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until
they destroyed him.
BARNES, "See the margin. The meaning is, that Barak’s great victory was the
beginning of a successful resistance to Jabin, by which the Israelites recovered their
independence, and finally broke the Canaanite power. Accordingly, we hear no more of
Canaanite domination in the Book of Judges.
CLARKE, "The hand of the children of Israel prospered - ‫הלוך‬ ‫ותלך‬ vattelech
haloch, it went, going - they followed up this victory, and the consequence was, they
utterly destroyed Jabin and his kingdom. It will naturally be expected that something
should be said to justify the conduct of Jael: it must be owned that she slew Sisera in
circumstances which caused the whole transaction to appear exceedingly questionable.
They are the following: -
1. There was peace between her family and the king of Canaan.
2. That peace was no doubt made, as all transactions of the kind were, with a sacrifice
and an oath.
3. Sisera, knowing this, came to her tent with the utmost confidence.
4. She met him with the most friendly greetings and assurances of safety.
5. Having asked for water, to show her friendship and respect she gave him cream,
and that in a vessel suitable to his dignity.
6. She put him in the secret part of her own tent, and covered him in such a way as to
evidence her good faith, and to inspire him with the greater confidence.
7. She agreed to keep watch at the door, and deny his being there to any that might
inquire.
8. As she gave him permission to secrete himself with her, and gave him refreshment,
she was bound by the rules of Asiatic hospitality to have defended his life, even at
the risk of her own.
9. Notwithstanding, she took the advantage of his weariness and deep sleep, and took
away his life!
10. She exulted in her deed, met Barak, and showed him in triumph what she had
done.
Now do we not find, in all this, bad faith, deceit, deep hypocrisy, lying, breach of
treaty, contempt of religious rites, breach of the laws of hospitality, deliberate and
unprovoked murder? But what can be said in her justification? All that can be said, and

159. all that has been said is simply this: “She might have been sincere at first, but was
afterwards Divinely directed to do what she did.” If this was so, she is sufficiently
vindicated by the fact; for God has a right to dispose of the lives of his creatures as he
pleases: and probably the cup of Sisera’s iniquity was full, and his life already forfeited to
the justice of God. But does it appear that she received any such direction from God?
There is no sufficient evidence of it: it is true that Deborah, a prophetess, declares her
blessed above women; and this seems to intimate that her conduct was pleasing to God.
If Deborah was inspired on this occasion, her words are a presumptive proof that the act
was right; unless we are to understand it as a simple declaration of the reputation she
should be held in among her own sex. But we do not find one word from Jael herself,
stating how she was led to do an act repugnant to her feelings as a woman, contrary to
good faith, and a breach of the rules of hospitality. Nor does the sacred penman say one
word to explain the case; as in the case of Ehud, he states the fact, and leaves his readers
to form their own opinion. To say, as has been said in the case of Eglon, that “Sisera was
a public enemy, and any of the people whom he oppressed might be justified in taking
away his life,” is a very dangerous position, as it refers one of the most solemn acts of
judgment and justice to the caprice, or prejudice, or enthusiastic feeling of every
individual who may persuade himself that he is not only concerned in the business, but
authorized by God to take vengeance by his own hand. While justice and law are in the
world, God never will, as he never did, abandon cases of this kind to the caprice,
prejudice, or party feeling, of any man. The conduct of Ehud and Jael are before the
tribunal of God: I will not justify, I dare not absolutely condemn; there I leave them, and
entreat my readers to do the like; after referring them to the observations at the end of
the preceding chapter, where the subject is considered more at large.
GILL, "And the hand of the children of Israel, prospered and prevailed
against Jabin, the king of Canaan,.... They continued their wars with him, in which
they were successful:
until they had destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan; took him, and put him to death,
and took his cities, and destroyed the inhabitants of them, and so acted more agreeably
to the declared will of God, that they should not spare the Canaanites, but destroy them.
WHEDON, "24. Prospered… prevailed… destroyed — Compare marginal reading. “The
meaning is, that Barak’s great victory was the beginning of a successful resistance to
Jabin, by which the Israelites recovered their independence, and finally broke the
Canaanite power. Accordingly we hear no more of Canaanite dominion in the Book of
Judges.” — Hervey.
The morality of Jael’s deed has been, of course, the subject of many a dissertation. The
enemies of the Bible would fain use it to throw reproach on the sacred history; and as
both Jael and her deed are evidently praised by an inspired poetess, in Judges 5:24-27,
the friends of truth have sought in various ways to show how such praise might be
compatible with the apparent wickedness of Jael’s act. It is claimed that her deed
violated all the proper usages of war. A fugitive chieftain, an ally of her husband,
defeated and almost exhausted, sought protection in her tent, and received from her
more than the common tokens of security. But, in violation of the sacred rites of
hospitality, she murdered in his sleep her confiding and unprotected guest. This surely
makes up a dark picture; but it is one sided, and overdrawn by magnifying certain points

160. at the expense of others which are equally prominent in the sacred history. The whole
subject may be relieved of difficulty by attention to the following considerations.
1. Though Heber was at peace with Jabin, and neutral in this war, there were
circumstances in view of which Jael might not have felt herself bound to observe at this
time the treaty of her husband. She was, perhaps, an Israelitess; but if not, her
husband’s family were historically identified with the interests of Israel. She had before
her eyes abundant evidence that Jabin’s power was utterly broken and annihilated in all
that region where Heber had his home. She could not but feel, therefore, that her
husband’s alliance with Jabin was no longer binding. “Israel’s freedom is her freedom;
Israel’s glory her glory. Shall she be idle when the tyrant gives himself up into her
hands? What if she saves him? Will it not be treason on her part against the ancient
covenant with Israel? The conflict in which she finds herself is great, and none but a
great and powerful soul could end it as she does. She scorns the reward which Sisera’s
safety might, perhaps, have brought her. She takes the nobler object into consideration
— the freedom of a kindred nation — and the older right preponderates. A ruthless
warrior is before her, the violator of a thousand laws of right, and all hesitation
vanishes.” — Cassel.
2. The prophecy of Deborah, that Sisera was to fall by a woman’s hand, (Judges 4:9,) was
probably known to Jael. She had not been personally designated as that woman, but
when she saw Sisera flying on foot and alone, and coming towards her tent, the thought
might naturally have flashed upon her mind that she herself was the divinely appointed
instrument.
3. In Judges 4:19 we are expressly told that Jael went out to meet Sisera, and urged him
to come in. Now suppose that upon his approach she had not gone forth to meet him,
but, like the woman of Thebez who killed Abimelech, (Judges 9:53,) had broken his skull
with a stone, or even had suddenly rushed forth and thrust a dagger to his heart, who
would have charged her with gross wickedness? But if it was her purpose, from the
moment she first saw him running towards her, to destroy him, then where appears so
much guilt and wickedness as is pretended, merely in the means she used? She probably
knew no other way to ensure his destruction by her own hand. Her tent afforded no
height from which to crush him with a stone, and to rush forth and attack him in single
combat would have been to expose herself to needless danger, if not to certain death. She
therefore strategically drew him as into a snare and killed him. Once grant that his
destruction was her settled purpose from the beginning, based on her knowledge of
Deborah’s prophecy, and the measures she used were but the stratagems of battle. Her
deed receives all its glory and significance from the war, with which it is ever to be
associated; and what are artifice and stratagem but legitimate parts of war? Who blames
the artifice by which Ai was taken when once he sees that its destruction was the will of
God? The ability of the greatest generals is often seen more in their skill to deceive and
entrap the foe than in their prowess in battle; and, in Judges 4:20, Sisera orders her to
lie, and thus deceive his pursuers.
4. As for Deborah’s praise of Jael’s deed, a clew is furnished in the closing verse of her
song, (Judges 5:31,) “So perish all thy enemies, Jehovah.” It is to be explained, like the
vindictive Psalms, from the standpoint of the Divine administration. “It is not the
poetess, who utters a private wish of her own,” says Bachmann, “but the prophetess,
who utters a truth deeply grounded in the very essence of God — a weighty law of divine
righteousness for all after ages to observe. Sisera’s fall is regarded by her as a righteous

161. judgment of Heaven upon one who was a foe to the name and kingdom of God.” The
same Spirit that could justly curse Meroz for neglect to intercept the flying the (Judges
5:23) might well bless Jael’s deed, but might as justly have cursed her had she been
guilty of similar neglect. And so the whole song of Deborah breathes the noblest
theocratic spirit of her age and people.
There is no need, therefore, of supposing that Deborah speaks only as the poetess, or the
patriotic woman in sympathy with the fortunes of Israel; and we reject the notion of
Farrar, (in Smith’s Bible Dictionary,) and all similar views, that an inspired prophetess
uttered this blessing “in the passionate moment of patriotic triumph,” without pausing
“to scrutinize the moral bearings of an act which had been so splendid a benefit to
herself and her people.”
PETT, "Verse 24
‘And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin, the king
of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, the king of Canaan.’
Having commenced successfully Barak did not let up. Gradually with his men he broke
Jabin’s power base and eventually destroyed the king himself. Hazor and its
confederates would no longer be a threat to them. Thus there was peace in that area for a
generation while Israel re-established themselves, and they would be able to move
around reasonably freely and settle in the plain of Esdraelon (Hebrew - Jezreel - Judges
5:31). But there is no mention of driving out the Canaanites. Obedience was only partial
and they would still be a thorn in the side of Israel.
HAWKER, "Judges 4:24
REFLECTIONS
READER! I would call upon you while I desire grace to call up at the same time all the
finer affections of my own heart, in the perusal of this chapter, to contemplate with fresh
satisfaction, the renewed love and attention of the Lord to his people. Again, the Holy
Ghost records, Israel did evil. And again, the Lord visits their offences with the rod, and
their sins with a scourge. But oh! my soul do not forget, though it be the rod, it is the rod
of the covenant. It is the rod of chastisement, the correction of a father, not the scourge
of an enemy. For though the Lord raiseth up enemies to correct his children, those
enemies are but his instruments, and can act no further than he commissions them. Oh!
for grace to remember this, in all the gentle chastisements of his love. Dearest Lord! do
thou, wherever needful, hedge up my way with thorns, that I may not find my path,
when my way is perverse before thee. Bring me into the wilderness, and plead with me
face to face, until that thou hast purged out the rebels, and the lusts of transgression;
and until, by the sweet influences of thy Almighty grace, thou hast wrought a change in
my soul, that I may say, I will go, and return to my first husband, for then was it better
with me than now.
Blessed Lord! teach me, in the view of the humble instruments thou wert pleased to
make use of for the deliverance of thy people, never to despise the day of small things,
but to learn the full assurance of that precious doctrine, that it is not by might, nor by
power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Oh! for grace to be forever leaning upon thy
strength, thou dear Redeemer, and to know, that thy strength is perfected in weakness.

162. Ever, dearest Lord, be thou my strength, my hope, and song of rejoicing. I shall be more
than conqueror through thine arm helping me.