Text -- Judges 4:11-24 (NET)

4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. 4:12 When Sisera heard that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 4:13 he ordered all his chariotry– nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels– and all the troops he had with him to go from Harosheth-Haggoyim to the River Kishon. 4:14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action, for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you! Has the Lord not taken the lead?” Barak quickly went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 4:15 The Lord routed Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran away on foot. 4:16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died by the edge of the sword; not even one survived! 4:17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty. 4:18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 4:19 He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. 4:20 He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’” 4:21 Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion, and he died. 4:22 Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent, and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead with the tent peg in his temple. 4:23 That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. 4:24 Israel’s power continued to overwhelm King Jabin of Canaan until they did away with him.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Jdg 4:11

¹ tn Or “separated.”

² tn Heb “pitched his tent.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:12

¹ tn Heb “and they told Sisera.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:13

¹ tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Or “summoned.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:14

¹ tn Heb “Arise!”

² tn The verb form (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”

³ tn Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:15

¹ tn Or “caused to panic.”

² tn The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “before Barak.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³ tn Heb “got down from.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:16

¹ tn Heb “fell.”

² tn Heb “was left.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:17

¹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

² tn Heb “for there was peace between.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:18

¹ tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Jdg 4:21

¹ tn Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”

² tn Heb “and it went into the ground.”

³ tn Heb “and exhausted.” Another option is to understand this as a reference to the result of the fatal blow. In this case, the phrase could be translated, “and he breathed his last.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:22

¹ tn Heb “he went to her.”

² tn Heb “fallen, dead.”

NET Notes: Jdg 4:24

¹ tn Heb “The hand of the Israelites became more and more severe against.”

² tn Heb “cut off.”

³ tn Heb “Jabin king of Canaan.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.