Judges 5:24-27

5:24 The most rewarded ¹  of women should be Jael,

the wife of Heber the Kenite!

She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.

5:25 He asked for water,

and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for a king, ² 

she served him curds.

5:26 Her left ³  hand reached for the tent peg,

her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.

She “hammered” ⁴  Sisera,

she shattered his skull, ⁵ 

she smashed his head, ⁶ 

she drove the tent peg through his temple. ⁷ 

5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,

he fell limp ⁸  and was lifeless; ⁹ 

between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,

in the spot where he collapsed,

there he fell limp – violently murdered! ¹⁰ 

[5:24]  ¹ tn Or “blessed.”

[5:25]  ² tn Or “for mighty ones.”

[5:26]  ³ tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.

[5:26]  ⁴ tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.

[5:26]  ⁵ tn Or “head.”

[5:26]  ⁶ tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:26]  ⁷ tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”

[5:27]  ⁸ tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.

[5:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he lay.

[5:27]  ¹⁰ tn Or “dead, murdered.”