Judges 4:20

20 He said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone comes and asks if there has been a man around here, tell them no."

Judges 4:20 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 4:20

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:

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.

Judges 4:20 In-Context

18 When Jael came out [of her tent], she met Sisera. She told him, "Sir, come in here! Come into my tent. Don't be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she hid him under a tent curtain.

19 Sisera said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink. I'm thirsty." But instead she gave him milk to drink and covered him up again.

20 He said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone comes and asks if there has been a man around here, tell them no."

21 When Sisera had fallen sound asleep from exhaustion, Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and walked quietly toward him with a hammer in her hand. She hammered the tent peg through his temples into the ground. So Sisera died.

22 Barak was still pursuing Sisera. When Jael came out [of her tent], she met him. She said to him, "Come in! I have something to show you--the man you've been looking for." So Barak went into her tent. He saw Sisera lying there dead with the tent peg through his temples.