Judges 4:1-8

Deborah

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, now that Ehud was dead.

2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim.

3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading^[a] Israel at that time.

5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.

6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.

7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ”

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.”

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Judges 4:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 4

This chapter shows how that Israel sinning was delivered into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, by whom they were oppressed twenty years, Jud 4:1-3; and that Deborah and Barak consulted together about their deliverance, Jud 4:4-9; and that Barak, encouraged by Deborah, gathered some forces and fought Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, whom he met, and obtained a victory over, Jud 4:10-15; who fleeing on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, was received into it, and slain by her while asleep in it, Jud 4:16-22; which issued in a complete deliverance of the children of Israel, Jud 4:23,24.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 21

1. S Judges 3:15
2. S Judges 2:19
3. S Judges 2:11
4. S Deuteronomy 32:30
5. S Joshua 11:1
6. ver 13,16; 1 Samuel 12:9; Psalms 83:9
7. S Joshua 17:16; Judges 1:19
8. Judges 10:12; Psalms 106:42
9. Jdg 5:1,7,12,15
10. S Exodus 15:20
11. 1 Samuel 14:2; 1 Samuel 22:6
12. S Joshua 18:25
13. S Joshua 12:9; Genesis 35:8
14. Jdg 5:1,12,15; 1 Samuel 12:11; Hebrews 11:32
15. S Joshua 12:22
16. S Genesis 30:8
17. Judges 5:18; Judges 6:35
18. S Joshua 19:22
19. S Joshua 11:1
20. ver 13; Judges 5:21; 1 Kings 18:40; Psalms 83:9
21. S Judges 1:2

Footnotes 1

[a]. Traditionally "judging"