Judges 4:19

19 And Sisara said to 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 to drink, and covered him.

Judges 4:19 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 4:19

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, ( Jeremiah 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, ( 2 Kings 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 ^F14 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 ( Judges 5:25 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 5. sect. 1.)

Judges 4:19 In-Context

17 And Sisara fled on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Chaber the Kenite his friend: for there was peace between Jabin king of Asor and the house of Chaber the Kenite.

18 And Jael went, out to meet Sisara, and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me, fear not: and he turned aside to her into the tent; and she covered him with a mantle.

19 And Sisara said to 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 to drink, and covered him.

20 And Sisara said to her, Stand now by the door of the tent, and it shall come to pass if any man come to thee, and ask of thee, and say, Is there man here? then thou shalt say, There is not.

21 And Jael the wife of Chaber took a pin of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him, and fastened the pin in his temple, and it went through to the earth, and he fainted away, and darkness fell upon him and he died.