Judges 4:20

20 He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, '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 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

19 He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.

20 He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.' "

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.