Judges 4:8-18

8 Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."
9 She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless *, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, 1for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 Barak called 2Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up 3with him; Deborah also went up with him.
11 Now Heber 4the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in 5Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 Sisera called together all his chariots, 6nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from 7Harosheth-hagoyim * to the river Kishon.
14 Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands; behold, 8the LORD has gone out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
15 9The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim *, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; 10not even one was left.
17 Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
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.

Judges 4:8-18 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.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Judges 4:21
  • 2. Judges 5:18
  • 3. Judges 4:14; Judges 5:15
  • 4. Judges 1:16
  • 5. Joshua 19:33
  • 6. Judges 4:3
  • 7. Judges 4:2
  • 8. Deuteronomy 9:3; 2 Samuel 5:24; Psalms 68:7
  • 9. Deuteronomy 7:23; Joshua 10:10
  • 10. Exodus 14:28; Psalms 83:9

Footnotes 5

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