Judges 4:7

7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by 1the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, 2and I will give him into your hand'?"

Judges 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 4:7

And I will draw unto thee
Which are the words of the Lord by Deborah, as are the preceding, signifying, that by the secret and powerful influence of his providence he would so order things, and the circumstances of them; and so powerfully operate on the mind and heart of the Canaanitish general as to engage him to come

to the river Kishon, Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, with his
chariots, and his multitude;
called the ancient river, the river Kishon, ( Judges 5:21 ) . According to Mr. Maundrell F3, the fountain of it was near the valley, at the bottom of Mount Tabor, where Barak was to have his army in readiness to attack Sisera; and which river, according to the same traveller F4 cuts his way down the middle of the plain of and then continuing his course close by the side of Mount Carmel, falls into the sea at a place called with which agrees the account of Mr. Sandys F5, says it flows from the mountains of Tabor and Hermon, and, gliding by the north skirts of Carmel, discharges itself into the sea. This river is supposed to be the Chorsaeus of Ptolemy F6: hither the Lord in his providence would incline the mind of Sisera to come with his large army and chariots, and give Barak an opportunity to fall upon him:

and I will deliver him into thine hand;
not his person only, but his numerous hosts, and his nine hundred chariots.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Journey from Aleppo p. 115.
F4 Ib. p. 57.
F5 Travels, l. 3. p. 158. Ed. 5.
F6 Geograph. l. 5. c. 15.

Judges 4:7 In-Context

5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, "Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, 'Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.
7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand'?"
8 Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go."
9 And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Cross References 2

  • 1. ver. 13; Judges 5:21; 1 Kings 18:40; Psalms 83:9
  • 2. See Judges 3:28
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.