Judges 4:20

20 Again he said unto her, "Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say, `Is there any man here?' that thou shalt 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 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me. Fear not." And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto 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 drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, "Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say, `Is there any man here?' that thou shalt say, `No.'"

21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said unto him, "Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.