Judges 4 Study Notes

4:11 What seems at first sight to be an irrelevant note introduces the key character in what follows. Heber the Kenite was descended from Moses’s father-in-law, who were mentioned in 1:16 as settling among the people. In keeping with the prominent role of women in this chapter, the key character is not Heber, whom we never meet, but his wife Jael, who has not yet been mentioned.

4:12-16 Sisera responded to Barak’s movements by summoning his entire force of nine hundred iron chariots to the Wadi Kishon, the exact place where the Lord had earlier promised to lure him. This was the signal for Israel to prepare for action, a call that significantly came from Deborah rather than Barak. Barak responded to the Lord’s call and found that the Lord had gone in front of him, just as he had done with the Egyptian forces at the time of the exodus (Ex 14:24). All that was left for Barak to do was the mopping-up operation.

4:17-21 Sisera himself fled on foot. Since Heber had allied himself to Jabin, his camp should have been a place of safety for Sisera. However, he had reckoned without Jael, Heber’s wife. Her approach seemed innocent enough. She went out to greet Sisera, welcomed him in with words of peace and safety, and brought him milk, like a mother caring for a small child (vv. 19-20). But once Sisera fell asleep, Jael drove a tent peg through his temple . . . into the ground, just as Ehud had driven his dagger into Eglon’s belly (3:21).

4:22-24 When Barak finally arrived, Sisera was already dead. Jael’s own rationale for her actions is not clear. Jael’s murder of Sisera was in violation of her husband’s treaty with Jabin, as well as normal standards of ancient Near Eastern hospitality. She was not a member of the Israelite community. Perhaps the only explanation for her actions was the Lord’s sovereign will to hand Sisera over to a woman.