Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Judges 4

75 Free Online Commentaries

Introduction

1  Deborah and Barak deliver them from Jabin and Sisera.
17  Jael kills Sisera.
Verse 1

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
A. M. 2699. B.C. 1305. An. Ex. Is. 186. did evil
2:11,19,20, 3:7,12, 6:1, 10:6, Leviticus 26:23-25, Nehemiah 9:23-30, Psalms 106:43-45, Jeremiah 5:3
Verse 2

And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
sold
2:14,15, 10:7, Isaiah 50:1, Matthew 18:25; "It seems to concern only north Israel."
Hazor
Joshua 11:1,10,11, 19:36
Sisera
1 Samuel 12:9, Psalms 83:9
Harosheth
13,16
Verse 3

And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
cried
3:9,15, 10:16, 1 Samuel 7:8, Psalms 50:15, 78:34, Jeremiah 2:27,28
chariots
1:19, Joshua 17:16
mightily
5:8, Deuteronomy 28:29,33,47,48, Psalms 106:42
Verse 4

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
A. M. 2719. B.C. 1285. An. Ex. Is. 206
Exodus 15:20, 2 Kings 22:14, Nehemiah 6:14, Joel 2:28,29, Micah 6:4, Luke 2:36, Acts 21:9, 1 Corinthians 11:5, Galatians 3:28
Verse 5

And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
the palm
Genesis 35:8
between
Joshua 16:2, 18:22,25, 1 Samuel 1:1,19, 6:16,17, 25:1, Jeremiah 31:15
came up
Exodus 18:13,16,19,26, Deuteronomy 17:8-12, 2 Samuel 15:2-6
Verse 6

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
Barak
5:1, Hebrews 11:32
Kedesh-naphtali
Joshua 19:32,37, 21:32
Hath
Joshua 1:9, Psalms 7:6, Isaiah 13:2-5, Acts 13:47
Tabor
8:18, 1 Samuel 10:3, Psalms 89:12, Jeremiah 46:18, Hosea 5:1
ten thousand
10, 5:14-18
Verse 7

And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
And I
Exodus 14:4, Joshua 11:20, Ezekiel 38:10-16, Joel 3:11-14
Kishon
5:21, 1 Kings 18:40, Psalms 83:9,10
deliver
14, Exodus 21:13, Joshua 8:7, 10:8, 11:6, 1 Samuel 24:10,18
Verse 8

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Exodus 4:10-14, Matthew 14:30,31
Verse 9

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
notwithstanding
1 Samuel 2:30, 2 Chronicles 26:18
sell Sisera
2:14
into
17-22, 5:24-27, 9:54, 2 Samuel 20:21,22
Verse 10

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
Zebulun
6, 5:18
at his
5:15, Exodus 11:8, 1 Samuel 25:27, 1 Kings 20:11; *marg:
Verse 11

Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
Heber
1:16, Numbers 10:29, 24:21
Hobab
Exodus 2:18, 3:1, 18:1
Zaanaim
Joshua 19:33,37
Zaanannim
Kedesh.
6, Joshua 19:37
Verse 12

And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
mount Tabor
6, Joshua 19:12,34, Psalms 89:12, Jeremiah 46:18
Verse 13

And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
gathered
Heb. gathered by cry, or proclamation. nine.
2,3,7
chariots of iron
Probably chariots armed with iron scythes, projecting from the axle on each side, by which the infantry might be easily cut down or thrown into confusion. The ancient Britons are said to have had such chariots.
Verse 14

And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
Up
19:28, Genesis 19:14, 44:4, Joshua 7:13, 1 Samuel 9:26
for this
This is exactly the purpose for which the Septuagint states, ver. 8, that Barak wished Deborah to accompany him: "Because I know not the day in which God will send his angel to give me prosperity."
is not
Deuteronomy 9:3, 2 Samuel 5:24, Psalms 68:7,8, Isaiah 52:12, Micah 2:13
mount
Mount Tabor, called by the Arabs Djebel Tour, is almost entirely insulated, and rises up in the plain of Esdraelon, about six miles from Nazareth, in a conical form, somewhat like a sugar-loaf. Josephus states its height to be thirty stadia, with a plain of 26 stadia in circumference on its top, on which was formerly a city, which was used as a military post. It is described as an exceedingly beautiful mountain, having a rich soil, producing excellent herbage, and adorned with groves and clumps of trees.
Verse 15

And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
5:20,21, Joshua 10:10, 2 Kings 7:6, 2 Chronicles 13:15-17, Psalms 83:9,10, Hebrews 11:32
Verse 16

But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
pursued
Leviticus 26:7,8, Joshua 10:19,20, 11:8, Psalms 104:35, Romans 2:12, James 2:13
there
Isaiah 43:17
a man left
Heb. unto one.
Verse 17

Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet 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.
fled
Job 12:19-21, 18:7-12, 40:11,12, Psalms 37:35,36, 107:40, Proverbs 29:23, Amos 5:19,20
Jael
5:6,24
peace
Psalms 69:22, Isaiah 57:21
Verse 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.
Jael
2 Kings 6:19
mantle
or, rug, or blanket.
Verse 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.
Give me
5:25,26, Genesis 24:43, 1 Kings 17:10, Isaiah 41:17, John 4:7
Verse 20

Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
Is there
Joshua 2:3-5, 2 Samuel 17:20
Verse 21

Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an 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.
took
3:21,31, 5:26, 15:15, 1 Samuel 17:43,49,50, 1 Corinthians 1:19,27
a nail
One of the spikes of the tent. See Note on Ex 35:18.
and took
Heb. and put. smote.
Psalms 3:7
he died
5:27
Verse 22

And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
and I will
2 Samuel 17:3,10-15
Verse 23

So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
1 Chronicles 22:18, Nehemiah 9:24, Psalms 18:39,47, 47:3, 81:14, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Hebrews 11:33
Verse 24

And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
prospered, etc
Heb. going, went and was hard against.
1 Samuel 3:12

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