1 AND the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.
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.
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.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, 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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

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

1And the children of Israel againe did euil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

2And the Lord sold them into the hande of Iabin king of Canaan: that reigned in Hazor, the captaine of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3And the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord: for he had nine hundred charets of yron: and twentie yeres hee mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah a prophetesse, the wife of Lapidoth, shee iudged Israel at that time.

5And shee dwelt vnder the palme tree of Deborah, betweene Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came vp to her for iudgement.

6And shee sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-Naphtali, and said vnto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commaunded, saying, Goe, and drawe toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun?

7And I wil draw vnto thee to the riuer Kishon, Sisera the captaine of Iabins army, with his charets, and his multitude, and I will deliuer him into thine hand.

8And Barak said vnto her, If thou wilt goe with me, then I wil goe: but if thou wilt not goe with mee, then I will not goe.

9And she said, I wil surely go with thee, notwithstanding the iourney that thou takest, shal not be for thine honor: for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, & went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak called Zebulun, and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went vp with ten thousand men at his feete: and Deborah went vp with him.

11Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had seuered himselfe from the Kenites, and pitched his tent vnto the plaine of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

12And they shewed Sisera, that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to mount Tabor.

13And Sisera gathered together all his charets, euen nine hundred charets of iron, and al the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, vnto the riuer of Kishon.

14And Deborah said vnto Barak, Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath deliuered Sisera into thine hand: Is not the Lord gone out before thee? so Barak went downe from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his charets, and all his hoste with the edge of the sword, before Barak: so that Sisera lighted downe off his charet, and fled away on his feet.

16But Barak pursued after the charets, and after the hoste vnto Harosheth of the Gentiles, and all the host of Sisera fell vpon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

17Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet, to the tent of Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace betweene Iabin the king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 And Iael went out to meete Sisera, and said vnto him, Turne in, my lord, turne in to me, feare not. And when hee had turned in vnto her, into the tent, shee couered him with a mantle.

19And he said vnto her, Giue me, I pray thee, a litle water to drinke, for I am thirstie. And she opened a bottle of milke, and gaue him drinke, and couered him.

20Againe he said vnto her, Stand in the doore of the tent, and it shall bee when any man doeth come and enquire of thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21Then Iael Hebers wife, tooke a naile of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her hand, and went softly vnto him, and smote the naile into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: (for he was fast asleepe, and weary;) so he died.

22And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Iael came out to meet him, and said vnto 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 naile was in his temples.

23So God subdued on that day, Iabin the king of Canaan, before the children of Israel.

24And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, & preuailed against Iabin the king of Canaan, vntill they had destroyed Iabin king of Canaan.

I == Judg 2:19

 

II == Josh 11:1 , 10 ; 19:36 ; Judg 2:14 ; 1st Sam 12:9 ; Ps 83:9

 

III == Judg 1:19 ; 5:8 ; Ps 106:42

 

 

 

V == Gen 35:8

 

 

VI == Josh 19:37 ; Heb 11:32

 

 

 

 

VII == Ex 14:4 ; Judg 5:21 ; 1st Kings 18:40 ; Ps 83:9-10

 

 

 

IX == Judg 2:14

 

 

 

X == Ex 11:8 ; Judg 5:18 ; 1st Kings 20:10

 

XI == Num 10:29 ; Judg 1:16 ; 4:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Deut 9:3 ; 2nd Sam 5:24 ; Ps 68:7 ; Isa 52:12

 

 

XV == Josh 10:10 ; Ps 83:9-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Judg 5:25

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Judg 5:26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == Ps 18:47

 

1 After Ehud's death, however, the Israelites again offended the LORD.

2 So the LORD allowed them to fall into the power of the Canaanite king, Jabin, who reigned in Hazor. The general of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-ha-goiim.

3 But the Israelites cried out to the LORD; for with his nine hundred iron chariots he sorely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

4 At this time the prophetess Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.

5 She used to sit under Deborah's palm tree, situated between Ramah and Bethel in the mountain region of Ephraim, and there the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

6 She sent and summoned Barak, son of Abinoam, from Kedesh of Naphtali. "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, commands," she said to him; "go, march on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand Naphtalites and Zebulunites.

7 I will lead Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, out to you at the Wadi Kishon, together with his chariots and troops, and will deliver them into your power."

8 But Barak answered her, "If you come with me, I will go; if you do not come with me, I will not go."

9 "I will certainly go with you," she replied, "but you shall not gain the glory in the expedition on which you are setting out, for the LORD will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman." So Deborah joined Barak and journeyed with him to Kedesh.

10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men followed him. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now the Kenite Heber had detached himself from his own people, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent by the tere-binth of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

12 It was reported to Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.

13 So Sisera assembled from Harosheth-ha-goiim at the Wadi Kishon all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all his forces.

14 Deborah then said to Barak, "Be off, for this is the day on which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your power. The LORD marches before you." So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by his ten thousand men.

15 And the LORD put Sisera and all his chariots and all his forces to rout before Barak. Sisera himself dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot.

16 Barak, however, pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-ha-goiim. The entire army of Sisera fell beneath the sword, not even one man surviving.

17 Sisera, in the meantime, had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of the Kenite Heber, since Jabin, king of Hazor, and the family of the Kenite Heber were at peace with one another.

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come in, my lord, come in with me; do not be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a rug.

19 He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink. I am thirsty." But she opened a jug of milk for him to drink, and then covered him over.

20 "Stand at the entrance of the tent," he said to her. "If anyone comes and asks, 'Is there someone here?' say, 'No!'"

21 Instead Jael, wife of Heber, got a tent peg and took a mallet in her hand. While Sisera was sound asleep, she stealthily approached him and drove the peg through his temple down into the ground, so that he perished in death.

22 Then when Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man you seek." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg through his temple.

23 Thus on that day God humbled the Canaanite king, Jabin, before the Israelites;

24 their power weighed ever heavier upon him, till at length they destroyed the Canaanite king, Jabin.

v 1-3. The lapse of Israel after Ehud died brought on the third major apostasy under Jabin, king of Canaan, and his head captain, Sisera. Israel was helplessly under his control for 20 years, because he had 900 chariots of Iron, possibly with blades extending from the wheels. This practice is not known for sure until the time of the Romans. He reigned from Hazor, which is a little west of Lake Merom, toward the northern part of Israel. Sisera’s army was much farther southwest toward the Mediterranean at Harosheth, near the Kishon River. 

v 4-9. The fourth and fifth deliverers were Deborah and Barak. She was the spiritual one, and he, the military leader, was fearful and only agreed to go when she consented to go along. He was to take 10,000 men of Zebulun and Naphtali to Mt. Tabor. She promised that the Lord would bring Jabin’s vast army in for defeat, but the honor Barak could have had would go to the woman who would overcome Sisera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 10,11. Here is the identification of the location and family of the woman. From Num. 10:29, Hobab was definitely Moses’ brother-in-law. Raguel (Jethro) would obviously have died by now, and Hobab took over as family head, “father-in-law”.

 

v 12-17. When Sisera learned Barak was with an army on Mount Tabor, he assembled his 900 chariots and his vast army along the Kishon River. This area figures in later battles, finally the battle Armaggedon. Here we are told that every man in Sisera’s army was killed but In the Jud. 5:21,22 we learn why. God sent heavy cloudbursts which made the Kishon flood the plain. His horses and chariots became mired in the mud and he fled on foot to the tent of Jael, because there was peace between her household and King Jabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 18-21. He asked for a drink of water, but she gave him milk, or goat cheese curds which probably made the exhausted man sleepier. Pitching tents was women’s work, so she had no problem driving the pin through his temples and into the ground. According to 5:26, she knocked him out with a hammer before driving the tent peg, then she cut off his head.  Under Oriental custom he would expect protection once he came under her roof, so some criticize Jael for deception and treachery. She did the right thing and Sisera was the deceptive one, asking her to lie for him. Also, Jael’s husband could have killed him under suspicion for entering her tent when he was gone.

 

 

v 22-24. Barak was in pursuit, but when he got to the tent, Sisera was already dead and the honor had gone to a woman, as prophesied. After Sisera’s army was totally defeated, Israel proceeded to destroy Jabin, the Canaanite king and his control