JUDGES - CHAPTER 4
VERSES 1-2
v1 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did not obey God. v2 The Lord allowed Jabin to conquer them. Jabin was the king of Hazor in Canaan. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-Haggoyim, led the king’s army. v3 He had 900 iron chariots. And he made life very hard for the Israelites for 20 years. Then they cried to the Lord for help.
COMMENTARY
These stories are about the northern tribes. The people in Canaan may have attacked 6 northern tribes. The enemy is Jabin the king of Hazor. He does not do anything in the story, but he is still important. About 40,000 people lived in Hazoor. People thought that they had destroyed Hazor. But now they knew its power once more.
Sisera had 900 iron chariots. These were the newest military weapons. God’s people wanted that country called Canaan. However, they opposed the way in which its people lived. God would give Canaan to Israel’s people. But Israel’s people had to force the people in Canaan to leave. Israel’s people also had to oppose the evil customs of the people in Canaan. Canaan was a pleasant country, but the moral values of its people were not good. Israel’s people did not learn this until the people in Canaan ruled over them.
VERSES 4-10
v4 Deborah the female prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was Israel’s judge at that time. v5 She made judgments about legal matters. She did this under the Palm Tree of Deborah. (A palm tree is a tree with no branches. It has large leaves at the top.) That tree was between Ramah and Bethel. It was in the hilly country where Ephraim’s tribe lived. The Israelites asked Deborah to decide about their arguments. v6 She sent someone to fetch Abinoam’s son Barak from Kedesh. This was in the area where Naphtali’s tribe lived. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel’s people, commands you’, she said. ‘ “Take 10,000 men from Naphtali’s tribe and from Zebulun’s tribe. And go to Mount Tabor. v7 Sisera is the leader of Jabin’s army. I will make him go to the Kishon river. He will go with his chariots and his army. I will give you success.” ’ v8 Barak said, ‘I will go if you will go with me. If you do not go with me, I will not go.’ v9 ‘All right’, Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. You will not get any praise for this. Instead, God will allow a woman to kill Sisera.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kadesh. v10 Barak called the people from Zebulun’s tribe and Naphtali’s tribe. 10,000 men followed him and Deborah also went with him.
COMMENTARY
Deborah was not an important judge because not all the tribes followed her. She is the only female judge in the Bible.
Deborah was not the only ruler at the time. Barak ruled along with her. She told Barak to get his army together at Mount Tabor. There, God would give Sisera and his army to Barak.
Barak did what Deborah told him to do. He said that he would go. But he would only go if Deborah went with him. Barak refused to do anything without Deborah the female judge.
VERSES 11-16
v11 Heber the Kenite had gone away from the Kenites to live somewhere else. The Kenites were the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ wife’s father. Heber had erected his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim. This was near Kedesh.
v12 Sisera heard that Abinoam’s son, Barak had gone to Mount Tabor. v13 Then he prepared his entire army. This included 900 iron chariots. And it included all his men from Harosheth-Haggoyim to the Kishon river. v14 Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go. Today God will give Sisera into your hands. God has gone ahead of you.’ So Barak led his 10,000 men down Mount Tabor. v15 With their swords, the Lord completely defeated Sisera and all his chariots and his army. Sisera got down from his chariot and he ran away on foot. v16 Barak chased the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Haggoyim. Israel’s army killed all the armies of Sisera. Nobody remained alive.
COMMENTARY
10,000 men was a small army compared with Sisera’s very large one. But the Lord completely defeated Sisera’s army. They controlled the valleys. There they could move their chariots with care and skill. However, the heavy rain caused the Kishon River to flood. This surprised them. Their chariots could not move in the mud. The Israelites easily defeated them.
VERSES 17-24
v17 Sisera ran away to Jael’s tent. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Hazor’s king Jabin was at peace with Heber’s tribe. v18 Jael came out to meet Sisera. And she spoke to him. ‘Come in here, sir. Do not be afraid.’ He came in and she covered him with a thick blanket. v19 ‘Please give me some water’, he said. ‘I need to drink.’ She gave him some milk and she covered him up again. v20 ‘Stand in the doorway of the tent’, he said. ‘If someone asks you “Is anyone here?” say, “No”.’ v21 Then Jael took a hammer and a tent peg. She quietly went to him while he was sleeping. He was very tired. She hammered the tent peg through his head and he died. v22 Barak looked for Sisera and Jael met him. ‘Come’, she said. ‘I will show you the man that you want.’ So he went in with her. There lay Sisera. He was dead, with the tent peg through his skull. v23 That day God defeated Jabin the king of Canaan, in front of the Israelites. v24 They became stronger and stronger against Jabin until they completely destroyed him.
COMMENTARY
Sisera ran away. He accepted Jael’s invitation to hide in her tent. He thought that he was safe. However, after he had drunk some milk, he fell asleep. Then Jael killed him by using a hammer to nail a tent peg through his skull.
When Barak arrived, his enemy was dead. Deborah's prophecy had come true. Barak did not get any praise for the death of Sisera. Instead, God allowed a woman to kill Sisera, but it was not Deborah.
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