1Die Söhne Jissraels taten weiter das in SEINEN Augen Böse, als Ehud gestorben war. 2ER lieferte sie in die Hand Jabins Königs in Kanaan, der zu Chazor König war, sein Heerfürst war Ssissra, der hatte Sitz im Charoschet des Stämmegemischs. 3Die Söhne Jissraels schrien zu IHM, denn er hatte neunhundert eiserne Fahrzeuge, und er bedrückte die Söhne Jissraels stark, zwanzig Jahre. 4Dbora, ein kündendes Weib, das Weib des Lapidot, sie richtete Jissrael zu jener Frist. 5Sie hatte Sitz unter der Dborapalme, zwischen Rama und Bet-El, im Gebirge Efrajim, und die Söhne Jissraels zogen zu ihr hinauf zum Gericht. 6Sie sandte und berief Barak Sohn Abinoams von Kadesch Naftali, sie sprach zu ihm: Hat nicht ER, der Gott Jissraels, geboten: Geh, lenke nach dem Berg Tabor, nimm mit dir zehntausend Mann von den Söhnen Naftalis und von den Söhnen Sbuluns, 7und ich will lenken hin zu dir, zum Bach Kischon, Ssissra, den Heerfürsten Jabins, sein Fahrzeug, sein Getümmel, ich gebe ihn in deine Hand. 8Barak sprach zu ihr: Gehst du mit mir, so geh ich, gehst du nicht mit mir, gehe ich nicht. 9Sie sprach: Den Gang will ich mit dir gehn, nur daß der Ruhm nicht dein wird auf dem Weg, den du gehst, denn in eines Weibes Hand wird ER Ssissra liefern. Dbora machte sich auf und ging mit Barak nach Kadesch. 10Barak ließ Sbulun und Naftali nach Kadesch zusammenschrein, hinauf zogen, ihm auf dem Fuß, zehntausend Mann, Dbora zog mit ihm hinauf. 11Chaber der Keniter aber hatte sich von Kajin getrennt, von den Söhnen Chobabs, Mosches Schwagers, er spannte sein Zelt bis zur Eiche in Zaanannim, das bei Kadesch ist. 12Man meldete Ssissra, daß Barak Sohn Abinoams den Berg Tabor hinaufgezogen war. 13Ssissra ließ all sein Fahrzeug zusammenschrein, neunhundert eiserne Fahrzeuge, und alles Volk, das mit ihm war, aus dem Charoschet des Stämmegemischs zum Bachtal Kischon. 14Dbora sprach zu Barak: Mach dich auf, denn dies ist der Tag, an dem ER Ssissra in deine Hand gibt, - fuhr ER nicht aus vor dir her? Barak stieg vom Berge Tabor hinab, zehntausend Mann ihm nach. 15ER verstörte Ssissra, all das Fahrzeug, all das Lager mit der Schneide des Schwerts, vor Barak her. Ssissra stieg vom Gefährt und floh zu Fuß. 16Barak jagte dem Fahrzeug nach, dem Lager nach, bis zum Charoschet des Stämmegemischs, alles Lager Ssissras verfiel der Schneide des Schwerts, auch nicht einer verblieb. 17Ssissra aber floh zu Fuß nach dem Zelt Jaels, des Weibes Chabers des Keniters, denn Friede war zwischen Jabin König von Chazor und dem Hause Chabers des Keniters. 18Jael trat heraus, Ssissra entgegen, und sprach zu ihm: Kehre doch ein, mein Herr, kehre ein zu mir, fürchte dich nimmer! Er kehrte ein zu ihr ins Zelt, und sie hüllte ihn in den Vorhang. 19Er sprach zu ihr: Gib mir doch ein wenig Wasser zu trinken, denn ich dürste. Sie öffnete den Milchschlauch, sie gab ihm zu trinken und hüllte ihn ein. 20Er sprach zu ihr: Steh an der Öffnung des Zelts, und so seis: kommt jemand und fragt dich und spricht: Ist hier jemand? sprich: Keiner! 21Jael, Chabers Weib, ergriff einen Pflock des Zelts, sie nahm einen Hammer in ihre Hand, sie kam leis auf ihn zu und stieß den Pflock in seine Schläfe, daß der in die Erde drang - er war nämlich entschlummert, ermattet - , er starb. 22Da aber: Barak, Ssissra nachjagend! Jael trat heraus, ihm entgegen, sie sprach zu ihm: Geh her, ich lasse dich den Mann sehn, den du suchst. Er kam zu ihr hinein, da: Ssissra, tot hingesunken, den Pflock in seiner Schläfe! 23Gott zwang an jenem Tag Jabin König in Kanaan vor die Söhne Jissraels hin. Nieder ging die Hand der Söhne Jissraels, niedergehend und wuchtend, auf Jabin den König in Kanaan, bis sie ausgerottet hatten Jabin den König in Kanaan.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DEBORAH AND BARAK DELIVER ISRAEL FROM JABIN AND SISERA. (Jdg. 4:1-17)
The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead--The removal of the zealous judge Ehud again left his infatuated countrymen without the restraint of religion.
2 Jabin king of Canaan--"Jabin," a royal title (see on
Josh 11:1). The second Jabin built a new capital on the ruins of the old (
Josh 11:10-
Josh 11:11). The northern Canaanites had recovered from the effect of their disastrous overthrow in the time of Joshua, and now triumphed in their turn over Israel. This was the severest oppression to which Israel had been subjected. But it fell heaviest on the tribes in the north, and it was not till after a grinding servitude of twenty years that they were awakened to view it as the punishment of their sins and to seek deliverance from God.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess--A woman of extraordinary knowledge, wisdom, and piety, instructed in divine knowledge by the Spirit and accustomed to interpret His will; who acquired an extensive influence, and was held in universal respect, insomuch that she became the animating spirit of the government and discharged all the special duties of a judge, except that of military leader.
the wife of Lapidoth--rendered by some, "a woman of splendors."
5 she dwelt under the palm tree--or, collectively, "palm-grove." It is common still in the East to administer justice in the open air, or under the canopy of an umbrageous tree.
6 she sent and called Barak--by virtue of her official authority as judge.
Kedesh-naphtali--situated on an eminence, little north of the Sea of Galilee, and so called to distinguish it from another Kedesh in Issachar.
Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded?--a Hebrew form of making an emphatic communication.
Go and draw toward mount Tabor--an isolated mountain of Galilee, northeast corner of the plain of Esdraelon. It was a convenient place of rendezvous, and the enlistment is not to be considered as limited to ten thousand, though a smaller force would have been inadequate.
8 Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go--His somewhat singular request to be accompanied by Deborah was not altogether the result of weakness. The Orientals always take what is dearest to the battlefield along with them; they think it makes them fight better. The policy of Barak, then, to have the presence of the prophetess is perfectly intelligible as it would no less stimulate the valor of the troops, than sanction, in the eyes of Israel, the uprising against an oppressor so powerful as Jabin.
9 the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman--This was a prediction which Barak could not understand at the time; but the strain of it conveyed a rebuke of his unmanly fears.
11 Now Heber the Kenite . . . pitched his tent--It is not uncommon, even in the present day, for pastoral tribes to feed their flocks on the extensive commons that lie in the heart of inhabited countries in the East (see on
Judg 1:16).
plain of Zaanaim--This is a mistranslation for "the oaks of the wanderers." The site of the encampment was under a grove of oaks, or terebinths, in the upland valley of Kedesh.
13 the river of Kishon--The plain on its bank was chosen as the battlefield by Sisera himself, who was unconsciously drawn thither for the ruin of his army.
14 Barak went down from mount Tabor--It is a striking proof of the full confidence Barak and his troops reposed in Deborah's assurance of victory, that they relinquished their advantageous position on the hill and rushed into the plain in face of the iron chariots they so much dreaded.
15 the Lord discomfited Sisera--Hebrew, "threw his army into confusion"; men, horses, and chariots being intermingled in wild confusion. The disorder was produced by a supernatural panic (see on
Judg 5:20).
so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet--His chariot being probably distinguished by its superior size and elegance, would betray the rank of its rider, and he saw therefore that his only chance of escape was on foot.
16 But Barak pursued . . . unto Harosheth--Broken and routed, the main body of Sisera's army fled northward; others were forced into the Kishon and drowned (see on
Judg 5:21).
17 Sisera fled . . . to the tent of Jael--According to the usages of nomadic people, the duty of receiving the stranger in the sheik's absence devolves on his wife, and the moment the stranger is admitted into his tent, his claim to be defended or concealed from his pursuers is established.
19 she . . . gave him drink, and covered him--Sisera reckoned on this as a pledge of his safety, especially in the tent of a friendly sheik. This pledge was the strongest that could be sought or obtained, after he had partaken of refreshments, and been introduced in the inner or women's apartment.
20 he said unto her, . . . when any man doth come and enquire of thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No--The privacy of the harem, even in a tent, cannot be intruded on without express permission.
21 Then Jael took a nail of the tent--most probably one of the pins with which the tent ropes are fastened to the ground. Escape was almost impossible for Sisera. But the taking of his life by the hand of Jael was murder. It was a direct violation of all the notions of honor and friendship that are usually held sacred among pastoral people, and for which it is impossible to conceive a woman in Jael's circumstances to have had any motive, except that of gaining favor with the victors. Though predicted by Deborah [
Judg 4:9], it was the result of divine foreknowledge only--not the divine appointment or sanction; and though it is praised in the song [
Judg 5:24-
Judg 5:27], the eulogy must be considered as pronounced not on the moral character of the woman and her deed, but on the public benefits which, in the overruling providence of God, would flow from it.