When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple. When Barak arrived in pursuit of SiseraBarak, the military leader of Israel, was pursuing Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army. This pursuit follows the battle at Mount Tabor, where God delivered Sisera's forces into Barak's hands. The context highlights God's sovereignty in delivering Israel from oppression, as prophesied by Deborah, the judge and prophetess. Barak's pursuit signifies the fulfillment of God's promise of victory. Jael went out to greet him
Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, plays a pivotal role in this narrative. Her actions are significant because the Kenites were at peace with Jabin, the Canaanite king. Jael's greeting of Barak indicates her allegiance to Israel, despite her husband's alliance. This act of hospitality and boldness is culturally significant, as women in ancient Near Eastern societies were often expected to remain in the background. and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.”
Jael's invitation to Barak is direct and confident. Her words fulfill Deborah's prophecy that a woman would claim the honor of defeating Sisera. This moment underscores the theme of unexpected deliverance and the use of unlikely individuals to accomplish God's purposes. It also highlights the role of women in God's redemptive history. So he went in with her
Barak's entry into Jael's tent signifies his acceptance of her guidance and the unfolding of God's plan. In the cultural context, entering a woman's tent was unusual for a man, indicating the urgency and importance of the situation. This action demonstrates Barak's trust in Jael's revelation and God's orchestration of events. and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple.
Sisera's death by Jael's hand is a dramatic and unexpected conclusion to the pursuit. The tent peg, a common household item, becomes a tool of divine justice. This act fulfills Deborah's prophecy and symbolizes the downfall of Israel's oppressors. The imagery of the tent peg through the temple is stark and emphasizes the finality of God's judgment. This event foreshadows the ultimate victory over evil through Christ, who uses the humble and unexpected to achieve His purposes. Persons / Places / Events 1. BarakA military leader of Israel who, under the guidance of the prophetess Deborah, pursued the Canaanite army led by Sisera. 2. SiseraThe commander of the Canaanite army, who fled the battlefield and sought refuge in the tent of Jael. 3. JaelThe wife of Heber the Kenite, who played a pivotal role in the defeat of Sisera by killing him with a tent peg. 4. Heber the KeniteJael's husband, whose family was at peace with King Jabin of Canaan, Sisera's superior. 5. The TentThe setting where Jael executed her decisive act, symbolizing a place of refuge turned into a place of judgment. Teaching Points God Uses Unexpected InstrumentsJael, a non-Israelite woman, becomes the instrument of God's deliverance, reminding us that God can use anyone, regardless of background or status, to fulfill His purposes. Courage in ObedienceJael's bold action demonstrates the courage required to act in alignment with God's will, even when it involves personal risk or unconventional methods. Prophecy FulfilledThe fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy through Jael underscores the reliability of God's word and the certainty of His promises. The Role of Women in God's PlanThis passage highlights the significant roles women can play in God's redemptive history, challenging cultural norms and expectations. Victory Over EvilSisera's defeat symbolizes the ultimate victory of God's people over their oppressors, encouraging believers to trust in God's deliverance in their own battles. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jael's action in Judges 4:22 challenge or affirm your understanding of who God can use to accomplish His purposes? 2. In what ways does the account of Jael and Sisera encourage you to act courageously in your own life? 3. How does the fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy in this passage strengthen your faith in the reliability of God's promises? 4. What lessons can we learn from the role of women in this account, and how can these lessons be applied in today's church and society? 5. How does the defeat of Sisera serve as a reminder of God's ultimate victory over evil, and how can this assurance impact your daily walk with Christ? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 4:9Deborah's prophecy that the honor of victory over Sisera would go to a woman, which is fulfilled by Jael's actions. Genesis 3:15The theme of a woman playing a crucial role in the defeat of evil, echoing the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman. Psalm 83:9A prayer for God to deal with Israel's enemies as He did with Sisera, highlighting the enduring memory of this victory. Hebrews 11:32Barak is mentioned among the heroes of faith, indicating the importance of his role in the broader account of faith and obedience. People Abinoam, Barak, Deborah, Ehud, Heber, Hobab, Israelites, Jabin, Jael, Kenites, Lapidoth, Naphtali, Sisera, ZebulunPlaces Bethel, Canaan, Harosheth-hagoyim, Hazor, Kedesh, Kedesh-naphtali, Kishon River, Moab, Mount Tabor, Ramah, ZaanannimTopics Barak, Behold, Dead, Entered, Fallen, Jael, Ja'el, Lay, Lying, Meet, Meeting, Nail, Peg, Pin, Pursued, Pursuing, Pursuit, Searching, Seek, Seekest, Seeking, Shew, Sisera, Sis'era, Stretched, Temple, Temples, Tent, Tent-pin, You'reDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 4:21 5578 tents
5582 tiredness
8328 quietness Library Sin Slain
I want to picture to you to-night, if I can, three acts in a great history--three different pictures illustrating one subject. I trust we have passed through all three of them, many of us; and as we shall look upon them, whilst I paint them upon the wall, I think there will be many here who will be able to say, I was in that state once;" and when we come to the last, I hope we shall be able to clap our hands, and rejoice to feel that the last is our case also, and that we are in the plight of the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860Whether the Grace of the Word of Wisdom and Knowledge is Becoming to Women?
Objection 1: It would seem that the grace of the word of wisdom and knowledge is becoming even to women. For teaching is pertinent to this grace, as stated in the foregoing Article. Now it is becoming to a woman to teach; for it is written (Prov. 4:3,4): "I was an only son in the sight of my mother, and she taught me [*Vulg.: 'I was my father's son, tender, and as an only son in the sight of my mother. And he taught me.']." Therefore this grace is becoming to women. Objection 2: Further, the grace …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The First Blast of the Trumpet
The English Scholar's Library etc. No. 2. The First Blast of the Trumpet &c. 1558. The English Scholar's Library of Old and Modern Works. No. 2. The First Blast of the Trumpet &c. 1558. Edited by EDWARD ARBER, F.S.A., etc., LECTURER IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, ETC., UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON. SOUTHGATE, LONDON, N. 15 August 1878. No. 2. (All rights reserved.) CONTENTS. Bibliography vii-viii Introduction …
John Knox—The First Blast of the Trumpet A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.
ISRAEL'S VICTORIES OVER THE CANAANITES.--Josh. 2-9; Judg. 1, 4, 5. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible II,1-4.1. Prin. of Politics X. That the leaders took the lead in Israel, That the people volunteered readily, Bless Jehovah! Zebulun was a people who exposed themselves to deadly peril, And Naphtali on the heights of the open field. Kings came, they fought; They fought, the kings of Canaan, At Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo, They took no booty of silver. Prom heaven fought the stars, From their …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation Gamala. Chorazin.
These things determine the situation of Gamala:--1. It was "in lower Gaulon," in which, as we have seen, Bethsaida was. 2. It was "upon the lake [of Gennesaret]." 3. It was "over-against Tarichee." Compare the maps, whether in their placing of it they agree with these passages. Here was Judas born, commonly called 'Gaulanites,' and as commonly also, the 'Galilean.' So Peter and Andrew and Philip were Gaulanites; of Bethsaida, John 1:44; and yet they were called 'Galileans.' While we are speaking …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Beth-El. Beth-Aven.
Josephus thus describes the land of Benjamin; "The Benjamites' portion of land was from the river Jordan to the sea, in length: in breadth, it was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." Let these last words be marked, "The breadth of the land of Benjamin was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." May we not justly conclude, from these words, that Jerusalem and Beth-el were opposite, as it were, in a right line? But if you look upon the maps, there are some that separate these by a very large tract of land, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Mountainous Country of Judea.
"What is the mountainous country of Judea? It is the king's mountain." However Judea, here and there, doth swell out much with mountains, yet its chief swelling appears in that broad back of mountains, that runs from the utmost southern cost as far as Hebron, and almost as Jerusalem itself. Which the Holy Scripture called "The hill-country of Judah," Joshua 21:11; Luke 1:39. Unless I am very much mistaken,--the maps of Adricomus, Tirinius, and others, ought to be corrected, which have feigned to …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Miscellaneous Subjects.
Woman's Freedom. The Scriptural right for women to labor in the gospel as exhorters, teachers, preachers, etc., is questioned by many. To deny women such a privilege is contrary to the Christian spirit of equality, and a serious obstruction to pure gospel light. We (male and female) are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28. In the kingdom of grace man and woman are on an equal footing so far as concerns the work of God. To explain some texts that seem to prohibit women from laboring in the gospel …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 4:22 NIVJudges 4:22 NLTJudges 4:22 ESVJudges 4:22 NASBJudges 4:22 KJV
Judges 4:22 Commentaries
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