Topical Bible: Courage: Personal Bravery: Jael, in Killing Sisera

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Topical Encyclopedia

Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is a notable figure in the Bible for her act of personal bravery in the defeat of Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army. Her account is recounted in the Book of Judges, chapters 4 and 5, during the time when Israel was oppressed by King Jabin of Canaan. The narrative highlights Jael's courage and decisive action, which played a pivotal role in the deliverance of Israel from Canaanite oppression.

Context and Background

The Israelites, having done evil in the sight of the LORD, were handed over to Jabin, king of Canaan, whose army was led by Sisera. For twenty years, Sisera oppressed the Israelites with his formidable force of nine hundred iron chariots. In response to the cries of the Israelites, God raised up Deborah, a prophetess and judge, who, along with Barak, led the Israelites to victory against Sisera's forces at Mount Tabor.

Jael's Act of Bravery

After the defeat of his army, Sisera fled on foot and sought refuge in the tent of Jael. The Kenites were at peace with Jabin, and Sisera believed he would find safety there. Jael welcomed Sisera into her tent, offering him milk and covering him with a blanket, which led him to feel secure and fall asleep from exhaustion.

Seizing the opportunity, Jael took a tent peg and a hammer and approached Sisera quietly. Judges 4:21 recounts her courageous act: "But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died."

Significance in Scripture

Jael's act is celebrated in the Song of Deborah, found in Judges 5, which extols her bravery and the decisive role she played in the victory over Sisera. Judges 5:24 states, "Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she among women in tents."

Jael's actions are seen as a fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy to Barak that the LORD would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman (Judges 4:9). Her bravery is highlighted as an example of how God can use unexpected individuals to accomplish His purposes and deliver His people.

Theological Reflection

From a theological perspective, Jael's account underscores the theme of divine providence and the unexpected means by which God delivers His people. Her courage and decisive action demonstrate the importance of faith and obedience in the face of danger. Jael's willingness to act against a powerful enemy, despite the potential risks, exemplifies the kind of personal bravery that is often required to fulfill God's plans.

Jael's account also serves as a reminder of the role of women in God's redemptive history, showcasing their strength and agency in pivotal moments. Her actions, though controversial to some, are celebrated in Scripture as a manifestation of God's deliverance and justice.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 4:18-22
And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... to the help of the Lord." He addresses Jael and blesses ... two damsels to every
man;"to Sisera a spoil ... as soldiers, that they displayed their bravery and gained ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm