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1After Ehud died, the Israelites returned to doing evil before the eyes of Yahweh ,
2so he surrendered them to King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled from Hazor. His army commander Sisera established his base in Harosheth of the Gentiles.[#4:2 Jabin means “intelligent.” He becomes a type of the mind of the flesh.; #4:2 Harosheth means “workmanship,” “workshop,” or “smithy.” Archaeologists have recently uncovered ruins at El Awhat, north of Lake Galilee, that they believe to be the site of Harosheth of the Gentiles. One of their finds was a linchpin of a chariot wheel.]
3Jabin had nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, and he ruthlessly oppressed Israel for twenty years. Then the Israelites, with shattered hearts , cried out to Yahweh for help.
4God raised up Deborah to lead Israel as a champion-deliverer. She was a prophetess and a fiery woman.[#4:4 Deborah means “orderly motion” or “bee [because of its systematic instincts].” The root word means “oracle,” “word,” or “to speak.”; #4:4 Or “a prophet-woman.” See the first footnote on Judg. 6:8.; #4:4 Or “a woman of many torches/lightning flashes” or “woman [wife] of Lappidoth.” Lappidoth means “torches” or “flaming sword.” It seems that male-driven readings of the text have given the preference to naming an otherwise unknown male, who never gets mentioned elsewhere in the text, as husband of Deborah. (See Rick Wadholm Jr., “ ‘Until I, Deborah, Arose’ [Judges 4–5]: A Pentecostal Reception History of Deborah toward Women in Ministry,” in Rick Wadholm Jr., Daniel D. Isgrigg, Martin W. Mittelstadt, eds., Receiving Scripture in the Pentecostal and Charismatic Tradition: A Reception History [Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2020].)]
5She presided as Israel’s judge under the Palm of Deborah, a certain palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came to her for wise decisions.[#4:5 The palm tree is a biblical symbol of joyful victory. When Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, the people waved palm branches (see John 12:13; cf. Song. 7:7–8; Rev. 7:9–17). Deborah ruled as a prophetess while sitting under the realm of victory and prophetic revelation. The Palm of Deborah was between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim; Ramah means “high place,” Bethel means “house of God,” and Mount Ephraim means “double fruitful.”]
6One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam from the city of Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Yahweh , the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, deploy ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and march to Mount Tabor.[#4:6 Barak means “lightning bolt.”]
7I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to fight against you at the Kishon River. He will have his many chariots and soldiers, but I will give you victory over him.’ ”
8Barak replied, “I will go if you go with me, but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go either.”
9“Very well,” she answered. “I will go with you, but you will receive no glory in the victory because Yahweh will hand over Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah set off for Kedesh with Barak.[#4:9 This was a prophecy with a double meaning. Deborah would get the credit for the victory, and Jael would be the one to kill Sisera.]
10Barak summoned the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand warriors followed him and Deborah also.
11Now Heber the Kenite migrated away from the other Kenites (the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law) and was living close to Kedesh near the oak tree at Zaanannim.[#4:11 Hobab was another name for Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law.; #4:11 Or “had set up his tent.”]
12When Sisera found out that Barak son of Abinoam was marching toward Mount Tabor,
13he gathered together his nine hundred iron-rimmed chariots and all his soldiers and sent them from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the Kishon River.
14Then Deborah prophesied to Barak, “Today, Yahweh has given you victory over Sisera! Go! Yahweh is marching out before you!” Immediately, Barak charged down from Mount Tabor with his ten thousand warriors.
15And Yahweh threw Sisera and his army into confusion before the onslaught of Barak and his men. Sisera and all his chariots and men were overwhelmed. He leaped from his chariot and fled on foot.[#4:15 The Jewish historian Josephus writes that a mighty wind blew on the backs of Barak’s charging men, and rain and hail went before them, leaving the Canaanites helpless. The rain would have neutralized Sisera’s nine hundred chariots. (See Ps. 83:9; Josephus, Ant. 5.5.4.)]
16Barak pursued the other chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles until Sisera’s whole army was killed by the sword, and only Sisera survived.
17He ran for his life to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was friendship between King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.[#4:17 Jael means “climbing” or “mountain goat.” God used two wild women to win the victory, Deborah and Jael.; #4:17 Heber means “not of this world” or “that which passes further.”]
18Jael came out of her tent to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord, come in here. You have nothing to fear.” As soon as he entered her tent, she hid him under a blanket.
19Sisera said to her, “I’m so thirsty. Please let me have some water.” So she opened a skin of milk, gave him some to drink, and covered him again.
20He said to her, “Stand at the entrance of your tent. If anybody comes and asks you if there is anybody here, tell them, ‘No.’ ”
21Exhausted, he fell fast asleep under the blanket. While he slept, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other and tiptoed over to where he was lying. And with a crushing blow , she drove the tent peg through his temple until it went down into the ground—he was dead![#4:21 Both the tent peg and the hammer are symbols for God’s Word. See Ezra 9:8; Eccl. 12:11; Isa. 22:23–25; Jer. 23:29; Zech. 10:4. The symbolism suggests a picture of the woman (the church) taking the hammer and tent peg in her hand (see the five-fold ministry, Eph. 4:11), and driving the Word through the temple (mind of the flesh), bringing a victory to God’s people. Jabin means “intelligent.” See Judg. 4:2 and the first footnote there; Rom. 16:20; 1 Cor. 1:18–25.]
22Just then, Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out of her tent to greet him and said, “Come, let me show you the man you’re looking for.” He went inside with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with the tent peg through his temple.[#4:22 The Hebrew uses the word for “Behold!”]
23On that day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.
24The hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against King Jabin of Canaan until there was nothing left of him but a memory !