Judges 4:22

And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her [tent], behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail [was] in his temples.

And, behold, as Barak {H1301} pursued {H7291} Sisera {H5516}, Jael {H3278} came out {H3318} to meet {H7125} him, and said {H559} unto him, Come {H3212}, and I will shew {H7200} thee the man {H376} whom thou seekest {H1245}. And when he came {H935} into her tent, behold, Sisera {H5516} lay {H5307} dead {H4191}, and the nail {H3489} was in his temples {H7541}.

So here is Barak pursuing Sisra, and Ya'el steps out to meet him and says, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." He goes into her tent; and there is Sisra, lying dead with the tent peg through his temple.

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.

And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.

Commentary

Judges 4:22 describes the dramatic conclusion of the pursuit of Sisera, the Canaanite general who had oppressed Israel for two decades. As Barak, the commander of Israel's army, drew near, Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, emerged to reveal the dead Sisera within her tent, a tent peg driven through his temples.

Context

This verse marks the climax of the narrative in Judges 4. After the Israelites, led by Deborah the prophetess and Barak, decisively defeated Sisera's forces, Sisera fled on foot, seeking refuge in the tent of Jael, whose husband maintained an alliance with King Jabin of Hazor. Jael offered Sisera hospitality, then, while he slept, she took a tent peg and a hammer and killed him. Verse 22 brings Barak to Jael's tent, confirming the death of the enemy commander. This event directly fulfills Deborah's prophecy in Judges 4:9 that Sisera would be delivered into the hand of a woman, not Barak. The subsequent chapter, Judges 5, celebrates Jael's actions in the song of Deborah and Barak.

Key Themes

  • Divine Deliverance: The death of Sisera, orchestrated by God through Jael, signifies God's powerful intervention on behalf of His people, Israel, against their oppressors. It underscores that victory ultimately belongs to the Lord.
  • Unexpected Heroes: Jael, a non-Israelite woman, used an ordinary household item (a tent peg) to bring down a formidable enemy general. This highlights God's ability to use the seemingly weak and unconventional to accomplish His mighty purposes, echoing themes found elsewhere in scripture, such as 1 Corinthians 1:27.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: The scene directly validates Deborah's prophetic word, emphasizing the accuracy and certainty of God's declarations.
  • Justice and Judgment: Sisera's humiliating death at the hands of a woman served as divine judgment for his oppression of Israel, a swift and decisive end to his tyranny.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "the nail [was] in his temples" refers to a yathed (Hebrew for "tent peg"), an everyday tool for nomadic tent dwellers. The specific location, "temples" (Hebrew: raqqa), refers to the side of the head and emphasizes the precise and fatal blow. The bracketed words "[tent]" and "[was]" in the KJV are supplied by translators for clarity, as they are implied in the original Hebrew text.

Practical Application

Judges 4:22 reminds us that God's ways are often beyond our comprehension, and He frequently uses the unexpected to bring about His will. It encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty and His commitment to justice. We are called to be faithful to God's leading, knowing that He can empower us to accomplish His purposes, even when we feel unqualified or insignificant. This narrative also foreshadows the ultimate triumph of good over evil and the eventual eradication of all oppression in God's new creation.

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Cross-References

  • 2 Samuel 17:10 (4 votes)

    And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men.

  • 2 Samuel 17:15 (4 votes)

    ¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

  • 2 Samuel 17:3 (3 votes)

    And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.