Judges 5:25
New International Version
He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

New Living Translation
Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.

English Standard Version
He asked for water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble’s bowl.

Berean Standard Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

King James Bible
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

New King James Version
He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.

New American Standard Bible
“He asked for water, she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

NASB 1995
“He asked for water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

NASB 1977
“He asked for water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

Legacy Standard Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In a mighty bowl she brought him curds.

Amplified Bible
“Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk; She brought him curds in a magnificent bowl.

Christian Standard Bible
He asked for water; she gave him milk. She brought him cream in a majestic bowl.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He asked for water; she gave him milk. She brought him curdled milk in a majestic bowl.

American Standard Version
He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

Contemporary English Version
Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk--cream in a fancy cup.

English Revised Version
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a lordly dish.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Sisera asked for water. She gave him milk. She offered him buttermilk in a royal bowl.

Good News Translation
Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk; she brought him cream in a beautiful bowl.

International Standard Version
Sisera asked for water— she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him yogurt!

Majority Standard Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

NET Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds.

New Heart English Bible
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him curds in a princely bowl.

Webster's Bible Translation
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

World English Bible
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.

Young's Literal Translation
Water he asked -- milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.

Smith's Literal Translation
He asked water, she gave milk; In a prince's dish brought she curdled milk.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He asked her water and she gave him milk, and offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.

New American Bible
He asked for water, she gave him milk, in a princely bowl she brought him curds.

New Revised Standard Version
He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a giant bowl.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He asked for water and she gave milk in the cup of a mighty man; she brought cream
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Water he asked, milk she gave him; In a lordly bowl she brought him curd.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He asked for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Song of Deborah and Barak
24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. 26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.…

Cross References
Genesis 24:18-20
“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink. / After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.” / And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.

1 Samuel 25:18
Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys

Proverbs 31:6-7
Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul. / Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Matthew 10:42
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

1 Kings 17:10-11
So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” / And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”

2 Samuel 17:28-29
They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, / honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

John 4:7-10
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” / (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) / “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) ...

1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Exodus 2:15-17
When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. / Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. / And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.

Hebrews 11:31
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.

Ruth 2:9
Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting, and follow along after these girls. Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

1 Kings 19:6
And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,


Treasury of Scripture

He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

asked

Judges 4:19-21
And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him…

butter.

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Judges 5
1. The Song of Deborah and Barak














He asked for water
This phrase highlights the simplicity of Sisera's request. In the context of ancient Near Eastern hospitality, providing water to a weary traveler was a basic act of kindness and duty. The Hebrew word for "asked" (שָׁאַל, sha'al) implies a humble request, indicating Sisera's vulnerability and need. This moment sets the stage for the unexpected turn of events, as it contrasts with the grandeur of what he receives.

and she gave him milk
The act of giving milk instead of water is significant. Milk, in the ancient world, was considered a nourishing and luxurious drink, often associated with abundance and hospitality. The Hebrew word for "gave" (נָתַן, natan) suggests a deliberate and generous act. Jael's choice to offer milk instead of water could be seen as an act of cunning, as milk might induce drowsiness, furthering her strategic advantage.

in a magnificent bowl
The use of a "magnificent bowl" (סֵפֶל אַדִּיר, sefel adir) underscores the opulence and honor with which Jael treats Sisera. The word "magnificent" (אַדִּיר, adir) conveys a sense of nobility and grandeur. This choice of serving vessel elevates the act of hospitality to one of high honor, perhaps lulling Sisera into a false sense of security. It reflects the cultural importance of hospitality and the cleverness of Jael's actions.

she brought him curds
Curds, a form of thickened milk, were a delicacy in ancient times. The Hebrew word for "curds" (חֶמְאָה, chemah) indicates a rich, creamy substance, further emphasizing the lavishness of Jael's hospitality. This choice of food, like the milk, could have a soporific effect, aiding in Sisera's eventual downfall. The act of bringing curds in a magnificent bowl is a masterstroke of deception, as it combines cultural norms of hospitality with a strategic purpose.

(25) Butter.--Rather, curdled milk.

In a lordly dish.--Rather, in a dish of the nobles: sephel, a splendid bowl, reserved for great occasions. All this was done to lull his suspicions into a false security.

Verse 25. - A lordly dish. A dish fit for princes; perhaps one reserved for the most illustrious guests.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He asked for
שָׁאַ֖ל (šā·’al)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

water,
מַ֥יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

[and] she gave
נָתָ֑נָה (nā·ṯā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

him milk.
חָלָ֣ב (ḥā·lāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2461: Milk

In a magnificent
אַדִּירִ֖ים (’ad·dî·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 117: Wide, large, powerful

bowl
בְּסֵ֥פֶל (bə·sê·p̄el)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5602: A basin

she brought him
הִקְרִ֥יבָה (hiq·rî·ḇāh)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

curdled milk.
חֶמְאָֽה׃ (ḥem·’āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2529: Curdled milk, cheese


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OT History: Judges 5:25 He asked for water (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 5:24
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