Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. Meanwhile, Sisera fled on footThe phrase "Meanwhile, Sisera fled on foot" captures a moment of desperation and vulnerability. Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, finds himself defeated and without his chariot, a symbol of his power. The Hebrew root for "fled" (נָס, nas) conveys a sense of urgency and fear. This moment is pivotal, illustrating the reversal of fortunes that often occurs in biblical narratives, where the proud are humbled. Sisera's flight on foot signifies the collapse of human strength and reliance on God’s providence. to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite
The mention of "the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite" introduces a significant character in the narrative. Jael, a woman, becomes an unexpected instrument of God's deliverance. The Kenites were a nomadic tribe, and their tents were places of hospitality and refuge. However, this setting becomes the stage for a divine act of justice. The historical context of the Kenites, who were related to Moses' father-in-law, suggests a complex relationship with Israel, highlighting themes of loyalty and divine orchestration beyond ethnic boundaries. because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite
The phrase "because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite" provides insight into the political landscape of the time. The peace mentioned here is a temporary and strategic alliance, reflecting the shifting allegiances common in the ancient Near East. This peace is ironic, as it sets the stage for Sisera's downfall. The Hebrew word for peace, "שָׁלוֹם" (shalom), often denotes completeness and well-being, yet here it underscores the fragile and deceptive nature of human agreements when contrasted with God's ultimate plan for deliverance and justice. Persons / Places / Events 1. Sisera- The commander of the Canaanite army under King Jabin, who fled on foot to the tent of Jael after his army was defeated by the Israelites. 2. Jael- The wife of Heber the Kenite, who played a crucial role in the defeat of Sisera by offering him refuge and ultimately killing him. 3. Heber the Kenite- Jael's husband, who was allied with King Jabin of Hazor, providing a seemingly safe haven for Sisera. 4. Barak- The Israelite military leader who, under the guidance of the prophetess Deborah, led the Israelites to victory against Sisera's forces. 5. Mount Tabor- The location where Barak gathered his forces before descending to battle Sisera's army. Teaching Points Divine Providence and Human AgencyGod's plans often involve human actions. Jael's decisive act was part of God's deliverance for Israel, showing that God can use anyone to fulfill His purposes. Courage and Wisdom in Unexpected PlacesJael's courage and wisdom in dealing with Sisera demonstrate that God can empower individuals to act boldly and wisely, even in dangerous situations. The Role of Women in God's PlanJael's account highlights the significant role women can play in God's redemptive history, challenging cultural norms and expectations. Trust in God's PromisesThe fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy through Jael's actions encourages believers to trust in God's promises, even when the means of fulfillment are unexpected. The Consequences of AlliancesHeber's alliance with Jabin did not protect Sisera, illustrating the potential pitfalls of aligning with ungodly powers. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jael's action in Judges 4:17 challenge or affirm your understanding of God's use of individuals in His plans? 2. In what ways can we see the fulfillment of God's promises in unexpected ways in our own lives, similar to the prophecy given to Deborah? 3. How does the account of Jael and Sisera encourage us to act with courage and wisdom in our current circumstances? 4. What lessons can we learn from the alliances we form, as seen in the relationship between Heber and King Jabin? 5. How can the account of Jael inspire us to recognize and embrace the roles God has for us, regardless of societal expectations? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 4:9- Deborah's prophecy that the honor of defeating Sisera would go to a woman, which is fulfilled by Jael's actions. Genesis 3:15- The theme of enmity and the crushing of the enemy, as Jael's act can be seen as a fulfillment of the promise of victory over evil. Psalm 83:9-10- A prayer for God to deal with Israel's enemies as He did with Sisera, highlighting the lasting impact of this victory. Hebrews 11:32-34- Barak is mentioned among the heroes of faith, showing the importance of faith and obedience in achieving victory. 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 Clan, Family, Fled, Flight, Foot, Friendly, Hazor, Heber, Howbeit, However, Jabin, Jael, Ja'el, Kenite, Ken'ite, Peace, Relations, Sisera, Sis'era, Tent, WifeDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 4:17 5427 nomads Judges 4:17-18 5578 tents 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 4:17 NIVJudges 4:17 NLTJudges 4:17 ESVJudges 4:17 NASBJudges 4:17 KJV
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