1MAS los hijos de Israel torna- ron a hacer lo malo en los ojos de Jehová, después de la muerte de Aod. 2Y Jehová los vendió en mano de Jabín rey de Canaán, el cual reinó en Asor: y el capitán de su ejército se llamaba Sísera, y él habitaba en Haroset de las gentes. 3Y los hijos de Israel clamaron a Jehová; porque aquel tenía nuevecientos carros herrados; y había afligido en gran manera a los hijos de Israel por veinte años. 4Y gobernaba en aquel tiempo a Israel una mujer, Débora profetisa, mujer de Lapidot. 5La cual Débora habitaba debajo de una palma entre Rama y Betel, en el monte de Efraim: y los hijos de Israel subían a ella a juicio. 6Y ella envió a llamar a Barac hijo de Abinoem de Cedes de Neftalí, y díjole: ¿No te ha mandado Jehová Dios de Israel, diciendo: Vé, y haz gente en el monte de Tabor; y toma contigo diez mil hombres de los hijos de Neftalí, y de los hijos de Zabulón? 7Y yo atraeré a ti al arroyo de Cisón a Sísera capitán del ejército de Jabín, con sus carros y su ejército, y entregártelo he en tus manos. 8Y Barac le respondió: Si tú fueres conmigo, yo iré; y si no fueres conmigo, no iré. 9Y ella dijo: Yo iré contigo, mas no será tu honra en el camino que vas, porque en mano de mujer venderá Jehová a Sísera. Y levantándose Débora vino con Barac a Cedes. 10Y juntó Barac a Zabulón y Neftalí en Cedes, y subió con diez mil hombres de a pié; y Débora subió con él. 11Y Jeber Cineo de los hijos de Hobab suegro de Moisés, se había apartado de los Cineos, y había puesto su tienda hasta el valle de Sennim, que es junto a Cedes. 12Vinieron pues las nuevas a Sísera como Barac hijo de Abinoem había subido al monte de Tabor. 13Y juntó Sísera todos sus carros, nuevecientos carros herrados con todo el pueblo que estaba con él desde Haroset de las gentes hasta el arroyo de Cisón. 14Entónces Débora dijo a Barac: Levántate; porque este es el día en que Jehová ha entregado a Sísera en tus manos. ¿No ha salido Jehová delante de ti? Y Barac descendió del monte de Tabor, y diez mil hombres en pos de él. 15Y Jehová quebrantó a Sísera, y a todos sus carros, y a todo su ejército a filo de espada delante de Barac: y Sísera descendió del carro, y huyo a pié. 16Mas Barac siguió los carros y el ejército hasta Haroset de las gentes, y todo el ejército de Sísera cayó a filo de espada, hasta no quedar ni uno. 17Y Sísera se acogió a pié a la tienda de Jahel mujer de Jeber Cineo; porque había paz entre Jabín rey de Asor, y la casa de Jeber Cineo. 18Y saliendo Jahel a recibir a Sísera, díjole: Ven señor mío, ven a mí, no hayas temor. Y él vino a ella a la tienda; y ella le cubrió con una manta. 19Y él le dijo: Dáme a beber ahora una poca de agua, que tengo sed. Y ella abrió un cuero de leche, y dióle de beber, y tornóle a cubrir. 20Y él la dijo: Estáte a la puerta de la tienda, y si alguno viniere, y te preguntare, diciendo: ¿Hay aquí alguno? tú responderás que no. 21Y Jahel la mujer de Jeber tomó la estaca de la tienda, y poniendo un mazo en su mano, vino a él calladamente, y metióle la estaca por las sienes, y enclavóle con la tierra: y él estaba cargado del sueño y cansado, y así murió. 22Y siguiendo Barac a Sísera, Jahel le salió a recibir, y díjole: Ven, y mostrarte he al varón, que tú buscas; y él entró donde ella estaba, y, he aquí, Sísera estaba tendido muerto, la estaca atravesada por la sien. 23Y aquel día sujeto Dios a Jabín rey de Canaán delante de los hijos de Israel. 24Y la mano de los hijos de Israel comenzó a crecer, y a fortificarse contra Jabín rey de Canaán hasta que le destruyeron.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DEBORAH AND BARAK DELIVER ISRAEL FROM JABIN AND SISERA. (Jdg. 4:1-17)
The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead--The removal of the zealous judge Ehud again left his infatuated countrymen without the restraint of religion.
2 Jabin king of Canaan--"Jabin," a royal title (see on
Josh 11:1). The second Jabin built a new capital on the ruins of the old (
Josh 11:10-
Josh 11:11). The northern Canaanites had recovered from the effect of their disastrous overthrow in the time of Joshua, and now triumphed in their turn over Israel. This was the severest oppression to which Israel had been subjected. But it fell heaviest on the tribes in the north, and it was not till after a grinding servitude of twenty years that they were awakened to view it as the punishment of their sins and to seek deliverance from God.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess--A woman of extraordinary knowledge, wisdom, and piety, instructed in divine knowledge by the Spirit and accustomed to interpret His will; who acquired an extensive influence, and was held in universal respect, insomuch that she became the animating spirit of the government and discharged all the special duties of a judge, except that of military leader.
the wife of Lapidoth--rendered by some, "a woman of splendors."
5 she dwelt under the palm tree--or, collectively, "palm-grove." It is common still in the East to administer justice in the open air, or under the canopy of an umbrageous tree.
6 she sent and called Barak--by virtue of her official authority as judge.
Kedesh-naphtali--situated on an eminence, little north of the Sea of Galilee, and so called to distinguish it from another Kedesh in Issachar.
Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded?--a Hebrew form of making an emphatic communication.
Go and draw toward mount Tabor--an isolated mountain of Galilee, northeast corner of the plain of Esdraelon. It was a convenient place of rendezvous, and the enlistment is not to be considered as limited to ten thousand, though a smaller force would have been inadequate.
8 Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go--His somewhat singular request to be accompanied by Deborah was not altogether the result of weakness. The Orientals always take what is dearest to the battlefield along with them; they think it makes them fight better. The policy of Barak, then, to have the presence of the prophetess is perfectly intelligible as it would no less stimulate the valor of the troops, than sanction, in the eyes of Israel, the uprising against an oppressor so powerful as Jabin.
9 the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman--This was a prediction which Barak could not understand at the time; but the strain of it conveyed a rebuke of his unmanly fears.
11 Now Heber the Kenite . . . pitched his tent--It is not uncommon, even in the present day, for pastoral tribes to feed their flocks on the extensive commons that lie in the heart of inhabited countries in the East (see on
Judg 1:16).
plain of Zaanaim--This is a mistranslation for "the oaks of the wanderers." The site of the encampment was under a grove of oaks, or terebinths, in the upland valley of Kedesh.
13 the river of Kishon--The plain on its bank was chosen as the battlefield by Sisera himself, who was unconsciously drawn thither for the ruin of his army.
14 Barak went down from mount Tabor--It is a striking proof of the full confidence Barak and his troops reposed in Deborah's assurance of victory, that they relinquished their advantageous position on the hill and rushed into the plain in face of the iron chariots they so much dreaded.
15 the Lord discomfited Sisera--Hebrew, "threw his army into confusion"; men, horses, and chariots being intermingled in wild confusion. The disorder was produced by a supernatural panic (see on
Judg 5:20).
so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet--His chariot being probably distinguished by its superior size and elegance, would betray the rank of its rider, and he saw therefore that his only chance of escape was on foot.
16 But Barak pursued . . . unto Harosheth--Broken and routed, the main body of Sisera's army fled northward; others were forced into the Kishon and drowned (see on
Judg 5:21).
17 Sisera fled . . . to the tent of Jael--According to the usages of nomadic people, the duty of receiving the stranger in the sheik's absence devolves on his wife, and the moment the stranger is admitted into his tent, his claim to be defended or concealed from his pursuers is established.
19 she . . . gave him drink, and covered him--Sisera reckoned on this as a pledge of his safety, especially in the tent of a friendly sheik. This pledge was the strongest that could be sought or obtained, after he had partaken of refreshments, and been introduced in the inner or women's apartment.
20 he said unto her, . . . when any man doth come and enquire of thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No--The privacy of the harem, even in a tent, cannot be intruded on without express permission.
21 Then Jael took a nail of the tent--most probably one of the pins with which the tent ropes are fastened to the ground. Escape was almost impossible for Sisera. But the taking of his life by the hand of Jael was murder. It was a direct violation of all the notions of honor and friendship that are usually held sacred among pastoral people, and for which it is impossible to conceive a woman in Jael's circumstances to have had any motive, except that of gaining favor with the victors. Though predicted by Deborah [
Judg 4:9], it was the result of divine foreknowledge only--not the divine appointment or sanction; and though it is praised in the song [
Judg 5:24-
Judg 5:27], the eulogy must be considered as pronounced not on the moral character of the woman and her deed, but on the public benefits which, in the overruling providence of God, would flow from it.