Juízes 4

ARC · Chapter 4/21

1Porém os filhos d'Israel tornaram a fazer o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor, depois de fallecer Ehud.

2E vendeu-os o Senhor em mão de Jabin, rei de Canaan, que reinava em Hazor: e Sisera era o capitão do seu exercito, o qual então habitava em Haroseth dos gentios.

3Então os filhos d'Israel clamaram ao Senhor, porquanto elle tinha novecentos carros ferrados, e vinte annos opprimia os filhos d'Israel violentamente.

4E Debora, mulher prophetiza, mulher de Lappidoth, julgava a Israel n'aquelle tempo.

5E habitava debaixo das palmeiras de Debora, entre Rama e Beth-el, nas montanhas d'Ephraim: e os filhos d'Israel subiam a ella a juizo.

6E enviou, e chamou a Barac, filho de Abinoam de Kedes de Naphtali, e disse-lhe: Porventura o Senhor Deus d'Israel não deu ordem, dizendo: Vae, e attrahe gente ao monte de Tabor, e toma comtigo dez mil homens dos filhos de Naphtali e dos filhos de Zebulon?

7E attrahirei a ti para o ribeiro de Kison a Sisera, capitão do exercito de Jabin, com os seus carros, e com a sua multidão: e o darei na tua mão.

8Então lhe disse Barac: Se fôres comigo, irei: porém, se não fôres comigo, não irei.

9E disse ella: Certamente irei comtigo, porém não será tua a honra pelo caminho que levas; pois á mão de uma mulher o Senhor venderá a Sisera. E Debora se levantou, e partiu com Barac para Kedes

10Então Barac convocou a Zebulon e a Naphtali em Kedes, e subiu com dez mil homens após de si: e Debora subiu com elle,

11E Heber, keneo, se tinha apartado dos keneos, dos filhos de Hobab, sogro de Moysés: e tinha estendido as suas tendas até ao carvalho de Saanaim, que está junto a Kedes.

12E annunciaram a Sisera que Barac, filho de Abinoam, tinha subido ao monte de Tabor.

13E Sisera convocou todos os seus carros, novecentos carros ferrados, e todo o povo que estava com elle, desde Haroseth dos gentios até ao ribeiro de Kison.

14Então disse Debora a Barac: Levanta-te; porque este é o dia em que o Senhor tem dado a Sisera na tua mão: porventura o Senhor não saiu diante de ti? Barac pois desceu do monte de Tabor, e dez mil homens após d'elle.

15E o Senhor derrotou a Sisera, e a todos os seus carros, e a todo o seu exercito ao fio da espada, diante de Barac: e Sisera desceu do carro, e fugiu a pé.

16E Barac os seguiu após dos carros, e após do exercito, até Haroseth dos gentios: e todo o exercito de Sisera caiu ao fio da espada, até não ficar um só.

17Porém Sisera fugiu a pé á tenda de Jael, mulher de Heber, keneo: porquanto havia paz entre Jabin, rei de Hazor, e a casa de Heber, keneo.

18E Jael saiu ao encontro de Sisera, e disse-lhe: Retira-te, senhor meu, retira-te a mim, não temas. Retirou-se a ella á tenda, e cobriu-o com uma coberta.

19Então elle lhe disse: Dá-me, peço-te, de beber uma pouca d'agua; porque tenho sede. Então ella abriu um odre de leite, e deu-lhe de beber, e o cobriu.

20E elle lhe disse: Põe-te á porta da tenda; e ha de ser que se alguem vier, e te perguntar, e disser: Ha aqui alguem? responde tu então: Não.

21Então Jael, mulher d'Heber, tomou uma estaca da tenda, e lançou mão d'um martello, e foi-se mansamente a elle, e lhe cravou a estaca na fonte, e a pregou na terra, estando elle porém carregado d'um profundo somno, e já cançado; e assim morreu.

22E eis que, seguindo Barac a Sisera, Jael lhe saiu ao encontro, e disse-lhe: Vem, e mostrar-te-hei o homem que buscas. E veiu a ella, e eis-que Sisera jazia morto, e a estaca na fonte.

23Assim Deus n'aquelle dia sujeitou a Jabin, rei de Canaan, diante dos filhos de Israel.

24E continuou a mão dos filhos de Israel a proseguir e endurecer-se sobre Jabin, rei de Canaan: até que exterminaram a Jabin, rei de Canaan.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The prophetess Deborah summons Barak to fight against Sisera, the Canaanite general. Victorious in battle, Sisera flees and is killed by Jael, who drives a tent peg through his head while he sleeps.

Explanation

Deborah stands out as a remarkable figure — a prophetess and judge in a patriarchal society, exercising spiritual and judicial leadership recognized throughout Israel. When Barak hesitates to go into battle alone and insists she accompany him, Deborah prophesies that the honor of the final victory would go to a woman — fulfilled in a surprising way by Jael, wife of an ally of the Canaanites, who acts with courage and cunning to kill the enemy general. The victory, attributed to the Lord who 'routed Sisera' (v.15), shows once again that deliverance comes from God, who uses unexpected people — women, in a context where military leadership was typically male.

Fun facts

  • Sisera's nine hundred iron chariots were advanced military technology for the time, but became useless in battle because of the rain and mud brought on by the victory, as detailed in the Song of Deborah in the following chapter.
  • Jael belonged to a Kenite family, descended from Moses's father-in-law (Hobab), but one that had broken away and made a peace treaty with the Canaanite king Jabin — making her betrayal of Sisera all the more strategic.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Juízes 4:1After Ehud dies, Israel again does what is evil in the sight of the Lord, restarting the cycle of unfaithfulness described back in chapter 2.
  2. Juízes 4:2God sells Israel into the hand of Jabin, a Canaanite king who reigns in Hazor, whose army commander, Sisera, lives in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
  3. Juízes 4:3Israel cries out to the Lord because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had violently oppressed the people for twenty years.
  4. Juízes 4:4Deborah is called a prophetess and was already judging disputes before any war began. She does not become a leader because of a military crisis, as most of the other judges do; rather, it is the crisis that needs her.
  5. Juízes 4:5Deborah would sit and judge under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel, in the mountains of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go up to her to settle disputes.
  6. Juízes 4:6Deborah sends for Barak and delivers a command from God: gather ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun and go up to mount Tabor.
  7. Juízes 4:7God promises to draw Sisera, with his chariots and his army, to the river Kishon, and to deliver him into Barak’s hand.
  8. Juízes 4:8Barak answers that he will only go to war if Deborah goes with him, showing that he depends on her presence for courage.
  9. Juízes 4:9Deborah warns Barak that the honor of the victory will belong to a woman, not to him, since he hesitated to go to war without her at his side. The prophecy is fulfilled just a few verses later, but not through Deborah, through Jael instead.
  10. Juízes 4:10Barak calls together Zebulun and Naphtali at Kedesh and goes up with ten thousand men; Deborah goes up with him, keeping what she had promised.
  11. Juízes 4:11The text now introduces Heber, a Kenite descended from Moses’ father-in-law, who had separated from his own clan and pitched his tent near Kedesh. This geographical detail sets up the scene with Jael later on.
  12. Juízes 4:12Word reaches Sisera that Barak has gone up to mount Tabor, alerting the enemy to the movement of the Israelite army.
  13. Juízes 4:13Sisera gathers all his nine hundred iron chariots and all his people, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river Kishon.
  14. Juízes 4:14Deborah tells Barak to attack, saying that this is the day the Lord has delivered Sisera into his hands; Barak goes down from Tabor with ten thousand men behind him.
  15. Juízes 4:15The Lord routs Sisera and his whole army before Barak; Sisera gets down from his chariot and flees on foot, with no army left to protect him.
  16. Juízes 4:16Barak pursues the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth of the Gentiles, and Sisera’s entire army falls by the edge of the sword, with not a single man left.
  17. Juízes 4:17Sisera flees on foot to the tent of Jael, Heber’s wife, because there was peace between king Jabin and that Kenite’s family. He thinks he will be safe there.
  18. Juízes 4:18Jael goes out to meet Sisera and invites him in without fear, hiding him inside the tent under a covering.
  19. Juízes 4:19Sisera asks for water because he is thirsty; Jael opens a bottle of milk and gives him a drink, tending to him as if she really meant to protect him.
  20. Juízes 4:20Sisera asks her to stand at the door of the tent and, if anyone asks whether there is a man there, to say no, trying to secure his hiding place.
  21. Juízes 4:21Jael drives a tent peg through Sisera’s head while he sleeps, after having welcomed him and hidden him as though offering him protection. The scene is shocking precisely because it breaks the hospitality expected of someone sheltering a fugitive.
  22. Juízes 4:22When Barak arrives pursuing Sisera, Jael goes out to meet him and shows him the enemy already dead, with the peg driven through his head.
  23. Juízes 4:23On that day God subdues Jabin, king of Canaan, before the children of Israel.
  24. Juízes 4:24From then on, the hand of the children of Israel grows stronger and stronger against Jabin, until they destroy him completely.

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