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Juízes 4

BLIVRE · Chapter 4/21

1Mas os filhos de Israel voltaram a fazer o mal aos olhos do SENHOR, depois da morte de Eúde.

2E o SENHOR os vendeu em mão de Jabim rei de Canaã, o qual reinou em Hazor: e o capitão de seu exército se chamava Sísera, e ele habitava em Harosete das nações.

3E os filhos de Israel clamaram ao SENHOR, porque aquele tinha novecentos carros de ferro: e havia afligido em grande maneira aos filhos de Israel por vinte anos.

4E governava naquele tempo a Israel uma mulher, Débora, profetisa, mulher de Lapidote:

5A qual se sentava debaixo da palmeira de Débora entre Ramá e Betel, no monte de Efraim: e os filhos de Israel subiam a ela a juízo.

6E ela mandou chamar a Baraque filho de Abinoão, de Quedes de Naftali, e disse-lhe: Não te mandou o SENHOR Deus de Israel, dizendo: Vai, e ajunta gente no monte de Tabor, e toma contigo dez mil homens dos filhos de Naftali, e dos filhos de Zebulom:

7E eu atrairei a ti ao ribeiro de Quisom a Sísera, capitão do exército de Jabim, com seus carros e seu exército, e o entregarei em tuas mãos?

8E Baraque lhe respondeu: Se tu fores comigo, eu irei: mas se não fores comigo, não irei.

9E ela disse: Irei contigo; mas não será tua honra no caminho que vais; porque por mão de mulher venderá o SENHOR a Sísera. E levantando-se Débora foi com Baraque a Quedes.

10E juntou Baraque a Zebulom e a Naftali em Quedes, e subiu com dez mil homens a seu mando, e Débora subiu com ele.

11E Héber queneu, dos filhos de Hobabe sogro de Moisés, havia se afastado dos queneus, e posto sua tenda até o vale de Zaanim, que está junto a Quedes.

12Vieram, pois, as notícias a Sísera como Baraque filho de Abinoão havia subido ao monte de Tabor.

13E reuniu Sísera todos os seus carros, novecentos carros de ferro, com todo o povo que com ele estava, desde Harosete das Nações até o ribeiro de Quisom.

14Então Débora disse a Baraque: Levanta-te; porque este é o dia em que o SENHOR entregou a Sísera em tuas mãos: Não saiu o SENHOR diante de ti? E Baraque desceu do monte de Tabor, e dez mil homens atrás dele.

15E o SENHOR derrotou a Sísera, e a todos os seus carros e a todo seu exército, a fio de espada diante de Baraque: e Sísera desceu do carro, e fugiu a pé.

16Mas Baraque seguiu os carros e o exército até Harosete das Nações, e todo aquele exército de Sísera caiu a fio de espada até não restar nenhum.

17E Sísera se refugiou a pé à tenda de Jael mulher de Héber queneu; porque havia paz entre Jabim rei de Hazor e a casa de Héber queneu.

18E saindo Jael a receber a Sísera, disse-lhe: Vem, senhor meu, vem a mim, não tenhas medo. E ele veio a ela à tenda, e ela lhe cobriu com uma manta.

19E ele lhe disse: Rogo-te me dês a beber um pouco de água, que tenho sede. E ela abriu um odre de leite e deu-lhe de beber, e voltou-lhe a cobrir.

20E ele lhe disse: Fica-te à porta da tenda, e se alguém vier, e te perguntar, dizendo: Há aqui alguém? Tu responderás que não.

21E Jael, mulher de Héber, tomou uma estaca da tenda, e pondo uma marreta em sua mão, veio a ele caladamente, e meteu-lhe a estaca pela têmpora, e encravou-o na terra, pois ele estava carregado de sonho e cansado; e assim morreu.

22E seguindo Baraque a Sísera, Jael saiu a recebê-lo, e disse-lhe: Vem, e te mostrarei ao homem que tu buscas. E ele entrou de onde ela estava, e eis que Sísera jazia morto com a estaca pela têmpora.

23Assim abateu Deus aquele dia a Jabim, rei de Canaã, diante dos filhos de Israel.

24E a mão dos filhos de Israel começou a crescer e a fortificar-se contra Jabim rei de Canaã, até que o destruíram.

📖 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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