Judges 4:21

Heber Jael

¹⁹ Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

²⁰ “Stand at the entrance to the tent,” he said, “and if anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’”

But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.

²² When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple.

²³ On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.
KJV: Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
WEB: Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
ASV: Then Jael Heber`s wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.
DARBY: And Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took the hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it penetrated into the ground; for he had fallen into a deep sleep and was faint; and he died.
BLB: And Jael the wife of Heber took a peg of the tent, and she put the hammer in her hand, and she went to him in secrecy and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground. For he was fast asleep and weary, and he died.

ÅB: Men Jael, Hebers hustru, tok en teltplugg og gikk sakte inn til ham med en hammer i hånden og slo pluggen gjennom tinningen på ham, så den gikk ned i jorden; for trett som han var, var han falt i tung søvn. Slik døde han.
OTB: Men Jael, Hebers kone, tok en teltplugg og en hammer, og gikk stille til ham mens han lå i dyp søvn, utslitt. Hun drev pluggen gjennom tinningen hans ned i bakken, og han døde.
B1930: Men Jael, Hebers hustru, tok en teltplugg og gikk sakte inn til ham med en hammer i hånden og slo pluggen gjennem tinningen på ham, så den gikk ned i jorden; for trett som han var, var han falt i tung søvn. Således døde han.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 3:7
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
Read in context
Judges 5:26–27
She 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.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Read in context
Judges 3:21
And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Read in context
Judges 3:31
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.
Read in context
Judges 15:15
He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men.
Read in context
1 Samuel 17:49–50
Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
Read in context