Episode 86: Blessed is Jael among women

(Judges 4-5)

Deborah, a prophetess and judge

4 ¹ After Ehud died, the people did evil in the sight of the Lord.

² So God sold them to Jabin, the king of Canaan, who oppressed them for 20 years.

³ The Israelites cried out to God.

⁴ A woman named Deborah became the leader of the Israelites. She was a prophetess and judge.

⁵ She lived under a palm tree and everyone came up to her for judgment.

The Lord discomfited Sisera (and killed all his men)

⁶ Deborah summoned Barak and said to him,

God said to you,

Take 10,000 soldiers to fight Jabin’s captain, Sisera.

I will deliver him into your hand.

⁸ Barak said,

If you'll go with me, I'll go.

But if you won't go with me, I won't go.

⁹ Deborah said,

I'll go with you.

God will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman.

¹⁰ So Barak, Deborah and 10,000 men went to fight Sisera.

¹⁵ And God discomfited Sisera and all his chariots with the edge of the sword.

But Sisera escaped.

¹⁶ Barak pursued Sisera's army, and killed them all with the sword.

Not a single man among them survived.

Jael pounds a tent stake through a sleeping man's skull

¹⁷ Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, Heber's wife.

¹⁸ Jael went out to meet Sisera, saying,

Sleep here and don't be afraid.

When Sisera laid down in the tent, Jael covered him with a blanket.

¹⁹ Sisera said to her, "Could I please have a drink of water?"

Jael gave him a glass of milk and tucked him in.

²⁰ Sisera said,

Stand in the door of the tent. If anyone asks if any man is here, say, "No."

²¹ Then Jael took a tent stake and a hammer, and crept up to Sisera, who was fast asleep.

And she hammered the stake through his temples, fastening his head to the ground. So he died.

²² When Barak, who was pursuing Sisera, came by Jael's tent, Jael showed him Sisera with the tent stake through is temples.

²⁴ So God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, and the Israelites destroyed him.

Blessed is Jael among women (A song by Deborah and Barak)

5 ¹ Then Deborah and Barak sang this song.

² Praise God for avenging Israel.

²⁰ The stars fought against Sisera.

²⁴ Jael is blessed above all women.

²⁶ She chopped off Sisera's head by pounding a tent stake through his temples.

²⁷ Sisera laid down at her feet and died there.

³⁰ Haven't they divided the prey, to every man a damsel or two?

³¹ So let all of your enemies die, O Lord.

But let those who love God be like the sun who goes forth in his might.

And there was peace for forty years.