Judges 4

 

וַיֹּסִפוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וְאֵהוּד מֵת׃   4:1

Judg. 4:1   And the children of Israel proceeded to do what was evil in the eyes of the Lord when Ehud died.

As this verse mentions nothing about Shamgar, I have to presume that he did not set the children of Israel back on the path of righteousness.  They remained defiant of the Lord and the land had no rest.  That may explain why his feat against the Philistines was so understated.

וַיִּמְכְּרֵם יְהוָה בְּיַד יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּחָצוֹר וְשַׂר־צְבָאוֹ סִיסְרָא וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב בַּחֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּוֹיִם׃   4:2

Judg. 4:2   And the Lord gave them over into the hand of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor, and the captain of his host was Sisera and he dwelled in Harosheth-goiim.

וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוָה כִּי תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב־בַּרְזֶל לוֹ וְהוּא לָחַץ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחָזְקָה   4:3

עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה׃

Judg. 4:3   And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he oppressed the children of Israel with strength twenty years.

וּדְבוֹרָה אִשָּׁה נְבִיאָה אֵשֶׁת לַפִּידוֹת הִיא שֹׁפְטָה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵת הַהִיא׃   4:4

Judg. 4:4   Now Deborah was a woman prophet, wife of Lappidoth; she judged Israel at that time.

וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת תַּחַת־תֹּמֶר דְּבוֹרָה בֵּין הָרָמָה וּבֵין בֵּית־אֵל בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיַּעֲלוּ אֵלֶיהָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   4:5

לַמִּשְׁפָּט׃

Judg. 4:5   And she was sitting under the palm tree of Deborah between the Ramah and Beth-el in the hill country of Ephraim and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְבָרָק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם מִקֶּדֶשׁ נַפְתָּלִי וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הֲלֹא צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵךְ   4:6

וּמָשַׁכְתָּ בְּהַר תָּבוֹר וְלָקַחְתָּ עִמְּךָ עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי נַפְתָּלִי וּמִבְּנֵי זְבֻלוּן׃

Judg. 4:6   And she sent and called for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and she said to him, “Has the Lord, God of Israel, not commanded, ‘Go and march on Mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand men from the children of Naphtali and from the children of Zebulun,

וּמָשַׁכְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֶל־נַחַל קִישׁוֹן אֶת־סִיסְרָא שַׂר־צְבָא יָבִין וְאֶת־רִכְבּוֹ וְאֶת־הֲמוֹנוֹ וּנְתַתִּיהוּ בְּיָדֶךָ׃   4:7

Judg. 4:7   and I will draw Sisera, captain of the army of Jabin and his chariots and his multitude, to you at the brook of Kishon and I will deliver him into your hand?’”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ בָּרָק אִם־תֵּלְכִי עִמִּי וְהָלָכְתִּי וְאִם־לֹא תֵלְכִי עִמִּי לֹא אֵלֵךְ׃   4:8

Judg. 4:8   And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

וַתֹּאמֶר הָלֹךְ אֵלֵךְ עִמָּךְ אֶפֶס כִּי לֹא תִהְיֶה תִּפְאַרְתְּךָ עַל־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ כִּי בְיַד־אִשָּׁה   4:9

יִמְכֹּר יְהוָה אֶת־סִיסְרָא וַתָּקָם דְּבוֹרָה וַתֵּלֶךְ עִם־בָּרָק קֶדְשָׁה׃

Judg. 4:9   And she said, “Surely I will go with you; it is nothing, but it will not be for your honor on the journey that you take, for the Lord would give Sisera over into the hand of a woman.”  And Deborah rose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

וַיַּזְעֵק בָּרָק אֶת־זְבוּלֻן וְאֶת־נַפְתָּלִי קֶדְשָׁה וַיַּעַל בְּרַגְלָיו עֲשֶׂרֶת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ וַתַּעַל עִמּוֹ דְּבוֹרָה׃   4:10

Judg. 4:10   And Barak gathered Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousands of men went up at his feet, and Deborah went up with him

וְחֶבֶר הַקֵּינִי נִפְרָד מִקַּיִן מִבְּנֵי חֹבָב חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּט אָהֳלוֹ עַד־אֵלוֹן (בצענים) [בְּצַעֲנַנִּים] אֲשֶׁר אֶת־   4:11

קֶדֶשׁ׃

Judg. 4:11   Now Heber, the Kenite, had severed himself from the Kenites, from the children of Hobab, father-in-law of Moses, and pitched his tent as far as Elon-bezaanannim, which was by Kedesh.

The name of the place where Heber pitched his tent is misspelled, a nun being missing.  The correction is within the brackets.

Additionally, we appear to have here yet another name for Jethro:  Hobab!

וַיַּגִּדוּ לְסִיסְרָא כִּי עָלָה בָּרָק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם הַר־תָּבוֹר׃   4:12

Judg. 4:12   And they announced to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam was coming up Mount Tabor.

וַיַּזְעֵק סִיסְרָא אֶת־כָּל־רִכְבּוֹ תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ מֵחֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּוֹיִם   4:13

אֶל־נַחַל קִישׁוֹן׃

Judg. 4:13   And Sisera gathered all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him from Harosheth-goiim, to the brook of Kishon.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּבֹרָה אֶל־בָּרָק קוּם כִּי זֶה הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהוָה אֶת־סִיסְרָא בְּיָדֶךָ הֲלֹא יְהוָה יָצָא לְפָנֶיךָ    4:14

וַיֵּרֶד בָּרָק מֵהַר תָּבוֹר וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ אַחֲרָיו׃

Judg. 4:14   And Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the Lord delivers Sisera into your hand.   Has not the Lord gone forth before you?”  So Barak went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him.

וַיָּהָם יְהוָה אֶת־סִיסְרָא וְאֶת־כָּל־הָרֶכֶב וְאֶת־כָּל־הַמַּחֲנֶה לְפִי־חֶרֶב לִפְנֵי בָרָק וַיֵּרֶד סִיסְרָא מֵעַל    4:15

הַמֶּרְכָּבָה וַיָּנָס בְּרַגְלָיו׃

Judg. 4:15   And the Lord crushed Sisera, and all the chariots and all the host, with the edge of the sword before Barak, but Sisera got down from off the chariot and fled by foot.

וּבָרָק רָדַף אַחֲרֵי הָרֶכֶב וְאַחֲרֵי הַמַּחֲנֶה עַד חֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּוֹיִם וַיִּפֹּל כָּל־מַחֲנֵה סִיסְרָא לְפִי־חֶרֶב לֹא   4:16

נִשְׁאַר עַד־אֶחָד׃

Judg. 4:16   And Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host as far as Harosheth-goiim and the entire host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword.  Not even one remained.

 וְסִיסְרָא נָס בְּרַגְלָיו אֶל־אֹהֶל יָעֵל אֵשֶׁת חֶבֶר הַקֵּינִי כִּי שָׁלוֹם בֵּין יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־חָצוֹר וּבֵין בֵּית חֶבֶר    4:17

הַקֵּינִי׃

Judg. 5:17   But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber, the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the house of Heber, the Kenite.

וַתֵּצֵא יָעֵל לִקְרַאת סִיסְרָא וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו סוּרָה אֲדֹנִי סוּרָה אֵלַי אַל־תִּירָא וַיָּסַר אֵלֶיהָ הָאֹהֱלָה   4:18

וַתְּכַסֵּהוּ בַּשְּׂמִיכָה׃

Judg. 4:18   And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn to me; do not fear.”  So he turned in to her to her tent, and she concealed him with a rug.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ הַשְׁקִינִי־נָא מְעַט־מַיִם כִּי צָמֵאתִי וַתִּפְתַּח אֶת־נֹאוד הֶחָלָב וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ וַתְּכַסֵּהוּ׃    4:19

Judg. 4:19   And he said to her, “Give me to drink, please, a little water, for I am thirsty.”  And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him to drink, then she covered him.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ עֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהָיָה אִם־אִישׁ יָבוֹא וּשְׁאֵלֵךְ וְאָמַר הֲיֵשׁ־פֹּה אִישׁ  וְאָמַרְתְּ אָיִן׃    4:20

Judg. 4:20   And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent and let it be, if any man should come and ask you and say, ‘Is there a man here?’ that you shall say, ‘There is not.’”

וַתִּקַּח יָעֵל אֵשֶׁת־חֶבֶר אֶת־יְתַד הָאֹהֶל וַתָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַמַּקֶּבֶת בְּיָדָהּ וַתָּבוֹא אֵלָיו בַּלָּאט וַתִּתְקַע   4:21

אֶת־הַיָּתֵד בְּרַקָּתוֹ וַתִּצְנַח בָּאָרֶץ וְהוּא־נִרְדָּם וַיָּעַף וַיָּמֹת׃

Judg. 4:21   Then Jael, wife of Heber, took a tent pin and took a hammer in her hand, and went to him softly and struck the pin into his temple, and it pierced down into the ground, and he was in a deep sleep so he swooned and died.                                                                 [Return to Judg. 5:6]

וְהִנֵּה בָרָק רֹדֵף אֶת־סִיסְרָא וַתֵּצֵא יָעֵל לִקְרָאתוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֵךְ וְאַרְאֶךָּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה   4:22

מְבַקֵּשׁ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וְהִנֵּה סִיסְרָא נֹפֵל מֵת וְהַיָּתֵד בְּרַקָּתוֹ׃

Judg. 4:22   And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.”  And he came to her and behold, Sisera lay dead and the pin was in his temple.

וַיַּכְנַע אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֵת יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־כְּנָעַן לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   4:23

Judg. 4:23   So on that one day God subdued Jabin, king of Canaan, before the children of Israel.

וַתֵּלֶךְ יַד בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלוֹךְ וְקָשָׁה עַל יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־כְּנָעַן עַד אֲשֶׁר הִכְרִיתוּ אֵת יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־כְּנָעַן׃   4:24

Judg. 4:24   And the hand of the children of Israel spread speedily and prevailed against Jabin, king of Canaan, until when they destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.

 

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