Jael was the wife of heber the kenite in the book of judges. Judges 4 niv deborah again the israelites did evil. Judges is a period in the season of bringing the messiah into the world. We will see a cycle that the israelites pass through repeatedly in the history of the judges. In the narrative about the military heroine deborah, yael kills sisera, the canaanite general of king yabin, after he escapes from the battle with deborahs general, barak. In the narrative about the military heroine deborah, jael kills sisera, the canaanite general of king jabin, after he escapes from the battle with deborahs general, barak. Deborah is the only woman judge mentioned in the book of judges. The label historical, however, belies the fact that determining the intended genre of the book of judges is no easy task. Learn about her courage and prophecy in this video, part of our judges series and curriculum. The book of judges, sefer shoftim is the seventh book of the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. And jael went out to meet sisera, and said unto him, turn in, my lord, turn in to me.
Deborah prophesies that a brave woman will conquer jabins army chief, sisera. Deborah and yael judges 4 elie assis department of bible studies bar ilan university, israel. Sisera, the leader of the defeated canaanite army, is invited by jael, a member of the nomadic kenite tribe, to seek refuge in her tent following the battle. Deborah, jael, and the woman who killed abimelech were great. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. After being defeated by the forces of the israelite tribes of zebulun and naphtali under the command of barak and deborah, sisera was killed by jael, who hammered a tent peg into his temple. In judges, jael is a heroine, one who did the very work of god. I do say that it kinda sounds like jail and people say mean comments to me about that type of stuff but its fun to see a lot about my name and the meanings of it. Come, and i will show thee the man whom thou seekest thus both parts of deborahs prophecy concerning sisera were fulfilled. Most blessed among women is jael, the wife of heber the kenite. The people of her time had no difficulty in accepting her as a judge. Jael or yael is a woman mentioned in the book of judges in the hebrew bible, as the heroine who. Judges chapter 4 is a very unusual chapter in the bible, in that god used women to bring victory to israel. From deborah to jael, women lead the way in these passages.
The story of deborah, barak, jael and sisera read for children. Jael features in the book of judges as a heroic woman who killed sisera, the leader of king jabins canaanite army. They demonstrate persistence and courage when others, including men, do not. Jael in the bible was the wife of a man named heber, who was a kenite. Deborah and jaelbrave women in the bible bible story. What can we learn from jael in the book of judges 4. Lessons from jael the assassin news jamaica gleaner. Pastor doug mcpheeters continues his summer sermon series the book of judges. The wife of heber the kenite, yael plays an important role in the story of israels wars with the canaanites, described in the book of judges. A third woman, siseras mother, makes an appearance at the end of the story. Jael was the wife of heber the kenite who is celebrated in the song of deborah in the book of judges in chapter five. Barak demurred, saying he would go, provided she would also. After being defeated by the forces of the israelite tribes of zebulun and naphtali under the command of barak and deborah, sisera was killed by jael, who hammered a. The bible murderess jael extra ideas on this story.
In the book of judges, you see a repeated pattern or cycle. Although the book of judges praises jael for her valour, she grossly violates customs of hospitality then practiced throughout the middle east when hospitality had been offered and accepted, the guest acquired the right of protection at any cost. Skim the book of judges, reading as much as you can, and state the theme of the book. That breaks israels covenant not to mention hurts gods feelings. Judges 4 kjv and the children of israel again did bible. Jan 02, 2020 as sisera was sleeping, jael took a tent peg and hammer, sneaked up on the sleeping commander, and drove the tent peg through his skull and into the ground judges 4. But jael the wife of heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Bible stories for christian young children and toddlers. The book of judges is the second of the books of the former prophets in hebrew scripture, and serves as part of the historical books of the greek septuagint old testament, along with joshua, ruth, samuel, and kings, as well as the books of the restoration.
Book of judges, an old testament book that, along with deuteronomy, joshua, i and ii samuel, and i and ii kings, belongs to a specific historical tradition deuteronomic history that was first committed to writing about 550 bc, during the babylonian exile. When the canaanite general sisera fled on foot he found himself at the tent of a lone woman, yael jael who then killed him a hammer and a tent peg. Jul 21, 2015 jael was the wife of heber the kenite who is celebrated in the song of deborah in the book of judges in chapter five. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents.
I do say that it kinda sounds like jail and people say mean comments to me about that type of stuff but. When barak came looking for sisera, jael led him into the tent to show him siseras body with his head pinned to the ground. In hebrew, jael means mountain goat so it certainly doesnt sound like. The deborah narrative is unique in the book of judges. Jul 06, 2009 the story of the deliverance of israel from canaanite oppression judges 45 is focused on two women, with a third playing a supporting role. In judges 1 god identifies judah as the leading tribe of israel, the tribe that should lead the way in the conquering of the canaanites. Jabin was trying to conquer israel, which was at that time under the leadership of deborah, a prophetess and the only. Although barak commanded the israelite army in battle, it was deborah and jael who played a major role in siseras defeat. The wife of heber the kenite, jael plays an important role in the story of israels wars with the canaanites, described in the book of judges.
Prophet deborah is the only female judge in the torah. But im guessing that the story of deborah and barak and jael is new or unfamiliar to many of you. Those that remain behind turn israel toward the worship of their idol gods not those gods. Jul 20, 2017 if you know any stories from the book of judges, it might be the story of samson and delilah. Whether it is because jael is more loyal to israel than she is to sisera, or simply because she is a survivor and can feel the winds of change blowing, jael uses the opportunity to kill sisera, the cruel enemy of gods people. Season of bringing the savior into the world history the book of judges belongs to the history section of the old testament. The story of the deliverance of israel from canaanite oppression judges 45 is focused on two women, with a third playing a supporting role. She is not a harlot and doesnt seem to have a scandalous past, but bible commentators accuse her of other sins sacrificing the sacred rights of hospitality to her dark purpose, the. She is also highlighted here and we will consider her in part today as well. Jael in the bible 5 powerful lessons from this unusual story. At that time deborah, a prophetess, wife of lappidoth, was judging israel. Yael, meaning ibex is a woman mentioned in the book of judges in the hebrew bible, as the heroine who killed sisera to deliver israel from the troops of king jab.
Deborah was one of these judges, and she is the primary women we will consider today. Yet many who view womens leadership as unbiblical dismiss the pattern of godaffirmed female authority in judges. Assignments on judges 1 please read the whole book of judges at least once as we study chapter 1. Then jael hebers 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. Jael kills sisera 20 stand at the entrance to the tent, he said, and if anyone comes and asks you, is there a man here. Representations of jael in judges 45 bonfiglio sbl 2011. So, lets begin by making sure we understand the times. As sisera was sleeping, jael took a tent peg and hammer, sneaked up on the sleeping commander, and drove the tent peg through his skull and into the ground judges 4. In chapter four of the great book of judges, we meet jael.
Deborah agreed but prophesied that the honour of defeating jabins army would then go to a woman. Jael features in the book of judges as a heroic woman who killed sisera, the leader of king jabins. Sisera was commander of the canaanite army of king jabin of hazor, who is mentioned in judges 45 of the hebrew bible. People often turn to the book of judges to prove that it is okay for women to lead, but i think you can see from these stories that the men were weak and not doing what they were supposed to.
Aug 12, 2015 judges chapter 4 is a very unusual chapter in the bible, in that god used women to bring victory to israel. Judges 4 and 5 comprise both a prose and poetic account of the battle of kishon wherein the judge deborah led the israelites to victory against their canaanite oppressors. In part, this is because judges itself offers readers no clear indication of how to read or understand it. But the book of judges leaves no sympathy for sisera. In the narrative of the hebrew bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the book of joshua and the establishment of a kingdom in the books of samuel, during which biblical judges served as temporary leaders. According to the biblical book of judges, sisera commanded nine hundred. Judges 4 tells us that god sold israel into the hand of jabin king of canaan because the israelites were doing what was evil in his sight. The story is of a dreadful murder of an exhausted man in his sleep. Judges 4 ceb deborah, barak, and jael after ehud bible gateway. Yael, meaning ibex is a woman mentioned in the book of judges in the hebrew bible, as the heroine who killed sisera to deliver israel from the troops of king jabin. It is violent, but it is important in that it shows that the lords commands must be obeyed or consequences will follow. In the book of judges, deborah and barak work together to conquer king jabin. Deborah, barak, and jael after ehud had died, the israelites again did things that the lord saw as evil.
Sep 29, 20 deborah was one of these judges, and she is the primary women we will consider today. Judges 4 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on. The story of deborah, barak, jael and sisera read for. If you know any stories from the book of judges, it might be the story of samson and delilah. Kims essay, who is the other in the book of judges. This suggests that judges were seen as gods people, and their gender was unimportant. Then jael took a nail of the tent that is, one of that sort on which the cords of the tent were fastened, and which consequently were of a large size. Scholarship ascribes the book of judges to the historical books in judaism, judges belongs to the former prophets. For egalitarians, the book of judges clearly demonstrates gods approval of women leaders.