Hakim-hakim 4:17-22

4:17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor ¹  and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty. ²  4:18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, ³  my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera ⁴  stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 4:19 He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. 4:20 He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’” 4:21 Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. ⁵  She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground ⁶  while he was asleep from exhaustion, ⁷  and he died. 4:22 Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent, ⁸  and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead ⁹  with the tent peg in his temple.

Hakim-hakim 5:24-27

5:24 The most rewarded ¹⁰  of women should be Jael,

the wife of Heber the Kenite!

She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.

5:25 He asked for water,

and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for a king, ¹¹ 

she served him curds.

5:26 Her left ¹²  hand reached for the tent peg,

her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.

She “hammered” ¹³  Sisera,

she shattered his skull, ¹⁴ 

she smashed his head, ¹⁵ 

she drove the tent peg through his temple. ¹⁶ 

5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,

he fell limp ¹⁷  and was lifeless; ¹⁸ 

between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,

in the spot where he collapsed,

there he fell limp – violently murdered! ¹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 9:54

9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, ²⁰  “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ²¹  ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died.

[4:17]  ¹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[4:17]  ² tn Heb “for there was peace between.”

[4:18]  ³ tn Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).

[4:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”

[4:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “and it went into the ground.”

[4:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “and exhausted.” Another option is to understand this as a reference to the result of the fatal blow. In this case, the phrase could be translated, “and he breathed his last.”

[4:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “he went to her.”

[4:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “fallen, dead.”

[5:24]  ¹⁰ tn Or “blessed.”

[5:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “for mighty ones.”

[5:26]  ¹² tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.

[5:26]  ¹³ tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.

[5:26]  ¹⁴ tn Or “head.”

[5:26]  ¹⁵ tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:26]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”

[5:27]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.

[5:27]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and he lay.

[5:27]  ¹⁹ tn Or “dead, murdered.”

[9:54]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:54]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.