Judges 4:1-3
Summary for Judg 4:1-5:31: 4:1–5:31 a The account of Deborah and Barak, given in both prose (ch 4 b) and poetry (ch 5 c), is the only large-scale military operation recorded against a major Canaanite foe after the initial conquest. Another king named Jabin, who also ruled in the city of Hazor, was defeated in an earlier battle against Joshua along with a vast northern coalition, and Hazor was burned (see Josh 11:1-15 d). Although Joshua 11 e and Judges 4–5 f have often been compared, there are too many differing details to consider them to be parallel records of the same battle. Instead, Jabin is probably a dynastic name; the name occurs in the Mari texts for an even earlier king of Hazor, around 1800 BC. 4:1 g The opening of ch 4 h provides chronological continuity with Ehud and reinforces the cyclical nature of Israel’s experience during this period.4:2 i Hazor, located north of the Sea of Galilee, dominated the intersection of major trade routes running north–south and east–west. References to Hazor appear frequently in ancient Near Eastern documents, and the site has been extensively excavated. Its position as a one-time “capital of all [those] kingdoms” (Josh 11:10 j) is confirmed by history and archaeology.
• Harosheth-haggoyim (“Forest/Farmland of the Nations”) was possibly a staging area for the battle; its location and history are debated.
4:3 k Contemporary records confirm that armies like Sisera’s had large numbers of iron chariots. Such a force would have expected overwhelming victory over the lightly-armed Israelite infantry.
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