Judg 4-5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Judg 4:1-5:31: 4:1–5:31 The account of Deborah and Barak , given in both prose (ch 4 ) and poetry (ch 5 ), 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 ). Although Joshua 11 and Judges 4–5 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 The opening of ch 4 provides chronological continuity with Ehud and reinforces the cyclical nature of Israel’s experience during this period.

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.
Summary for Judg 4:4-7: 4:4-7 ^l Deborah was a prophet (Hebrew ’ishah nebi’ah, “a woman, a female prophet”) who was judging (shoptah, a feminine verb; see study note on 2:16-19). She is the protagonist of this story, though much of the action surrounds her surrogate, Barak. Unlike most of the characters in the book of Judges, Deborah fulfilled both the judicial and the military functions implied by the label “judge.” As a prophet, she foreshadowed Samuel’s later work (1 Sam 7:15-17 ^m). Deborah called for a holy war in which the Lord would fight for his people (Judg 4:6-7 ⁿ; see study notes on Deut 1:30; 2 Chr 20:20-21).
4:6 ^o Though Barak appears in a list of Israelite heroes (Heb 11:32 ^p), Judges never gives him more than an equal place with Deborah.

• Mount Tabor was in the territory of Issachar, just north of the Jezreel Valley.
4:7 ^q The Kishon River, which runs northwest into the Mediterranean just north of Mount Carmel, formed the Jezreel Valley.
4:8 ^r The theme of the reluctant rescuer surfaces again with Gideon (6:15 ^s; cp. Exod 3:11 ^t).
4:9 ^u Honor for the victory would go to a woman, which meant a loss of face for Barak.

• This Kedesh appears to have been near Mount Tabor (cp. 4:6 ^v, 12 ^w), a different location than the Kedesh in Naphtali (4:6 ^x), which would have been too far north for the action described.
4:10 ^y The warriors came from Barak’s tribe of Naphtali and its southern neighbor, Zebulun.
4:11 ^z Kenites related to Moses’ father-in-law had settled in Judah (1:16 ^aa), in the southern desert (Exod 2:16-22 ^ab) near the Amalekites in the mountainous country near Moab (Num 24:21-22 ^ac). Part of the tribe had apparently migrated north and settled near the Sea of Galilee.
Summary for Judg 4:12-13: 4:12-13 ^ad Upon hearing of Barak’s muster of troops, Sisera fell into the trap set by the Lord. He headed for the Jezreel Valley with his chariots, marching along the Kishon River where wheeled vehicles could operate freely.
Summary for Judg 4:14-16: 4:14-16 ^ae Mount Tabor, with its forest cover, was a strategic location, and the rush down the hill must have surprised the unsuspecting Canaanites. The battle was won, however, because it was the Lord’s war, not because of human strategy and tactics.

• Nothing is said here about why the chariots were so ineffective; this awaits the poetic version of the account (5:21 ^af).
Summary for Judg 4:17-20: 4:17-20 ^ag Sisera felt that he was back in friendly circles (cp. 4:11 ^ah). A woman whose husband was absent would normally invite a man into her tent only for sex, but Sisera would have interpreted this invitation as an opportunity for safe haven. Jael did nothing to shake his confidence as she concealed and refreshed him.
4:19 ^ai The milk was probably the curds so favored by the Arabs (cp. “yogurt,” 5:25 ^aj); many believe that it is soporific.
Summary for Judg 4:21-22: 4:21-22 ^ak Jael completed what seems to have been her intention all along. There is a more graphic description of the event in 5:26-27 ^al.
4:23 ^am God defeated Jabin by orchestrating people and events.
4:24 ^an Sisera’s army was gone, but Jabin and his kingdom were subdued more gradually.

‏ Judges 5

Summary for Judg 5:1-31: 5:1-31 ^ao This song, a victory hymn usually credited to Deborah, presents a second, more poetic account of the entire battle with various details that supplement the prose account. It is one of the most ancient Hebrew poems. It blesses the Lord, those tribes who responded to the muster, and Jael. It curses those who remained at home, Sisera, and his mother’s entourage. It contrasts conditions before Barak’s victory, when the Lord’s curse was on the land, with the life of blessing in the wake of the warriors’ righteous acts. It ends with a prayer that the Lord’s enemies will perish like Sisera (5:31 ^ap).
5:3 ^aq The victory song is primarily a hymn to the Lord, the God of Israel. It is also a wisdom song that gives instruction to kings and rulers, as other wisdom psalms do (see thematic note for Wisdom Psalms at end of chapter).
Summary for Judg 5:4-5: 5:4-5 ^ar In the poem, the Lord is on the march from his home in the mountains of Edom (cp. Hab 3:3 ^as), or Mount Sinai (one tradition places Sinai east of the Jordan Valley, in the region of Edom; cp. Gal 4:25 ^at). The fire and earthquake that had so terrified Israel at the giving of the law (Exod 19:18 ^au) here symbolize God’s power and fury on the battlefield against his enemies.

• Torrential rain would have created a quagmire, making Sisera’s chariots a liability rather than an asset (Judg 4:15-16 ^av).
5:6 ^aw During this period of chaos and uncertainty, there was little security for those living outside the main walled cities. Even Shamgar (see 3:31 ^ax) did little to alleviate the misery of the common people, who suffered under the hand of the Canaanites and their cruel commander, Sisera.
5:7 ^ay Deborah was God’s agent in bringing relief during this general social breakdown. Deborah did not muster or command the troops, but she was Israel’s spiritual and emotional pillar; she is described as a mother in Israel.
5:8 ^az Israel was in social chaos and also lacked defensive weapons.

• Forty thousand warriors: The Hebrew word translated thousand could also be translated clans (see study note on Exod 12:37).
5:10 ^ba Both the rich (those who ride) and the poor (those who walk) were to listen and spread the song, which would have both a spiritual and a social impact as it was disseminated.
5:11 ^bb Listen to the village musicians: The picture is of divine exploits being recited where people gathered. Much Old Testament narrative and psalmody probably took shape in this way. “Remembering” in song and poetry is foundational to both Jewish and Christian worship.
5:13 ^bc The few were Barak’s army, marching down against the mighty warriors of Sisera’s army.
Summary for Judg 5:14-18: 5:14-18 ^bd These verses honor those who volunteered and shame those who did not.

• Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (represented by Makir) came from the south. Issachar, the territory where the battle actually took place, was joined by Zebulun and Naphtali, the two tribes closest to Barak’s home base.

• The tribes that were too irresolute and fainthearted to join the fight included Reuben, Gad (represented by Gilead), Dan, and Asher.
Summary for Judg 5:19-23: 5:19-23 ^be The battle is described. The brave warriors who followed Deborah and Barak faded into the background as the Lord mustered the stars of heaven and the Kishon River to obliterate Sisera’s host. 5:19 ^bf Taanach was southeast of the great administrative center of Megiddo, so the battle took place in the lower part of the Jezreel Valley. The references to Taanach and Megiddo are probably poetic allusions to well-known places in the Jezreel Valley, rather than exact locations of any fighting, which appears to have taken place between Mount Tabor and the lowlands around the Kishon River.
5:23 ^bg The location of Meroz is unknown, but it should not be confused with Merom (Josh 11:5 ^bh), which was approximately twenty miles to the north in the hills of Galilee.
Summary for Judg 5:24-27: 5:24-27 ^bi Sisera’s end is described in a brief celebration of Jael.
5:28 ^bj The natural confidence of Sisera’s mother was beginning to crumble.
Summary for Judg 5:29-30: 5:29-30 ^bk The wise women betrayed Sisera’s evil intentions as they tried to encourage his mother.

• The poet didn’t need to tell how the story concluded.
5:31 ^bl Sisera typifies the Lord’s enemies; Jael represents those who love the Lord.

• there was peace in the land: Rest followed the Lord’s rescue.

Thematic note: Wisdom Psalms
Some psalms are called wisdom psalms because they make a case for the primary importance of wisdom or instruct readers in dealing with questions, issues, and doubts that arise in life (see Pss 1 ^bm; 14 ^bn; 25 ^bo; 34 ^bp; 37 ^bq; 39 ^br; 49 ^bs; 73 ^bt; 78 ^bu; 90 ^bv; 91 ^bw; 111 ^bx; 112 ^by; 127 ^bz; 128 ^ca; 131 ^cb; 133 ^cc; 139 ^cd). Many other psalms contain elements of wisdom teaching (see Pss 18 ^ce; 27 ^cf; 31 ^cg; 32 ^ch; 40 ^ci; 62 ^cj; 92 ^ck; 94 ^cl; 107 ^cm; 144 ^cn; 146 ^co).
In the other nations of the ancient Near East, wisdom had to do with maintaining order, pleasing the gods and other people, and carefully observing life, society, and nature. In Israel, wisdom shares these concerns but is distinct in the centrality it gives to fear of the Lord. God alone is the center and focus of life, and proper fear of him opens the path of wisdom (111:10 ^cp). Fear of the Lord is a disposition of absolute submission to and trust in the Lord (115:11 ^cq; see also 40:3 ^cr; 112:7 ^cs), which leads to purity of life (19:9 ^ct). Psalm 34 ^cu connects the fear of the Lord with abundant life.
The way of wisdom is the way of godliness. Psalm 1 ^cv invites all readers of the psalms to delight in God, his revelation, and the lifestyle that results from his care for the wise. The lives of the godly demonstrate inner consistency, growth, and beauty as they increasingly reflect God’s righteousness and justice, love and fidelity, compassion and grace. They practice godliness from the inside out.
Wisdom enlarges a person’s perspective on life. A wise person desires to see life from God’s point of view. This search means living in submission and trust under the sovereign King who maintains the order and harmony of creation. Seeking God encourages an orderly and peaceful life and motivates obedience (19:7 ^cw; 25:12 ^cx; 51:6 ^cy; 112:1 ^cz; 119:98-100 ^da). The wise imitate God, and their lives are full of joy even when they are suffering hardship. They praise the Lord amid all circumstances of life (see 22:23 ^db, 25 ^dc), and they face life confidently because the Lord is with them (23:4 ^dd; 27:1 ^de, 3 ^df; 33:18 ^dg; 91:1-16 ^dh).
In contrast to the way of the wise is the way of the fool, or the wicked. Such people perceive themselves as powerful and continually boast of their accomplishments. They do not accept limitations. They brag, oppress, steal, and deprive others of their happiness. They have no fear of the Lord (36:1 ^di; 55:19 ^dj). The poets of Israel repeatedly warned the people to be wary of the path of folly, lest God’s judgment overtake them (2:10-11 ^dk; 94:8-10 ^dl).
Jesus Christ came into the world as God in the flesh, and he embodies all the qualities of wisdom. Through him, we can walk in the way of wisdom (Col 2:2-3 ^dm).

Passages for Further Study
Pss 1 ^dn; 14 ^do; 25 ^dp; 34 ^dq; 37 ^dr; 39 ^ds; 49 ^dt; 73 ^du; 78 ^dv; 90 ^dw; 91 ^dx; 111 ^dy; 112 ^dz; 127 ^ea; 128 ^eb; 131 ^ec; 133 ^ed; 139 ^ee