Judges 4:8-16
4:8 a The theme of the reluctant rescuer surfaces again with Gideon (6:15 b; cp. Exod 3:11 c).4:9 d 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 e, 12 f), a different location than the Kedesh in Naphtali (4:6 g), which would have been too far north for the action described.
4:10 h The warriors came from Barak’s tribe of Naphtali and its southern neighbor, Zebulun.
4:11 i Kenites related to Moses’ father-in-law had settled in Judah (1:16 j), in the southern desert (Exod 2:16-22 k) near the Amalekites in the mountainous country near Moab (Num 24:21-22 l). Part of the tribe had apparently migrated north and settled near the Sea of Galilee.
Summary for Judg 4:12-13: 4:12-13 m 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 n 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 o).
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