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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah when Ehud is dead, |
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| 2 and Jehovah selleth them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who hath reigned in Hazor, and the head of his host [is] Sisera, and he is dwelling in Harosheth of the Goyim; |
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| 3 and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, for he hath nine hundred chariots of iron, and he hath oppressed the sons of Israel mightily twenty years. |
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| 4 And Deborah, a woman inspired, wife of Lapidoth, she is judging Israel at that time, |
A prophetess – Perhaps a public teacher, or perhaps one through whom the Lord sent special messages. Probably the latter. R5605:1
Female as well as male servants of God must be faithful in using all their talents. R1549:4
Supporting female activity in the pursuits of life for which nature and education have fitted her. R1549:3
She judged - Admonished, guided, assisted. R5605:1
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| 5 and she is dwelling under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-El, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel go up unto her for judgment. |
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| 6 And she sendeth and calleth for Barak son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-Naphtali, and saith unto him, 'Hath not Jehovah, God of Israel, commanded go, and thou hast drawn towards mount Tabor, and hast taken with thee ten thousand men, out of the sons of Naphtali, and out of the sons of Zebulun, |
Mount Tabor – The Mount of Transfiguration, thus associating the vision of the Kingdom with the Armageddon field of disaster. R5604:3
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| 7 and I have drawn unto thee, unto the brook Kishon, Sisera, head of the host of Jabin, and his chariot, and his multitude, and have given him into thy hand.' |
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| 8 And Barak saith unto her, 'If thou dost go with me, then I have gone; and if thou dost not go with me, I do not go;' |
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| 9 and she saith, 'I do certainly go with thee; only, surely thy glory is not on the way which thou art going, for into the hand of a woman doth Jehovah sell Sisera;' and Deborah riseth and goeth with Barak to Kedesh. |
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| 10 And Barak calleth Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he goeth up at his feet [are] ten thousand men and Deborah goeth up with him. |
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| 11 And Heber the Kenite hath been separated from the Kenite, from the sons of Hobab father-in-law of Moses, and he stretcheth out his tent unto the oak in Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh. |
Hobab – Hobab was Moses' brother-in-law. (Num. 10:29) R3061:5, R4038:3
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| 12 And they declare to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam hath gone up to mount Tabor, |
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| 13 and Sisera calleth all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who [are] with him, from Harosheth of the Goyim, unto the brook Kishon. |
900 chariots – Showing the strength of Sisera's army. R5604:3
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| 14 And Deborah saith unto Barak, 'Rise, for this [is] the day in which Jehovah hath given Sisera into thy hand; hath not Jehovah gone out before thee ' And Barak goeth down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. |
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| 15 And Jehovah destroyeth Sisera, and all the chariots, and all the camp, by the mouth of the sword, before Barak, and Sisera cometh down from off the chariot, and fleeth on his feet. |
Discomfited Sisera – This is the first of the great battles in the Valley of Megiddo. R5604:2
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| 16 And Barak hath pursued after the chariots and after the camp, unto Harosheth of the Goyim, and all the camp of Sisera falleth by the mouth of the sword there hath not been left even one. |
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| 17 And Sisera hath fled on his feet unto the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite, for peace [is] between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite; |
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| 18 and Jael goeth out to meet Sisera, and saith unto him, 'Turn aside, my lord, turn aside unto me, fear not;' and he turneth aside unto her, into the tent, and she covereth him with a coverlet. |
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| 19 And he saith unto her, 'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water, for I am thirsty;' and she openeth the bottle of milk, and giveth him to drink, and covereth him. |
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| 20 And he saith unto her, 'Stand at the opening of the tent, and it hath been, if any doth come in, and hath asked thee, and said, Is there a man here that thou hast said, There is not.' |
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| 21 And Jael wife of Heber taketh the pin of the tent, and taketh the hammer in her hand, and goeth unto him gently, and striketh the pin into his temples, and it fasteneth in the earth and he hath been fast asleep, and is weary and he dieth. |
A nail of the tent – Tent-pin. R5605:4
Smote the nail – Not a breach of hospitality. The custom of the Arabs in Palestine is that any man intruding into a woman's tent was considered worthy of death. R5605:4
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| 22 And lo, Barak is pursuing Sisera, and Jael cometh out to meet him, and saith to him, 'Come, and I shew thee the man whom thou art seeking;' and he cometh in unto her, and lo, Sisera is fallen dead, and the pin in his temples. |
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| 23 And God humbleth on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel, |
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| 24 and the hand of the sons of Israel goeth, going on and becoming hard on Jabin king of Canaan, till that they have cut off Jabin king of Canaan. |
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