Judges 4:3

Judges 4:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.

Context of Judges 4:3

1The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. 2So the Lord sold them to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years. 4Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes.

Judges 4:3 word by word

וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֠י תְּשַׁ֨ע מֵא֤וֹת רֶֽכֶב־בַּרְזֶל֙ ל֔וֹ וְ֠הוּא לָחַ֞ץ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּחָזְקָ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• criedצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• for he had nineתֵּ֫שַׁעtêsha‛ tish‛âh · nineH8672
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• of ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
• and twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• he mightilyחׇזְקָהchozqâh · forceH2394
• oppressedלָחַץlâchats · to oppressH3905

Cross-references for Judges 4:3

• Judges 3:9The Israelites cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, as a deliverer to save the Israelites.
• Judges 10:16So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, and he became weary of Israel’s misery.
• 1 Samuel 7:8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.”
• Psalms 50:15Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
• Psalms 78:34When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.
• Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave birth to me.” For they have turned their back to me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, “Rise up and save us!”
• Judges 1:19The Lord was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the plain because those people had iron chariots.
• Joshua 17:16But the descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots, both at Beth-shean with its surrounding villages and in the Jezreel Valley.”
• Judges 5:8Israel chose new gods, then there was war in the city gates. Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
• Deuteronomy 28:29so that at noon you will grope as a blind person gropes in the dark. You will not be successful in anything you do. You will only be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will help you.
• Psalms 106:42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their power.

Commentaries on Judges 4:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Nine hundred chariots of iron - Chariots armed with iron scythes, as is generally supposed; they could not have been made all of iron, but they might have been shod with iron, or had iron scythes projecting from the axle on each side, by which infantry might be easily cut down or thrown into confusion. The ancient Britons are said to have had such chariots.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Oppressed - The same word is used Exodus 3:9 of the oppression of Israel by the Egyptians. If they were put to task-work in hewing timber, their condition was very like that of their ancestors making bricks.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Historical records show that armies like Sisera's had many iron chariots. They expected to easily defeat the lightly armed Israelite foot soldiers.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. Jabin king of Canaan--"Jabin," a royal title (see on Jos 11:1). The second Jabin built a new capital on the ruins of the old (Jos 11:10, 11). The northern Canaanites had recovered from the effect of their disastrous overthrow in the time of Joshua, and now triumphed in their turn over Israel. This was the severest oppression to which Israel had been subjected. But it fell heaviest on the tribes in the north, and it was not till after a grinding…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 4:3

• Canaanites
• Iron
• Israel
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Asleep
• Chariot
• Harosheth of the Gentiles
• Prophetess
• Thirsty
• Abdon (1)

Commentaries on Judges 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings