Judges 4:17

Judges 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
• New International Version (NIV)Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
• New King James Version (NKJV)However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

Context of Judges 4:17

15When they started to attack, the Lord caused Sisera and all his army with their chariots to have great trouble. The Israelites chased them with their swords. Sisera jumped off his chariot and he ran away. 16Barak and his soldiers chased after Sisera's army and their chariots. They chased them to Harosheth Haggoyim. They killed Sisera's whole army. Not one of their soldiers was still alive! Sisera himself ran to hide in the tent of Heber's wife, Jael. He did that because King Jabin of Hazor had agreed to be friends with Heber's family. 18Jael came out of her tent to say ‘hello’ to Sisera. She said to him, ‘Please come into my tent, sir. You can rest safely here. Do not be afraid.’ So Sisera went into her tent to rest. Jael put a cloth over him. 19Sisera said to her, ‘I am thirsty. Please give me some water to drink.’ She gave him some milk from a leather bottle. Then she covered him again with the cloth.

Judges 4:17 word by word

וְסִֽיסְרָא֙ נָ֣ס בְּרַגְלָ֔יו אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל יָעֵ֔ל אֵ֖שֶּׁת חֶ֣בֶר הַקֵּינִ֑י כִּ֣י שָׁל֗וֹם בֵּ֚ין יָבִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־חָצ֔וֹר וּבֵ֕ין בֵּ֖ית חֶ֥בֶר הַקֵּינִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Howbeit Siseraסִיסְרָאsîyserâ' · SiseraH5516
• fled awayנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• on his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• to the tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• of Jaelיָעֵלyâ‛êl · JaelH3278
• the wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• of Heberחֶ֫בֶרcheber · HeberH2268
• the Keniteקֵינִיqêynîy qîynîy · KeniteH7017
• peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965
• between Jabinיָבִיןyâbîyn · JabinH2985
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Hazorחָצוֹרchâtsôr · HazorH2674
• and the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for Judges 4:17

• Job 12:19He causes priests to become ashamed. He removes the power of important people.
• Job 18:7Once he was strong but now his legs are weak. His own ideas cause him to fall down.
• Job 40:11Show everyone your great anger! Look at all the people who like to boast and bring them down low!
• Psalms 37:35I have seen cruel, wicked people become very powerful, like trees that grow well in good soil.
• Psalms 107:40Then God causes the enemy's leaders to become ashamed. He makes them travel on roads that go nowhere.
• Proverbs 29:23A person's pride will bring shame to him. But a humble person will receive honour.
• Amos 5:19Nobody will escape! It will be like a man who runs away from a lion, but then he meets a bear! When he goes into his house to be safe, he puts his hand on a wall and a snake bites him!
• Judges 5:6When Anath's son Shamgar ruled the land, nobody travelled on the roads. When Jael ruled, people walked on secret paths, because they were afraid.
• Psalms 69:22Please God, cause their feasts to become a trap for them. Let it bring trouble to them and their friends.
• Isaiah 57:21There will never be peace for wicked people.’ That is what my God says.

Commentaries on Judges 4:17

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Sisera went, not to Heber‘s tent, but to Joel‘s, as more secure from pursuit. Women occupied a separate tent. Genesis 18:6, Genesis 18:10; Genesis 24:67.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 Sisera's chariots had been his pride and his confidence. Thus are those disappointed who rest on the creature; like a broken reed, it not only breaks under them, but pierces them with many sorrows. The idol may quickly become a burden, Is 46:1; what we were sick for, God can make us sick of. It is probable that Jael really intended kindness to Sisera; but by a Divine impulse she was afterwards led to consider him as the determined enemy of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20Sisera believed he was among friends (see Judges 4:11). A woman whose husband was away would typically invite a man into her tent only for intimate reasons. However, Sisera saw this invitation as a chance for safety. Jael did not disturb his trust as she hid and refreshed him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1817-18. Sisera fled ... to the tent of Jael--According to the usages of nomadic people, the duty of receiving the stranger in the sheik's absence devolves on his wife, and the moment the stranger is admitted into his tent, his claim to be defended or concealed from his pursuers is established.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 4:17

• Canaanites
• Hazor
• Heber
• Hypocrisy
• Jabin
• Jael
• Kenites

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Harosheth of the Gentiles
• Heber
• Jael
• Kenites
• Prophetess
• Thirsty
• Abdon (1)
• Galilee
• Hospitality; Host

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