Judges 4:9

Judges 4:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
• New International Version (NIV)“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Context of Judges 4:9

7I will deceive Sisera, the leader of King Jabin's army. He will go to the Kishon river with his great army and all their chariots. I will put them all under your power.” ’ 8Barak said to Deborah, ‘I will go if you will come with me. But if you do not agree to go, I will not go either.’ Deborah said, ‘Yes, I will go with you. But you will not receive honour for the battle. Instead, the Lord will put Sisera under the power of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10Barak told the men from Zebulun and Naphtali to go with him to Kedesh. 10,000 men came to follow him. Deborah also went with him. 11A certain Kenite man called Heber, did not live with the other Kenites. They were descendants of Hobab, the father of Moses' wife. Heber was living in a tent beside the big tree in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.

Judges 4:9 word by word

וַתֹּ֜אמֶר הָלֹ֧ךְ אֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֗ךְ אֶ֚פֶס כִּי֩ לֹ֨א תִֽהְיֶ֜ה תִּֽפְאַרְתְּךָ֗ עַל־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּ֣ה הוֹלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֣י בְֽיַד־אִשָּׁ֔ה יִמְכֹּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־סִֽיסְרָ֑א וַתָּ֧קָם דְּבוֹרָ֛ה וַתֵּ֥לֶך עִם־בָּרָ֖ק קֶֽדְשָׁה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And she saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I will surelyהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• with thee: notwithstandingאֶ֫פֶס'ephes · endH657
• the journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• shall not be for thine honourתִּפְאָרָהtiph'ârâh tiph'ereth · beautyH8597
• for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• shall sellמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
• Siseraסִיסְרָאsîyserâ' · SiseraH5516
• into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• And Deborahדְּבוֹרָהdebôrâh debôrâh · DeborahH1683
• aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• with Barakבָּרָקbârâq · BarakH1301
• to Kedeshקֶ֫דֶשׁqedesh · KedeshH6943

Cross-references for Judges 4:9

• 1 Samuel 2:30Because of what you have done, the Lord, Israel's God, says this to you: “I promised your family and your ancestors that they would serve me as priests for ever.” But now the Lord says, “That will never happen! I will give honour to people who respect me. But I will curse people who insult me.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They warned King Uzziah. They said to him, ‘It is not right for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, may do that. They are the people that God has chosen to offer incense to him. So you must leave this Holy Place because you have done something that is wrong. As a result, the Lord God will not give you any honour.’
• Judges 2:14The Lord was very angry with the Israelites and he punished them. He sent robbers to attack them and take their animals and their food. He put them under the power of their enemies who lived around them. They were not strong enough to fight against their enemies.
• Judges 4:17Sisera 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.
• Judges 5:24But Jael should receive great honour! Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, should receive more honour than all other women who live in tents.
• Judges 9:54Abimelech quickly said to the young man who carried his weapons, ‘Take hold of your sword and kill me! I do not want people to say that a woman killed me!’ So the young man killed him with his sword.
• 2 Samuel 20:21That is not what we want. But there is a man in your city whose name is Sheba. He is Bicri's son and he comes from the hill country of Ephraim. He has turned against King David. If you will give me this one man, I will go away from your city. I will not destroy it.’ The woman said to Joab, ‘Wait there! I will throw his head to you from the wall.’

Commentaries on Judges 4:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman - Does not this mean, If I go with thee, the conquest shall be attributed to me, and thou wilt have no honor? Or, is it a prediction of the exploit of Jael? In both these senses the words have been understood. It seems, however, more likely that Jael is intended. The Septuagint made a remarkable addition to the speech of Barak: "If thou wilt go with me I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Mark the unhesitating faith and courage of Deborah, and the rebuke to Barak‘s timidity, “the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Jael, Judges 4:22). For a similar use of a weak instrument, that the excellency of the power might be of God, compare the history of Gideon and his 300, David and his sling, Shamgar and his ox-goad, Samson and the jawbone of the ass. (See 1 Corinthians 1:26, 1 Corinthians 1:31.) Barak would probably think the woman…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-9Verses 4-9 Deborah was a prophetess; one instructed in Divine knowledge by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. She judged Israel as God's mouth to them; correcting abuses, and redressing grievances. By God's direction, she ordered Barak to raise an army, and engage Jabin's forces. Barak insisted much upon her presence. Deborah promised to go with him. She would not send him where she would not go herself. Those who in God's name call others to their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9A woman would receive the honor for the victory, causing Barak to lose face. This Kedesh seems to have been near Mount Tabor (compare Judges 4:6, 12), a different location from the Kedesh in Naphtali (4:6), which was too far north for the described action.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman--This was a prediction which Barak could not understand at the time; but the strain of it conveyed a rebuke of his unmanly fears.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 4:9

• Canaanites
• Deborah
• Hypocrisy
• Kedesh

In the dictionaries

• Kedesh
• Asleep
• Harosheth of the Gentiles
• Prophetess
• Tabor
• Thirsty
• Abdon (1)
• Galilee
• Hospitality; Host
• Israel, History of

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