Judges 4:15

Judges 4:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
• New International Version (NIV)At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.

Context of Judges 4:15

13So Sisera summoned all his chariots (900 chariots made of iron) and all his troops from Harosheth Haggoyim to come to the Kishon River. 14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Attack! This is the day the Lord will hand Sisera over to you. The Lord will go ahead of you.” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men behind him. The Lord threw Sisera, all his chariots, and his whole army into a panic in front of Barak’s deadly assault. Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth Haggoyim. So Sisera’s whole army was killed in combat. Not one man survived. 17Meanwhile, Sisera fled on foot toward the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Sisera did this because King Jabin of Hazor and Heber’s family were on peaceful terms.

Judges 4:15 word by word

וַיָּ֣הָם יְ֠הוָה אֶת־סִֽיסְרָ֨א וְאֶת־כָּל־הָרֶ֧כֶב וְאֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה לְפִי־חֶ֖רֶב לִפְנֵ֣י בָרָ֑ק וַיֵּ֧רֶד סִֽיסְרָ֛א מֵעַ֥ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה וַיָּ֥נָס בְּרַגְלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• discomfitedהָמַםhâmam · to confuseH2000
• Siseraסִיסְרָאsîyserâ' · SiseraH5516
• chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• hostמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
• with the edgeפֶּהpeh · lip: edgeH6310
• of the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• Barakבָּרָקbârâq · BarakH1301
• lighted downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• chariotמֶרְכָּבָהmerkâbâh · chariotH4818
• and fled awayנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• on his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272

Cross-references for Judges 4:15

• Judges 5:20The stars fought from heaven. They fought against Sisera from their heavenly paths.
• Joshua 10:10The Lord threw the enemy into disorder in front of Israel and defeated them decisively at Gibeon. He chased them along the road that goes to the slope of Beth Horon and continued to defeat them all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
• 2 Kings 7:6(The Lord had made the Aramean army hear what sounded like chariots, horses, and a large army. The Aramean soldiers said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!”
• 2 Chronicles 13:15and the men of Judah shouted. When they shouted, God attacked Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah.
• Psalms 83:9Do to them what you did to Midian, to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
• Hebrews 11:32What more should I say? I don’t have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

Commentaries on Judges 4:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The Lord discomfited Sisera - יהוה ויהם vayiahom Jehovah ; the Lord Confounded, threw them all into confusion, drove them pell-mell - caused chariots to break and overthrow chariots, and threw universal disorder into all their ranks. In this case Barak and his men had little to do but kill and pursue, and Sisera in order to escape, was obliged to abandon his chariot. There is no doubt all this was done by supernatural agency; God sent his angel and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Lighted down off his chariot - Probably his chariot stuck in the morass (see the note at Judges 4:7); or he might leave his chariot in order to mislead his pursuers, and in hope of gaining a place of safety while they were following the track of the chariot-wheels and the bulk of the host.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Siser's confidence was chiefly in his chariots. But if we have ground to hope that God goes before us, we may go on with courage and cheerfulness. Be not dismayed at the difficulties thou meetest with in resisting Satan, in serving God, or suffering for him; for is not the Lord gone before thee? Follow him then fully. Barak went down, though upon the plain the iron chariots would have advantage against him: he quitted the mountain in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Mount Tabor, covered in forest, was a strategic location. The sudden charge down the hill likely surprised the unsuspecting Canaanites. The battle was won because it was the Lord's war, not due to human strategy or tactics. The text does not explain why the chariots were ineffective; this is detailed in the poetic version of the account (Judges 5:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. the Lord discomfited Sisera--Hebrew, "threw his army into confusion"; men, horses, and chariots being intermingled in wild confusion. The disorder was produced by a supernatural panic (see on Jud 5:20). so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet--His chariot being probably distinguished by its superior size and elegance, would betray the rank of its rider, and he saw therefore that his only chance of escape was on foot.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 4:15

• Canaanites
• Deborah
• Hypocrisy

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Harosheth of the Gentiles
• Jabin
• Prophetess
• Thirsty
• Abdon (1)
• Discomfit; Discomfiture
• 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