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

15The 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. Meanwhile, 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. 18When Jael came out ⌞of her tent⌟, she met Sisera. She told him, “Sir, come in here! Come into my tent. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she hid him under a tent curtain. 19Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink. I’m thirsty.” But instead she gave him milk to drink and covered him up again.

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 leads priests away barefoot and misleads those who serve in a temple.
• Job 18:7“His healthy stride is shortened, and his own planning trips him up.
• Job 40:11Unleash your outbursts of anger. Look at all who are arrogant, and put them down.
• Psalms 37:35I have seen a wicked person ⌞acting like⌟ a tyrant, spreading himself out like a large cedar tree.
• Psalms 107:40He poured contempt on their influential people and made them stumble around in a pathless desert.
• Proverbs 29:23A person’s pride will humiliate him, but a humble spirit gains honor.
• Amos 5:19It is like a person who flees from a lion only to be attacked by a bear. It is like a person who goes home and puts his hand on the wall only to be bitten by a snake.
• Judges 5:6In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, roads were deserted. Those who traveled took back roads.
• Psalms 69:22Let the table set for them become a trap and a snare for their friends.
• Isaiah 57:21“There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.

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