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 lead Sisera (the commander of Jabin’s army), his chariots, and troops to you at the Kishon River. I will hand him over to you.’ ” 8Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I’ll go. But if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” Deborah replied, “Certainly, I’ll go with you. But you won’t win any honors for the way you’re going about this, because the Lord will use a woman to defeat Sisera.” So Deborah started out for Kedesh with Barak. 10Barak called the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kedesh. Ten thousand men went to fight under his command. Deborah also went along with him. 11Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites (the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law). Heber went as far away as the oak tree at Zaanannim near Kedesh and set up his tent.

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 2:30“Therefore, the Lord God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence. “But now the Lord declares: I promise that I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him, “Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to the Lord. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron’s descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. The Lord God will not honor you for this.”
• Judges 2:14So the Lord became angry with the people of Israel. He handed them over to people who robbed them. He also used their enemies around them to defeat them. They could no longer stand up against their enemies.
• Judges 4:17Meanwhile, 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 5:24Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, should be the most blessed woman, the most blessed woman living in a tent.
• Judges 9:54He quickly called his armorbearer. He told him, “Take your sword and kill me! I don’t want anyone to say, ‘A woman killed Abimelech.’ ” His armorbearer did as he said, so Abimelech died.
• 2 Samuel 20:21That isn’t the case. A man from the mountains of Ephraim by the name of Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Give him to me, and I’ll withdraw from the city.” “That’s fine,” the woman told Joab. “His head will be thrown 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