Judges 4:21

Judges 4:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
• New International Version (NIV)But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Context of Judges 4:21

19And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a leather bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20And he said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. 22And behold, while Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he entered with her, and behold, Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple. 23So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan on that day before the sons of Israel.

Judges 4:21 word by word

וַתִּקַּ֣ח יָעֵ֣ל אֵֽשֶׁת־חֶ֠בֶר אֶת־יְתַ֨ד הָאֹ֜הֶל וַתָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַמַּקֶּ֣בֶת בְּיָדָ֗הּ וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלָיו֙ בַּלָּ֔אט וַתִּתְקַ֤ע אֶת־הַיָּתֵד֙ בְּרַקָּת֔וֹ וַתִּצְנַ֖ח בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֽוּא־נִרְדָּ֥ם וַיָּ֖עַף וַיָּמֹֽת׃Read the interlinear

• But Jaelיָעֵלyâ‛êl · JaelH3278
• Heber’sחֶ֫בֶרcheber · HeberH2268
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• tookשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: takeH7760
• a tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• pegיָתֵדyâthêd · pegH3489
• a hammerמַקָּבָהmaqqâbâh · hammerH4717
• in her handיָדyâd · handH3027
• and wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• secretlyלָטlâţ · secrecyH3909
• to him and droveתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628
• into his templeרַקָּהraqqâh · templeH7541
• and it wentצָנַחtsânach · to descendH6795
• into the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• and exhaustedעִיף‛âyêph · be faintH5888
• So he diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Judges 4:21

• Judges 3:21Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
• Judges 5:26She reached out her hand for the tent peg, And her right hand for the workmen’s hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple.
• Judges 15:15Then he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out with his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.
• 1 Samuel 17:43So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.”
• Exodus 35:18the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the courtyard and their ropes;
• Psalms 3:7Arise, Lord; save me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
• Judges 5:27Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell dead.

Commentaries on Judges 4:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21A nail of the tent - One of the spikes by which they fasten to the ground the cords which are attached to the cloth or covering. He was fast asleep and weary - As he lay on one side, and was overwhelmed with sleep through the heat and fatigues of the day, the piercing of his temples must have in a moment put him past resistance.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21If we can overlook the treachery and violence which belonged to the morals of the age and country, and bear in mind Jael‘s ardent sympathies with the oppressed people of God, her faith in the right of Israel to possess the land in which they were now slaves, her zeal for the glory of Yahweh as against the gods of Canaan, and the heroic courage and firmness with which she executed her deadly purpose, we shall be ready to yield to her the praise which is…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. 21-22Jael achieved what she intended from the start. A more detailed description of the event is in Judges 5:26–27.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Then Jael took a nail of the tent--most probably one of the pins with which the tent ropes are fastened to the ground. Escape was almost impossible for Sisera. But the taking of his life by the hand of Jael was murder. It was a direct violation of all the notions of honor and friendship that are usually held sacred among pastoral people, and for which it is impossible to conceive a woman in Jael's circumstances to have had any motive, except that of…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 4:21

• Canaanites
• Courage
• Heber
• Homicide
• Hypocrisy
• Jael
• Kenites
• Nail
• Treachery

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Carpenter
• Hammer
• Harosheth of the Gentiles
• Jael
• Kenites
• Nail
• Prophetess
• Thirsty
• Abdon (1)

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