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1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 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.

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 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.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

17 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.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21 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.

22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

<html><b> Charoshes Hogoyim.</b> The name of a city, so entitled because it was a stronghold, and the seat of authority.¹<i class=“footnote”>This is based on Targum Yonasan, who translates <span>חֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּוֹיׅם</span> as “the stronghold, metropolis of nations”.</i></html>

<html><b> Oppressed the Bnei Yisroel intensely.</b> R' Tanchuma expounded, through ridicule. Similarly, it is said, “Your remarks offend me intensely.”²<i class=“footnote”>Malachi, 3:13. Vs. 14, 15 there define the offensive remarks as ridicule of the worship of Adonoy.</i></html>

<html><b> The wife of Lapidos.</b> She fashioned wicks for the sanctuary.³<i class=“footnote”>Megilah, 14:a. <span>לַפּׅיד</span> is translated as “torch”.</i></html>

<html><b> Under [Devorah's] date tree.</b> She owned date trees in Yericho. <b>Between Ramah and Beis El, on Mount Ephrayim.</b> From Yonasan's translation⁴<i class=“footnote”>Targum Yonasan renders, “She lived in the city of Ataros. Devorah was financially independent. She owned date trees in Yericho, orchards in Ramah, oil producing olive trees in the wetlands of the Beis Eil plateau, white soil in Tur Malka.”</i> we infer that this passage is not meant literally—that these are not intended to identify her dwelling place. Rather, we learn that she was an affluent woman, with financial interests in these places. She lived in a city named Ataros. <b>Under [Devorah's] date tree.</b> She owned date trees in Yericho, vineyards in Rama, olive trees in the Bethel plateau, a fertile area, and white soil in Mount Ephrayim, at Tur Malka. In my opinion, this was sold for ceramic use. Some interpret “white soil” as grain fields, as in “the grain [lit. “white”] field.”⁵<i class=“footnote”>The Talmud [Moed Katan, 6:b, etc.] refers to the grain field as <span>שֽׂדֵה לׇכׇן</span>, literally “white field.” Rashi [Pe’ah, 3:1] explains that this is because grain whitens when ripe for harvesting. Or, to distinguish between the grain field, which is subject to the sun’s white glare, and the orchard, which is darkened by the shade of the trees.</i></html>

<html><b> Has not….commanded?</b> Through Moshe, “For you shall totally annihilate them.”⁶<i class=“footnote”>Devarim, 20:17</i> Mechilta teaches this.⁷<i class=“footnote”>Yalkut, 4:43.</i></html>

<html><b> At his heels.</b> With him.</html>

<html><b> Elon Betza'anayim.</b> The marshland plain.⁸<i class=“footnote”>This is Targum Yonasan’s rendition.</i> A plateau area with marshes, “mariscum”, “morass” in old French. This is called <span>אַגָנַיָא</span>—pools, similar to ditches where water settles, “entitled 'the earth's flasks.'”⁹<i class=“footnote”>Kiddushin, 61:a, notes that water filed ditches are entitled <span>אַגׇּנֵי דּֽאַרְעָא</span>, “the earth’s flasks.” Thus, <span>אַגָנַיׇא</span>, “flasks,” refer to the marshland pools.</i></html>

<html><b> From Charoshes Hagoyim to Kishon stream.</b> He mobilized them to proceed to the stream of Kishon from Charoshes Hagoyim where he was stationed.</html>

<html><b> With a cloak.</b> Yonasan renders <span>גוֹנְכׇא</span>. R' Hai translates <span>גוֹנְכׇא</span> as cloak, “Coate” in old French.</html>

<html><b> The milk pouch.</b> Since milk induces drowsiness, then slumber.¹⁰<i class=“footnote”>He requested water. Why did she give him milk? To make him drowsy.</i></html>

<html><b> Stand at the entrance to the tent.</b> Be zealous about it. Some interpret <span>עֲמֹד</span> [lit. “stand”] as <span>לַעֲמוֹד</span>, “to stand”.¹¹<i class=“footnote”>This interpretation adds the <span>ל</span>, which does not actually appear in the text, so that the reading is “He told her to stand at the entrance.” According to the literal textual interpretation, the reading is, “He told her, stand at the entrance.” This is problematic, as the masculine <span>עֲמוֹד</span>, rather than <span>עִמֽדִי</span>, is inappropriate in addressing a woman. The additional <span>ל</span> solves this difficulty by transforming the command, <span>עֲמוֹד</span>, “stand”, into the infinitive <span>לַעֲמוֹד</span>, “to stand.”</i></html>

<html><b> A tent peg.</b> “Chevilles” in old French. This is embedded in the ground with the lower flap of the tent in order to extend it fully. <b>A hammer.</b> Hammer, “martel” in old French. <b>Furtively.</b> Stealthily, in secret. <b>And impaled it into the ground.</b><span>וּנְעַצַתְּ בְּאַרְעָא</span>,¹²<i class=“footnote”>This is Targum Yonasan’s rendition.</i> and impaled it into the ground.</html>

<html><b> In his forehead.</b><span>בְּצִידֽעֵיה</span>, “tenplia” in old French. She had penetrated his forehead and the ground.</html>