Judges 4:5 Where ambition hath possessed itself thoroughly of the soul, it turns the heart into steel, and makes it uncapable of a conscience. All sins will easily down with the man that is resolved to rise. Bishop Hall. Reference. IX. 8-15. A. Raleigh, From Dawn to the Perfect Day, p. 132. read more
THE SIBYL OF MOUNT EPHRAIMJudges 4:1-24THERE arises now in Israel a prophetess, one of those rare women whose souls burn with enthusiasm and holy purpose when the hearts of men are abject and despondent; and to Deborah it is given to make a nation hear her call. Of prophetesses the world has seen but few; generally the woman has her work of teaching and administering justice in the name of God within a domestic circle and finds all her energy needed there. But queens have reigned with firm... read more
3. Third Declension: Under Jabin, Deborah, and Barak CHAPTER 4 1. Sold into the hand of Jabin (Judges 4:1-2 ) 2. The cry of the children of Israel (Judges 4:3 ) 3. Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:4-11 ) 4. The conflict and Jael’s deed (Judges 4:12-24 ) Ehud the mighty instrument of Jehovah had died, and again the children of Israel lapsed into evil. Then the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, King of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor. His captain was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of... read more
4:11 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 {f} unto the plain of Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh.(f) Meaning, that he possessed a great part of that country. read more
DEBORAH AND BARAK (vv.1-24) Ehud evidently judged Israel during 80 years of peace, but after his death Israel again turned from the Lord's ways, doing evil in His sight. It is not said what evil, but their lapses apparently always involved worshiping the idols of the nations. On this occasion the Lord delivered Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan (v. 2). Jabin's name means "he will understand," for Canaanites ("traffickers") are keen to discern where they may make material gain,... read more
THE ERA OF DEBORAH THE SE RV ITUDE TO CANAAN (Judges 4:0 ) We met before with “Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor” (see Joshua 11:0 ), but this seems to have been a second of the name who built a new capitol on the ruins of the former one. The Israelites failed to exterminate these enemies on the north, who had now become strong enough to visit them with the severest oppression they had yet experienced, and which lasted twenty years (Judges 4:3 ). Deborah’s appearance on the... read more
Deborah and Her Song Judges 4:0 , Judges 5:0 THE fourth and fifth chapters bring into view quite a host of secondary characters, such as Jabin and his chief captain, Sisera; Deborah and Barak; Heber, and Jael his wife; and in the great song of triumph and judgment names come and go with flashes of colour full of history and criticism. Sometimes we are told of a song that the words are nothing the tune is everything. That may be a happy circumstance as regards some songs, but that criticism... read more
Though the Lord's army were, by the express orders of Deborah, to be gathered from those two tribes, yet from some expressions we meet with after in Deborah's song, it should seem t hat there were others, who were, perhaps, volunteers in this sacred service. See Judges 5:15 . read more
The account of this Kenite is very properly introduced here, in order to explain what afterwards follows in the history, Judges 4:17 . read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Judges 4:11
(11) Heber the Kenite.—See Judges 1:16; Judges 3:31; Numbers 10:29.Which was of the children of Hobab.—Rather, had separated himself from Kain,from the children of Hobab. Nomadic settlements are constantly liable to send off these separate colonies. The life and movements of the Kenites resembled those of gipsies, except that they had flocks and herds. To this day a small Bedouin settlement presents very nearly the same aspect as a gipsy camp.The father in law of Moses.—Rather, the... read more