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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 5:24-31

Deborah here concludes this triumphant song, I. With the praises of Jael, her sister-heroine, whose valiant act had completed and crowned the victory. She had mentioned her before (Jdg. 5:6) as one that would have served her country if it had been in her power; now she applauds her as one that did serve it admirably well when it was in her power. Her poetry is finest and most florid here in the latter end of the song. How honourably does she speak of Jael (Jdg. 5:24), who preferred her peace... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:24

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be ,.... Under the same influence that Meroz was cursed, Jael is blessed, the one for not helping Israel in a public way, the other for doing it in a private manner; this blessing is pronounced, either in a way of prayer that it might be, or in a way of prophecy that it should be, and indeed in both: blessed shall she be above the women in the tent ; above all women that dwell in tents: this being a proper description of a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:25

He asked water, and she gave him milk ,.... That is, Sisera asked it of her, as the Targum expresses it, when he turned into her tent: she brought him fresh butter in a lordly dish ; which signifies either the same, the milk with cream on it, for that is meant by butter; or having first taken off the cream, she gave him milk to drink, and then brought the cream in a dish for him to eat, and thereby the more incline him to sleep; and this she brought in a dish fit for any lord or nobleman... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 5:26

She put her hand to the nail ,.... Her left hand, as the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate Latin versions express it, and as appears by what follows; she having taken up a pin from her tent, with which it was fastened to the ground, she clapped it to the temples of Sisera: and her right hand to the workman's hammer ; in her right hand she took a hammer, such as carpenters, and such like workmen, make use of, and workman like went about her business she had devised, and was determined upon,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:24

Blessed above women shall Jael - be - She shall be highly celebrated as a most heroic woman; all the Israelitish women shall glory in her. I do not understand these words as expressive of the Divine approbation towards Jael. See the observations at the end of Judges 4:24 ; (note). The word bless, both in Hebrew and Greek, often signifies to praise, to speak well of, to celebrate. This is most probably its sense here. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:25

She brought forth butter - As the word חמאה chemah , here translated butter, signifies disturbed, agitated, etc., it is probable that buttermilk is intended. The Arabs form their buttermilk by agitating the milk in a leathery bag, and the buttermilk is highly esteemed because of its refreshing and cooling quality; but there is no reason why we may not suppose that Jael gave him cream: Sisera was not only thirsty, but was also exhausted with fatigue; and nothing could be better... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 5:26

She smote off his head - The original does not warrant this translation; nor is it supported by fact. She smote his head, and transfixed him through the temples. It was his head that received the death wound, and the place where this wound was inflicted was the temples. The manner in which Jael despatched Sisera seems to have been this: Observing him to be in a profound sleep she took a workman's hammer, probably a joiner's mallet, and with one blow on the head deprived him of all... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:24

The blessing here pronounced is in strong contrast with the curse of Meroz. Deborah speaks of Jael’s deed by the light of her own age, which did not make manifest the evil of guile and bloodshed; the light in ours does. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:25

Butter - Rather curdled milk, probably a fermented and intoxicating drink. All these marks of respect and friendship would lull Sisera into security. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 5:26

Rather “she smote his head, and she struck and pierced through his temple.” read more

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