Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
Parallel translations
- WEB However 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.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
- NASB Now Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
- NLT Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Sisera flees to Jael's tent, trusting a peace between Jabin and Heber's house.
Overview
The fleeing commander seeks refuge where he believes he is safe, relying on political alliance. The supposed haven becomes the place of his downfall, as God's judgment cannot be evaded. The detail fulfills Deborah's word that the honor would fall to a woman.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 57:21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
- Ps 37:35–36I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
- Ps 69:22May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.
- Judg 5:6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
- Ps 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
- Job 12:19–21He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
- Job 40:11–12Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.
- Job 18:7–12His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.
- Amos 5:19–20It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.
- Prov 29:23A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- Judg 5:24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 4:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.