He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
Parallel translations
- WEB He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
- KJV He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
- BSB He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
- NASB “He asked for water, she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
- NLT Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.
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
The song recounts how Jael gave Sisera milk in a noble dish.
Overview
The poetic retelling lingers on Jael's hospitality that disarmed the enemy commander. The generous gift heightens the irony of the judgment that followed. The detail magnifies how completely the feared oppressor was brought low.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Judg 4:19–21He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 5:25 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.