Chapter 4:
| Darby
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| Gill
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 4
Israel revolting from God is oppressed by Jabin, ver. 1-3.
Deborah concerts their deliverance with Barak, ver. 4-9. Barak
takes the field and conquers, ver. 10-16. Sisera flies and is killed,
ver. 17-21. Barak sees him, and Israel is delivered, ver. 22-24.
Verse 2. Of Canaan - That is, of the land where most of the Canaanites,
strictly so called, now dwelt, which seems to be in the northern
part of Canaan. This seems to be of the posterity of that Jabin,
whom Joshua slew, Josh. xi, 11, who watched all opportunities to
recover his ancient possessions, and to revenge his own and his
father's quarrel. In Hazor - In the territory or the kingdom of
Hazor, which might now be restored to its former largeness and
power. Of the Gentiles - So called, because it was much
frequented and inhabited by the Gentiles; either by the
Canaanites, who being beaten out of their former possessions,
seated themselves in those northern parts; or by other nations
coming there for traffick, whence Galilee, where this was, is
called Galilee of the Gentiles.
Verse 3. Mightily oppressed - More than former tyrants; from his malice
and hatred against the Israelites; and from God's just judgment,
the growing punishment being suitable to their aggravated
wickedness.
Verse 4. A prophetess - As there were men-prophets, so there were also
women-prophetesses, as Miriam, Exod. xv, 20. Huldah, 2 Kings
xxii, 14, and divers others; but the word prophets or prophetesses
is ambiguous, sometimes being used of persons extraordinarily
inspired by God, and endowed with the power of working
miracles, and foretelling things to come; and sometimes of
persons endowed with special gifts or graces, for the better
understanding and discoursing about the word and mind of God.
Of this sort were the sons of the prophets, or such as were bred in
the schools of the prophets. who are often called prophets, as 1
Sam. x, 5, 10. And because we read nothing of Deborah's miraculous
actions, perhaps she was only a woman of eminent holiness, and
knowledge of the holy scriptures, by which she was singularly
qualified for judging the people according to the laws of God.
Judged Israel - That is, determined causes and controversies
arising among the Israelites, as is implied, ver. 5. And this Jabin
might suffer to be done, especially by a woman. Yet the frequent
discharge of this part of the judge's office, whereby she gained
great power and authority with the people, did notably (though not
observed by the tyrant) prepare the way for her sliding into the
other part of her office, which was to defend and rescue the
people from their enemies.
Verse 5. And she dwelt - Or, she sat: she had her judgment-seat in the
open air, under the shadow of that tree; which was an emblem of
the justice she administered there: thriving and growing against
opposition, as the palm-tree does under pressures. Came to her -
To have their suits and causes determined by her sentence.
Verse 6. Called Barak - By virtue of that power which God had given
her, and the people owned in her. Kedesh Naphtali - So called, to
distinguish it from other places of that name, one in Judah, and
another in Issachar. Hath not the Lord, &c. - That is, assuredly
God hath commanded thee; this is not the fancy of a weak
woman, which peradventure thou mayst despise; but the
command of the great God by my mouth. Mount Tabor - A place
most fit for his purpose, as being in the borders of divers tribes,
and having a large plain at the top of it, where he might
conveniently marshal and discipline his army. Naphtali and
Zebulun - These she names because they were nearest and best
known to Barak, and therefore soonest brought together, because
they were nearest to the enemy, and therefore might speedily be
assembled, whilst the other tribes, being at a distance, had better
opportunity of gathering forces for their succor; and because these
had most smarted under this oppressor, who was in the heart of
their country; but these are not named exclusively, as appears by
the concurrence of some other tribes.
Verse 7. Draw to Thee - By my secret and powerful providence,
ordering and over-ruling his inclinations that way. In fixing the
very place, she gave him a sign, which might confirm his faith,
when he came to engage.
Verse 8. I will not go - His offer to go with her, shews the truth of his
faith, for which he is praised, Hebrew xi, 32, but his refusal to go
without her, shews the weakness of his faith, that he could not
trust God's bare word, as he ought to have done, without the
pledge of the presence of his prophetess.
Verse 10. Ten thousand at his feet - That is, who followed him; possibly
he intimates that they were all foot-men; and so this is
emphatically added, to signify by what contemptible means God
overthrew Sisera's great host.
Verse 11. Heber - The husband of Jael. Of Hobab - Called also Jethro.
The Kenites - From the rest of his brethren, who lived in the
wilderness of Judah. His tent - That is, his dwelling, which
probably was in tents, as shepherds used.
Verse 12. They - That is, this people dwelling there, or his spies.
Verse 14. Up - Hebrew. arise, delay not. If we have ground to believe,
that God goes before us, we may well go on with courage and
cheerfulness. Gone before thee - Namely, as general of thine
army, to fight for thee. Went down - He doth not make use of the
advantage which he had of the hill, where he might have been out
of the reach of his iron chariots, but boldly marcheth down into
the valley, to give Sisera the opportunity of using all his horses
and chariots, that so the victory might he more glorious.
Verse 15. Discomfited - With great terror and noise, as the word
signifies, probably with thunder and lightning, and hail-stones,
poured upon them from heaven, as is implied, chap. v, 20. Edge of
the sword - That is, by the sword of Barak and his army, whose
ministry God used; but so, that they had little else to do, but to kill
those whom God by more powerful arms had put to flight. On his
feet - That he might flee away more secretly in the quality of a
common soldier, whereas his chariot would have exposed him to
more observation.
Verse 16. Left - In the field; for there were some who fled away, as
Sisera did.
Verse 17. The tent of Jael - For women had their tents apart from their
husbands. And here he thought to lurk more securely than in her
husband's tent. Peace - Not a covenant of friendship, which they
were forbidden to make with that cursed people, but only a
cessation of hostilities, which he afforded them because they were
peaceable people, abhorring war, and wholly minding pasturage,
and were not Israelites, with whom his principal quarrel was; and
especially by God's over-ruling disposal of his heart to favour
them who were careful to keep themselves uncorrupted with
Israel's sins, and therefore preserved from their plagues.
Verse 18. Fear not - This was a promise of security, and therefore she
cannot be excused from dissimulation and treachery.
Verse 19. A bottle of milk - As a signification of greater respect.
Covered him - Upon pretense of hiding him.
Verse 21. A nail of the tent - Wherewith they used to fasten the tent,
which consequently was long and sharp. This might seem a very
bold attempt, but it must be considered, that she was encouraged
to it, by observing that the heavens and all the elements conspired
against him, as one devoted to destruction. In the following son,
Deborah doth not commend Jael's words, ver. 18. Turn in my
Lord, fear not; but only her action: touching which, this one
consideration may abundantly suffice to stop the mouths of
objectors. It cannot be denied, that every discourse which is
recorded in scripture, is not divinely inspired, because some of
them were uttered by the devil, and others by holy men, but
mistaken. This being so, the worst that any can infer from this
place is, that this song, tho' indited by a good woman, was not
divinely inspired, but only composed by a person transported with
joy for the deliverance of God's people, but subject to mistake;
who therefore, out of zeal to commend the instrument of so great
a deliverance, might overlook the indirectness of the means, and
commend that which should have been disliked, And if they
farther object, that it was composed by a prophetess, and therefore
must be divinely inspired; it may be replied, that every expression
of a true prophet was not divinely inspired; as is evident from
Samuel's mistake concerning Eliab, whom he thought to be the
Lord's anointed, 1 Sam. xvi, 6. This is said upon supposition that
Jael acted deceitfully in this affair; but if we suppose, which is
much more likely, that Jael fully intended to afford Sisera the
shelter and protection which he sought of her, but was afterwards
by the immediate direction of heaven ordered to kill him, the
whole difficulty vanishes, and the character both of Jael and of
Deborah remains unimpeached.
Chapter 4:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
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Lamentations
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Daniel
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1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
