Judges 4:21

‘ Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin, and took a mallet in her hand, and went quietly to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground. For he was in a deep sleep. So he swooned and died.'

It was because he had gone to sleep that she was able to do this. Using a tent-pin and mallet was second nature to such a woman who in an encampment would use them regularly. It was seen as a job for women. That is why they were in her tent. Thus she would be very adept with them. The weapon was more effective than a knife for this purpose. The bones would not deflect it. They also meant that if he suddenly woke up while she was crossing over to him it would not look so suspicious.

Thus did she ensure that this enemy of Israel did not escape. That it was her deliberate purpose to kill him from the start we cannot doubt. That she breached etiquette in doing so is, as we have seen, doubtful. Everything about his actions was wrong. He himself breached every rule of etiquette with regard to a man's wife, and he was willing to take advantage of her and put her at risk into the bargain. He had forfeited any right to consideration. And what other method could a woman have used to kill such a powerful enemy?

It is possible that she did it because her sympathies lay with Israel, and Israel's God, although Heber may have left the family of Hobab because he was not prepared to enter covenant with Yahweh. But there is no mention of Yahweh or of any such motive. In fact there is a remarkable and studied silence about it. Why no exultation? Why no praise to Yahweh? Why no reference to Him having delivered Sisera into her hand? We might be embarrassed about her deed but it is doubtful if anyone in her time would have anything but admiration for it. Yet she must have had some special reason for her act, for hating him so.

Perhaps he had previously shamed her in some way. Perhaps he had previously made lewd advances towards her during visits to the camp, or used his position to force his attentions on her. Like many men he would persuade himself that really she would enjoy it, (even if he thought about it). He was a Canaanite to whom sexual misbehaviour was second nature, with the power and authority to do almost what he wanted. And she was a semi-nomad, with little power. But as such she had the stricter moral ideas of her type. We cannot know all that lay behind it and should therefore hesitate to judge. But let us make no mistake about it. She took her revenge on a man who revealed what he was by being where he was. No woman of her type would have doubted the rightness of what she did.

His death at the hand of a woman would lead to mockery by fellow soldiers. His breaching of her tent would cause shock among tent dwellers. His death brought rejoicing throughout Israel. And he died a coward for the way he deserted his men. And the ribald laughter at the way he had been deceived would echo everywhere. He died without honour anywhere.