Judges 4:17

Clause a taken with Judges 4:22 implies that Sisera, as he fled from the battle, found a place of refuge close by; but according to clause b taken with Judges 4:11 Jael's tent was in the north, near Kedesh-naphtali, 40 or 50 miles from the Kishon valley. The inconsistencies of the narrative can only be explained by supposing that the two stories of Jabin and Sisera have been combined by a sentence designed to harmonize them, 17b. Jael certainly belongs to the story of Sisera; it has been suggested that Heber belongs to that of Jabin. But we cannot separate Jael from Heber; it would be irregular to name a prominent Bedouin woman, living in an encampment with her family, without mentioning her husband. Probably we must separate Heber from Jabin, and suppose that the connexion between them is merely editorial; see above on Judges 4:11. The composite character of Judges 4:17 is responsible for another difficulty. In Judges 4:17 Sisera aims for Jael's tent because of the friendly relations between Heber and Jabin; but in Judges 4:18 he comes upon it while he is flying, and is persuaded by Jael to turn aside. By inserting after fled away on his feeta verb and camewe gain some relief, but it is better to regard clause b as not belonging to the original form of the narrative. - Jael'stent" is mentioned because as the wife of a Bedouin chief she would have a tent of her own.