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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Judges 4:21

Verse Judges 4:21. A nail of the tent] One of the spikes by which they fasten to the ground the cords which are attached to the cloth or covering.

He was fast asleep and weary.] As he lay on one side, and was overwhelmed with sleep through the heat and fatigues of the day, the piercing of his temples must have in a moment put him past resistance.

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See also Judges 4:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    If we can overlook the treachery and violence which belonged to the morals of the age and country, and bear in mind Jael’s ardent sympathies with the oppressed people of God, her faith in the right of...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THIRD DECLENSION: UNDER JABIN, DEBORAH, AND BARAK CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Sold into the hand of Jabin (Judges 4:1)_ 2. The cry of the children of Israel (Judges 4:3) 3. Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:4) 4...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BATTLE OF THE KISHON AND THE DEATH OF SISERA. The Galilean highlanders rushed like a torrent down the slope of Mt. Tabor, and swept the enemy before them. When Sisera left his chariot and fled on...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    NAIL OF THE TENT. a tent peg. Constantly tents are taken down and put up by the women to the present day. SO HE DIED. The first often recorded deaths at the hands of women: Sisera (Judges 4:21); Abime...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a tent-pin_ a wooden peg, used for fastening the ropes, and driven in with THE MALLET, both of them instruments which Bedouin women are accustomed to use. _and it pierced through_ AND IT DESCENDED;...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEN JAEL, HEBER'S WIFE, &C.— This nail was one of those great _pins_ with which they fastened the tents to the ground. Bishop Patrick upon this event observes, that she might as well have let Sisera...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _The Death of Sisera Judges 4:17-24_ 17 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 Hebe...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THEN JAEL HEBER'S WIFE TOOK A NAIL OF THE TENT, AND TOOK AN HAMMER IN HER HAND, AND WENT SOFTLY UNTO HIM, AND SMOTE THE NAIL INTO HIS TEMPLES, AND FASTENED IT INTO THE GROUND: FOR HE WAS FAST ASLEEP...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DEBORAH AND BARAK This deliverance is described a second time in the early poem in Judges 5 (see on Judges 5:1). No other narrative describes more clearly the religious gathering of the clans, and the...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The nail or tent-pin was of wood: to drive it into the ground when camping was the women's work. On the morality of the act see on Judges 5:24....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 4 V1 After Ehud’s death, the *Israelites again did not obey God. V2 The *Lord allowed Jabin to *conquer them. Jabin was the king of Hazor in *Canaan...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEN. — Many commentators have ventured to assume that at this instant Jael received a Divine intimation of what she was to do. To make such an assumption as a way of defending an act of assassination...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ תִּקַּ֣ח יָעֵ֣ל אֵֽשֶׁת ־חֶ֠בֶר אֶת ־יְתַ֨

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE SIBYL OF MOUNT EPHRAIM Judges 4:1 THERE arises now in Israel a prophetess, one of those rare women whose souls burn with enthusiasm and holy purpose when the hearts of men are abject and desponde...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A WOMAN EXECUTIONER Judges 4:14 “The Lord discomfited Sisera and all his host.” When General Gordon rode off alone on his camel to break up the camps of the Arab slave-drivers, he realized, as he wen...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    With almost wearisome monotony the story of declension, discipline, and deliverance goes forward. After the eighty years of rest, the children of Israel sinned again, and were delivered into the hands...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Judges chapter four may indicate Shamgar worked only briefly after Ehud. At any rate, the children of Israel began to worship idols again after the death of Ehud (Ruth 4:1; Ruth 5:8). God allowed Jabi...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Then Jael Heber's wife took a (k) nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asle...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Tent. Such nails were used to fasten down the skins, of which the tent was composed. (Calmet) --- This resembled a stake, though Josephus says it was made of iron. (Menochius) --- And died. Thus he me...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    That this thing was of the Lord, no one can doubt, who considers that Deborah had before pointed out, under the Spirit of prophecy, that the Lord had sold Sisera into the hand of a woman. See Judges 4...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The book of Joshua has shown the power of Jehovah in the conquests of His people, and this too distinguished from the measure of their practical taking possession of what was conquered. For as these a...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _WAS JAEL A MURDERESS?_ ‘Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 3, 4, AND 5. God, knowing what the people were, and what was their condition, had left within the borders of their land that which put obedience to the proof-...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN JAEL, HEBER'S WIFE, TOOK A NAIL OF THE TENT,.... When she perceived he was fast asleep, and it being now put into her heart to kill him, having an impulse upon her spirit, which she was persuaded...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep a...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then Jael took a nail of the tent_ That is, one of that sort on which the cords of the tent were fastened, and which consequently were of a large size. _Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou s...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    [DEBORAH, BARAK.] 1 Deborah and Barak deliuer them from Iabin and Sisera. 18 Iael killeth Sisera. 1 AND the children of Israel againe did euil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2 And t...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Sisera's Death...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Jael, Heber's wife, mindful of the fact that the man lying in her tent was a tyrant, a ruthless enemy of a nation with which her family was joined in the bonds of the closest relationship, TOOK A...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    DEBORAH AND BARAK (vv.1-24) Ehud evidently judged Israel during 80 years of peace, but after his death Israel again turned from the Lord's ways, doing evil in His sight. It is not said WHAT evil, b...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    TOOK: _ Heb._ put...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    17-24 Sisera's chariots had been his pride and his confidence. Thus are those disappointed who rest on the creature; like a broken reed, it not only breaks under them, but pierces them with many sorr...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A NAIL OF THE TENT; wherewith they used to fasten the tent, which consequently was long and sharp, being headed with iron: these weapons she chooseth, either, 1. Because she had no better weapons at...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 4:21 Jael H3278 Hebers H2268 wife H802 took H3947 (H8799) tent H168 peg H3489 took H7760 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘ 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 sle...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Judges 4:21 Jael appears to us as a hateful murderess; our feeling towards her is one of horror and indignation. Yet in the Bible she is extolled as amongst the noblest of heroes. The question is, wh...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Victories of Deborah and Barak. CHARACTERS: God, Jabin, Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael. CONCLUSION: Those who slight God in their prosperity, will find themselves under a necessity of crying...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 4:1. _When Ehud was dead._ This period includes eighty years from the death of Othniel, and was fraught with important events. Chushan's eight years of affliction, and Eglon's eighteen of presi...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Jael went out to meet Sisera._ LIFE’S CRISES Emphatically are we reminded that life continually brings us to sudden moments in which we must act without time for careful reflection, the spirit of ou...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 4:1__ The fourth judge, Deborah, distinguishes herself as the most godly of all the judges. Her actions and words consistently pointed to God, not away from him....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 4:17 The story of Sisera’s death by the hand of JAEL is told in great detail, similar to the story of Ehud’s killing of Eglon (Judges 3:12)....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _VICTORY—THE LORD GOING BEFORE.— Judges 4:12_ CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 4:12. AND THEY SHOWED SISERA, etc.] Sisera was the generalissimo of the King of Hazor; to him, therefore, the report was carried,...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 4:2 SOLD THEM. See Judges 2:14, note. JABIN KING OF HAZOR. The exact site of _Hazor_ has not been identified with certainty, but it is conjectured by Robinson, with great probabilit...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Verse four, or chapter four, verse one; the same old story. AND the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin the ki...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Samuel 17:49;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    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 ob...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Does God condone assassinations? (See comments on Judges 3:20-21.) JUDGES 4:21 — Was Sisera lying down when Jael killed him, or was he upright as Judges 5:27 seems to indicate? PROBLEM: According to...

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