Judges 4 15

Judges 4:15 kjv

And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

Judges 4:15 nkjv

And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.

Judges 4:15 niv

At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

Judges 4:15 esv

And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.

Judges 4:15 nlt

When Barak attacked, the LORD threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.

Judges 4 verses

Judges 4 15 Meaning

Judges 4:15 describes the pivotal moment of the battle where the Lord intervened supernaturally to rout Sisera's formidable army. The verse highlights God's active role in creating panic and disarray among the Canaanite forces, rendering their superior military technology, especially the chariots, useless. Sisera, the proud commander, is reduced to abandoning his symbols of power and fleeing ignominiously on foot, marking the decisive turn in Israel's victory.

Judges 4 15 Context

Judges Chapter 4 unfolds during a dark period in Israel's history when they had again turned away from the Lord and were oppressed for twenty years by Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, whose military commander was Sisera. Sisera commanded a formidable army, notable for its 900 chariots of iron, a symbol of overwhelming military superiority in that era. In their distress, the Israelites cried out to God. Deborah, a prophetess and judge, along with Barak, the military leader, were called by the Lord to confront Sisera. Barak's initial reluctance, contingent on Deborah accompanying him, led to her prophecy that the glory of the victory would go to a woman. The battle was set near Mount Tabor, an advantageous position for the Israelites against chariot forces on the open plain of Jezreel, and it is at this crucial engagement that Judges 4:15 vividly portrays the decisive, divinely-wrought victory for Israel.

Judges 4 15 Word analysis

• And the Lord confounded (וַיָּהָם יְהוָה - vayyāhom Yahweh): The Hebrew verb הָמַם (hāmam) means "to disturb, throw into confusion, rout, utterly discomfit." It signifies a supernatural panic or disarray caused by God. This is not a military tactic by Barak, but a direct, powerful act of divine intervention, leading to chaos and impotence among Sisera's forces. This term is used elsewhere for God confounding enemies (e.g., Exod 14:24, 1 Sam 7:10), indicating His consistent method of warfare. It suggests psychological disorientation and physical incapacitation.

• Sisera (אֶת־סִיסְרָא - et-Sisera): The commander of the formidable Canaanite army. His name here immediately identifies the leader whose might is about to be humiliated, underscoring the victory over Israel's chief oppressor.

• and all his chariots (וְאֶת־כָּל־רִכְבּוֹ - v'et-kol-rikbō): Chariots, especially "chariots of iron" (Judges 4:3), represented the cutting-edge military technology of the age and were considered virtually invincible on open terrain. This phrase highlights the scale of Sisera's perceived power and signifies that even this superior weaponry was powerless against the Lord. The mention in Judges 5:21 that the torrent of Kishon "swept them away" provides a key insight into how the chariots were "confounded" – immobilized by flash floods, rendering their tactical advantage useless. This served as a potent polemic against pagan deities (like Baal, a Canaanite storm god), showing Yahweh's ultimate control over nature.

• and all his army (וְאֶת־כָּל־מַחֲנֵהוּ - v'et-kol-maḥănehū): Encompasses the entire military force. The defeat was comprehensive, not just of a part but of the whole army, emphasizing the totality of God's judgment and the rout.

• before Barak (לִפְנֵי בָרָק - lifnei Barāq): "In front of Barak" or "in the sight of Barak." While God was the agent of confounding, Barak was the appointed human leader on the battlefield, the instrument through whom this divine power was manifested. It clarifies that the victory was given to Barak but performed by the Lord. This maintains human responsibility within divine sovereignty.

• by the edge of the sword (לְפִי־חֶרֶב - l'pī-ḥerev): This idiomatic phrase means "by means of the sword" or "at the mouth of the sword," signifying slaughter or severe defeat in battle. It describes the physical consequence of the confounding – the panicking army becoming easy prey for the pursuing Israelite foot soldiers.

• and Sisera alighted from his chariot (וַיֵּרֶד סִיסְרָא מֵעַל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה - vayyēred Sisera mēʿal hammĕrkāvāh): Sisera's act of dismounting from his chariot is profoundly significant. For a chariot commander, the chariot was a symbol of status, power, and speed. Abandoning it meant admitting utter defeat and humiliation. He renounced his most powerful asset for basic, desperate flight, signaling the complete breakdown of his military and personal stature.

• and fled away on his feet (וַיָּנָס בְּרַגְלָיו׃ - vayyānās b'raglāyw): This stark image contrasts his earlier position as a charioted general with his final, humiliating mode of escape. It is the ultimate degradation for a commander who relies on cavalry. This flight directly sets the stage for the fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy in Judges 4:9, that Sisera would be delivered "into the hand of a woman," specifically Jael.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And the Lord confounded Sisera...before Barak by the edge of the sword": This entire clause asserts divine agency. Yahweh directly causes Sisera's powerful forces to crumble, showing His supreme authority over all earthly powers and military might. The rout leads to their slaughter by Israel, establishing God's sovereignty over the outcome of the battle, making Barak the instrument, not the source of power.
  • "Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on his feet": This part highlights the reversal of fortune and the personal humiliation of Sisera. The grand general is reduced to a fleeing fugitive. This dramatic contrast underscores the effectiveness of God's confounding act and directly sets up the subsequent narrative where Sisera's life is taken by a woman.

Judges 4 15 Bonus section

The battle of Judges 4-5 takes place in the plain of Jezreel, specifically around the Wadi Kishon. While seemingly ideal for chariots, this area is prone to flash floods. God's "confounding" through a torrential rain, turning the terrain into mud, demonstrates His superior command over nature compared to the Canaanite god Baal, who was venerated as a storm god. This was a powerful theological polemic. The Israelite infantry's advantage on the rain-soaked, muddy terrain meant they could pursue and slaughter Sisera's now-immobile forces, highlighting that God fights with or without superior human armaments. Sisera's flight southwards aligns with his expected return route to Hazor or Harosheth-hagoyim.

Judges 4 15 Commentary

Judges 4:15 is the dramatic climax of the battle, asserting the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh in delivering Israel from oppression. The crucial element is God's active confounding (hamam) of Sisera's army, implying not just human strategy but supernatural intervention, likely through meteorological events like flash floods (as revealed in Judges 5) that bogged down the powerful Canaanite chariots. This rendered their primary military advantage useless and caused mass panic, turning an ordered force into disoriented, fleeing targets. The phrase "by the edge of the sword" signifies the resulting slaughter of the demoralized troops.

The verse starkly portrays Sisera's humiliation: the commander of 900 iron chariots is forced to abandon his ultimate symbol of power and flee on foot, stripped of all dignity. This personal defeat sets the stage for Deborah's prophecy regarding a woman's hand in his demise, ensuring that human glory is minimized and God's power is maximally revealed. The message is clear: military might and human pride are utterly ineffective against the direct intervention of the Lord.