Judges 4 9

Judges 4:9 kjv

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:9 nkjv

So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:9 niv

"Certainly I will go with you," said Deborah. "But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:9 esv

And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:9 nlt

"Very well," she replied, "I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the LORD's victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4 verses

Judges 4 9 Meaning

Deborah unequivocally states her commitment to accompany Barak to battle, reaffirming God's command. However, she also prophesies that because of Barak's condition for her presence, the ultimate glory for Sisera's defeat will not be ascribed to him. Instead, the LORD, in His sovereign power, will orchestrate Sisera's ignominious end by delivering him into the hand of a woman, ensuring that divine honor prevails over human pride and conventional expectations.

Judges 4 9 Context

Judges chapter 4 details Israel's prolonged oppression under Jabin, King of Canaan, whose formidable army was led by Sisera, commander of 900 iron chariots. This suffering led Israel to cry out to the LORD. Deborah, a prophetess and judge over Israel, arises as a divine instrument of liberation. She summons Barak and relays God's explicit command for him to lead 10,000 men to Mount Tabor to defeat Sisera's forces. Barak, while not outright refusing, hesitates significantly by stating he will only go if Deborah accompanies him. Judges 4:9 is Deborah's direct response to Barak's conditional obedience, delivering a prophecy that the consequence of his hesitation will be the forfeiture of the customary glory associated with such a victory, and its transfer to a woman, directly fulfilled later in the chapter by Jael's act. This serves as a vital lesson to Israel: true victory and glory belong to God alone, and He dispenses it as He wills, often in unexpected ways to humble human pride.

Judges 4 9 Word analysis

• And she said: Identifies Deborah as the speaker, a woman exercising prophetic authority as a judge of Israel. This immediate establishment of her voice underlines her significant role in God's plan.

• "I will surely go with you" (הָלֹךְ אֵלֵךְ, halokh elekh): This is a Hebrew emphatic construction, using the infinitive absolute before the finite verb ("going, I will go" or "I will certainly go"). It signifies an unwavering, definite commitment from Deborah. It conveys her faithfulness and obedience to God, contrasting Barak’s partial faith.

• "nevertheless," (אַךְ, 'akh): A strong adversative particle, meaning "but," "only," or "surely." It signals a critical qualification to her agreement, introducing the consequence of Barak's lack of full faith or his demand.

• "the road on which you are going" (הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ, ha-derekh asher telekh): This refers to the specific military campaign against Sisera, not just the physical journey. It encompasses the entire endeavor and the expected outcome, particularly the fame or honor that would accrue to the victor.

• "will not lead to your glory" (לֹא תִהְיֶה תִּפְאַרְתְּךָ, lo tihyeh tif'art'kha):

  • tif'art'kha (תִּפְאַרְתְּךָ) derives from tif'eret (תִּפְאֶרֶת), meaning "glory," "splendor," "honor," "beauty," or "renown." It refers to public recognition and praise for accomplishment. Deborah predicts Barak will not receive the customary singular military honor due to a conquering general. This speaks to God's prerogative in bestowing or withholding honor.

• "for the LORD" (כִּי יְהוָה, ki YHWH): ki (כִּי) signifies cause or reason. YHWH is the covenant name of God, emphasizing that this outcome is not a coincidence or a matter of fate, but a deliberate act of divine sovereignty and power. He is the ultimate agent determining the battle's victor and recipient of glory.

• "will sell" (יִמְכֹּר, yimkor): From the verb makar (מָכַר), meaning "to sell" or "to hand over for a price." In a military context, this term denotes complete subjugation and definitive surrender of the enemy into the power of another. It emphasizes God's absolute control over Sisera’s destiny, as if He is transferring property. It implies Sisera's utterly helpless and degraded state before God.

• "Sisera" (סִיסְרָא, Sisra): The name of the powerful Canaanite army commander. His prominence as a military leader heightens the impact of his foretold defeat by "a woman."

• "into the hand of a woman" (בְּיַד אִשָּׁה, b'yad ishah):

  • b'yad (בְּיַד): Literally "in the hand of," signifying power, control, authority, and ultimate defeat. Sisera is not just killed, but completely "delivered into the power of" this woman.
  • ishah (אִשָּׁה): "Woman." This is the core of the prophecy’s surprising nature and profound significance. In a patriarchal society where military victory was quintessentially a male domain, being vanquished by a woman was the ultimate disgrace for a formidable general like Sisera and a public humiliation for Barak, whose sought-after glory was denied.

• Word-Groups Analysis:

  • "I will surely go with you; nevertheless...": This phrase highlights Deborah's dual role. She is compliant and supportive, affirming God’s call and accommodating Barak's request. Yet, she is also the divine messenger, immediately providing a strong corrective and prophetic warning, showing God’s unyielding will for His glory.
  • "the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera": This directly links Barak's condition/lack of full faith to the deprivation of his expected glory. The reason given is clear: it is the LORD who acts. God is the sovereign dispenser of destiny and glory, not humans. This serves to humble human agency and elevate divine power.
  • "will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman": This specific prophecy of Sisera's delivery "into the hand of a woman" underscores the divine inversion of human expectations. It's a double humiliation: Sisera, the mighty warrior, reduced to an object of divine disposal, and then defeated by the weakest societal agent in terms of military might – a woman. This detail amplifies God’s glory by demonstrating His power over all human constructs and hierarchies. It prepares the reader for Jael's unconventional act in Judges 4:21.

Judges 4 9 Bonus section

• The fulfillment of this prophecy in Judges 4:21-22, where Jael (a non-Israelite woman) kills Sisera with a tent peg, and Judges 5:24-27 (the Song of Deborah and Barak) where Jael is highly praised, demonstrates the precise accuracy of divine prophecy and the divine inversion of expected gender roles.
• The humiliation for Sisera was multifold: defeated not in open battle by a warrior, but while seeking refuge, by a woman using a domestic tool (tent peg), signifying a complete deconstruction of his perceived masculinity and military might.
• This account reinforces the polemic against Canaanite beliefs in powerful male warrior gods like Baal. YHWH demonstrates His supremacy by using ordinary and "unconventional" means to defeat the mighty, showing that He operates independently of human strength or status.
• The passage subtly critiques an excessive desire for personal glory. Barak sought glory alongside his faith, and God adjusted the outcome to purify the channel of honor to Himself.
• It illustrates that while God accommodates human choices (like Barak's condition), He remains utterly sovereign over the ultimate outcome and where the glory falls.

Judges 4 9 Commentary

Judges 4:9 stands as a profound theological statement wrapped within a narrative of military strategy and human dynamics. Deborah's prophecy functions as a crucial moral commentary on Barak's hesitation. His request for Deborah's presence, while understandable from a human perspective of seeking reassurance, effectively diverted his full reliance from God alone. Consequently, the "glory" (Hebrew tif'eret), or the renowned honor that typically crowns a triumphant warrior, is justly withheld from him by divine decree. This highlights a fundamental biblical principle: God guards His glory jealously, giving it to no other. He will not share the honor of deliverance with one whose faith wavered.

The LORD's sovereign act is depicted strikingly as "selling" Sisera, reducing the formidable commander to a mere chattel or prisoner to be decisively handed over. This metaphor emphasizes the completeness of Sisera’s defeat and God's absolute control. Crucially, this delivery is destined for "the hand of a woman." In an ancient Near Eastern, patriarchal society, being conquered or killed by a woman would have been the ultimate humiliation for a powerful general like Sisera and an profound public disgrace. For Barak, this meant his sought-after triumph would be diminished, and the distinct, singular honor he might have received would be shifted. This deliberate choice by God underscores His ability to achieve His purposes through the most unexpected and seemingly weak instruments, thereby magnifying His power and simultaneously shaming both the oppressive enemy and any lingering human pride. It reiterates that true deliverance is solely of the LORD, who delights in overturning human hierarchies to make His omnipotence undeniably clear.