Judges 5 26

Judges 5:26 kjv

She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

Judges 5:26 nkjv

She stretched her hand to the tent peg, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple.

Judges 5:26 niv

Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.

Judges 5:26 esv

She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple.

Judges 5:26 nlt

Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg,
and with her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head.
With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples.

Judges 5 verses

Judges 5 26 Meaning

Judges 5:26 describes with graphic detail the decisive action of Jael against Sisera, the formidable commander of the Canaanite army. With her own hands, using common household tools—a tent peg and a hammer—she executed the enemy general, thereby bringing about Israel's victory. This act highlights God's sovereign power, demonstrating His ability to achieve mighty triumphs through unexpected and humble instruments, utterly humiliating the proud and mighty.

Judges 5 26 Context

Judges 5:26 is part of "The Song of Deborah," a victory hymn celebrating Israel's triumph over the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The broader context in Judges 4 describes how Jabin, King of Hazor, and his commander Sisera oppressed Israel for twenty years with nine hundred iron chariots. Deborah, a prophetess and judge, calls Barak to lead the Israelite army. Barak agrees, but only if Deborah accompanies him, leading to Deborah's prophecy that the honor of Sisera's defeat will fall to a woman. Sisera flees the battle and seeks refuge in the tent of Jael, a woman from the Kenite clan, who had peace with King Jabin. Verse 26, within Deborah's song, dramatically recounts Jael's specific, gruesome, yet divinely enabled act of slaying Sisera while he slept, thereby securing Israel's deliverance.

Judges 5 26 Word analysis

• She put her hand: Implies deliberate, decisive, and personal action. Jael is not merely a bystander but an active agent. This agency is remarkable for a woman in ancient patriarchal societies, underscoring God's empowerment.
• to the tent peg (יָתֵד - yathēdh): A simple, mundane tool for securing tents, found in any nomadic camp. This choice of weapon underscores Sisera's humiliation; he is not defeated by a warrior's sword but by a domestic instrument in the hands of a woman, emphasizing God's reversal of conventional power. Yatḥēdh also signifies stability or a sure place elsewhere (e.g., Isa 22:23), ironically becoming Sisera's demise.
• and her right hand: Often denotes strength, skill, and authority in Hebrew thought. This specific mention emphasizes the intentionality and force of Jael's blow.
• to the workmen’s hammer (מַקֶּבֶת הָעֲמֵלִים - maqkeveth ha‘amelim): A heavy mallet or tool for driving in stakes or working with metal, belonging to laborers or artisans. This highlights the unexpected nature of the weapon—not one of war, but of daily life and labor, possibly a nod to the Kenites' metalworking skill. It further signifies God's power working through the ordinary.
• she struck Sisera: The Hebrew verb (hāqāh) indicates a strong, forceful blow, underscoring the lethal nature of the action taken against a formidable general.
• she crushed his head: The Hebrew verb (māḥaqāh) here means "to smash," "to blot out," or "to destroy completely." The head, as the seat of life and authority, is symbolically crucial. This act powerfully echoes the theme of "crushing the head" of the enemy (e.g., Gen 3:15, Ps 68:21), a total, decisive victory over evil.
• she shattered and pierced his temple: The repetition of māḥaqāh ("shattered") reinforces the utter destruction. "Pierced" (ḥālaf) signifies a precise and fatal penetration. The "temple" (raqqāh), the soft part of the side of the head, is a vulnerable spot, making the blow undeniably lethal and humiliating. This graphic description emphasizes the finality of Sisera's defeat.

Judges 5 26 Bonus section

The intensely graphic nature of the description in this verse, praised in Deborah's song, contrasts starkly with the lament of Sisera's mother and her ladies in the subsequent verses (Jdg 5:28-30). While they anticipate Sisera returning with spoils and enslaved women, the song immediately preceding reveals his brutal demise. This stark juxtaposition intensifies the humiliation of Sisera and his people and magnifies Israel's deliverance and Jael's heroism, showcasing the comprehensive defeat of Canaanite aspirations. Jael's unconventional act of killing, which violated the norms of hospitality, is depicted as righteous within the framework of "holy war" and God's divine command to conquer and cast out the inhabitants of the land, demonstrating God's ultimate justice against His enemies.

Judges 5 26 Commentary

Judges 5:26 poetically immortalizes Jael's act of delivering Israel by slaying Sisera, revealing profound theological truths. It's a testament to God's unparalleled sovereignty, showing His capacity to utilize the seemingly weak, the unconventional, and the utterly improbable—a woman armed with household tools—to bring down the powerful and proud. Sisera's defeat at the hands of Jael is a divinely ordained reversal of power, turning the oppressor into the oppressed, and highlighting the humiliation of a mighty warrior defeated by domestic implements. This account powerfully demonstrates that victory is not achieved through human might or military superiority, but through faith in God, who delights in displaying His strength through humble instruments. Jael's bold and strategic action is celebrated as an act of courageous faith within the context of divine justice and deliverance for Israel.