The site of the encampment was under a grove of oaks, or terebinths, in the upland valley of Kedesh. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias, 2018. van Wolde, Ellen. At that time, Deborah was the ruling judge in Israel. . She was accustomed to setting up and tearing down camp. Above all, try to persuade your husband, father, brothers and sons, that slavery is a crime against God and man, and that it is a Jael the wife of Heber! While there, the leering inhabitants of the city noticed her beauty in the marketplace, banged on the door of the old man, and demanded he hand her over to them. In this version, she offers Sisera milk and curds in a princely bowl, takes a tent pin and hammer in her hands, and crushes Siseras head (5:2527). By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks . [citation needed] According to Jack Sasson, there are reasons to doubt whether the events narrated in Judges 4 ever occurred. The Hebrew ya'el means ibex, a nimble, sure-footed mountain goat native to that region. The truth is that Jael violated that trust and jeopardized the relationship that her husband had built. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. You will have that defining moment in your life, just like Jael did, where you will be used mightily to further His kingdom. Deborah had great reason to applaud Jaels actions in her poem. Incidentally, this historic ground was located in Nephtali a land set apart for fleeing inhabitants of the 12 tribes of Israel. Tearing a page from Ehuds handbook, she lulls Sisera into trust and complacency. During the time of the Exodus the Kenites acted in kindness to Moses and the Israelites. http://www.angelfire.com/ok/bibleteaching/judges2.html All we know is that she was a bedouin (her people living in tents) and that she is the wife of Herber . The father in law of Moses.Rather, the brother-in-law. Lockyer, Herbert. The Canaanites were defeated, and Sisera fled the scene.[3]. If you are in a spiritual battle, what do you already have that you can use? Bible Trivia from all 66 version. All the chariots got stuck in the mud. (Gen. 15:18, 19). If she did not act, women would continue to be raped and tortured by their guests. If she did not act, she would miss the only chance of aligning herself with the Israelite conquerors. It is evident that Jael felt this failure, and was minded to rectify it. Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, Biblical Women in World and Hebrew Literature, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Jael keeps her own counsel. Jael was a woman in the Bible who helped the Israelites subdue Jabin the Canaanite king by single-handedly killing the commander of his army, Sisera. Because men were never allowed to enter a womens tent, no one would think to look for him there. He fell asleep and while he slept, she killed him. As a Judge in Israel, it was her obligation to save the Israelites from their enemies and restore peace and prosperity to the land. So here Jael sits, with the commander of the Canaanite army in her tent, and she has a decision to make. Jael's treachery and Deborah's gloating strike us as bloodthirsty, all the more so because we don't usually attribute such behavior to women. During the Wife of Bath's Prologue, and whilst discussing her fifth husband's "book of wikked wives", Chaucer mentions some wives who "han drive nailes in hir brain, / Whil that they slepte, and thus they had hem slain. Together, Heber and Jael live under the rich umbrella of safety and wealth afforded under a ratified peace treaty between themselves and General Sisera. The poem introduces an additional element that drives home the suggestions of motherhood and sexuality surrounding Yaels killing of Sisera. Jael in Judges 4. Zeitschrift fr die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 107 (1995): 240246. Ironically her life in a tent, and the skills this entailed, would serve as apt training for General Siseras betrayal and execution. Sisera runs and seeks refuge in the tent of Jael. A woman who, akin to the Virgin Mary, courageously helped save the Israelite nation despite the oppressive cultural norms for women, and chose Gods people over her own reputation. As he lies asleep, exhausted from the battle, Yael takes a tent peg and drives it through his forehead into the ground. She covered him with a rug to hide and comfort him. not from the husband. Jael, Blessed Above Women | Reformed Witness Hour Kedesh was a fenced city of Naphtali, a city of refuge. Her use of the address my lord may also be a bit of verbal foreplay; this address is often used in the Bible by women towards men with whom they have or will have a sexual relationship (cf. He brings forward Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite . Jud. Jael is portrayed in the French silent film Jael and Sisera (1911), directed by Henri Andrani.[23]. Jael lived in the days of the Judges. Jael features in the book of Judges as a heroic woman who killed Sisera, the leader of King Jabin's Canaanite army. Being killed by a woman would shame both the dead Canaanite general and the live Israelite general, who should have been the one to slay the enemy. Terms of Use: The contents of this blog post are restricted to your personal use only. Thus, Jael is not guilty of failing to provide hospitality. The loyalty of Heber perhaps goes only as deep as loyalty to an . Jaels primary job, though, was to pitch tents, and she had become an expert in all phases of making, pitching, and striking such dwellings. But while she was doing that, she was very much aware of the fact that there was a battle going on. Who was Jael's husband in the Bible Because of the practice of one man having multiple wives, each wife made, pitched and maintained her own tent. There is a large terebinth, called Sigar em-Messiah, six miles north-west of Kedes. Many scholars have argued, based on its linguistic features, that the poetic account is earlier than the prose version, and in fact that the Song of Deborah may be one of the oldest parts of the Hebrew Bible. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Pingback: Rebekah | Women in the Bible - December 28, 2017. With her husband, Jael tented near Kedesh, and there was peace between Heber and the Canaanite oppressors. The ancient laws of hospitality in the ancient Middle East were very strict. She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. And while he was dying, Sisera said to Jael, "Behold pain has taken hold of me, Jael, and I die like a woman. He remained in her tent though his presence there endangered everyone in the encampment. The story of the Bethlehem woman and Lots daughters are only two among thousands of similar stories during this time. The story of Jael in the Bible is short but it is power-packed with lessons about spiritual warfare. The Kenites were a Nomadic tribe of people who lived near Canaan. He asked for water, she gave him milk; Jael - Jehovah's WitnessesOfficial Website: jw.org 21 When Sisera had fallen sound asleep from exhaustion, Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and walked quietly toward him with a hammer in her hand. She and her husband, Heber, were Kenites, members of a nomadic tribe whose survival depended on its ability to stay clear of local disputes. Jael and her family were a bit like Abraham and Sarah. The way she killed Sisera was really gruesome and inglorious. The poetic account in Judges 5 is framed differently; it is mythic in tone and seems to imply a more aggressive Yael. which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses; who came along with the children of Israel through the wilderness into the land of Canaan, and first settled about Jericho, and then removed into the wilderness of Judah, Judges 1:16. had severed himself from the Kenites; which dwelt in the said wilderness; to whom he belonged when this separation was made, and on what account is not certain. Living such a life required strong hands and a willingness to work hard. She would have had no settled home, moving from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living. Bible Questions Answered Bible Verses Explained Bible Study Course Bible Study Tools . There is no way that she could win a physical fight with him. . Reminiscent of the Egyptians plight in the parting of the Red Sea, the Canaanites are slaughtered, with Sisera being the lone survivor. Above all, try to persuade your husband, father, brothers and sons, that slavery is a crime against God and man, and that it is a . Chapter 2. Women of the Bible: Jael's Story: A Novel - Google Books Jael followed the law of God in murdering a general of a Canaanite symbolic of taking away the oppression of the land and returning back to the Law of God, and not choosing to follow the unquestionable law the of hospitality that led only to abuse, oppression, detriment, and horror to women. | GotQuestions.org. Instead, Yael kills him. When Sisera asked for water, she gave him milk. Jael was married to a Kenanite named Heber, a man descended from Jethro (Moses father-in-law of the Midianites). Jael in the Bible - Read and Study Free Online Yael in the Book of Judges Yael's story begins with the Hebrew leader and prophetess Deborah. Tikva Frymer-Kensky, updated by Caryn Tamber-Rosenau Jewish Women's Archive, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jael&oldid=1161746071, Bertie also mentions "Jael, wife of Heber" in. The Kenites, being Nomadic, lived near Jericho but moved south to the region of Negev. Jael Shows to Barak, Sisera Lying Dead, James Jacques Joseph Tissot. He was a descendant of Jethro, the father of Zipporah and the father in law of Moses. It is believed they served customers wherever they traveled in the way of metalworkers. You will need to know the difference. What Can We Learn from Jael Killing a Canaanite? When the battle goes disastrously for Sisera and his troops, rather than die with his men on the battlefield, Sisera flees and goes to Yaels tent, for there is peace between King Jabin and Yaels husband, Heber the Kenite (4:17). While we are not sure about her faith, we are sure about her courage. I could not believe that such violence was in the Bible. Josephus, Flavius. Remember the story of Lot and the angels? This was the best way to secure hospitality and protection. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). In the narrative about the military heroine Deborah, Yael kills Sisera, the Canaanite general of King Jabin, after he escapes from the battle with Deborahs general, Barak. Deborah the Judge spreads the word, but they won't go without her. Unfortunately, Heber falls into the same trap as did the nation of Israel, and enjoys the riches and spoils of the land, compromising his integrity and beliefs to do so. Her decision was an easy one. But Jael also knows that her faithful God will break the bonds of slavery as long as the Israelites humble themselves, and turn back to the One True God of their nation. Whatever her motives, the story considers her action the will of God. Worse, he did this when she was alone. Jael watched uneasily through the flaps of her tent as clouds swept the blue from the sky and rain fell like a shroud across . This exegetical account clears Yael of any blame, and emphatically declares that nothing happened between her and Sisera when she brought him into her tent. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. I. Heber, Jaels husband, had a good relationship with the Caananites and thats why Sisera felt comfortable to find refuge in their camp. . Artemisia Gentileschi: Jael and Sisera - ArtBible.info Another explanation of the Talmudic dictum, by Rashi, is that the Matriarchs told their husbands to come to their handmaidens, intending this not for a sacred purpose, but because they were jealous of one another, and consequently Yaels deed was greater than theirs. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. Kadari, Tamar. Pseudo-Philo refers to Jael in the book, Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum: Now Jael took a stake in her left hand and approached him, saying, "If God will work this sign with me, I know that Sisera will fall into my hands. Jael was no match for him, neither in size nor military strategy. He entered the tent of a married woman. In that age women were the responsible party for making and setting up the tents in which they would live, wherever they settled. even from the children of Hobab Moses, Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. God used the evil in the hearts of Josephs brothers to make his dream come to pass. Newsom and Ringe consider her a survivor caught up in her husband's politics. Jael has often been understood to be the wife of Heber the Kenite. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women . She was married to Heber, the Kenite. A woman who, without her remarkably courageous deed, the descendants of Israel would have been lost. 4:2). Hospitality laws in the middle east, at that time, were very strict. After Barak demurs at the behest of the prophetess Deborah, God turns Sisera over to Jael who kills him by driving a tent peg through his skull after he enters her tent near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. Exhausted, but now relaxed and feeling safe, Sisera fell asleep. Yael has accomplished what Barak could not, and Sisera has indeed been delivered into the hand of a woman. The A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash praises Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, and includes her among the devout women converts, together with Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab, and Ruth (Yalkut Shimoni on Joshua, para. Change). However, even if we do not envision actual sex between the characters, Judges 4 and 5 are suffused with sexual overtonesand maternal ones. Only here we find that Heber had failed in headship by making peace with the Canaanitish king. Sisera was thirsty and asked for a drink, but instead of giving him water, she gave him a drink of milk and covered him with a blanket. Jael specifically pitched their tents under a sacred oak tree in Zaananim, paying homage to her priestly Israeli ancestors, and thus consecrated it as holy ground. At the same time, Siseras mothers crude reference to the human spoil she anticipates prompts a parallel with what Yael has done to her son. Jael would also be familiar with the legendary Ehud, a Benjamite who recently drove a knife into the heart of King Eglon of the Moabites during Israels last cycle of oppression. But when trouble came knocking, she used what she had. Pitched his tent. plain of ZaanaimThis is a mistranslation for "the oaks of the wanderers." Yes, trouble might come from these people but if that is the case, they are only instruments in the hands of the enemy. Additionally, Sisera is described as lying despoiled or destroyed (5:27), a word sometimes used in the Bible to speak about a woman being sexually violated. This shows how desperate he was to not be found. Since hospitality was especially important among nomadic tribes, it might be argued that Yael sinned by harming a guest who came to take shelter with her: instead of granting him protection, she murdered him. But this is not realistic. Episode 96: Can We Talk? Deborah was the first. As a result they had been cruelly oppressed by the Canaanites under King Jabin and his army commander, Sisera. Accordingly, Yaels action is greater than the performance of a commandment performed not for Heaven's sake. Deborah does accompany Barak, an Israelite general, to fight the Canaanites. Siseras mother and an attendant muse that the soldiers must be dividing the spoil, including a womb or two for the head of each man (5:30). Yael plays an important role in the story of Israels wars with the Canaanites, described in the Book of Judges. Women of the Bible: Jael the Wife of Heber - Calling All Christians The Kenites were not Israelites. A number of years have transpired after Rahab and Israel's victory over Jerichoa battle that started Israel's conquest of the land of Canaan. New Haven, CT: Yale, 2014. A Bible heroine, a Judge of Israel - not a judge who passes sentence on criminals, but a leader and adviser in times of trouble. Jael (3/29/2021) - BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over Deborah started the battle to defeat the enemy of Israel and Jael finished it. You could even say the fight wasnt fair. Jael's bravery illustrates, according to these scribes, the solidarity that had long defined the relationship between the Kenites and Israel. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. [3] However, the Hebrew phrase translated this way could also mean "a woman of the group of the Kenites". 31:19): She sets her hand to the distaff to Yael, who did not kill Sisera with a conventional weapon, but with a tent peg, with the strength of her hands (Midrash Eshet Hayil 31:19, Batei Midrashot, vol. First, Sisera should have gone to Hebers tent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. By Jaels one act, she saves Israel from oppression, reverses the traitorious bedmates of Israel with Canaan, demolishes the law of rape under the guise of hospitality, saves her own reputation, becomes a woman warrior in her own right, and fulfills Deborahs prophecy. Barak said to her, If you will go withme, I will go. The king, trusting Ehud, obliges. (Viewed on June 27, 2023)