Judges 4:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.

NIV: There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

NASB: Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.

CSB: Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

NLT: At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.

KJV: And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

NKJV: And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.

The first difficult step for Barak in fulfilling God's call to defeat Sisera and the Canaanite army in battle was recruiting an army. This might have been one of his reasons for insisting that Deborah come along. The presence of a respected spiritual leader would have encouraged more men to join the fight (Judges 4:1–9). As it happens, the outcome suggests that the presence of the well-known prophetess of God made Barak's job much easier.

After returning to his hometown of Kedesh, Barak sends out a call. He seeks men of his tribe, Naphtali, and those of the neighboring tribe of Zebulun. Before long, an enormous army stands at Barak's "heels;" this expression means they come ready to follow his orders and follow him into battle. Scholars note that many languages use certain phrases, even numbers, as metaphors. In English, the phrase "a million" is often meant to mean "very many," as in, "I've worn that shirt a million times." The exact figure "10,000" is seen frequently in the book of Judges, and many of those instances might be that form of poetic license.

Regardless of the exact number of men recruited, the response is extremely positive. An enormous number was sought, and an enormous number was attained. This was great confirmation for Barak that God was engineering this effort.

Judges 4:1–10 introduces the pair of godly leaders featured in this cycle of Israel's redemption: Barak and Deborah. Israel is oppressed by the Canaanite king, Jabin, and his military commander, Sisera. The prophetess Deborah is said to be leading Israel as a judge, and she summons Barak to tell him about God's plan. Barak agrees to serve only if Deborah goes with him. She agrees, noting that credit for defeating Sisera will go to a woman. They raise an army and prepare for battle.

In response to their sin, God allows Israel to fall into oppression under Jabin, king of the Canaanites. Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, cruelly abuses the Israelites for twenty years. Through His prophetess Deborah, the Lord raises up Barak to lead a massive Israeli army. This force wipes out Canaan's army. Sisera flees on foot and hides in the tent of Heber's wife Jael. Once he is asleep, she kills him and then shows Barak the body. The Israelites soon destroy King Jabin and are freed from Canaanite oppression.

Judges 4 begins with the death of Ehud, the assassin-leader of chapter 3 who freed Israel from the Moabites. After the Israelite people return to wickedness, God submits them to Jabin and the Canaanites. After twenty years, the Lord raises up a deliverer called Barak through His prophetess Deborah. Israel obliterates the enemy army, and the general is slaughtered in his sleep by a woman. Jabin and the Canaanites are defeated. The next chapter poetically retells these events, followed by the introduction of an especially famous judge in chapter 6: Gideon.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).