Judges 4:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.

NIV: "I’m thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

NASB: And he said to her, 'Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.' So she opened a leather bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.

CSB: He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty." She opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

NLT: Please give me some water,' he said. 'I’m thirsty.' So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.

KJV: And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

NKJV: Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him.

The commander of the defeated Canaanite army, Sisera, is running for his life (Judges 4:15–16). He comes to the tents of a supposed ally in the region: Heber the Kenite (Judges 4:11). Heber has a peace agreement with Sisera's Canaanite king, Jabin of Hazor. Perhaps that's why Sisera so readily agrees to hide in the tent of Heber's wife when she urges him to do so. She has told him not to be afraid and has covered him with a rug to conceal his presence (Judges 4:17–18).

Here, Sisera makes a polite request for water to drink. He is likely exhausted. He has come a long way from the battle. It's not surprising he would be thirsty. At the same time, Sisera's request is a clever means of demanding protection. Ancient middle eastern hospitality included protection for guests—which was implied when the host shared food or drink. According to social customs, offering a guest food was a solemn vow not to harm them.

This makes Jael's response—and what happens shortly after—more surprising. She offers milk, which is heartier than water, and hides Sisera from prying eyes. From the standpoint of that culture, this was practically a sworn oath that she would seek Sisera's good. As it happens, Jael's motives are not helpful. She is certainly offering hospitality in an attempt to deceive, and possibly milk to make Sisera sleepier. By the time her true motives are revealed, it will be too late for the Canaanite general (Judges 4:20–21).

Judges 4:17–24 reveals the fulfillment of Deborah's prophecy. As Israel routs and destroys an army, the enemy commander flees on foot. Sisera runs to the home of a man allied with his king, Jabin. Heber's wife, Jael, reassures Sisera and hides him under a rug inside a tent. However, when Sisera falls asleep, she kills him by driving a tent peg through his skull and into the ground. She then tells Barak, the Israeli judge in pursuit of Sisera, what has happened. The people of Israel follow through on this victory until Jabin is also defeated.

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).