Judges 4:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.

NIV: On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

NASB: So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan on that day before the sons of Israel.

CSB: That day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.

NLT: So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king.

KJV: So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

NKJV: So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel.

Jabin was the king of Canaan—a distinct kingdom among a broader group with the same name. He had oppressed the Israelites for twenty years (Judges 4:1–3). He was able to do so because of his powerful army, led by the much-feared general Sisera and the 900 iron chariots at his disposal (Judges 5:6).

In response to cries for help from His people, the Lord subdued Jabin. He has spoken through his prophetess Deborah and has raised up a deliverer named Barak. Barak has followed the Lord by recruiting and leading an army against Sisera. That resulted in an overwhelming victory in which every Canaanite soldier was killed (Judges 4:15–16). In addition, the Lord used an otherwise unknown woman to kill Sisera, who ran from the battle and was executed in his sleep (Judges 4:21–22).

The battle against the Canaanites and Sisera's death have taken place, most likely, in a single day. Jabin himself is not yet defeated, but he soon will be. For most of human history, it has been rare for many, let alone most, soldiers to die in a battle. For Canaan to lose the entire army is devastating, and the defeat of the kingdom is not far behind. These two verses repeat Jabin's name and title three times (Judges 4:24), emphasizing the relentless, thorough defeat of Israel's enemy.

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).