Judges 4:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died.

NIV: Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, now that Ehud was dead.

NASB: Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died.

CSB: The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died.

NLT: After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.

KJV: And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

NKJV: When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.

The downward spiral, a cycle of sin and rescue (Judges 2:16–19), continues. Israel remains faithful to the Lord as long as the judge who delivered them lives. Perhaps the judge keeps alive the needed memories: both the pain of oppression and God's mighty victory on Israel's behalf. Once the judge dies, however, faithfulness to the Lord doesn't remain with the following generations. The allure of the false gods of the land becomes too strong, and the children of the faithful generation fall away into doing "evil in the sight of the Lord."

It should be emphasized that this "evil" went far beyond failing to keep the law of Moses down to the tiniest detail. Any sin would justify God's wrath. In this case, serving Canaanite gods involved everything from participation in gross sexual immorality to the killing of children on fiery altars. The Lord's anger against His people came in response to truly evil practices.

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).

Accessed 5/3/2024 9:22:39 AM