translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JDG

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “did evil in the eyes of the Lord .”


text: Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”


text: Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.” map For location see Map1-D2 ; Map2-D3 ; Map3-A2 ; Map4-C1 .


text: Or “Harosheth of the Pagan Nations”; cf. KJV “Harosheth of the Gentiles.”


text: Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands , 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.


text: Heb “with strength.”


text: Heb “ a woman, a prophetess.” In Hebrew idiom the generic “woman” sometimes precedes the more specific designation. See GKC 437-38 §135. b .


text: Heb “she was.” The pronoun refers back to the nominative absolute “Deborah.” Hebrew style sometimes employs such resumptive pronouns when lengthy qualifiers separate the subject from the verb.


text: Or “judging.”


text: That is, “consider legal disputes.”


text: For location see Map4-G4 ; Map5-C1 ; Map6-E3 ; Map7-D1 ; Map8-G3 .


text: Heb “for judgment.”


text: Heb “sent and summoned.”


text: Heb “horde”; “multitude.”


text: Or “honor.”


text: Heb “on [account of (?)] the way which you are walking.” Another option is to translate, “due to the way you are going about this.” In this case direct reference is made to Barak’s hesitancy as the reason for his loss of glory.


text: Heb “for into the hands of a woman the Lord will sell Sisera.”


text: Heb “went up at his feet.”


text: Or “separated.”


text: Heb “pitched his tent.”


text: Heb “and they told Sisera.”


text: Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Or “summoned.”


text: Heb “Arise!”


text: The verb form (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”


text: Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”


text: Or “caused to panic.”


text: The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “before Barak.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Heb “got down from.”


text: Heb “fell.”


text: Heb “was left.”


text: For location see Map1-D2 ; Map2-D3 ; Map3-A2 ; Map4-C1 .


text: Heb “for there was peace between.”


text: Heb “Turn aside” (also a second time later in this verse).


text: Heb “took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand.”


text: Heb “and it went into the ground.”


text: Heb “and exhausted.” Another option is to understand this as a reference to the result of the fatal blow. In this case, the phrase could be translated, “and he breathed his last.”


text: Heb “he went to her.”


text: Heb “fallen, dead.”


text: Heb “The hand of the Israelites became more and more severe against.”


text: Heb “cut off.”


text: Heb “Jabin king of Canaan.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.