CHAPTER 4
Deborah, a prophetess, judges Israel—She and Barah deliver Israel
from Canaanites—Jael, a woman, slays Sisera the Canaanite.
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18 ¶ And
Jaela went out to meet
Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And
when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a
amantle.
19 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.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
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18a Jael Ja-el means
Jehovah God of Jehovah is God. As has been recorded, the Israelites had taken
to intermarrying with the other nations. The men of Israel would marry
foreign women and they would give their daughters to marry foreign men
(Judges 3:6). It is therefore quite likely that Jael with the Hebrew name
meaning Jehovah is God was one such daughter of Israel who had been so
married. The course and purpose she took was very deliberate, even as though
she had been so instructed what to do. We can only speculate and read between
the lines, but the judge Deborah had already fortold that Sisera would be
killed by the hand of a woman (Judges 4:9). And in chapter 5 there is a song
of praise unto Jael (Judges 5:24-27). It all seems to be in that same tone
and flavor as when Nephi was instructed to kill Laban who had been delivered
into his hands (1 Nephi 4:10-13). And even both victims, Laban and Sisera,
were in a deepened state of 'sleep', feeling no pain in their immediated
deaths. Even Jael is said to have also cut off his head (Judges 5:26).
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