Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. Aod. Samgar is passed over, either because he was only a private man, who performed a feat of valour like Jahel, (Calmet. 5:6. Salien) or because his government was so short and limited. Hence we need not wonder that he could not put a stop to the ravages of the Chanaanites, nor to the disorders of the people.
Verse 2. Asor. Josue defeated the king of this country. Joshua 11:8. But some of his successors had contrived to raise themselves again to power. His dominion probably extended only over the tribes of Nephthali, Zabulon, and Issachar, while Debbora judged in Mount Ephraim, and Samgar in Juda.—He dwelt. It is not clear whether Jabin or Sisara dwelt in Haroseth, but most probably it was the latter, verse 13. This city was on the northern banks of the Semechonite lake, ( Calmet.) surrounded with “woods,” as the Hebrew word signifies; (Vatab.) though Bonfrere explains it “a shop, foundry, or arsenal,” as if the arms and chariots were made and kept here. A mixture of different idolatrous nations dwelt in it.
Verse 3. Scythes. Hebrew “chariots of iron.” Calmet.
Verse 4. Lapidoth, signifies “lamps,” and Barac, “thunder;” which has given rise to various conjectures, as if they were the same person. Saint Ambrose thinks that Debbora was a widow at this time, and the mother of Barac. But S. Jerom says there is no proof of either. Others suppose that the excellence of the gift of prophecy would not permit her to cohabit with her husband. It is not unusual for women to possess this gift. Mary, the sister of Moses, Holda, the blessed Virgin, the daughter of S. Philip, and so forth were prophetesses. The devil most commonly chose women to explain his oracles.—Judged. Many deny that this word is taken in the same latitude here, as when it is applied to men. The Jews exclude women from government, and Athalia was only a tyrant. The Roman laws will not admit women to exercise the right of judicature. But the text, as it is explained by the Fathers in general, will not permit us to refuse the prerogatives of a judge to Debbora. Her authority was not merely voluntary, in consequence of the people’s high opinion of her, as many would believe, with Salien, ( Worthington.) and so forth ( Bible.) but she gave decisions which were binding on the Israelites; and she seems to have continued in the exercise of her functions along with Barac, after the victory which they gained over Sisara. The government of the latter was perhaps limited to the tribes which he had rescued from slavery. Calmet.—He is guided by her counsel, as Christian princes ought to be by their spiritual superiors. Orig. Worthington.
Verse 5. Name. Hebrew “she dwelt (or sat to judge) under the palm-tree of Debbora.” “The oak of weeping,” allon Bachuth, under which Debbora, the nurse of Rebecca, was interred, was also near Bethel. Genesis 35:8. Bible.—This city was on the confines of the tribes of Ephraim and of Benjamin, over which Debbora chiefly exercised her authority; and here she was consulted by the people. Calmet.
Verse 6. Cedes. There was another city of this name in Juda. Bible.—Barac was of the tribe of Nephthali. Calmet.—The Lord, and so forth Prot. translate, “hath not the Lord?” and so forth as if the will of God had been notified to him before. We find that he make some demur, verse 8. Bible.—Thabor. A city of this name was also built at the foot or on the top of the mountain, and belonged to Zabulon. In it attributed to the Levites, 1 Chronicles 6:77. The mountain rises in the midst of a vast plain, to the height of 30 stadia, (Joseph. Bel. iv. 2. Saint Jerome in Ose. verse 1,) or above 3000 paces, “which make a league, or an hour’s walk.” It is inaccessible on the northern side. There was a platform two-thirds as broad, at the top, where Polybius says a fortified city stood. Antiochus took possession of this strong-place, and Josephus repaired the fortifications, to keep the country in subjection. It is commonly supposed the Jesus Christ was transfigured on this once delightful mountain, which is now a desert. During the crusades, there was an episcopal city and a Benedictine monastery here. Calmet.
Verse 7. Hand. Cison flows through a luxuriant vale or champaign country, on the south of Mount Thabor, whence Barac came rushing down the rocks and precipices upon the army of Sisara. Calmet. 5:15. Calmet.—This general was delivered into the hand of Barac, to be routed, though he was afterwards slain by the hand of Jahel, verse 9 and 21. Bible.
Verse 8. Not go. Septuagint and Saint Augustine (q. 26,) add, “because I know not when the Lord will send his angel to grant me success.” Saint Paul (Hebrews 11:32,) praises the faith of Barac, so that he spoke thus out of prudence, that the people, seeing ( Calmet.) their revered prophetess in his company, ( Bible.) might not condemn the undertaking as too rash and perilous. He therefore entreats her, in this earnest manner, to come with him, and point out the time when he must attack the enemy.
Verse 9. Thee. Prot. “the journey that thou takest, shall not be for thine honour, for the Lord shall sell Sisara,” and so forth It is certain, however, that Barac acquired great commendations on this occasion: but if he had not been accompanied by Debbora, he would not have shared the glory of the victory with her and another woman. Bible.—Some suppose that Debbora speaks of herself; others explain her words of Jahel. They may both be right. Menochius.—Cedes. Here the Israelites took the generous resolution to throw off the yoke, and marched to seize the fort of Thabor. This motion gave the alarm to Jabin, who sent his general to besiege them, and to occupy the passages of the Cison. Calmet. 5:18.
Verse 11. Valley. Hebrew elon, may denote also, (Sept.) “a wood of oaks,” ( Calmet.) or a plain. Bible.—Haber probably left the first settlement of the Cinites near Engaddi, when his brethren went ( Calmet.) into the southern parts of the tribe of Juda. Calmet. 1:16. This is mentioned, that we might know how his wife came to be in those parts, verse 17, and so forth Whether he had given information to Jabin of these movements, as he was at peace with him, we cannot assert; but his being mentioned in this place, might seem to insinuate as much. Hebrew verse 12, “they told or shewed Sisara,” and so forth His wife, at least, did not prove unfaithful to Israel. Bible.
Verse 13. Cison. Part of this torrent falls into the Mediterranean, and part into the sea of Tiberias. It rises from Mount Thabor, (which is about two hour’s walk, south-west of Nazareth) and from Gelboa, and so forth Menochius.—Here Sisara displayed his immense army, if we may credit Josephus, Jonathan, and so forth But the Scripture only specifies 900 chariots of iron. Calmet.—Whence, however, we may conclude that his horse and foot would be very formidable. Yet all were presently routed by the small company of Barac, who had God for his leader, verse 14. Bible.
Verse 15. Terror. The most dreadful storms of thunder, lightning, and so forth (Calmet. 5:20,) discomfited the enemy, while the sword of Barac ( Calmet.) dealt death around, so that Sisara and all his army presently turned their backs, ( Bible.) and the general himself being stricken with a panic, leapt from his chariot, as if he thought his horses did not run fast enough. Thus Homer represents two Trojans abandoning their chariots, to escape the fury of Diomed and of Achilles. Iliad v. and xx.
Verse 16. Multitude. Josephus allots Sisara the same number of horse and foot as he did to Jabin, whom Josue defeated and slew. Calmet. 11:4. But instead of 20,000 chariots, he only gives Sisara 3000, which number appears to be far too great, and unauthorized by the Scripture. Bible.
Verse 17. Tent. The women had separate tents from their husbands. Haber, it seems, was from home, and was not molested by the Chanaanites. He continued neuter during this war. What then must we think of the conduct of his wife? Commentators generally justify her, as the Scripture gives her great commendations, and as the family of the Cinites enjoyed the religion and privileges of the Israelites. Hence this portion of it could not make a league with the enemy of God’s people, to the detriment of the latter; and if they did, they were bound to break it as soon, at least, as God manifested his will, that the enemy should be destroyed. Jahel might however deserve the praise of fortitude, which the Scripture gives her, and yet mingle some human imperfection in her manner of acting. She seems to speak with fraud, and to betray the sacred rights of hospitality; and it is doubtful whether Haber himself could renounce the alliance with Jabin, (particularly if they had taken mutual oaths to observe it, as was then customary) without informing him of his resolution. Fides, quando promititur, etiam hosti servanda est. Saint Augustine ep. i. ad Bonif. See Grot. Jur. iii. 19. Calmet.—Yet, if she told a lie, it was only an officious one, ( Menochius.) such as Sisara desired should be told for his safety, verse 20. Bible.—It is lawful to use stratagems against an enemy. Salien, A. 2741. See Joshua 2 and 8:4. Debbora pronounces the name of Jahel to be most blessed, (Calmet. 5:24,) which shews that she was inspired by God to kill Sisara. If we consider her action in any other light, it will certainly appear very shocking, as Rahab could not escape the accusation of treason towards her country by any other means. Aod, Judith, and so forth who washed their hands in the blood of sinners, (Psalms 57:11,) would undoubtedly have been condemned at any merely human tribunal, which would not admit the plea of inspiration. Bible.—Besides this secret impulse, Jahel might be acquainted with the prediction of Debbora, (verse 9,) and with the miraculous victory which encouraged her to destroy the common enemy, (Abulensis, Josephus, and so forth Tirinus.) the only remnant of an immense army. Bible.—The peace which subsisted between her family and the Chanaanites, was a forced one, ( Tirinus.) and perhaps consisted only in the former being allowed to live quietly ( D.) in the midst of these idolaters, whose manners they abhorred; ( Bible.) while the Israelites, though at a greater distance, were so severely treated even when they were so weak as to adore the idols ( Tirinus.) of their oppressors. Thus the divine Providence was pleased to reward virtue, and to punish infidelity. Bible.—The Fathers consider Debbora as a figure of the Synagogue, which begins the attack against the empire of the devil, while the victory is reserved for the Christian Church, represented by Jahel, a woman living among the Israelites, though of a different nation, and engrafted, as it were, like the wild olive on the good olive tree. She gains strength in the midst of persecutions, and, armed with the cross of Christ, destroys the captain of the worldly empire. Orig. hom v. Saint Augustine c. Faust. xii. 31, and so forth Calmet.—Jahel was also a figure of the blessed Virgin, who crushed the serpent’s head. Worthington.
Verse 18. Cloak, or rough hairy bed coverlet. Hebrew Semica, occurs no where else. Calmet.
Verse 19. Milk, out of a shew of greater civility. The Rabbins say the milk was sour, which is conformable to the manners of the oriental nations. Valle remarks, that the Arabs still give the preference to it. The bottle is which it was kept was made of leather, (utrem) and the milk was like cream. Calmet. 5:25. Some think that wine was not then used in this family, as the Rechabites, descendants of the Cinites, always refrained from it. Jeremiah 25. But it is not certain that they did at this time, nor that they sprang from this branch of the family.
Verse 21. Tent. Such nails were used to fasten down the skins, of which the tent was composed. Calmet.—This resembled a stake, though Josephus says it was made of iron. Menochius.—And died. Thus he met a more ignoble fate, which would be more hateful to a warrior. Abimelech ordered his armour-bearer to kill him, that it might not be said that he had fallen by the hand of a woman. Calmet. 9:54. Extreme fatigue, and the will of Providence, caused Sisara to fall asleep so soon. How many, like him, like down in health, and rise no more! Bible.
Verse 23. Humbled Jabin, though he was not present in this battle. The Israelites followed up the victory, and presently brought their late oppressor to ruin, that all might confess, none could resist their power, when God was propitious to them; as, on the other hand, the most feeble state was able to reduce them to servitude, when they proved rebellious. Bible.