Why does Debbora say the victory will not be attributed to Barac?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

When Barac says he will go only if she accompanies him, she agrees but says Sisara will be delivered into a woman’s hand. The account later records Jahel killing Sisara in her tent after he flees the battle.

Chapter breakdown

After Aod’s death, Israel again does evil before the Lord. He delivers them to Jabin king of Chanaan, reigning in Asor. Jabin’s general Sisara dwells in Haroseth of the Gentiles. Israel cries to the Lord because of nine hundred scythed chariots and twenty years of grievous oppression. Debbora, a prophetess and Lapidoth’s wife, judges the people. She sits under a palm named for her between Rama and Bethel in mount Ephraim, and Israel comes to her for all judgment.

Debbora calls Barac son of Abinoem from Cedes in Nephthali. She tells him the Lord God of Israel has commanded him to lead an army to mount Thabor with ten thousand fighting men from Nephthali and Zabulon. The Lord’s stated promise is to bring Sisara, Jabin’s general, with his chariots and entire force to the torrent Cison and deliver them into Barac’s hand. Barac says he will go if Debbora comes with him, but will not go if she does not. She agrees to go, saying that this time the victory will not be attributed to him, because Sisara will be delivered into a woman’s hand. She goes with him to Cedes. He calls Zabulon and Nephthali and goes up with ten thousand fighting men and Debbora.

Haber the Cinite has earlier separated from his Cinite brethren, the sons of Hobab, Moses’s kinsman, and pitched his tents in the valley of Sennim near Cedes. Sisara is told that Barac son of Abinoem has gone to mount Thabor. He gathers his nine hundred scythed chariots and all his army from Haroseth of the Gentiles to the torrent Cison. Debbora tells Barac to arise: this is the day the Lord has delivered Sisara into his hands, and the Lord is his leader. Barac descends from Thabor with ten thousand fighting men. At the sight of Barac, the Lord strikes terror into Sisara, his chariots and his entire force with the sword. Sisara jumps from his chariot and flees on foot. Barac pursues the fleeing chariots and army to Haroseth of the Gentiles, and the entire enemy force is destroyed.

Sisara flees to the tent of Jahel, wife of Haber the Cinite, because Jabin king of Asor and Haber’s house are at peace. Jahel meets him, invites him in and tells him not to fear. He enters her tent and she covers him with a cloak. He asks for a little water because he is very thirsty; she opens a bottle of milk, gives him a drink and covers him. He tells her to stand at the tent door and deny that a man is there if anyone asks. Jahel takes a tent nail and a hammer, goes in softly and silently, places the nail at his temples and drives it through his brain into the ground. Passing from deep sleep to death, he faints away and dies. When Barac comes pursuing Sisara, Jahel meets him and offers to show the man he seeks. Barac enters and sees Sisara dead with the nail fixed in his temples.

That day God humbles Jabin king of Chanaan before Israel. Israel grows stronger daily and overpowers him with a mighty hand until it destroys him completely.

The story inside

Israel’s renewed evil after Aod’s death is followed by twenty years of oppression and a cry to the Lord. Debbora judges the people and gives Barac the command and promise. His condition that she come with him receives both her consent and the warning about who will receive the victory’s attribution. Sisara gathers his force, Barac descends at Debbora’s word, and the Lord’s terror is followed by flight and pursuit. Sisara goes to Jahel because of the peace with Haber’s house; her killing of him supplies the recorded woman’s action, and Barac sees the body. The chapter distinguishes God’s humbling of Jabin that day from Israel’s daily growth in strength until his complete destruction.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Barac’s condition and Debbora’s reply are both stated. He says he will go only with her; she agrees and foretells Sisara’s delivery into a woman’s hand. The account gives this exchange without naming an inner motive for Barac.
2
The battle’s numbers and places remain specific. Sisara has nine hundred scythed chariots; Barac descends with ten thousand men from Thabor, and the pursuit reaches Haroseth. The source credits the Lord with terror but supplies no tactical explanation about terrain or a flood here.
3
Sisara’s death and Jabin’s defeat have distinct steps. The peace with Haber’s house explains Sisara’s destination; Jahel’s actions and Barac’s discovery follow. Jabin is humbled that day, and Israel continues growing stronger until destroying him, rather than the whole ending being reduced to one instant.

Test your recall

What condition does Barac give Debbora, what does she say about the attribution of victory, and how does the later tent scene supply the recorded outcome?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 25405–25426
Judges Chapter 4 Debbora and Barac deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisara, Jahal killeth Sisara. 4:1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord after the death of Aod: 4:2. And the Lord delivered them up into the hands of Jabin, king of Chanaan, who reigned in Asor: and he had a general of his army named Sisara, and he dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles. 4:3. And the children of Israel cried to the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots set with scythes and for twenty years had grievously oppressed them. 4:4. And there was at that time Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, who judged the people. 4:5. And she sat under a palm tree, which was called by her name, between Rama and Bethel, in Mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for all judgment.
Lines 25428–25447
4:6. And she sent and called Barac, the Son of Abinoem, out of Cedes, in Nephthali: and she said to him: The Lord God of Israel hath commanded thee: Go, and lead an army to Mount Thabor, and thou shalt take with thee ten thousand fighting men of the children of Nephthali, and of the children of Zabulon: 4:7. And I will bring unto thee in the place of the torrent Cison, Sisara, the general of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and all his multitude, and will deliver them into thy hand. 4:8. And Barac said to her: If thou wilt come with me, I will go: if thou wilt not come with me, I will not go. 4:9. She said to him: I will go, indeed, with thee, but at this time the victory shall not be attributed to thee, because Sisara shall be delivered into the hand of a woman. Debbora therefore arose, and went with Barac to Cedes. 4:10. And he called unto him Zabulon and Nephthali, and went up with ten thousand fighting men, having Debbora in his company.
Lines 25449–25473
4:11. Now Haber, the Cinite, had some time before departed from the rest of the Cinites, his brethren, the sons of Hobab, the kinsman of Moses: and had pitched his tents unto the valley, which is called Sennim, and was near Cedes. 4:12. And it was told Sisara, that Barac, the son of Abinoem, was gone up to Mount Thabor: 4:13. And he gathered together his nine hundred chariots armed with scythes, and all his army, from Haroseth of the Gentiles, to the torrent Cison. 4:14. And Debbora said to Barac: Arise, for this is the day wherein the Lord hath delivered Sisara into thy hands: behold, he is thy leader. And Barac went down from Mount Thabor, and ten thousand fighting men with him. 4:15. And the Lord struck a terror into Sisara, and all his chariots, and all his multitude, with the edge of the sword, at the sight of Barac; insomuch, that Sisara leaping down from off his chariot, fled away on foot, 4:16. And Barac pursued after the fleeing chariots, and the army, unto Haroseth of the Gentiles; and all the multitude of the enemies was utterly destroyed.
Lines 25475–25500
4:17. But Sisara fleeing, came to the tent of Jahel, the wife of Haber, the Cinite, for there was peace between Jabin, the king of Asor, and the house of Haber, the Cinite. 4:18. And Jahel went forth to meet Sisara, and said to him: Come in to me, my lord; come in, fear not. He went into her tent, and being covered by her with a cloak, 4:19. Said to her: Give me, I beseech thee, a little water, for I am very thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him. 4:20. And Sisara said to her: Stand before the door of the tent, and when any shall come and inquire of thee, saying: Is there any man here? thou shalt say: There is none. 4:21. So Jahel, Haber’s wife, took a nail of the tent, and taking also a hammer: and going in softly, and with silence, she put the nail upon the temples of his head, and striking it with the hammer, drove it through his brain fast into the ground: and so passing from deep sleep to death, he fainted away and died. 4:22. And behold, Barac came pursuing after Sisara: and Jahel went out to meet him, and said to him: Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, he saw Sisara lying dead, and the nail fastened in his temples.
Lines 25502–25508
4:23. So God that day humbled Jabin, the king of Chanaan, before the children of Israel: 4:24. Who grew daily stronger, and with a mighty hand overpowered Jabin, king of Chanaan, till they quite destroyed him.