Hever the Kenite (.mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} ) was, according to the Book of Judges in the Bible, a descendant of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses. Forty stations within a 20 km2 Maltese maerl bed were sampled by grab to gather data on sediment granulometry and the percentage mass, sphericity, and morphotype of rhodoliths. Jewish Women's Archive, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jael&oldid=1141698215, Bertie also mentions "Jael, wife of Heber" in. She had to ignore all the fear, all the what-ifs.. If she did not act, King Jabil and the Canaanites would continue their oppressive power over the Israelites. The Bible records a number of cases of intermarriage; the father-in-law of Moses was apparently a Kenite, but it is not clear whether this was Jethro. Once separated from its original theological context, the Jael and Sisera tradition transforms into a story about gender identity and conflict between the sexes. Deborahs prophesy was fulfilled in that a woman did indeed defeat Israels enemy. Hospitality laws in the middle east, at that time, were very strict. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 10:00. Step 1 Start. Today, this godly woman, along with the heroine Deborah the Judge, are part of the recorded history of the nation of Israel and hailed as women who courageously obeyed God, even at the risk of their own lives. Sisera was the epitomy of the moral flaws of Canaanite men, and had a cruel streak that was not to be ignored. The story of Jael is quite an usual one. No one would expect it, and no one would find him there. Ephesians 6:12 puts it like this: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. She also knew that Sisera would be killed if captured; therefore, she would kill him and thus cement a friendship with the victor. She didnt waste a moment thinking, If only I had a sword. She simply took up the tools at hand and did what was being asked of her. First, Sisera should have gone to Hebers tent. Unfortunately, Heber falls into the same trap as did the nation of Israel, and enjoys the riches and spoils of the land, compromising his integrity and beliefs to do so. When not shown in the act of killing Sisera, she carries her hammer and sometimes the spike, making her easy to identify. She is the only female judge, the only one to be called a prophet, and the only one described as performing a judicial function. but not ", Who Was Jael In The Bible? Deborah started the battle to defeat the enemy of Israel and Jael finished it. They traveled whenever they could find work. Still, she said yes to the prodding of God. Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, knew of Heber and the peace he lived with Jabin, the king of Canaan. The Canaanite men kidnap the Bethlehem wife, brutally beat, torture, gang-rape her, and leave her for dead. No matter how difficult or threatening the situation, God's power within us is greater than we can ever fully see or comprehend. Despite this, once Jael saw that he was in a deep sleep, she took a tent peg and hammer, crept over to Sisera and drove the peg into his temple- so far that it went down into the ground. She commanded Barak to fight against Jabin's army in the Valley of Jezreel along the Kishon River. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon. While the Bible doesnt expressly tell us about Jaels motives for killing Sisera, she must have had a motive that was more important to her than an earthly alliance, and that motive must have been honoring God. L'inscription et faire des offres sont gratuits. In Hebrew, Jael means "mountain goat" so it certainly doesn't sound like a. More of her work can be found at Woman of Noble Character. Running to a womans tent and laying under a rug suggests he felt the need to hide either from Jabin because he lost the battle or from the Israelites, his enemy. What was even more unexpected is that this woman was not actually Hebrew, being a Kenite. The Kenites were a Nomadic tribe of people who lived near Canaan. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. Top 7 Bible Verses For Those That Have Been Abused, "Sondergaard is a member of the New Apostolic Reformation cult. By Jaels one act, she saves Israel from oppression, reverses the traitorious bedmates of Israel with Canaan, demolishes the law of rape under the guise of hospitality, saves her own reputation, becomes a woman warrior in her own right, and fulfills Deborahs prophecy. For Elijah on Mount Carmel it was the power of prayer. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. Proud member Jal was an ally by blood of the Israelitish nation; [Sisera, the general of] their chief oppressor, who had mightily oppressed them for the space of twenty years, now lay defenseless before her; and he was, moreover, one of those whom Israel was bound by the command of Jehovah to extirpate. The wife of Heber the Kenite, So he died. Jael is perceptive enough to understand why this is happening: she equates the suffocating oppression her people are enduring due to Israels lack of faith and worship. A guest, once ritually invited into the home, had to be protected and cared for, even at the expense of everyone else in the house even at the expense of giving the woman of the house to the guest of honor for his lascivious pleasure. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. It would not have been wise to allow Barak to find Sisera in her tent. Your imperfections and disadvantages do not disqualify you from doing something great for God. Change). It could just mean that their lives will take turns they didnt see coming. [6], Deborah, a prophetess and judge, advised Barak to mobilize the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon on Mount Tabor to do battle against King Jabin of Canaan. Only an act of God would make this plan work. Where he sank, there he fell dead. She put the tent peg to the side of Siseras head and hit it with a hammer. [4], Christian moral theorists during the Renaissance extensively referred to Jael as an example of tyrannicide. And if we really want to see victory, we have to really put away sin. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. It may not look the way we expect it to, and it can take a lot of trust to act when we dont feel well-equipped. There Barak found Sisera lying dead on the ground, with the tent peg through the side of his head, God defeated King Jabin of Canaan for the Israelites. Second, Sisera went to the tent of a woman. Since many of the Jael/Judith panel . She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. In that culture at that tine, when a guest visits your home, its your responsibility to protect them, even at the expense of your own life. She is confident. Here are a few tips for when you find yourself in a battle with the enemy of your soul. Have you ever read any of Davids prayers? She quietly went to Sisera. Lets follow His (and Jaels) example and not get so caught up in following religious and cultural rules that we miss the calling of God to challenge the evil and oppression in the world. Turn aside, my lord, she said to him. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. We'll get deeper into three of her weaknesses, and how they apply to us in our modern, 21st century lives as Christians. She stretched her hand to the tent peg; Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. Women were also considered second class citizens and incapable of many things compared to men; so there would not have been many (if any) trained in combat. Being killed by a woman would shame both the dead Canaanite general and the live Israelite general, who should have been the one to slay the enemy. It so happened that Jael saw him coming, so she went out to meet him and said, Sir, come into my tent. The Antiquities of the Jews, translated by William Whiston. Yes, trouble might come from these people but if that is the case, they are only instruments in the hands of the enemy. The example of Jael, however, show Here Artemisia shows Jael wearing a 17th-century version of the simple sort of dress that might be worn by a respectable tradesman's wife. I was 2 months pregnant sitting in Gods presence when I heard the him say, You are having a girl. The tent peg went through the side of his head and into the ground. Jael was a Nomadic, tent dweller. In Hebrew, Jael means mountain goat so it certainly doesnt sound like a complimentary name but in that culture, that was a symbol of strength and sureness so we cant read into any meaning from our modern culture. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenantnot of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Charles Spurgeon once gave a sermon where he compared Sisera to sin. Dont be afraid. So Sisera went into Jaels tent, and she covered him with a blanket, Sisera said to Jael, Go stand at the entrance to the tent. She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head. The tent peg went through the side of his head and into the ground. Common jackals are a little smaller than wolves and are recognizable by their bushy tails. Thus, Jael was very capable of holding a tent peg in one hand and utilize the use of a hammer, or maul, in the other. Their funerary iconography indicates that (at the least) they. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believers daily walk with God and the Bible. Jael understandably feared for her body and her life. For example, she gave him milk when he asked for a little water and covered him with blankets when he lay down to rest, being weary from battle (Judges 4:18-19). [4] The Kenites were a nomadic tribe, some of whom lived in close proximity to the Israelites. Jael Articles. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera (Judges 4:9). In the Hebrew Bible, Judges 4-5 tells the lurid story of the heroic figure of Jael, the formidable woman who saves Israel from the Canaanite army by seducing their general, Sisera, and then nailing his head to the ground with a tent-peg. Barak said to her, If you will go withme, I will go. How much more should we glorify God with larger parts of our lives? Most Blessed is Jael among women, indeed. Zondervan Publishers, 1967. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. If you want to share this resource with others, please share the link to the blog post. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9279-kenites, Jael: Bible, Jewish Womens Archive, Tikva Frymer-Kensky. The Israelites finally destroyed him (Judges 4:23-24) which is why it was written that Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael was some kind of woman. She used a bowl of milk and a tent peg. Killing Sisera was the ultimate betrayal of a guest. Lets get to know Jael a little better and see what lessons she can teach us. However, Heber, along with his wife Jael, stayed in Canaan living north near Kedesh in the tribal territory of Naphtali. Then Sisera said to Jael, Go stand at the entrance to the tent. The text in Judges 5 is very explicit about Jael's efficiency in killing Sisera. Step 4 multiply values of x & y. Sisera was in flight and Barak in pursuit. [citation needed] According to Jack Sasson, there are reasons to doubt whether the events narrated in Judges 4 ever occurred. Jael showed Sisera great hospitality. And Jael said, "Strengthen in me today, Lord, my arm on account of you and your people and those who hope in you." Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. This was the best way to secure hospitality and protection. Israel was at war with the Canaanites. Abigail showed great wisdom in acting quickly, swiftly, and speaking honorably to David. [17] Parallels between the details of Jael's actions and Ehud's assassination of Eglon have led van Wijk-Bos to propose Jael as killing Sisera in a manner similar to his conquering army's use of rape. He brought the battlefield to his allys encampment. The railways and other public transportation systems, such as their trains and buses, for instance, are orderly and also extremely efficient and punctual. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to act, we usually dont have long to think. 4 Ways the Parable of the Sower Encourages Spiritual Growth. She split and struck through his temple. Salem Media Group. Jael knew who the real enemy was in the fight and she also knew that battles can be very unpredictable. Ehud wisely befriended the king by giving him presents and praise, and eventually made himself welcome in the kings court. (Mark 3:1-6). Jael's actions are mentioned in the song. Curiously, nouns (ya'al) and (ya'ala) describe the male and female mountain goat respectively. Rather, it makes you a perfect candidate for Him to show His glory through. Her right hand to the workman's hammer, Lead them to Mount Tabor. Judges 4 tells us that God sold Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan because the Israelites were doing what was evil in His sight. In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. So when Sisera approached her tent, she knew exactly who he was and what she needed to do. Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk) goes to a Rabbinical school to dodge military service where he meets Yael Hoffman. Therefore, the prospect of a woman being able to kill an experienced commander of an army was a strange one. They knew very little back ", "forgot to address your question, "How do you people dress and feed yourselves?" Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see demonstrated in Jael's life? 1.2 Mary was Humble. [5] Heber lived approximately during the 12th century BC in the Hula Valley (anciently known as Zaanaim) of northern Israel during the time of the Israelite judges. A womans tent is the very last place anybody would look for a fugitive or a runaway army commander. It literally translates to "he shall ascend or go up". Sometimes in spiritual warfare, we can mistake our spouse, children, friends, family, and coworkers for the enemy. Massachussets, Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. She was the wife of Israelite King Ahab. But this is not realistic. The Kenites, being Nomadic, lived near Jericho but moved south to the region of Negev. I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. She would have had no settled home, moving from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living. Dont get me wrongJesus never broke rules to be rude or needlessly provoke people. A folktale is a fictional story that has been orally passed down over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. 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