Jabin was trying to conquer Israel, which was at that time under the leadership of Deborah, a prophetess and the only female to judge the nation of Israel. They were well-educated, wealthy, wives, mothers, and judging from the number of solo female portraits single women or widows. But while she was doing that, she was very much aware of the fact that there was a battle going on. Barak and his men defeated Siseras army, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot (Judges 4:15) but Sisera got away ran away to the tent where a woman named Jael lived. A mighty warrior, judge, prophetess, and minstrel. These things were made from metal. 3. She stretched her hand to the tent peg; Heber, Jaels husband, had a good relationship with the Caananites and thats why Sisera felt comfortable to find refuge in their camp. Jael's actions are mentioned in the song. In Hebrew, Jael means "mountain goat" so it certainly doesn't sound like a. Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.. Before we talk anymore about Jael, we have to talk about what was going on in Israel at the time. As the predicted battle between Canaan and Israel ensues, it is clearly evident that another David vs. Goliath scenario was playing out. For Elijah on Mount Carmel it was the power of prayer. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He asserted that we should not be content to see our sins simply fleeing from us; we should be ready to pursue them and then to drive them into the grounddeadwith a nail, the way Jael did. She disarmed him with her words of reassurance. She feeds him some milk and hides him under a rug. Otherwise, it will continue to harass us until it destroys us. He was a powerful and cruel man who oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. The Kenites, being Nomadic, lived near Jericho but moved south to the region of Negev. Her decision was an easy one. She spun the goat hair, wove it, and made the tents. [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. And when God steps in, His goal is to bring an end to the battle once and for all. He is able to use any of us, even those who feel insignificant or powerless, for His greater good. Proud member This might explain why she had no reservations about getting involved in this Israelite battle with the Canaanites. Midian has been referred to as a geographical area, a tribe or a confederation of tribes brought together for worship purposes. She was the wife of a man named Lappidoth. Through her husband Heber, Jael had kinship ties with the Israelites. Jael was no warrior. Her name is Jael. The name Jael is pronounced the same as the word for mountain goat, but distinctions in pronunciation were added many centuries after this text was written. As horrible as this was, we have to appreciate Jaels wit and bravery. Situations are ever-changing in this life and opportunities pass by quickly. Even when we dont feel skilled or equipped or prepared, He ensures that we are for the sake of His glory. She set them back up at the end of the days journey. All rights reserved. Eve means 'life-bearer'. Everything we do should be for the sake of honoring and bringing glory to God. ", Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. 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. When Sisera asked for water, she gave him milk. She manipulated the trust that Sisera had for her. Jael understandably feared for her body and her life. He wasnt just a regular visiting guest. The war wasnt won by this one deed, but this was the beginning of the end of the Canaanites reign over Israel. Scholars[10] have long recognized that the Song of Deborah, on the basis of linguistic evidence (archaic biblical Hebrew), is one of the oldest parts of the Bible, dating back to the 12th century BCE.[11]. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. Exactly who was Jael? Judges 4:21-22 tells us this: But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. The woman lost her will to live due to her insurmountable shame. In God's good design, men are rulers and fighters; they bear the responsibility of providing . 1.3 Mary was not Loud and Boastful. So he died. [18] Jael, along with Ehud, is an example in Judges of the contrast between marginal heroes and well-armed enemies conquered by wit and stealth. Long story short, we have a vibrant, fun little girl named Jael who is the joy of our lives. The Song of Deborah recounts: Thank-you for such detail on the story of Jael. Jael was the typical woman taking care of the daily affairs of her home. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon. This event in Jaels life reveals a series of lessons, the first of which is that God will always fulfil His word. And not just any milk. Jael [N] [H] [S] mountain-goat, the wife of Heber the Kenite ( Judges 4:17-22 ). But Jael also knows that her faithful God will break the bonds of slavery as long as the Israelites humble themselves, and turn back to the One True God of their nation. "Jael: Bible." 4:2). (Gen. 15:18, 19). A womans tent is the very last place anybody would look for a fugitive or a runaway army commander. Barak and his men defeated Siseras army, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot, ran away to the tent where a woman named Jael lived. They traveled whenever they could find work. Sisera asked Jael for a drink of water; she gave him milk instead. 1.5 Mary Turned to Jesus Right from the Beginning. So it is that we should not play around with sin and iniquity in our lives. This enabled the Israelite army to defeat the Canaanites one person at a time. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. If Jael did not act, she would be considered an extension of her husband a traitorous mercenary. Therefore, the prospect of a woman being able to kill an experienced commander of an army was a strange one. But he did not feel it, because he was very groggy. Jael, however, offered refuge to a fleeing enemy general, NOT ritual hospitality. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. You could even say the fight wasnt fair. For Moses, it was the staff in his hand. Siseras character is seriously lacking as he willfully broke every rule that governed hospitality. Problem: Create an algorithm that multiplies two numbers and displays the output. Jaels primary job, though, was to pitch tents, and she had become an expert in all phases of making, pitching, and striking such dwellings. Your email address will not be published. She was described as a prophetess, and, in fact, is one of the seven major female prophets in the Bible. And Jael said, "Strengthen in me today, Lord, my arm on account of you and your people and those who hope in you." God equips His people for the work He puts in front of them. Sisera was very tired, so he was sleeping. She is educated. 1.1 Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was Willing. Note that although the character Jael is feminine, the name Jael is the same as the masculine word for mountain goat, whereas the feminine version of it, Jaalah, belongs to a male character. It could just mean that their lives will take turns they didnt see coming. He sees our potential in Him, which is why it is important that we dont disqualify ourselves from going towards the things that we know that He has called us be, do or have. They reconciled, and warily journeyed home through the land of Canaan staying the night with an old man of the friendly Ephraim tribe. God gave the Israelites a seemingly impossible defeat against the superior Canaanite army thus giving them access to the fertile plains of Jezreel and Esdraelon. Jael may have seen this actual body part in her country, or at the very least heard about it. Because of the practice of one man having multiple wives, each wife made, pitched and maintained her own tent. These nuts claim that God ", "Maybe what happened to you was simply something going on in your mind or heart ", "Medical science has progressed tremendously in the last 200 years. Eve and Adam, painting by Tamara de Lempicka, 1932. If you are in a spiritual battle, what do you already have that you can use? 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. Her family made and sold tools in farming, some domestic tools and weapons as well. Thus Deborahs prophesy, that Sisera would die at the hand of a woman, was fulfilled. When she didnt see anyone chasing after him, maybe that is when the decision was made. The CEO brushed off Jael's concerns, stating that there was enough business for everyone. Jael was a woman in the Bible who helped the Israelites subdue Jabin the Canaanite king by single-handedly killing the commander of his army, Sisera. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. Her grieving husband cuts her body up into twelve pieces, and sends it out to the 12 tribes of Israel as a stark reminder of the lust and violence that were the Canaanites, and to severely warn them against co-habiting with such mongrels. 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. The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at an ancient synagogue in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced last week. What was even more unexpected is that this woman was not actually Hebrew, being a Kenite. Jael's business went well for six months. [1], As of 2016, Yael was one of the most common female first names in contemporary Israel.[2]. We'll get deeper into three of her weaknesses, and how they apply to us in our modern, 21st century lives as Christians. The meaning of Jael in the Bible is wild goat or wild gazelle. He dealt with the wife rather than her husband. She stretched forth her hand to the nail, Throughout the narrative, we actually see Naomi looking out for Ruth, even while in the midst of paralyzing grief. [9][3] Jael was then the woman with the honor of defeating Jabin's army, as prophesied by Deborah, and she showed Barak Sisera's dead body in her tent. We too can and must be instruments of deliverance for others. Her story is found in Judges 4:17-24. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 10:00, "What are the most popular Jewish baby names in Israel? She was not about to play around with this evil man. The Antiquities of the Jews, translated by William Whiston. She was a tent-making woman. The Canaanite army was strong. [21] Ladies sometimes chose to have their portraits painted as Jael, a transformation achieved by holding a hammer and spike.[22]. Come in. God tends to bypass the people that man would think are the most qualified to manifest His word in favour of those that man would overlook. She was judge of Israel at that time. Reminiscent of the Egyptians plight in the parting of the Red Sea, the Canaanites are slaughtered, with Sisera being the lone survivor. She is passionate about helping Christian women to grow in Christ, improve their marriages and creatively worship. Schenk notes that Sisera was Jael's guest, "was in the sanctuary of her home, and protected by the laws of hospitality. God used the evil in the hearts of Josephs brothers to make his dream come to pass. All we know for sure, besides the account of her story, is that she was a Bedouin and the wife of Heber the Kenite. The only woman who judges, Deborah "used to sit under . But as Ive grown in my walk with Christ, Ive come to appreciate that the Bible is about seeing God in the realness of our human experiences. These themes were echoed in contemporary plays and poems as well. (Judges 3:12-25). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Remember too, the horrific account as noted by Jewish historian, Josephus. Jael is one of those women of the Bible who we dont get a lot of details or background on. That is why we need to decide in our hearts that when the time comes, we will say yes to God. Here are a few tips for when you find yourself in a battle with the enemy of your soul. Deborah prophesied that because of his weak faith, God would give victory through the hand of a woman. Jael could have easily been included in Hebrews chapter eleven, the so-called Hall of Faith because she was a heroine who snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat in helping Israel defeat a much larger, more experienced, and far superior Canaanite army during the time called the time of the Judges.. Jael and Judith were also used as propaganda figures by Protestants and Catholics alike to symbolize the violent overthrow of heresy. Jael appears bound to the Israelites because of her husbands kinship through the Midianites. Step 1 Start. In one episode she tells him the biblical story of her first name. 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. It was effective, but it was also violent and gory. Jael was married to a Kenanite named Heber, a man descended from Jethro (Moses father-in-law of the Midianites). In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. That is why the Song of Deborah was written for On the day that the Israelites defeated Sisera, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song (Judges 5:2-31) in tribute, first and foremost to God but Jael was hailed as a heroine and was part if this Song of Deborah and gave Jael a right and fitting place in the history of Israel. Deborah does accompany Barak, an Israelite general, to fight the Canaanites. The name Jael means "mountain goat". When the Canaanites were defeated by Barak, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, fled and sought refuge with the friendly tribe of Heber, beneath the oaks of Zaanaim. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite army. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. L'inscription et faire des offres sont gratuits. Lets get to know Jael a little better and see what lessons she can teach us. Deborah went on to tell Barak to gather his men for the battle, and Barak responded this way: If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go. Judges 4:8, Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Blessed Among Women. One day Deborah was sitting under the Palm Tree of Deborah, and the Israelites came up to her to ask what to do about Sisera. Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons, 3 Things You Didnt Know About Mary (Mother of Jesus), 5 Powerful Lessons from the Unusual Story of Jael. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.. Since many of the Jael/Judith panel . Jael's story lets us know sometimes a girl has to slay the giants in her life, using whatever crude tools are available. Those were just about enough to bring her enemy down. Tweet. [19] This can be seen in the Stavelot Bible, the Speculus Darmstadt, as well as several other texts. Jael went out to meet Barak and said, Come in here, and I will show you the man you are looking for. So Barak entered the tent with Jael. After Ahab died, Jezebel lived for ten to twenty more years while their sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, ruled consecutively. ( Judges 4:9) For her role, Jael was praised as the "most blessed of women." Judges 5:24. Jael (whose tent would have been separate from Heber's) [8] welcomed Sisera into her tent and covered him with a blanket. During . If anyone comes by and asks you, Is anyone in there? say, No (Judges 4:20) But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. They did not know what to do. 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