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Why Did Jael Kill Sisera With a Tent Peg?

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The short answer

In Judges 4, Sisera fled after his army was defeated, but his escape took an unexpected turn. Deborah had already prophesied that Sisera would fall into the hands of a woman.

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Where this question sits in the Bible

Why would Jael kill a powerful commander with a tent peg? What can we make of this surprising story?

Judges 4:9

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:9, KJV

Judges 4:17–22

Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Judges 4:21, KJV

Read Judges 4:17–22 and Judges 5:24–27.

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