Bible Strands
Judges 4:15
And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative describes the moment Barak descends from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men to engage Sisera’s forces.
The words — The verb וַ/יָּ֣הָם (va/i.Ya.hom) translates literally as "he routed," while יְ֠הוָה (Yahweh) identifies the specific divine agent executing the defeat.
The thread — This divine rout echoes Joshua 10:10, where Yahweh throws enemies into confusion, and resurfaces in Psalms 83:9 and Judges 5:20 as a remembered pattern of intervention against Sisera.
Why it lands — The text records that Yahweh personally routs Sisera and his army while Barak leads, and that Sisera abandons his chariot to flee on foot. This demands recognition that military victory depends on divine action rather than human strategy or equipment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
Cross-references
- Joshua 10:10 And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
- Psalms 83:9 Do to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
- Judges 5:20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
- 2 Kings 7:6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”
- 2 Chronicles 13:15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
- Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,