Judges 4:19

Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Sisera speaks to Jael inside her tent immediately after he enters and is covered with a blanket. He makes a direct request for hydration while resting in a place of supposed safety.

The words — הַשְׁקִינִי (hashqini) means "give me to drink," paired with מְעַט מַיִם (me'at mayim), "a little water." He follows this with כִּי צָמֵאתִי (ki tzama'ti), "for I am thirsty."

The thread — This request for liquid appears in Judges 5:25 where Jael gives milk instead, echoes Jesus asking a Samaritan woman for water in John 4:7, and parallels the servant's prayer for a drink in Genesis 24:43.

Why it lands — The verse records a defeated commander's literal need for hydration, which Jael fulfills with milk rather than water. It demands the reader observe how a simple request is met with deceptive hospitality.

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

וַיֹּ֧אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֵלֶ֛יהָ'e.Lei./hato/ her הַשְׁקִינִי־hash.ki./ni-give to drink/ me נָ֥אna'please מְעַט־me.'at-a little of מַ֖יִםMa.yimwater כִּ֣יkifor צָמֵ֑אתִיtza.Me.tiI am thirsty וַתִּפְתַּ֞חva./tif.Tachand/ she opened אֶת־'et-<obj.>נֹ֧אודNod[the] skin-bottle of הֶחָלָ֛בhe./cha.Lav<the>/ milk וַתַּשְׁקֵ֖הוּva./tash.Ke./huand/ she gave a drink/ him וַתְּכַסֵּֽהוּ׃va./te.kha.Se./huand/ she covered/ him

King James Version

And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

Cross-references

Judges 5:25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
John 4:7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
Genesis 24:43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’
1 Kings 17:10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
Isaiah 41:17 The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.