Bible Strands
Judges 4:9
“I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Deborah answers Barak’s conditional demand in Judges 4:8, agreeing to accompany him to Kedesh before the campaign against Sisera.
The words — The Hebrew אֶ֚פֶס ('E.fes) translates as "nevertheless," introducing Deborah’s conditional agreement, while the phrase לֹ֨א תִֽהְיֶ֜ה (lo' tihiye) literally renders "it will not be," introducing the loss of Barak’s honor.
The thread — The fulfillment appears in Judges 4:17 when Sisera flees to Jael, and the structural pattern of divine reversal aligns with the deliverance motif in Judges 2:14.
Why it lands — The text records Deborah’s warning that Barak’s path will forfeit his glory because Yahweh will hand Sisera to a woman, requiring the reader to acknowledge that divine agency overrides human military credit.
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 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.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 2:30 Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
- Judges 2:14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.
- Judges 4:17 Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
- Judges 5:24 Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
- Judges 9:54 He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
- 2 Samuel 20:21 That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
- 2 Chronicles 26:18 They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.”