Bible Strands
Judges 5:27
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator recounts the aftermath of Jael’s strike against Sisera, describing the dead commander’s final position. The poem places him motionless at Jael’s feet immediately after she pierces his temple.
The words — The Hebrew כָּרַע (kaRaʿ) translates to “he bowed down” and נָפַל (naFal) to “he fell,” marking a progressive collapse. The repeated phrase בֵין רַגְלֶיהָ (bein ragLeha, “between her feet”) fixes the location of his defeat.
The thread — The pattern of measured retribution appears in Matthew 7:2, which states the judgment one pronounces will be returned, and in James 2:13, which declares that judgment without mercy falls on those who showed none.
Why it lands — The text reports the physical finality of the corpse before drawing the inference that divine justice operates through irreversible means. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the measures applied to the oppressor become the oppressor’s own fate.
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
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Cross-references
- Psalms 52:7 “Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”
- James 2:13 For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Matthew 7:2 For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.