Judges 4:21

Contemporary English Version

Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died.

Hebrew Names Version
Then Ya`el Hever's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
But Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, took in her hand a tent peg and a hammer, and she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; he was fast asleep since he was exhausted, and he died.

English Standard Version
But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.

New Century Version
But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera's head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.

New English Translation
Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion, and he died.

Amplified Bible
But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and came up quietly to him and drove the peg through his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

New American Standard Bible
But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Iael Hebers wife tooke a nayle of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her hande, and went softly vnto him, & smote the nayle into his temples, and fastened it into the grounde, (for he was fast a sleepe and weary) and so he dyed.

Legacy Standard Bible
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Complete Jewish Bible
But when he was deeply asleep, Ya‘el the wife of Hever took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, crept in to him quietly and drove the tent peg into his temple, right through to the ground; so that he died without waking up.

Darby Translation
And Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took the hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it penetrated into the ground; for he had fallen into a deep sleep and was faint; and he died.

Easy-to-Read Version
But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. She quietly went to Sisera. Sisera was very tired, so he was sleeping. She put the tent peg to the side of Sisera's head and hit it with a hammer. The tent peg went through the side of his head and into the ground. Sisera died.

George Lamsa Translation
Then Anael, Hebers wife, got a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand and went to him as he was sleeping, and drove the peg into his temples, and pounded it into the ground while he was fast asleep, and he shivered and died.

Good News Translation
Sisera was so tired that he fell sound asleep. Then Jael took a hammer and a tent peg, quietly went up to him, and killed him by driving the peg right through the side of his head and into the ground.

Literal Translation
And Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went to him quietly. And she drove the peg into his temple, and she beat it into the ground. And he had been fast asleep, and faint; and he died.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Iael the wife of Heber toke a nale of the tente, and an hammer in hir hande, & wente in preuely vnto him, & smote the nale in thorow the temples of his heade, so yt he sancke to ye earth. As for him, he was fallen on a slomber, and weery, and so he dyed.

American Standard Version
Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

Bible in Basic English
Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin and a hammer and went up to him quietly, driving the pin into his head, and it went through his head into the earth, for he was in a deep sleep from weariness; and so he came to his end.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Iael Habers wyfe, toke a nayle of the tent, & an hammer in her hande, and went softly vnto him, and smote ye nayle into the temples of his head, and fastened it into the ground (for he slumbred sore, and was wery) and so he died.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

King James Version (1611)
Then Iael Hebers wife, tooke a naile of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her hand, and went softly vnto him, and smote the naile into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: (for he was fast asleepe, and weary;) so he died.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jael the wife of Chaber took a pin of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him, and fastened the pin in his temple, and it went through to the earth, and he fainted away, and darkness fell upon him and he died.

English Revised Version
Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

Berean Standard Bible
But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber's wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so Jahel, the wijf of Aber, took a nayl of the tabernacle, and sche took also an hamer; and sche entride pryueli, and puttide with silence the nail on the temple of his heed, and sche fastnede the nail smytun with the hamer in to the brayn, `til to the erthe; and he slepte, and diede to gidere, and failide, and was deed.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jael wife of Heber taketh the pin of the tent, and taketh the hammer in her hand, and goeth unto him gently, and striketh the pin into his temples, and it fasteneth in the earth -- and he hath been fast asleep, and is weary -- and he dieth.

Update Bible Version
Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

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

World English Bible
Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

New King James Version
Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

New Living Translation
But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.

New Life Bible
But Heber's wife Jael took a big tent nail in her hand and a tool to hit it with. Because Sisera was very tired, he went into a deep sleep. She went to him in secret and hit the big nail into the side of his head. It went through and into the ground. So he died.

New Revised Standard
But Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then took Jael, wife of Heber, the tent-pin, and put the mallet in her hand, and went in unto him, softly, and smote the tent-pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, - he being fast asleep and shrouded in darkness, and he died.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So Jahel, Haber’s wife, took a nail of the tent, and taking also a hammer: and going in softly, and with silence, she put the nail upon the temples of his head, and striking it with the hammer, drove it through his brain fast into the ground: and so passing from deep sleep to death, he fainted away and died.

Revised Standard Version
But Ja'el the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, till it went down into the ground, as he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.

THE MESSAGE
Then while he was fast asleep from exhaustion, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and hammer, tiptoed toward him, and drove the tent peg through his temple and all the way into the ground. He convulsed and died.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife. ¹⁸ She came out to greet him and said, "Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid." After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket. ¹⁹ "Could I have a little water?" he asked. "I'm thirsty." Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up. ²⁰ "Stand at the entrance to the tent," Sisera told her. "If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them ‘No.'" ²¹ Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died. ²² Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "The man you're looking for is inside," she said. "Come in and I'll show him to you." They went inside, and there was Sisera—dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull. ²³ That same day the Israelites defeated the Canaanite King Jabin, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites. ²⁴ Jabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, and at last the Israelites destroyed him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took: Judges 3:21, Judges 3:31, Judges 5:26, Judges 15:15, 1 Samuel 17:43, 1 Samuel 17:49, 1 Samuel 17:50, 1 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 1:27

a nail: One of the spikes of the tent. See note on Exodus 35:18.

and took: Heb. and put

smote: Psalms 3:7

he died: Judges 5:27

Reciprocal: Judges 7:13 - a cake 2 Samuel 18:14 - thrust them Psalms 107:40 - contempt

Cross-References

Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.

Genesis 4:12
If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.

Genesis 31:27
Why did you sneak away without telling me? I would have given you a going-away party with singing and with music on tambourines and harps.

Job 21:12
These people sing and celebrate to the sound of tambourines, small harps, and flutes,

Isaiah 5:12
At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the Lord has done,

Amos 6:5
You sing foolish songs to the music of harps, and you make up new tunes, just as David used to do.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent,.... When she perceived he was fast asleep, and it being now put into her heart to kill him, having an impulse upon her spirit, which she was persuaded, by the effect it had upon her, that it was of God; not filling her with malice and revenge, but a concern for the glory of God, the interest of religion, and the good of Israel, she took this method to effect the death of this enemy of God, and his people; having no arms in the house, for the Kenites used none, she took up an iron pin, with which her tent was fastened to the ground:

and took a hammer in her hand; which perhaps she knew full well how to handle, being used to drive the pins of the tents into the ground with it:

and went softly unto him; lest she should awake him

and smote the nail into his temples: as he lay on one side, these being the tenderest part of the head, from whence they have their name in the Hebrew language, and into which therefore a nail, or iron pin, might be more easily driven:

and fastened it into the ground; she smote the nail with such force and violence, that she drove it through both his temples into the ground on which he lay; and then, as it seems, from Judges 5:26; cut off his head, to make sure work of it:

for he was fast asleep and weary; and so heard not; when she came to him:

so he died; not in the field of battle, but in a tent; not by the sword, but by a nail; not by the hand of a man, but of a woman, as Deborah foretold, Judges 4:9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If we can overlook the treachery and violence which belonged to the morals of the age and country, and bear in mind Jael’s ardent sympathies with the oppressed people of God, her faith in the right of Israel to possess the land in which they were now slaves, her zeal for the glory of Yahweh as against the gods of Canaan, and the heroic courage and firmness with which she executed her deadly purpose, we shall be ready to yield to her the praise which is her due. See Judges 3:30 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 4:21. A nail of the tent — One of the spikes by which they fasten to the ground the cords which are attached to the cloth or covering.

He was fast asleep and weary. — As he lay on one side, and was overwhelmed with sleep through the heat and fatigues of the day, the piercing of his temples must have in a moment put him past resistance.