Judges 5:25

New Life Version

Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk. She brought him milk in a fine pot.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked for water; she gave him milk.She brought him cream in a majestic bowl.

Hebrew Names Version
He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

King James Version
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

Lexham English Bible
He asked for water, and she gave milk; in a drinking bowl for nobles, she brought curds.

English Standard Version
He asked for water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.

New Century Version
Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk. In a bowl fit for a ruler, she brought him cream.

New English Translation
He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds.

Amplified Bible
"Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk; She brought him curds in a magnificent bowl.

New American Standard Bible
"He asked for water, she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He asked water, and shee gaue him milke: she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

Legacy Standard Bible
to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Contemporary English Version
Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk— cream in a fancy cup.

Complete Jewish Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In an elegant bowl she brought him curds.

Darby Translation
He asked water, she gave milk; In the nobles' bowl she brought forth cream.

Easy-to-Read Version
Sisera asked for water. Jael gave him milk. In a bowl fit for a ruler, she brought him cream.

George Lamsa Translation
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a giant bowl.

Good News Translation
Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk; she brought him cream in a beautiful bowl.

Literal Translation
He asked for water; she gave him milk; in a lordly bowl she brought curd.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan he axed water, she gaue him mylke, & broughte forth butter in a lordly dißshe.

American Standard Version
He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

Bible in Basic English
His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He asked water, and she gaue him mylke, she brought foorth butter in a lordly dysshe.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Water he asked, milk she gave him; in a lordly bowl she brought him curd.

King James Version (1611)
He asked water, and she gaue him milke, shee brought foorth butter in a lordly dish.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He asked for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.

English Revised Version
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a lordly dish.

Berean Standard Bible
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curdled milk.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To Sisara axynge watir sche yaf mylk, and in a viol of princes sche yaf botere.

Young's Literal Translation
Water he asked -- milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.

Update Bible Version
He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

Webster's Bible Translation
He asked water, [and] she gave [him] milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

World English Bible
He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

New King James Version
He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.

New Living Translation
Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.

New Revised Standard
He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, - In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:

Douay-Rheims Bible
He asked her water, and she gave him milk, and offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.

Revised Standard Version
He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He asked for water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

Contextual Overview

²⁴ "The most respected of women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She is the most respected of women in the tent. ²⁵ Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk. She brought him milk in a fine pot. ²⁶ She put out her hand to the big tent nail. And she put out her right hand for the servant's heavy object. Then she hit Sisera. She crushed his head. She broke and cut through the side of his head. ²⁷ He went down. He fell and lay without moving at her feet. He fell dead where he went down. ²⁸ "The mother of Sisera looked out of the window. She looked through the window and cried in sorrow, ‘Why is his war-wagon so long in coming? Why do the steps of his horses wait?' ²⁹ Her wise ladies answered her. But she asked herself again and again, ³⁰ 'Are they not finding and dividing the riches? Is there not a girl or two for every man? Is there not colored cloth for Sisera to take? Is there not colored cloth with beautiful sewing on it? Are there not two pieces of colored cloth with beautiful sewing on them for the neck of the one who takes them?' ³¹ So let all those who hate You die, O Lord. But let those who love Him be like the sun as he rises in his power." And the land had peace for forty years.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

asked: Judges 4:19-21

butter: Chemah, may signify buttermilk, which is made by the Arabs by agitating the milk in a leathern bag; and is highly esteemed because of its refreshing and cooling qualities.

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:8 - he took Deuteronomy 32:14 - Butter

Cross-References

Genesis 4:18
Now Irad was born to Enoch. And Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. And Methushael became the father of Lamech.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He asked water, and she gave him milk,.... That is, Sisera asked it of her, as the Targum expresses it, when he turned into her tent:

she brought him fresh butter in a lordly dish; which signifies either the same, the milk with cream on it, for that is meant by butter; or having first taken off the cream, she gave him milk to drink, and then brought the cream in a dish for him to eat, and thereby the more incline him to sleep; and this she brought in a dish fit for any lord or nobleman to eat out of; in such a polite and courteous manner did she use him, so that he could have no suspicion of her having any ill design against him. R. Jonah, as Kimchi notes, interprets this of a dish of the mighty or lordly ones, of the shepherds, the principal of the flock, as they are called in Jeremiah 25:34, out of which they had used to drink their milk, or eat their cream, and such an one was likely enough to be Jael's tent; from this Hebrew word "sepel", here used, seems to come the Latin word "simpucium" or "simpulum", used in things sacred, and which, according to Pliny t, was an earthen vessel; and so some of the Rabbins, as Kimchi observes, say, this was a new earthen vial; it is very probable it was a broad platter or dish fit for such an use.

t Nat. Hist. l. 35. c. 12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Butter - Rather curdled milk, probably a fermented and intoxicating drink. All these marks of respect and friendship would lull Sisera into security.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 5:25. She brought forth butter — As the word חמאה chemah, here translated butter, signifies disturbed, agitated, c., it is probable that buttermilk is intended. The Arabs form their buttermilk by agitating the milk in a leathery bag, and the buttermilk is highly esteemed because of its refreshing and cooling quality but there is no reason why we may not suppose that Jael gave him cream: Sisera was not only thirsty, but was also exhausted with fatigue; and nothing could be better calculated to quench his thirst, and restore his exhausted strength, than a bowl of cream. I am surprised that Mr. Harmer should see any difficulty in this. It is evident that Deborah wishes to convey the idea that Jael was more liberal and kind than Sisera had requested. He asked for water, and she brought him cream; and she brought it to him, not in an ordinary pitcher, but in the most superb dish or bowl which she possessed. See at the end of Judges 4:24.