Samuel's Farewell Address as Judge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 12:1) And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to me and have made a king over you."

Samuel had done what the people asked and what God told him to do, and he anointed Saul as the Israelites' king.  In the last chapter, Saul led Israel to a great victory over the Ammonites, and he gained the admiration and support of the people.  Now the prophet Samuel began an address to the people, telling them how he had listened to them and had done what they wanted and found them a king.

(2) "And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray headed, and behold, my sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood to this day."

Samuel told the people that they now had a king, and he was old and gray, indicating his plan to step aside and let the king rule the people.  He told them he had walked before them since his childhood, and now his sons were with them, too.  His point was that they had observed him since his childhood, and they could observe his sons, as well, so they knew him well.

(3) "Behold, here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I received a bribe with which to blind my eyes? And I will restore it to you."

Samuel stood before the people encouraging them to tell him where he had wronged them.  Had he ever taken anything of theirs?  Had he defrauded or oppressed anyone?  If he had ever wronged anyone, he wanted them to tell him before God and His anointed king, and he would restore whatever he owed to them.

(4) And they said, "You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man's hand." (5) And he said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they answered, "Witness!"

The people said Samuel had never done any of those things to wrong anyone.  Then Samuel told the people that God and His king were witnesses to the fact they had said that, should anyone later try to accuse him of something.  He had been fully cleared before God and the king of any misdeeds.

(6) And Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who advanced Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. (7) Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers."

Samuel reminded the people that it was the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron to lead the people, and it was the Lord who brought their forefathers out of the land of Egypt.  He asked them to stand there while he reviewed all the great and righteous things the Lord had done for His people.

(8) "When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place."

Samuel reminded the people about when Jacob and his family had gone to Egypt and stayed there.  The posterity of Jacob became greatly oppressed by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and the people cried out to the Lord.  In response to their cries, the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them out of Egypt and into their promised land flowing with milk and honey and all good things.

(9) "And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them."

When their fathers had forgotten their Lord God and turned away from Him and toward idolatry, the Lord put them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor (Judges 4:2).  Other times the Lord sold them into the hand of the king of Moab (Judges 3:14), and into the hand of the Philistines (Judges 13:1).  Sisera, and the king of Moab, and the Philistines all fought against the Israelites and overcame them so that they fell into their hands.  It was a merciful thing when the Lord allowed His people to become oppressed by an enemy.  When they chose to turn away from Him, He allowed them to have what they wanted and turned away from them.  Then they would see their need for Him, which He knew to be the best for their welfare, and they would willingly come back to Him.

(10) "And they cried to the Lord, and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.'"

Each time they were oppressed by their enemy, the people would cry out to the Lord, repenting of their sins, praying that He deliver them from their enemy, and promising to serve Him only.

(11) "And the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you dwelled safe."

Samuel reminded the people how each time they cried out to the Lord and repented, He sent the people a deliverer, one in Jerub-Baal who was Gideon.  The Lord also sent "Bedan."  There was no judge named Bedan in the history of the judges.  Biblical scholars have different ideas about who this might be.  Some say it might refer to Samson, as it could be interpreted "of Dan" rather than as a name.  However, in 1 Chronicles 7:17, there was a Bedan who was the son of Ulam, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it was the same Bedan.  Other scholars think that the name was meant to be Barak, and others say that Bedan could be a textual corruption or a scribal error arising from the similarity of Hebrew letters. This theory suggests that the original text may have intended to refer to a different deliverer entirely.  Whoever was meant, the people would have understood who Samuel meant.  Samuel told the people that the Lord had also sent Jephthah and Samuel himself to deliver the people out of the hands of their enemies, and they had dwelt in safety.

(12) And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, "No, but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king."

Even though the Lord had always saved them from their enemies, raising up judges to deliver them, when Nahash king of the Ammonites came against them, they decided they would rather have a king, when the Lord had always been their king.

(13) "Now therefore, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, the Lord has set a king over you. (14) If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both you and also the king who reigns over you continue following the Lord your God."

Samuel told the people to observe the king whom they had desired.  Even though the Lord and Samuel saw it as a rejection of the Lord, still the Lord gave them the king they desired.  And He even told them through Samuel that if they would fear the Lord, serve Him, and obey Him, and not rebel against His commandments, then both the people and their king could continue in the Lord's guidance and protection, as always.

(15) "But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord and rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you as against your fathers."

However, Samuel continued, if the people did not obey the Lord and rebelled against His commandments, then the Lord would be against them with His righteous judgments, just as He had done with their fathers.

(16) "Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. (17) Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He shall send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for a king."

Samuel instructed the people to stand there and observe the great thing the Lord was about to do.  He pointed out that it was wheat harvest time.  He was going to call on the Lord to send thunder and rain, which was very unusual for that time of year.  Proverbs 26:1 speaks of things extremely rare and unheard of, like "snow in summer" and "rain in harvest."  Therefore, the people would know that it was the Lord sending the thunder and rain as judgment against them, that they would understand their wickedness in rejecting the Lord as their king.

(18) So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

Samuel indeed called to the Lord, and He sent thunder and rain that day.  The historian Josephus said that He sent a terrible storm with thunder, lightning, and hail.  No wonder the people feared God and His power and Samuel who had such favor and therefore power from God.

(19) And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil, to ask for a king." 

In their fear, they asked Samuel to pray for the people that they not die, for they could perceive and understand that they had added to their sins by asking for a king.  Note that the people had rejected Samuel as their judge in desiring a king, but they now called themselves his servants.

(20) And Samuel said to the people, "Fear not; you have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart, (21) And do not turn aside after vanity which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are nothing."

Samuel told the people not to fear, for even though they had done all that wickedness, God was not going to destroy them as they feared, provided they follow Him and serve Him with all their hearts and did not turn aside to vain idols that could do nothing for them because they were nothing.

(22) "For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people."

Samuel assured the people that God would not forsake them, not because of anything they had done, but for His great name because it had pleased Him to make them His people, again not because of their merit.  If God had given the people what they deserved, there would have been no more Israelite people and therefore no Christian church.  God's purpose in preserving His people was not yet accomplished, so He would always save at least a remnant of His people no matter how wicked they were.  

It pleased the Lord to make Israel His people, and it pleased Him to graft us Gentiles into the vine of Israel.  God first made us only for His pleasure and fellowship.  He did not need us for any fulfillment.  God is already all perfect.  It pleased Him to make us in His own image and after His own likeness (Genesis 1:26).  Micah 6:8 said that the Lord had shown us what was good, and all He required from us was that we "do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."  Be righteous, love, and walk with God.  That gives Him pleasure.  However, we let sin come between us and God.  God is all-good and all-perfect and cannot abide in sin.  But because God's nature is love, He provided a way for us to remain in communion with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ whose shed blood covers our sins.  Why would He do that?  Why not destroy us all because we did not live up to the purpose for which He created us in the first place?  Because He is love, and because it pleased Him to have us in fellowship with Him.

(23) "Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way."

I believe Samuel's point was that he would also forgive them for rejecting him as their judge.  He would not sin against the Lord by being arrogant and self-centered when the Lord Himself forgave His people.  He would not cease to pray for them as he always had, and he would teach them the good and right way of the Lord.

(24) "Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider how great He has done for you. (25) But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king."

In contrast to the fear Samuel spoke of in verse 20, this fear he spoke of was a reverential fear out of love for the Lord and the knowledge of how great and awesome He was.  He told the people to serve God in truth with all their hearts, considering all the great things He had done for them.  However, if they rebelled against their Lord and chose to depart from Him, they would be consumed.  Without God, they would be destroyed and die, and their king would not be able to save them, as he would perish with them.

Song of Deborah

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 5:1) Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

In the last chapter, Deborah and Barak had just defeated the king of Canaan and his army and its captain, Sisera, by the hand of the Lord who delivered their enemy to them.  Deborah wrote a song of praise that was sung by both her and Barak:

(2) "Praise you, the Lord, for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves."

Deborah began by praising the Lord for taking vengeance on Jabin king of Canaan, when, led by the Lord, the children of Israel willingly went to fight against their enemies for Israel.

(3) "Hear, O you kings! Give ear, O you princes! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel."

Deborah desired that all kings and princes hear her song of praise, that all might know the wonderful works of the Lord God of Israel.

(4) "Lord, when You went out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped; the clouds also dropped water."

Seir and Edom are the same place, and Deborah here acknowledged that the Lord had led His people from there to their land in Canaan.  All the way, He struck dread in the hearts of their enemies with earthquakes and rain and hail storms.

(5) "The mountains melted from before the Lord, that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel."

Even the mountains trembled and melted before the Lord, just as Mount Sinai had trembled and quaked at the presence of God on it.

(6) "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways."

Shamgar succeeded Ehud as judge, but did not appear to rule long or accomplish much (Judges 3:31), or at least not a perfect and complete deliverance of Israel.  But during his time and that of Jael, the wife of Heber (Judges 4:17), the highways were unoccupied by the Israelites because they were dangerous, occupied by their enemies who wished to do them harm.  They were forced to travel by less frequented paths.

(7) "The villages ceased; they ceased in Israel until that I, Deborah, arose, that I arose a mother in Israel."

Life in their villages as it once was ceased because the Israelites were so oppressed by their enemy.  That is, until Deborah rose up; being raised up by God, she was as a mother to the children of Israel, instructing, ruling, and protecting them.  

(8) "They chose new gods, then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?"

The children of Israel chose the false gods of the enemy, called new gods because they were new and previously unknown to them.  It's not as if they simply submitted to worshiping them when their enemy forced them, but it seems they willingly chose them.  There was war within the gates of their cities for they were completely taken over by their enemy.  Apparently, their enemy had totally disarmed the Israelites, as well.

(9) "My heart is toward the governors of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you the Lord!"

Deborah had a heart for the rulers of Israel who had offered themselves willingly to do the work of their Lord.  The original word "chaqaq" that was translated as "governors" came from a root that meant "engrave."  So she might have meant that she had a heart for the wise men and scribes who willingly taught the word of God and His commandments.  She blessed the Lord for giving those "governors" hearts to willingly engage in service to Him, whatever it might be.

(10) "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit in judgment and walk by the way."

Deborah called for nobles and magistrates, or perhaps it was the wise men and scribes, who rode on white donkeys to speak out.  The original word that was translated as "judgment" was "mad," and it most often referred to garments or clothing.  I believe what is meant here is that Deborah called for the upper class of nobles and leaders, described as having white donkeys and fine raiment, who walked among the common people, to tell of God's great works.

(11) "From the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts of His villages in Israel; then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates."

I'm not sure whether this means the places of drawing water were free from the noise of the archers who attacked the people, and there the nobles could celebrate the righteous acts of the Lord, or if even in spite of the noise of the attacks of their enemies, they were to celebrate the Lord.  "Celebrate" is a better translation of the original word "tanah" that was translated as "rehearse."  Most of the Biblical commentators I study see this as celebration after the Lord delivered them, but as the next verse calls on Deborah and Barak to rise up, I see this as happening before they were delivered.  Deborah had called on the nobles to speak out even in the people's oppression.  This they did, and the people cried out to the Lord (Judges 4:3).  Then they would be able to go in and out of the gates when the Lord delivered them.

(12) "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song. Arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam."

Once again, I disagree with the commentators I study about the meaning of this verse.  They believe Deborah is stirring herself to more zeal and enthusiasm in her song after the Lord had delivered Israel.  Why then would the verse continue with raising up Barak against the enemy if that had already been done?  The commentators admit that there are some difficulties in the text of the song which probably lost something in translation.  However, I see this as Deborah relating the chronological order of things in her song.  She was called to rise up, and yes, she would eventually utter a song upon victory, but I believe it's also possible this was a call for her to prophesy when she was raised up.  Then she called on Barak to rise up and make those who held the children of Israel captive, themselves captive.

(13) "Then He made him who remained have dominion over the nobles among the people; the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty."

Then the Lord made those who remained of the Israelites after the oppression of the Canaanites to have dominion over the nobles and officers of the enemy among them.  The Lord had raised up Deborah to have dominion over their mighty enemy.

(14) "Out of Ephraim a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, among your people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they who handle the pen of the writer."

Out of the tribe of Ephraim, of which Deborah was a member, came the root and foundation of the campaign against the Amalekites, chief enemies of Israel among the Canaanites.  Then the tribe of Benjamin joined forces with the tribe of Ephraim against their enemy.  Machir, the son of Manasseh, represented his tribe on the west of the Jordan, and they sent leaders, probably meaning military leaders, to aid in the campaign against the Canaanites.  Even the tribe of Zebulun where normally clerks and scribes and those mighty with the pen dwelled, sent troops to aid Barak in his campaign against Jabin king of Canaan.

(15) "And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak, he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben, great thoughts of heart."

The leaders of Issachar, as well as Issachar in general, were with Deborah in her campaign.  Barak of the tribe of Naphtali, which I believe means to include the whole tribe of Naphtali, were an integral part of the campaign, and they were sent forth into the valley of the river of Kishon where the Lord would draw Sisera of King Jabin's army to them (Judges 4:7).  Among the clans of Reuben, it appears there were many conflicting thoughts about the campaign, and they did not join their brothers on the western side of the Jordan against Sisera.

(16) "Why did you abide among the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben, great searchings of heart."

Deborah chided the tribe of Reuben, asking why they would sit there with their flocks of sheep and not go to help their brethren.  Again, she mentions the great searchings of heart.  Either she was disappointed that they couldn't agree to accompany her, or perhaps she and Barak and the other tribes with them were the ones having to search their hearts for what they felt about their brethren who would not help them.

(17) "Gilead abode beyond Jordan, and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and abode in his breaches."

The land of Gilead belonged to Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan River.  Deborah was proclaiming that those tribes stayed put and did not join the campaign.  Neither did the tribes of Dan or Asher.  The tribe of Dan continued in its work in ships on the Mediterranean Sea, as did Asher tend to its business on the shore of the sea.  They abode in their breaks in the shore and ignored their brothers fighting against Canaan.

(18) "Zebulun and Naphtali, a people who jeopardized their lives to the death in the high places of the field."

Deborah commended the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali who were the chief fighters in the war against Sisera, the 10,000 soldiers initially called by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:6).  They jeopardized their lives in the height of battle in the battlefield while some of their brethren dwelt in safety within their tribes.

(19) "The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money."

I believe both mentions of the kings refer to the kings of Canaan who came from diverse places within Canaan to fight Israel in Taanach not far from the Kishon River.  They were unable to win any spoils; they lost it all.

(20) "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera."

The Lord fought for Israel from heaven when what Deborah described as the stars themselves fought against Sisera.  I believe this lends credence to Josephus's assertion that Sisera's army was hit with rain and hail from heaven (see Judges 4:15).

(21) "The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength."

The Kishon River may have swept away some dead bodies of the enemy, but I rather think this was a somewhat poetic way of saying that the enemy was conquered there because that is where the Lord drew them for battle (Judges 4:7).  An ancient river, although not a necessarily great one, that is where a strong and mighty army was totally trodden down and crushed.

(22) "Then were horse hooves broken by the means of the galloping, the galloping of their mighty ones."

The enemy's horses' hooves were broken because of their violent galloping, the violent galloping of their strong and mighty horses.  Or perhaps the second part meant they were broken because of the violent galloping through the rain and hail, driven hard by their mighty soldiers.

(23) "'Curse you, Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord, 'Curse you bitterly its inhabitants because they did not come to the help of the Lord against the mighty.'"

Meroz was apparently a city close to where they fought, but none of the Bible commentators I study know where exactly it was.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, suggested that it may have been part of the curse that there should be no remembrance of it left.  The angel of the Lord called it to be cursed, which was either Deborah's way of describing what the Spirit of the Lord had said to her, or perhaps Barak was called the angel of the Lord because he had been called by Him to deliver His people.  Meroz was cursed because they did not come to the aid of God's people against Sisera even though they had surely been called by the Lord.

(24) "Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tents."

However, Jael was blessed because she had helped Israel, even though she had not been initially called.  She was blessed above women in tents, women whose jobs were to take care of their homes, not to be as soldiers.

(25) "He asked water, she gave milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish."

Sisera had asked Jael for water, and she gave him milk.  It seems it was a very rich milk, cream, that she brought to him in a nice dish, rather than just a drink of water from a ladle or simple cup.  It was probably just meant to be a kind act on her part, but as God was about to direct her to do otherwise, the rich milk probably helped to make him sleepy.

(26) "She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer, and with the hammer she struck Sisera; she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his temples."

Jael had taken a tent spike and a hammer and struck the spike into Sisera's temple which went through and out the other temple, pinning him to the floor.  In that way she crushed his head, which is actually a better translation of the original word "machaq" which was translated as "smote off" by the King James translators.

(27) "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."

After Jael had struck him, it was as if Sisera bowed before her feet.  Bible commentators struggled to explain how he must had stood up to bow down and fall.  However, again, I think Deborah is just being poetic in song.  Jael could not have stricken Sisera through the temples and pinned him to the floor (Judges 4:21) unless he was lying down.  Sisera fell dead at Jael's feet.

(28) "The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots tarry?'"

Deborah imagined Sisera's mother looking out a window and crying through the lattice that covered it, wondering why Sisera was so long in returning.  She wondered why she did not hear the clatter of the wheels of his nine hundred chariots returning.

(29) "Her wise ladies answered her, 'Yes,' she returned answer to herself, (30) 'Have they not sped, have they divided the prey, to every man a damsel or two, to Sisera a prey of diverse colors, a prey of diverse colors of needlework, of diverse colors of needlework on both sides for the necks of the spoilers?'"

Deborah imagined that Sisera's mother's wise maidens or women attending her would answer, and she answered herself that yes, Sisera and his army had surely sped through to victory and were still dividing the spoils.  The soldiers were probably taking the women, and Sisera was taking fine, beautiful, and colorful linens and garments either to be worn on his neck, but probably more likely to be carried on the necks or backs of the soldiers.

(31) "So let all of Your enemies perish, O Lord, but those who love Him as the sun when it goes forth in its might." And the land had rest for forty years.

Deborah ended her song with her desire that all the Lord's enemies perish as Sisera and his army had.  And she wished that all those who loved the Lord be as the sun at its brightest and hottest, with intense love and as a bright light to the world.  And then the land had rest from their enemies for forty years.

Deborah and Barak

After a brief interlude with the story of Ruth that was concurrent with the time of the first judges, Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar, Judges 4 continues to chronicle Israel's judges.  Continuing the chronological Bible study:

(Judges 4:1) And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead.

At the end of the third chapter of Judges, Ehud had delivered the Israelites from Moab.  Shamgar had a brief mention as he delivered them from at least 600 Philistines, but it appears that Ehud was the stabilizing force that allowed Israel rest for eighty years (Judges 3:30).  However, after he died, Israel returned to her wicked ways.

(2) And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, the captain of whose host was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

Because they did evil in His sight, the Lord delivered them into bondage to Jabin, the king of Canaan.  During the time of Joshua, there was a King Jabin of Hazor whom Joshua killed (Joshua 11).  This was evidently a successor by the same name who had rebuilt and reinhabited Hazor.  It appeared that Jabin kept a standing army to keep Israel in check, and Sisera was the captain of his army.  He dwelt in a place called Harosheth of the Gentiles.

(3) And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

The children of Israel cried out to the Lord after twenty years of oppression by Sisera.  He had cruelly kept them in check with nine hundred chariots of iron.  These were not chariots made of iron, but rather they were chariots equipped with iron scythes that stood out from the orbs of the wheels and could slash through any group of people, thus striking fear in the Israelites, and they cried out to their Lord for deliverance.

(4) And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

Deborah, a prophetess, a female prophet who by the Spirit of God declared His will, judged Israel at that time.  It is said she was the wife of Lapidoth.  However, he is not mentioned anywhere else.  As the original word "ishshah" that was translated as "wife" can also mean "woman," this might have as easily been translated as "a woman of Lapidoth," making Lapidoth a place rather than a man.  However, there is not a place known by Bible scholars with the name of Lapidoth, so who knows?  The fact that it is only mentioned one time in the Bible makes it of little importance either way.

(5) And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

It appears Deborah sat in judgment in the open air under a palm tree that was called by her name.  It was located between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim.  The Israelites came to her there for judgment.

(6) And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, 'Go and draw toward Mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun'?"

Deborah called for Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh in Naphtali.  She asked Barak if he knew it to be true that the Lord had commanded Israel to go to Mount Tabor and bring ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun.  Whether or not Barak knew that the Lord had commanded him to do that, I'm not sure.  It might be that this was Deborah's way of informing him that that was what the Lord had said to her, and therefore he could not dare question it.  

(7) "'And I will draw to you to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand.'"

Deborah continued with the words of the Lord, that He would draw Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, to Barak at the river Kishon with all his army and 900 chariots of iron.  The Lord declared through Deborah that He would deliver them into his hand.

(8) And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go."

I suppose Barak's answer does show faith that the Lord would deliver Sisera into his hand, as confirmed by Hebrews 11 where he is listed as one of the heroes of faith.  However, it seems to show a little weakness in him that he must have a woman, Deborah, go with him into battle.  Maybe it was because he highly regarded her as an oracle of God and wanted that word of the Lord leading him into battle.

(9) And she said, "I will surely go with you, notwithstanding the journey that you take shall not be for your honor, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Deborah instantly agreed to go with Barak, but she told him that by her accompanying him, he would not be given the glory for defeating Sisera, but the Lord would deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman.  Indeed, I believe Deborah is better remembered than Barak.  Deborah rose up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

(10) And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.

Barak called the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to him in Kedesh, where ten thousand men were chosen, and those being under Barak's command, and Deborah, went forward with him.

(11) Now Heber the Kenite of the children of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent to the plain of Zaanaim which is by Kedesh.

Heber, a Kenite from the children of Hobab, actually the son of Moses's father-in-law Jethro, along with all the children of Hobab (see Joshua 1:16), had severed himself from the Kenites, and he dwelt in the plain of Zaanaim which was close to Kedesh.

(12) And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.

It was reported to Sisera that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor.  It does not say exactly who reported it.  It could have been Canaanites, but it also could have been some of the Kenites who had remained at peace with Jabin as we will see in verse 17.  Whether it was out of good will or perhaps ill will to further God's will, either way it was surely God's will that Sisera be informed about Barak being at Mount Tabor.

(13) And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river of Kishon.

Therefore Sisera gathered together all his nine hundred chariots of iron and all his people from Harosheth of the Gentiles where he resided to the Kishon River which was near Mount Tabor where Barak and his men were.

(14) And Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand; is not the Lord gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him.

Deborah told Barak to rise up for she had been told by a spirit of prophecy that that was the day when the Lord had delivered Sisera into his hand.  She assured Barak that the Lord had gone out before him so he might be sure of victory.  Therefore he and his ten thousand men went down from Mount Tabor.

(15) And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet.

The word that was translated as "discomfited" literally meant "to put in commotion."  The Lord confused, troubled, and frightened Sisera and his men and even his chariots.  The historian Josephus wrote that there was a great storm of rain and hail, and a great wind blew rain in the faces of the enemy that blinded their eyes.  The hail numbed their hands so that they could not hold their swords.  If all that is true, there would be no doubt that it was the Lord who stirred up the commotion that allowed Barak to come in with the sword and destroy them.  However, Sisera jumped off his chariot and ran away.

(16) But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host to Harosheth of the Gentiles, and all the host of Sisera fell on the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.

Barak pursued after the chariots and Sisera's army all the way back to where they had started at Harosheth of the Gentiles.  Everyone of Sisera's army was killed.  There was not a single man left of his army, but Sisera himself had escaped.

(17) However, Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

Sisera had fled to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, because there had been peace between Jabin the king and the house of Heber, so he felt he would be safe there.  

(18) And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not." And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a rug.

Indeed, Jael went out to meet Sisera and invited him to turn into her tent and not be afraid, insinuating he would be safe there.  When he came into her tent, she covered him with a rug perhaps to hide him, or it may have been a blanket made similarly as a rug just to comfort and warm him.

(19) And he said to her, "Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink for I am thirsty." And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink and covered him.

Sisera asked Jael for some water because he was thirsty.  She actually gave him milk, possibly as a courtesy to give him something more nourishing, or perhaps something more than water to make him sleep.  She then covered him.

(20) Again he said to her, "Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be when any man comes and enquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?' that you shall say, 'No.'"

Sisera spoke to Jael again and asked her to stand in the doorway of her tent, so that if anyone came looking for a man, they would have no need to enter her tent for she would be in the doorway and would answer that there was no one in her tent besides her.

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

When Sisera was fast asleep for he was so weary, Jael took a tent spike and a hammer and went quietly to him and drove the spike through his temples, fastening him to the ground, where he, of course, died.  Some of the Biblical scholars I study had a moral dilemma with what Jael did.  Only God knows the heart, but He definitely used Jael to deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman as Deborah had prophesied (verse 9).  Jael may have been sincere when she encouraged Sisera to come into her tent, but she was later struck by the Spirit of God to kill him.  She may have witnessed the rain and hail and chaos that had struck Sisera and his army and may have come to realize that it was of God, and she was therefore led to do what she did.  Whatever was in her heart and spirit at the time, we can be sure that God put it there, or He knew what was there and used it for His purposes.

(22) And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

As Barak was still pursuing Sisera and neared Jael's tent, she went out to meet him and told him she would show him the man for whom he was seeking.  This tells me that she was probably Spirit led to do what she did as she knew without a doubt that Barak was looking for Sisera, and she felt safe to invite him into her tent to see him for himself.  Indeed, Barak went into Jael's tent and saw that Sisera was dead with the spike still in his temples.

(23) So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. (24) And the hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Thus God had subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the children of Israel.  The Israelites prevailed against the king of Canaan until they had destroyed him.  Scripture does not tell specifically how King Jabin died, but his army and its captain being defeated, the king was apparently easily destroyed.