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Reading the Bible with the Dead

Jael and Sisera Painting

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The Story of Jael and Sisera
Introduction
About a century or so after Israel had entered the promised land, war broke out between Canaan and the northern tribes of Naphtali, Zebulun, and Issachar. Deborah, the prophetess leader of Israel, sent Barak from the tribe of Naphtali to lead an army against the Canaanite King who had oppressed them for decades. The Canaanite King, Jabin, chose Sisera to command his army. During battle, the Canaanite army was completely wiped out by Barak. Only Sisera was able to flee with his life. Sisera fled for miles looking for refuge until he finally stumbled upon the home of Heber the Kenite, but only Heber’s wife Jael was home. Jael offered Sisera clothing, milk and rest, and Sisera trusted her blindly. However, when Sisera asked Jael to stand guard at the entrance of the tent, Jael took a tent peg and drove it into Sisera’s temple, killing him. Later, when Barak appeared looking for Sisera, Jael eagerly presented him with Sisera’s body. Upon hearing the news, the prophetess Deborah praised Jael, giving her actions divine approval. Deborah then concludes with a song, praising the Lord for the victory that he had granted the Israelites. The motive behind Jael's sudden betrayal has been, and continues to be, a controversial debate between biblical interpreters.
Significance
The significant point of this story is clearly the murder of Sisera at the hands of Jael. There has been much controversy between biblical interpreters over Jael's motive behind killing Sisera. Some biblical interpreters argue that Jael murdered Sisera because she was compelled to do so by God, which would explain why her actions received divine approval. Others argue that she acted without command and murdered Sisera to avenge her people, the Israelites. This would mean that she committed the act of murder in order to free her people from oppression. Whether she acted on her own or by the will of God, either way it seems that her actions are condoned both in the bible and by biblical interpreters. There has even been interpretations on why it was that Sisera trusted Jael so easily, suggesting that perhaps the two knew each other before the war. Biblical interpreter Paul Noble argues that they were friends, and perhaps even lovers. To understand why some interpret this scripture one way while others interpret it another way, we need to analyze the historical context in which these interpretations were presented.
Change Over Time
In the story of Jael and Sisera, Jael receives divine approval for her actions by both Deborah and by God, and it seems throughout history, biblical interpreters have questioned why Jael killed Sisera, but never whether or not it was right of her to do so. Murder is, after all, one of the greatest sins in the bible. It appears that many biblical interpreters of early history condone Jaels actions. This may be because they believed she was doing good for her people. However, we do not think this way today. In our society today, if someone murders another person under the claims of religious conviction, we call them religious extremists. Given the fact that the story of Jael and Sisera is about a woman murdering a man, this would be extremely controversial during periods such as the Victorian Era when women were considered to be submissive and frail. If one examined interpretations of this biblical story during the first, second, and even third wave feminist movements, one would probably find interpretations of this story to be of an empowered and strong woman. Interpretations of this story vary greatly depending on the period in history in which one is looking at it.