The Meaning of Judges 4:2 Explained

Judges 4:2

KJV: And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

YLT: and Jehovah selleth them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who hath reigned in Hazor, and the head of his host is Sisera, and he is dwelling in Harosheth of the Goyim;

Darby: And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sis'era, who dwelt in Haro'sheth-ha-goiim.

ASV: And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  sold  them into the hand  of Jabin  king  of Canaan,  that reigned  in Hazor;  the captain  of whose host  [was] Sisera,  which dwelt  in Harosheth  of the Gentiles. 

What does Judges 4:2 Mean?

Study Notes

sold them
See, 1 Samuel 12:9 ; Psalms 83:9 . It seems to concern only north Israel.

Context Summary

Judges 4:1-11 - A Woman's Deliverance
The scene changes to the northern part of Canaan. Deborah probably belonged to Issachar, Judges 5:15; but her seat of government was removed to the hill country of Ephraim, probably for greater security. Her spirit was susceptible to God, and she recognized that the hour for the emancipation of her suffering country was at hand. Indeed, the command had gone forth, Judges 4:6. But the divine method is ever to link command and promise, as we discover in Judges 4:7. Barak had true faith, Hebrews 11:32; but it needed inspiration and stimulus, as a dying fire calls for the bellows.
Kedesh, the gathering-place, was not far from the shores of the Lake of Galilee. From the table-land on the top of Tabor, these two heroic souls watched the gathering of Sisera's vast host, far away to the slopes of Carmel and the banks of Kishon, soon to be encrimsoned with blood. What a moment that was when Deborah summoned Barak to arise, because the Lord had already gone forth! Who of us need fear and who need hesitate in the face of difficulty, if we are simply called upon to go in the wake of our Lord? [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 4

1  Deborah and Barak deliver them from Jabin and Sisera
17  Jael kills Sisera

What do the individual words in Judges 4:2 mean?

So sold them Yahweh into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor and the commander of his army [was] Sisera and he dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim of the Gentiles
וַיִּמְכְּרֵ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה בְּיַד֙ יָבִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָלַ֖ךְ בְּחָצ֑וֹר וְשַׂר־ צְבָאוֹ֙ סִֽיסְרָ֔א וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בַּחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת הַגּוֹיִֽם

וַיִּמְכְּרֵ֣ם  So  sold  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּיַד֙  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יָבִ֣ין  of  Jabin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָבִין  
Sense: a king of Hazor who organised a confederacy of the northern princes against Joshua; confederacy routed by the waters of Merom.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
מָלַ֖ךְ  reigned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
בְּחָצ֑וֹר  in  Hazor 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָצֹור 
Sense: a royal city of northern Palestine allotted to Naphtali.
וְשַׂר־  and  the  commander 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
צְבָאוֹ֙  of  his  army 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
סִֽיסְרָ֔א  [was]  Sisera 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סִיסְרָא  
Sense: the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael.
וְה֥וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יוֹשֵׁ֖ב  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת  in  Harosheth  Hagoyim 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: הַגֹּויִם 
Sense: a city in the north of the land of Canaan on the west coast of the lake Merom.
הַגּוֹיִֽם  of  the  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.