And they continued to do evil. This happened while Ehud was still alive, as stated earlier; and when Ehud died — since his merit shielded them as long as he lived. Thus it does not say here, as it does above, “And Othniel died, and they again did evil” (and likewise later 8:33; 10:6; 11:15), for in this case their wrongdoing began during his lifetime.

And He sold them. Previously they had fallen into the hands of Aram and Moab, who were not among the seven Canaanite nations; but now they were delivered into the hand of the king of Canaan itself, fulfilling the warning, “They shall be a snare to you.” He had once ruled in Hazor — a city conquered by Joshua — but now resided in Harosheth-hagoyim, a fortified stronghold, preserving an old hostility toward Israel.

And they cried out. In the earlier instances (3:9, 15) the text uses “ויזעקו,” but here it uses “ויצעקו,” since “a cry” (צעקה) denotes a stronger outcry than “a lament” (זעקה). This intensification is due to three factors: (a) he possessed nine hundred iron chariots, leaving them no realistic prospect of victory; (b) he oppressed them with severity — interpreted by the Sages as verbal abuse and blasphemy; and (c) the oppression endured for twenty years.

And Deborah. He explains that four conditions for redemption were now assembled: (a) the people’s outcry to Hashem; (b) Deborah’s merit, having attained prophecy — unlike earlier saviors — along with her natural character as “the wife of Lapidoth,” suggesting energetic, fiery action; (c) her active leadership in reforming the nation, as she judged Israel (with “shoftah” understood as a present participle in the kal form, though some interpret it as a complete past verb of a quadriliteral root).

And she. (d) The merit of the people themselves — unlike the other judges who needed to travel among the nation to administer justice (as it says of Samuel, “He went in circuit to Bethel…”), Deborah remained seated beneath the palm, known as the Palm of Deborah (situated between Ramah and Bethel), and the Israelites came to her voluntarily for judgment.

Concerning this, the Sages offered a parable: As the palm tree has only one core, so Israel then had a single heart devoted to their Father in Heaven. And likewise they taught: Just as the palm’s shade is slight, so the number of Torah scholars was small at that time; otherwise the people would not have journeyed from distant regions to seek judgment from a woman.

And she sent. Following these preparations — through the merit of the leader and the generation — she addressed him: first, to make clear that her words were prophetic, as indicated by the phrase, “Has not Hashem commanded?” Second, the divine directive was that he gather men to Mount Tabor, numbering ten thousand, specifically from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. The Sages have offered explanations for the selection of these two tribes at that moment.

And then “I will draw toward you” — through Hashem’s providence, He will draw Sisera and all his forces to the Kishon River, and there He will deliver him into your hand through miraculous intervention.

The Questions (8) How was it possible for him to say, “If you will not go with me, I will not go,” once she had spoken to him in the name of Hashem — since one who rebels against a prophet’s command is deserving of death? And what is the meaning of, “For the honor shall not be yours,” etc.?

And Barak said to her, “If you go with me.” This was not out of doubt in her prophecy, nor rebellion against her command — for one who rebels against a prophet is deserving of death. Rather, since he was commanded to gather ten thousand men, he reasoned that if she did not accompany him, the people would not trust his word, and he would go for nothing.

Moreover, because she had told him the victory would be miraculous, he assumed that his merit alone was not sufficient to warrant such a miracle; only if she went with him would the miracle occur through her merit.

This is reflected in the Midrash: Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nehemiah offer two interpretations. Rabbi Yehudah explains, “If you go with me to Kedesh, I will go with you to Hazor,” aligning with the first reason — that she accompany him in assembling the people from Kedesh. Rabbi Nehemiah explains, “If you go with me to the song, I will go with you to battle,” corresponding to the second reason — that only through her merit would the song of victory be sung over the miracle.

And she said, “I will indeed go with you.” Meaning, both to Kedesh to assemble the army and to the battlefield.

Yet the honor shall not be yours in this campaign. For if you had gone independently, the victory would have brought you distinction — both because the people would have followed your leadership, and because Sisera would have been delivered into your hand. But now it will be otherwise: “Hashem will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman.” The entire episode will be credited to a woman — its beginning, since the army’s mobilization will be through Deborah, and its conclusion, since Sisera’s death will come through Jael. Had you gone forth on your own in confidence, Sisera would have fallen to you.

And he advanced on foot. That is, through his own agency (as in the phrase “Hashem has blessed you on my account”), and not due to Deborah. Alternatively, in its simple sense, he possessed no cavalry or chariots to oppose the nine hundred iron chariots.

And she ascended with him. In fulfillment of her words, “I will indeed go.” Thus it first records that she arose and went to Kedesh, and here it notes that she went up to Mount Tabor.

And Heber the Kenite. This is preparatory to the fulfillment of the statement, “Into the hand of a woman Hashem will deliver Sisera.” It was providential that Heber separated then from his kinsmen — who had settled in the wilderness of Judah (as noted earlier in 1:16) — and moved his tent near Kedesh, positioning himself for the coming moment of salvation.

And he called together. So as to realize the words, “I will draw Sisera and his chariots to the Brook Kishon,” Hashem inspired him to: (a) mobilize all his chariots and his whole army, despite the fact that logic would suggest confronting such a weak force with only a limited number; and (b) to move them toward the Kishon River.

Rise, for this is the day. Delay not for another time, since Hashem has already advanced ahead of you and has begun striking his forces.

And Hashem routed… before Barak. Abarbanel interprets this to mean that the confusion occurred even before Barak reached them — Hashem made them hear the sound of chariots and cavalry, causing panic, so that Sisera had already taken flight.

And Barak gave chase. Meaning that he did not engage in a full battle; rather, he pursued the retreating forces, and the whole camp fell as casualties.

And Sisera. Abarbanel questions how Jael could have performed such a deed — killing Sisera after there was peace between him and her husband’s household, and after he had entered her tent — seemingly in violation of accepted norms.

I respond, following his reasoning: the peace between Jabin and the house of Heber was part of a broader covenant with the Kenites who dwelled in the wilderness of Judah, as the verse states. But once Heber separated from his kinsmen and settled among Israel, the covenant of the Kenites no longer bound him, since he had withdrawn from that collective.

A second explanation, according to Abarbanel, is that Sisera fled into Jael’s tent, and a woman is not subject to the political obligations of state treaties; she acted on her own, not as her husband’s representative. Yet such arguments are unnecessary, since the house of Heber was counted among Israel — and how could they fail to fight for their nation and their God?

And he said, “Is there any man here?” For it is improper etiquette for someone to enter a woman’s tent if no man is present. Therefore he would inquire whether a man of the household was there; and you are to answer, “There is none,” so that no outsider will come in. The word “stand” is grammatically an infinitive functioning as a command.

And she struck it in. She held the mallet in one hand and the tent peg in the other; yet she lacked the physical strength to drive it through by her own power. Therefore, by divine assistance, the peg descended into the ground by its weight, penetrating and passing through. And since he had fallen into deep sleep from the milk he drank, being fatigued and faint, he died at once.

And he was humbled. At once, on that very day; though later he resumed fighting, the power of Israel intensified against him until he was cut off. Consequently, peace endured throughout Deborah’s lifetime, because they upheld their righteousness as long as she lived — in fulfillment of what was said earlier (2:18): “He saved them from their enemies all the days of the judge.”