Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera

Deborah, a prophetess and judge of Israel, summoned Barak and commanded him to take ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun to Mount Tabor (Judges 4:4-6). She stated that the Lord would draw out Sisera, the commander of King Jabin's army, to the river Kishon with his nine hundred chariots of iron (Judges 4:7). Barak requested that Deborah go with him, and she agreed, though she noted that the honor of the journey would not be his, for the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman (Judges 4:8-9).

When Sisera was informed that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor, he gathered all his chariots and his people at the river Kishon. Deborah instructed Barak to go down, as the Lord had gone out before him (Judges 4:12-14). The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army before Barak's sword. Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot, while Barak pursued the chariots and the host until the entire army had fallen (Judges 4:15-16).

Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between King Jabin and the house of Heber. Jael gave Sisera milk to drink and covered him with a rug (Judges 4:17-19). While he was in a deep sleep, Jael took a tent peg and a hammer and drove the peg into his temple until it went into the ground (Judges 4:21). When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael showed him the man lying dead (Judges 4:22). The text does not say why Jael chose this specific method of execution.