“I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judg. 4:9). Though commanding Israel’s army against King Jabin, Barak will not slay Sisera. This honor would go to a woman (who is thus far unnamed).

In Judges 4, things are tricky. Earlier passages tell us the names of judges who delivered God’s people—Othniel (Judg. 3:7–11), Ehud (3:12–30), and Shamgar (3:31). But in Judges 4, the one who judges Israel (Deborah, according to 4:4–5) is not the same one who leads Israel into battle and on to victory. This latter role belongs to Barak, whom Deborah the judge summons (4:6–7).

It’s as if the judge-role, which Deborah occupies, is fulfilled by Barak’s military victory. Barak is a kind of judge, in the delivering-Israel-from-oppression sense, even though he isn’t called a judge. Deborah doesn’t pick up a sword and shield and head into battle. Instead, she summons Barak and commissions him to do that. He leads thousands of Israelites into a region of Naphtali where they overcome the Canaanite army of King Jabin and General Sisera (Judg. 4:10, 12–16).

Barak’s plan was to pursue every Canaanite soldier who had been part of King Jabin’s army, an army led by a man named Sisera. And “all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left” (Judg. 4:16). Barak even pursued General Sisera (4:22), seeking to put him to death.

The glory of victory wasn’t attributed exclusively to Barak, however. When Deborah initially commissioned him and assured him of victory (Judg. 4:6–7), he said, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go” (4:8).

Read More