Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Judges · chapter 4

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וְאוֹסִיפוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֶעְבַּד דְבִישׁ קֳדָם יְיָ וְאֵהוּד מִית:

   After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD.

2. 2

   וּמְסַרְנוּן יְיָ בְּיַד יָבִין מַלְכָּא דִכְנַעַן דִי מְלַךְ בְּחָצוֹר וְרַב חֵילֵיה סִיסְרָא וְהוּא יָתֵיב בִּתְקוֹף כְּרַכֵּי עַמְמַיָא:

   So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.

3. 3

   וּצְעָקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קֳדָם יְיָ אֲרֵי תְשַׁע מֵאָה רְתִיכִין דְבַרְזְלָא לֵיהּ וְהוּא דְחַק יַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוּקְפָא עַסְרִין שְׁנִין:

   Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

4. 4

   וּדְבוֹרָה אִתְּתָא נְבִיאֲתָא אִיתַּת לַפִּידוֹת הִיא דַיְנָא יַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעִדָנָא הַהִיא:

   Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

5. 5

   וְהִיא יַתְבָה בְּקַרְתָּא בַּעֲטָרוֹת דְבוֹרָה מִתְפַּרְנְסָא מִן דִילָהּ וְלָה דִקְלִין בִּירִיחוֹ פַּרְדְסִין בְּרָמָתָא זֵיתִין עָבְדִין מְשַׁח בְּבִקְעֲתָא בֵּית שַׁקְיָא בְּבֵית אֵל עֲפַר חִוַר בְּטוּר מַלְכָּא וְסַלְקִין לְוָתָהּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדִינָא:

   And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.

6. 6

   וּשְׁלָחַת וּקְרַת לְבָרָק בַּר אֲבִינוֹעַם מִקֶדֶשׁ דְבֵית נַפְתָּלִי וַאֲמַרַת לֵיהּ הֲלָא פָּקַד יְיָ אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱזֵיל וְתִתְנְגִיד בְּטוּרָא דְתָבוֹר וְתִדְבַּר עִמָךְ עַסְרָא אַלְפִין גַבְרָא מִבְּנֵי נַפְתָּלִי וּמִבְּנֵי זְבוּלֻן:

   She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun.

7. 7

   וֶאֱתַתֵּיב עַל יְדָךְ לְנַחְלָא דְקִישׁוֹן יַת סִיסְרָא רַב חֵילָא דְיָבִין וְיַת רְתִיכוֹהִי וְיַת מַשִׁרְיָתֵיהּ וְאֶמְסְרִנֵהּ בִידָךְ:

   And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”

8. 8

   וַאֲמַר לָהּ בָּרָק אִם תֵּיזְלִין עִמִי וְאֵיזִיל וְאִם לָא תֵּיזְלִין עִמִי לָא אֵיזִיל:

   Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

9. 9

   וַאֲמַרַת מֵיזַל אֵיזִיל עִמָךְ לְחוֹד אֲרֵי לָא תְהֵי תוּשְׁבַּחְתָּךְ עַל אוֹרְחָא דְאַתְּ אָזֵיל אֲרֵי בְּיַד אִתְּתָא יִמְסוֹר יְיָ יַת סִיסְרָא וְקָמַת דְבוֹרָה וַאֲזַלַת עִם בָּרָק לְקֶדֶשׁ:

   “I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh,

10. 10

    וּכְנַשׁ בָּרָק יַת שִׁבְטָא דִזְבוּלֻן וְיַת שִׁבְטָא דְנַפְתָּלִי לְקֶדֶשׁ וּסְלִיקוּ עִמֵיהּ עַסְרָא אַלְפִין גַבְרָא וּסְלִיקַת עִמֵיהּ דְבוֹרָה:

    where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

11. 11

    וְחֶבֶר שַׁלְמָאָה אִתְפָּרַשׁ מִשַׁלְמָאֵי מִבְּנֵי חוֹבָב חֲמוּהִי דְמֹשֶׁה וּפַרְסֵיהּ לְמַשְׁכְּנֵיהּ עַד מֵישַׁר אַגְנַיָא דְעִם קֶדֶשׁ:

    Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

12. 12

    וְחַוִיאוּ לְסִיסְרָא אֲרֵי סְלִיק בָּרָק בַּר אֲבִינוֹעַם לְטוּר תָּבוֹר:

    When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor,

13. 13

    וּכְנַשׁ סִיסְרָא יַת כָּל רְתִיכֵיהּ תְּשַׁע מְאָה רְתִיכִין דְבַרְזְלָא וְיַת כָּל עַמָא דְעִמֵיהּ מִתְקוֹף כְּרַכֵּי עַמְמַיָא לְנַחֲלָא דְקִישׁוֹן:

    he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.

14. 14

    וַאֲמַרַת דְבוֹרָה לְבָרָק קוּם אֲרֵי דֵין יוֹמָא דִמְסַר יְיָ יַת סִיסְרָא בִּידָךְ הֲלָא מַלְאָכָא דַייָ נְפַק לְאַצְלָחָא קֳדָמָךְ וּנְחַת בָּרָק מִטוּרָא דְתָבוֹר וְעַסְרָא אַלְפִין גַבְרָא בַּתְרוֹהִי:

    Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

15. 15

    וְתַבֵּר יְיָ יַת סִיסְרָא וְיַת כָּל רְתִיכַיָא וְיַת כָּל מַשְׁרִיתָא לְפִתְגַם דְחֶרֶב קֳדָם בָּרָק וּנְחַת סִיסְרָא מֵעַל רְתִיכָא וְאַפַּךְ בְּרַגְלוֹהִי:

    And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

16. 16

    וּבָרָק רְדַף בָּתַר רְתִיכָא וּבָתַר מַשְׁרִיתָא עַד תְּקוֹף כְּרַכֵּי עַמְמַיָא וְאִתְקְטָלָא כָּל מַשִׁרְיַת סִיסְרָא לְפִתְגַם דְחָרֶב לָא אִשְׁתָּאַר עַד חָד:

    Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

17. 17

    וְסִיסְרָא אַפֵּךְ בְּרַגְלוֹהִי לְמַשְׁכְּנָא דְיָעֵל אִתַּת חֶבֶר שַׁלְמָאָה אֲרֵי שְׁלָמָא בֵּין יָבִין מַלְכָּא דְחָצוֹר וּבֵין בֵּית חֶבֶר שַׁלְמָאָה:

    Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18. 18

    וְנַפְקַת יָעֵל לִקְדָמוּת סִיסְרָא וַאֲמַרַת לֵיהּ זוּר רִבּוֹנִי זוּר לְוָתִי לָא תִדְחַל וְזַר לְוָתָהּ לְמַשְׁכְּנָא וְכַסִיתֵיהּ בְּגוּנְכָא:

    Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Do not be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19. 19

    וַאֲמַר לָהּ אַשְׁקִינִי כְעַן זְעֵיר מַיָא אֲרֵי צָחֵי אֲנָא לְמִשְׁתֵּי וּפְתַחַת יַת נוֹדָא דְחֶלְבָּא וְאַשְׁקִיתֵיהּ וְכַסִיתֵיהּ:

    Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

20. 20

    וַאֲמַר לָה קוּמִי בִּתְרַע מַשְׁכְּנָא וִיהֵי אִם אֱנַשׁ יֵיתֵי וְיִשְׁאֲלִנָיךְ וְיֵמַר הֲאִית כָּא גַבְרָא וְתֵימְרִין לָא:

    “Stand at the entrance to the tent,” he said, “and if anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’”

21. 21

    וּנְסִיבַת יָעֵל אִתַּת חֶבֶר יַת סִכַּת מַשְׁכְּנָא וְשַׁוִיאַת יַת אַרְזַפְתָּא בִּידָהּ וַעֲלַת לְוָתֵיהּ בְּרָז וּנְקִישַׁת יַת סִכְּתָא בְּצִדְעֵיהּ וּנְעָצַת בְּעַרְעָא וְהוּא דְמוּךְ וְאִשְׁתַּלְהִי וּמִית:

    But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.

22. 22

    וְהָא בָרָק רְדַף יַת סִיסְרָא וְנַפְקַת יָעֵל לִקְדָמוּתֵיהּ וַאֲמַרַת לֵיהּ אִיתָא וְאַחֲזִינָךְ יַת גַבְרָא דְאַתְּ בָּעֵי וְעַל לְוָתָהּ וְהָא סִיסְרָא טָרִיף וּמִית וְסִכְּתָא נְעִיצָא בְּצִדְעֵיהּ:

    When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple.

23. 23

    וּתְבַר יְיָ בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא יַת יָבִין מַלְכָּא דִכְנָעַן קֳדָם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

    On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

24. 24

    וְאַזְלַת יַד בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָזְלָא וְתָקְפָא עַל יָבִין מַלְכָּא דִכְנָעַן עַד דִי שֵׁצִיאוּ יַת יָבִין מַלְכָּא דִכְנָעַן:

    And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.