Many have supposed that by this act she fullilled the saying of Deborah, that God would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman (Judg. iv, 9; Josephus, .-Iw^ v, 5, 4), and hence they have supposed that Jael was actuateil by some divine and hidden intluence. But the Bilile gives no hint of such an inspiration, and it is at least equally probable that Deborali merely intended to inti- mate the share of the honor which would be assigned by posterity to her own exertions. If, therefore, we eliminate the still more monstrous supposition of the Kabbis that Sisera was slain Ijy Jael because he at- tempted to offer her violence— the miu-der will appear in all its hideous atrocitj-. A fugitive had asked and received dakhil (or protection) at her hands— he was miserable, defeated, weary— he was the ally of her hus- band— he was her invited and honored guest — he was in the sanctuarj^ of the harem— above all, he was con- fiding, defenceless, and asleep ; yet she broke her pledged faith, violated her solemn hospitality, and murdered a trustful and unprotected slumberer. Surely we require the clearest and most positive statement tliat Jael was instigated to such a murder by divine suggestion. — Smith. See Hospitat.ity.
It does not seem difficult to understand, on merely human grounds, the object of .lael in this painful trans- action. Her motives seem to have been entirely pru-
dential ; and on prudential grounds the very circum- stance which renders her act the more odious — the peace subsisting between the nomad chief and the king of Ha- zor — must to her have seemed to make it the more ex- pedient. She saw that the Israelites had now the up- per hand, and was aware that, as being in alliance with the oppressors of Israel, the camp might expect very rough treatment from the pursuing force, which would be greatly aggravated if Sisera were found sheltered within it. Tliis calamity she sought to avert, and to place the house of Heber in a favorable position Avitli the victorious party. She probably j ustified the act to herself by the consideration that, as Sisera Avould cer- tainly be taken and slain, she might as well make a benefit out of his inevitable doom as incur utter ruin in the attempt to protect him. It is probable, however, that at first the woman was sincere m her proffers of Arab friendship ; but the quiet sleep of the warrior gave her time to reflect how easily even her arm might rid her kindred people of the oppressor, and she was thus induced to plot against the life of her victim. It does wot appear that she committed the falsehood, which she was requested by him to do, of denying the presence of any stranger if asked by a passer-by. See Kitto's Daily Bible I llusti-ations, ad loc.
It is much easier to explain the conduct of Jael than to account for the apparently eulogistic notice which it receives in the triumphal ode of Deborah and Barak ; but the following remarks will go far to remove the dif- ficulty : There is no doubt that Sisera would have been put to death if he had been taken alive by the Israelites. The war-usages of the time warranted such treatment, and there are numerous examples of it. Thej' had, therefore, no regard to her private motives, or to the particular relations between Heber and Jabin, but be- held her only as the instrument of accomplishing what was usually regarded as the final and crowning act of a great victory. The unusual circumstance that this act was performed by a woman's hand was, according to the notions of the time, so great a humiliation that it could hardly fail to be dwelt upon in contrasting the resiUt with the proud confidence of victorj' which had at the outset been entertained (Judg. v, 30). Without stop- ping to ask when and wliere Deborah claims for herself any infallibility, or whether, in the passionate moment of patriotic triumph, she was Ukely to pause in such wild times to scrutinize the moral bearings of an act which had been so splendid a benefit to herself and her people, we may question whether any moral commenda- tion is directly intended. What Deborah stated was a fact, viz. that the wives of the nomad Arabs would un- doubtedly regard Jael as a public benefactress, and praise her as a popular heroine. " She certainly was not ' blessed' as a pious and upright person is blessed when performing a deed which embodies the noblest princi- ples, ami which goes up as a memorial before God, but merely as one who acted a part that accompUshed an important purpose of heaven. In the same sense, though in the opposite direction, Job and Jeremiah cursed the day of their birth ; not that they meant to make it the proper subject of blame, but that they wished to mark their deep sense of the evil into which it had usliered them — mark it as the commencement of a life-heritage of sorrow and gloom. In like manner, and with a closer resemlilance to the case before us, the psalmist pro- nounces happy or blessed those who should dasli tlie little ones of Babylon against the stones (Psa. cxxxvii, 9), which no one ^^'ho understands the spirit of Hebrew poetry would ever dream of construing into a proper benediction upon tlie ruthless murderers of Babylon's children, as true lieroes of righteousness. It merely an- nounces, under a strong individualizing trait, the com- ing recompense on Babylon for the cruelties she had inflicted on Israel ; her own measure should be meted back to her: and they Avbo should be the instruments of effecting it would execute a purpose of God, ^^•hether they might themselves intend it or not. Let the poet-