Illustration created for this project.

Jael

The wife of Heber the Kenite, who killed Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, after his defeat by Barak. Fleeing on foot, Sisera came to her tent because there was peace between his king and her husband's house. She invited him in, covered him, gave him milk when he asked for water, and stood guard at the door as he slept exhausted. Then she took a tent peg and a hammer and drove it through his temple into the ground. Deborah's song calls her 'most blessed of women'.

Role: Deliverer

Lived: c. 12th century BC

What we know — and how we know it

Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1

Life, role & deeds

BibleThe tent-dwelling woman who killed the fleeing Sisera with a peg and mallet, and was called 'blessed among women'.

Judges 4:17–22; 5:24

↳ Deborah · Sisera

Where in scripture

Judges

However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
Judges 4:17

Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
Judges 4:18

Then Jael Heber’s wife took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
Judges 4:21 — Drives the peg through Sisera

Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples.
Judges 4:22

“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.
Judges 5:6

“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
Judges 5:24

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

Judges 4:17 Judges 4:18 Judges 4:21 Judges 4:22 Judges 5:6 Judges 5:24

Family

In their own words — 2 recorded sayings

“And Jael went out to Sisera, and said to him, Come in, my lord, come in to me without fear. So he went into her tent, and she put a cover over him.” — Judges 4:18

“Then Jael went out, and meeting Barak going after Sisera, said to him, Come, and I will let you see the man you are searching for. So he came into her tent and saw, and there was Sisera stretched out dead with the tent-pin in his head.” — Judges 4:22

Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).