Jael

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Wife of Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, who was head of an Arab clan which was established in the north of Palestine. When Sisera’s army was defeated by Barak and Deborah, he left his chariot and fled on foot to the tent of Jael, whose husband was at peace with Jabin. Jael invited him into her tent, and bade him not to fear, gave him milk to drink, and covered him up. Being weary he fell asleep, and Jael with a hammer drove a tent-peg through his temples till it entered the ground (Judg. 4:17-2217Howbeit 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. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 21Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. (Judges 4:17‑22); Judg. 5:6, 246In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. (Judges 5:6)
24Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. (Judges 5:24)).
Great indignation has been expressed at this act of Jael, and even Christians have blamed her severely; but it was foretold that Jehovah would “sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”; and immediately after the deed, it is added, “So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.” And Deborah, in her song of praise, pronounced Jael to be “blessed above women.” It is clear from this song that Sisera was an enemy not only of God’s people, but of the Lord Himself, for she prophetically utters the words, “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord” (compare Numbers 10:3535And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. (Numbers 10:35)). Hence God empowered Jael to take his life—as He had led Joshua in some instances to destroy the women and children of the places conquered by him. Where an act is clearly the execution of God’s righteous judgment, it rises altogether above what would be justifiable under ordinary circumstances of hospitality or of warfare. Of course in some instances the thing accomplished may be according to the will of God, but not the way in which it is effected.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:
3278 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)
Transliteration:
Ya`el
Phonic:
yaw-ale’
Meaning:
the same as 3277; Jael, a Canaanite
KJV Usage:
Jael

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

ibex (a mountain goat)

Potts’ Bible Proper Names:

Wild goat; he who ascends; climbing:―wife of Heber the Kenite, Judg. 4:17. {Ibex}