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45 One of the experts in the [Mosaic] Law answered Him, Teacher, in saying this, You reproach and outrage and affront even us!

46 But He said, Woe to you, the lawyers, also! For you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally [even [a]gently] touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 Woe to you! For you are [b]rebuilding and repairing the tombs of the prophets, whom your fathers killed (destroyed).

48 So you bear witness and give your full approval and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they actually killed them, and you rebuild and repair monuments to them.

49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, [some] of whom they will put to death and persecute,

50 So that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be charged against and required of this age and generation,

51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was slain between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against and required of this age and generation.(A)

52 Woe to you, lawyers (experts in the Mosaic Law)! For you have taken away the key to knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and you hindered and prevented those who were entering.

53 As He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees [followed Him closely, and they] began [c]to be enraged with and set themselves violently against Him and to draw Him out and provoke Him to speak of many things,

54 Secretly watching and plotting and lying in wait for Him, to seize upon something He might say [that they might accuse Him].

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:46 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
  2. Luke 11:47 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  3. Luke 11:53 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.

45 One of the experts in the law(A) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.(B)

47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.(C) 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom(D) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’(E) 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel(F) to the blood of Zechariah,(G) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.(H)

52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”(I)

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.(J)

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But after Ehud died the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord.

So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations].

Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin] had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

Now Deborah, a [a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.

She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun?

And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you at the river Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand?

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

And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. [Fulfilled in Judg. 4:22.]

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with 10,000 men at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, of the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had separated from the Kenites and encamped as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

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

13 Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him from Harosheth-hagoiim to the river Kishon.

14 And Deborah said to Barak, Up! For this is the day when the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Is not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.

15 And the Lord confused and terrified Sisera and all his chariot drivers and all his army before Barak with the sword. And Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled on foot.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoiim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

17 But Sisera fled on foot 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.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear. So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

19 And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.

20 And he said to her, Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, Is there any man here? Tell him, No.

21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent pin and a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and drove the pin through his temple and into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep from weariness. So he died.

22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent pin was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

24 And the hand of the Israelites bore more and more upon Jabin king of Canaan until they had destroyed [him].

Footnotes

  1. Judges 4:4 According to Num. 11:25, the prophetic gift has its source in the “Spirit of the Lord.” The prophet is a spokesman of God and for God. Miriam was the first prophetess who praised God before all the people (Exod. 15:20). Deborah was not like Miriam, the sister of such men as Moses and Aaron. The objective Spirit of her God elevates her above her people, above heroes before and after her. Not only the ecstasy of enthusiasm, but also the calm wisdom of that Spirit Who informs the law dwells in her. Of no judge until Samuel [the last of the major judges] is it expressly said that he was a “prophet.” Of none until him can it be said that he was possessed of the popular authority necessary for the office of judge. The position of Deborah in Israel is therefore a twofold testimony: it proves the relaxation of spiritual and manly energy, and, secondly, the undying might of divine truth, as delivered by Moses, comes brilliantly to view. History shows many instances where in times of distress, when men despaired, women arose and saved their nation; but in all such cases there must be an unextinguished spark of the old fire in the people themselves. Israel, formerly encouraged by the great exploit of a left-handed man—Ehud (Judg. 3:15), is now quickened by the glowing word of a noble woman (J.P. Lange, A Commentary).

Deborah

Again the Israelites did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord,(B) now that Ehud(C) was dead. So the Lord sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) Sisera,(F) the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron(G) and had cruelly oppressed(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

Now Deborah,(I) a prophet,(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. She held court(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah(L) and Bethel(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam(N) from Kedesh(O) in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali(P) and Zebulun(Q) and lead them up to Mount Tabor.(R) I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s(S) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River(T) and give him into your hands.(U)’”

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.(V) 10 There Barak summoned(W) Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites,(X) the descendants of Hobab,(Y) Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree(Z) in Zaanannim(AA) near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,(AB) 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River(AC) all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.(AD)

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.(AE) Has not the Lord gone ahead(AF) of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed(AG) Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left.(AH) 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael,(AI) the wife of Heber the Kenite,(AJ) because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor(AK) and the family of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael(AL) went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk,(AM) gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

21 But Jael,(AN) Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep,(AO) exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.(AP)

22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael(AQ) went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.(AR)

23 On that day God subdued(AS) Jabin(AT) king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging
  2. Judges 4:11 Or father-in-law