Sisera’s iron chariots were broken and scattered; but his will and prowess would soon have another army in the field, more terrible than the first. To answer fully the faith that took hold of God’s strength, the Canaanitish general must die. But not by the hand of Barak. His wavering faith had forfeited that honor. That last act which should bring victory to the army of Israel would be performed through the courage of a woman. The woman who was to complete the deliverance was the wife of an Arab sheik, of a family descended from Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. The tribe of Jael and of her husband, Heber, was encamped under the “Oak of the Wanderers.” These Arabs were on good terms with both Hebrews and Syrians; but Jael must have had the spiritual sense to see that the Lord had taken in hand the freeing of Israel, and she must use the opportunity to further His plans. So when Sisera left his unmanageable chariot and escaped from the battle on foot, he came to her tent worn out with the fatigue of the fight and flight, and she gave him the hospitality for which he begged; but while he was in the deep sleep of exhaustion, she drove a tent pin into his temple. His death made impossible the rallying of the host against God’s people. Better far that one man should die, than that thousands of both Hebrews and Syrians should fall on the battlefields of prolonged warfare. Jael has honorable mention in Deborah’s superb song of triumph. Stanley says of that pæan of victory: “In the song of Deborah we have the only prophetic utterance that breaks the silence between Moses and Samuel. Hers is the one voice of inspiration (in the full sense of the word) that breaks out in the Book of Judges.” Jael is the only woman mentioned in the Bible who ever took a human life. We confess that the exploit seems unwomanly, but we must not forget there is no sex in right or wrong-doing, though it may be long before we can rid ourselves of the habit of requiring a higher morality in a woman than in a man.