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Verse

Judges 4:12

ESV When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
NIV When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
NASB Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
CSB It was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor.
NLT When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
KJV And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

What does Judges 4:12 mean?

After noting the presence of a Kenite (Judges 4:11), whose influence will only be understood later, the passage returns to the main storyline. The Lord had promised Barak that He would draw out Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, into a battle (Judges 4:4–7). That moment comes now.

Sisera learns that Barak has raised an army in defiance of Israel's oppressors, the Canaanites. He also learns that they have positioned themselves at Mount Tabor. This is exactly what God has told Barak to do. Sisera would have understood Mount Tabor as a tactical stronghold, giving an army the higher ground from which to do battle. Still, Sisera will not hesitate to take his own army out to confront this threat to Canaan's dominance over the Israelites. His 900 iron chariots would have been a considerable advantage in any fight against troops on foot (Judges 4:1–3; 5:6).

Later explanations show that God has a plan to undo this technological advantage (Judges 5:21).
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