And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

JUDGES 4:14KJV
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Judges 4:14 (KJV)

What does Judges 4:14 mean?

Judges 4:14 shows Deborah urging Barak to act, telling him that the LORD has given Sisera into his hands and is going ahead of him into battle. Barak responds by leading his ten thousand men down from Mount Tabor to confront Sisera’s army.

In this verse, Deborah, a prophetess and judge, speaks directly to Barak, encouraging him to rise up ("Up") because the decisive moment has come. She reassures him that the LORD (יהוה, Yahweh) is already at work, leading the way before Barak and his troops. The scene is set just before a key battle, with Barak obeying Deborah’s call and moving forward with his large force.

The Hebrew behind Judges 4:14

  • The word for "Up" is קוּם (qum), which means to rise or stand. Deborah’s command is urgent, signaling that now is the time for action, not hesitation.
  • The phrase "the LORD hath delivered" uses נָתַן (natan), meaning to give or hand over. This emphasizes that victory is being presented as a gift from God, not just achieved by human effort.
  • "Is not the LORD gone out before thee?" uses יָצָא (yatsa, "gone out") and לִפְנֵי (lifnei, "before"). This stresses that God is leading the way, not just supporting from behind, which would encourage Barak’s confidence.

Why Judges 4:14 matters

  • This verse clears up that Deborah is not just a passive advisor but an active leader who motivates Barak and affirms God’s involvement.
  • The emphasis on God going "before" Barak highlights the idea that victory depends on God’s initiative, not just military strength.
  • Understanding this moment helps explain why Barak and his army move with confidence, setting the stage for the dramatic events that follow in the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“Deborah” Hebrew H1683 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 35:8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
  • Judges 4:9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
  • Judges 5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

“Tabor” Hebrew H8396 · used in 10 verses

  • Joshua 19:22 And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
  • Judges 8:18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
  • Psalms 89:12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

“Barak” Hebrew H1301 · used in 12 verses

  • Judges 4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
  • Judges 4:10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
  • Judges 4:22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

“Sisera” Hebrew H5516 · used in 19 verses

  • Judges 4:2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
  • Judges 4:16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
  • Judges 5:28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?