Matthew Henry Commentary Judges 4:17-24

"Howbeit 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. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And 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. And 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. Then Jael Heber`s wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. And, 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 he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan." — Judges 4:17-24 (ASV)

Sisera's chariots had been his pride and his confidence. Thus are those disappointed who rest on created things; like a broken reed, it not only breaks under them but also pierces them with many sorrows. The idol may quickly become a burden (Isaiah 46:1); what we craved, God can make us sick of.

It is probable that Jael initially intended kindness to Sisera, but by a Divine impulse, she was later led to consider him as the determined enemy of the Lord and of his people, and to destroy him. All our connections with God's enemies must be broken off if we would have the Lord as our God and His people as our people.

He who had thought to destroy Israel with his many iron chariots was himself destroyed with one iron nail. Thus, the weak things of the world confound the mighty. The Israelites would have prevented much mischief if they had destroyed the Canaanites sooner, as God commanded and enabled them. But it is better to be wise late, and buy wisdom by experience, than never to be wise.