Difference between revisions of "Sisera"

<p> '''1.''' [[Captain]] of the host of Jabin, the [[Canaanite]] king who reigned in [[Hazor]] (See [[Jabin]] ; [[Jael; Barak; Deborah; Kishon]] ) [[Sisera]] resided in Harosheth of the Gentiles. (See [[Harosheth]] .) His doom was a standing reference in after times (&nbsp;1 Samuel 12:9; &nbsp;Psalms 83:9). The "curdled milk", still offered by Bedouin as a delicacy to guests, is called '''''Leben''''' . </p> <p> It is not only refreshing to the weary, but also strongly soporific, and Jael's aim would be to cast Sisera into a sound sleep. In &nbsp;Judges 5:20, "the stars in their courses fought against Sisera," the reference is not only to the storm of hail beating in the enemy's face which [[Josephus]] describes, but also to the falling meteoric stars of autumn which descended as the defeated host fled by night. ''(Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, July 1878, P. 115-116.)'' The divine approval of the faith of [[Jael]] in killing Sisera involves no approval of her treachery. So in the case of Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, God in approving their faithful zeal in executing His will gives no sanction to the alloy of evil which accompanied their faith (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:32). From this great enemy sprang Israel's great friend, Rabbi Akiba, whose father was a [[Syrian]] proselyte of righteousness; he was standard bearer to Bar Cocheba in the [[Jewish]] war of independence (Bartolocci 4:272). </p> <p> '''2.''' One of the [[Nethinim]] who returned with [[Zerubbabel]] (&nbsp;Ezra 2:53; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:55). Canaanite captives were dedicated to help the [[Levites]] in the heavier work of the temple. </p>

<li> The ancestor of some of the Nethinim who returned with Zerubbabel (&nbsp;Ezra 2:53; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:55 ). <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton [[M.A., DD]]  Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Sisera'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/s/sisera.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> (Heb. Sisera', '''''סַיסְרָא''''' '', Battle-Array'' [Gesenius], or ''Lieutentant'' [Furst]; Sept ''. '''''Σισάρα''''' '' v.r. [in Ezra and Nehemiah] '''''Σισαρίθ''''' , etc.; Josephus, '''''Ὁ''''' '''''Σισάρης''''' . [ ''Ant.'' 5, 5, 4]), the name of two men. </p> <p> '''1.''' Captain ( '''''שִׂר''''' ) of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. He himself resided in Harosheth of the Gentiles. As this is the only instance in those early times of armies being commanded by other than kings in person, the circumstance, taken in connection with others, intimates that Sisera was a general eminent for his abilities and success. All that we really know of him is stated in the Biblical account of the battle under the conduct of Barak and Deborah (Judges 5). B.C. 1409. (See Jabin). </p> <p> The army was mustered at the Kishon, on the plain at the foot of the slopes of Lejjun. [[Partly]] owing to the furious attack of Barak, partly to the impassable condition of the plain, and partly to the unwieldy nature of the host itself, which, among other impediments, contained 900 iron chariots '''''—''''' a horrible confusion and rout took place. Sisera deserted his troops and fled on foot. He took a northeast direction, possibly through [[Nazareth]] and Safed, or, if that direct road was closed to him, stole along by more circuitous routes till he found himself before the tents of [[Heber]] the Kenite, near Kedesh, on the high ground overlooking the upper basin of the [[Jordan]] valley. Here he met his death from the hands of Jael, Heber's wife, who, although "at peace" with him was under a much more stringent relation with the house of [[Israel]] (&nbsp;Judges 4:2-22; &nbsp;Judges 5:20; &nbsp;Judges 5:26; &nbsp;Judges 5:28; &nbsp;Judges 5:30). His name long survived as a word of fear and of exultation in the mouths of prophets and psalmists (&nbsp;1 Samuel 12:9; &nbsp;Psalms 83:9). (See Jael). </p> <p> The number of Jabin's standing army is given by Josephus ( ''Ant.'' 5, 5, 1) as 300,000 footmen, 10,000 horsemen, and 3000 chariots. These numbers are large, but they are nothing to those of the Jewish legends. Sisera "had 40,000 generals, every one of whom had 100,000 men under him. He was thirty years old, and had conquered the whole world; and there was not a place the walls of which did not fall down at his voice. When he shouted, the very beasts of the field were riveted to their places. [[Nine]] hundred horses went in his chariot" (Jalkut, ad loc.). "Thirty-one kings (comp. &nbsp;Joshua 12:24) [[Went]] with Sisera and were killed with him. They thirsted after the waters of the land of Israel, and they asked and prayed Sisera to take them with him without further reward" ( ''Ber. Rab.'' c. 23; comp. &nbsp;Judges 5:19). See Stanley, ''Hist. Of The Jewish Church,'' lect. 14. It is remarkable that from this enemy of the [[Jews]] should have sprung one of their most eminent characters. The great rabbi Akiba, whose father was a Syrian proselyte of justice, was descended from Sisera of Harosheth (Bartolocci, 4, 272). The part which he took in the Jewish war of independence, when he was standardbearer to Bar-cocheba (Otho, Hist. Doct. Misn. 134, note), shows that the war-like force still remained in the blood of Sisera. </p> <p> '''2.''' After a long interval the name reappears in the lists of the Nethinim as the head of one of the families who returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel (&nbsp;Ezra 2:53; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:55). B.C. ante 536. Sisera is another example of the foreign names occurring in these lists, and doubtless tells of [[Canaanitish]] captives devoted to the lowest offices of the Temple, even though the Sisera from whom the family derived its name were not actually the same person as the defeated general of Jabin. It is curious that it should occur in close companionship with the name [[Harsha]] (&nbsp;Ezra 2:52), which irresistibly recalls Harosheth. </p>