Jael, Mary, and Serpent Heads

By Michele Mitsumori, Associate Director of The Women’s Insititute

Jael, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, is hailed as the “most blessed of women,” (Judges 5:24). Yet Jael’s story has raised some eyebrows. These objections, in turn, have contributed to her not being seen as a hero, but as an example to avoid.

· Jael was a bad wife because she betrayed her husband’s political alliance. Jael’s husband was Heber the Kenite. The Kenites were not Israelites, and Heber’s family had formed an alliance with Jabin, king of the Canaanites. This alliance was the reason Sisera, fleeing military defeat, sought refuge at Jael’s tent (Judges 4:17).

· By killing a guest, Jael violated the code of hospitality. Before there were hostels and hotels, travelers were dependent on the hospitality of strangers. Jael could have waited for Sisera to turn his back on her and stab him, but instead she welcomed him into her tent, served him milk, covered him with a blanket, and killed him in his sleep.

· Jael’s example shames male leaders who fail to be up to the task. Deborah, a prophet and judge, tells Barak to lead the armies into battle and she will give Sisera into his hands. When Barak refuses to go without her, she prophesizes that as a result of this decision, the Lord will “deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman” (Judges 4:9). Not only does Jael kill Sisera, but she also personally displays his body to Barak, who had been in pursuit of him.

Addressing the last point first, the lesson seems to be not one of shame for human weakness, but of God’s sovereignty. Though Jael’s motivations are not known, Deborah’s prophesy signals that Jael is clearly a part of God’s plan. After Barak sees Sisera’s impaled body for himself, the author of Judges observes that “on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan” (Judges 4:23). Barak himself expresses no shame or insecurity, and instead joins Deborah in celebrating Jael in song. Their song even pairs Jael with Shamgar (Judges 5:6), who killed 600 Philistines and “saved Israel” (Judges 3:31).

To address the other two points, let us first return to Jael’s New Testament counterpoint, the only other individual called “blessed among women” in the Bible: Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:42). Genesis 3:15 points to an even deeper connection. Both of these women fulfill a prophecy laid after the fall. God speaks to the serpent about a battle between his descendent and the descendent of our foremother Eve:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15, NIV)

Mary gives birth to our Savior, who suffered strikes to his heel but rose up as the ultimate crusher of the serpent’s head (seen as Satan).

Similarly, Deborah and Barak’s song gives emphasis to Jael’s striking of the enemy’s head by the poetic repetition of her hands reaching for the hammer and peg, her striking his head, and his falling to her feet in death and defeat (Judges 5:26-27).

Jael Slaying Sisera 1625–1713

Carlo Maratti Italian

She put her hand to the tent peg

and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet;

she struck Sisera a blow,

she crushed his head,

she shattered and pierced his temple.

He sank, he fell,

he lay still at her feet;

at her feet he sank, he fell;

where he sank, there he fell down.

Jael and Mary remind us of the simultaneous sacrifices and costs – the striking at the heel – of committing to God’s plan for our lives. Mary faced rejection by Joseph and social scorn for her pre-marital pregnancy. Jael similarly risked condemnation and marital strife for violating hospitality codes and her husband’s political alliance. At great personal costs, Mary and Jael became life givers and warriors. As spiritual offspring of Jesus, we, too, are called amidst our weaknesses and complexities to crush the serpent’s head by obeying God’s will in our lives.

Michele Mitsumori is the newly announced Associate Director of the Women’s Institute. She helps small-to-medium-sized nonprofits and businesses strengthen their infrastructures to support sustainability and growth. We are so grateful for the strength she brings to the Women’s Institute. View her full bio here.