Sisera

Sisera

Sisera, "Heb." סיסרא, mentioned in the Book of Judges 4:2 in the Hebrew Bible, was the captain of Jabin's army which was routed and destroyed by the army of Barak on the plain of Esdraelon.

His name is usually regarded as Philistine, Hittite or Hurrian. Some speculated that its origins were Egyptian (Ses-Ra, "servant of Ra").

After all was lost, he fled to the settlement of Heber the Kenite in the plain of Zaanaim. Jael, Heber's wife, received him into her tent with apparent hospitality and "gave him butter" (i.e., lebben, or curdled milk) "in a lordly dish." Having drunk the refreshing beverage, he lay down and soon sank into the sleep of the weary. While he lay asleep, Jael crept stealthily up to him and, taking in her hand one of the tent pegs, with a mallet she drove it with such force through his temples that it entered into the ground where he lay, and "at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead." (Judges 5:24) It was because Sisera's mother cried a hundred cries when he did not return home that the shofar is blown for a total of 100 blasts on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

isera in the Midrash

According to the Midrash (Yalḳuṭ Shim'oni on Judges iv. 3), Sisera hitherto had conquered every country against which he had fought. His voice was so strong that, when he called loudly, the most solid wall would shake and the wildest animal would fall dead. Deborah was the only one who could withstand his voice and whom it did not cause to stir from her place. Sisera caught fish enough in his beard when bathing in the Kishon to provision his whole army. According to the same source (lii., end), thirty-one kings followed Sisera merely for the opportunity of drinking, or otherwise using, the waters of Israel. The descendants of Sisera, according to B.Gittin 57b, were teachers of the young in Jerusalem.

isera in Kabbalistic Thought

There is a most remarkable passage in Judges 5, within the victory song of Deborah concerning Sisera's defeat, which reads:

"They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." -Judges 5:20

It is a profound insight into a much greater truth that is being conveyed, which is, according to this Hebrew passage, that Sisera "fought from heaven." The Kabbalistic allusion is that Sisera not only was a captain of an army, but is also a mystical representation for what may be a constellation within the second heaven (outer space).

References

ee also

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  • Sisera — (hebr. ‏סיסרא‎) war ein kanaanäischer Heerführer unter König Jabin. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Biblische Darstellung 2 Etymologie des Namens 3 Midrasch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • SISERA — (Heb. סִיסְרָא), the leader of the coalition opposing Israel by the waters of Megiddo in the days of deborah (Judg. 4–5). Sisera is the object of extreme scorn in the poetic sequel, the archaic Song of deborah , which celebrates Israel s victory …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Sisera — [sis′ər ə] n. [Heb sisera; prob. of Hittite orig.] Bible a military leader of the Canaanites against the Israelites, murdered by Jael: Judg. 4:17 22 …   English World dictionary

  • Sisĕra — (bibl. Gesch.), so v.w. Sissera …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Sisera —    (Egypt. Ses Ra, servant of Ra ).    1) The captain of Jabin s army (Judg. 4:2), which was routed and destroyed by the army of Barak on the plain of Esdraelon. After all was lost he fled to the settlement of Heber the Kenite in the plain of… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Sisera — Commander of an army opposing Israel (Judg. 4–5). The decisive battle was fought at Taanach; a sudden storm of rain and rising flood waters were Israel s salvation and Sisera forces were routed. Sisera sought refuge in the tent of Jael, a Kenite… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • Sisera — /sis euhr euh/, n. the commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin: killed by Jael. Judges 4:17 22. * * * …   Universalium

  • Sisera — /ˈsɪsərə/ (say sisuhruh) noun Bible a defeated leader of the Canaanites, who was killed by Jael (Judges 5) …  

  • Sisera — /sis euhr euh/, n. the commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin: killed by Jael. Judges 4:17 22 …   Useful english dictionary

  • DEBORAH — (Heb. דְבוֹרָה; bee ), wife of Lappidoth; judge and prophet during the period of the judges . Deborah promoted the war of liberation from the oppression of jabin king of Canaan (Judg. ch. 4). She is cited as the primary author of the Song of… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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