Meaning of JAEL

"Wild goat."
Wife of Eber the Kenite (Judges 4:17). In his flight from Barak, Sisera, the general of the Canaanite king Jabin, confident in the peace that existed between his king and Eber, headed towards Jael's tent.

Jael brought him in and gave him milk to relieve his thirst. When Sisera was fast asleep, he pierced his temples with a stake (Judg. 4:11-22). Deborah praised this act of Jael (Judges 5:6, 24-27). Sisera was an enemy of God's people, and had been an instrument of burdensome oppression for many years.

But on the other hand, Jael violated her word and sacred hospitality. Joshua himself was bound by his treaty with the Gibeonites, although he had been deceived by them (Josh. 9:3-27). God had prophesied that the Lord would sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.

In his sovereignty, God used Jael's treacherous scheme to destroy Jabin's might with the death of his cruel general. This is a case like others in which the end is in accordance with the will of God, but not the way in which it is carried out. In this way, the children of Israel had forty years of relief.