Who Was Jabin in the Bible — Meaning Explained

Jabin was a Canaanite king of Hazor who oppressed Israel for twenty years. The name Jabin appears twice in the Old Testament, causing some scholarly discussion about whether there were two kings with this name or if the later account telescopes earlier tradition. In Joshua 11, Jabin king of Hazor led a coalition of northern Canaanite kings against Joshua. Joshua defeated them, burned Hazor, and killed Jabin. In Judges 4-5, another Jabin king of Hazor oppresses Israel with his commander Sisera, who had nine hundred chariots of iron. Deborah the prophetess and Barak led Israel to victory at Mount Tabor, and Jael killed Sisera with a tent peg. The song of Deborah in Judges 5 celebrates this victory: 'Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.' The Judges account describes Jabin as 'king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor,' and his commander Sisera as dwelling in Harosheth of the Gentiles. Under Jabin's oppression, 'the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.' Deborah summoned Barak and told him that the LORD would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Barak insisted Deborah accompany him, and she agreed but prophesied that the honor would go to a woman. After the victory, Deborah and Barak sang a victory song that is one of the oldest pieces of poetry in the Bible. The song praises God for the stars fighting from heaven, the river Kishon sweeping away the enemy, and Jael's decisive blow. 'So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.' The oppression ended, and the land had rest forty years. Jabin's story illustrates how God can use the most unlikely means — a woman prophetess, a reluctant general, and a tent-dwelling woman with a hammer — to defeat seemingly invincible enemies.