This verse seems to follow directly from verse 4.10, after the background material of 4.11. Attention now turns to Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s fit and well-equipped army. Most versions start a new paragraph here.

When Sisera was told …: Though the Hebrew says “And they told Sisera…,” Revised Standard Version has a dependent clause with a passive verb. The pronoun “they” is an impersonal form, meaning someone told him the news. Translators can follow the Hebrew or say “When Sisera heard [or, learned]….”

That Barak the son of Abino-am had gone up to Mount Tabor: Sisera receives the news that Barak the son of Abino-am and his men are on the move. The use of Barak’s full name may indicate that he was well known in the region. However, in some languages this will prove too repetitive, so it is acceptable to say simply “Barak.” For the first time, Barak is said to have gone up (see comments on verse 4.10). Many versions take this verb literally, understanding that he went up to the top of Mount Tabor, but more likely, it refers to military action. Contemporary English Version says “that Barak had led an army to Mount Tabor.” Here Revised Standard Version again uses an anterior past tense, had gone up, to refer to an event that occurred prior to people informing Sisera.

For Mount Tabor, see verse 4.6. This is the site from which Barak will launch his attack on Sisera. The general would have considered this news as a challenge or even a provocation.

Models for translating this verse are:

• When Sisera heard [or, learned] that Barak had come to Mount Tabor to challenge him….

• They told Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gathered his army to Mount Tabor.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .