Though Jael is never overtly named in this verse, she remains the subject of all the actions here. In many languages at the climax of a story, key characters are often referred to by pronouns. The clauses build one by one as Jael executes her plan, moving slowly to the climax: the assassination of General Sisera. First two slow and careful actions are described as Jael takes the tent peg in one hand and the hammer in the other. Now suddenly she attacks. Four verbs are used to describe what happens next: she strikes Sisera, crushes his head, and shatters and pierces the side of his head. There seems to be one step missing between 5.25 and 5.26, since the poet does not say Sisera is asleep. Once again, in poetry these details are not important, because people already know the story behind the song.

She put her hand to the tent peg is literally “Her hand to the tent peg they reached out.” It seems that even though hand is singular, the Hebrew verb here is meant to serve for both hands. The keyword hand is once again brought to the forefront, this time at the climax. It ties Jael to many other deliverers. The Hebrew verb rendered put (shalach) often has the sense of “send.” It is another keyword that appears at several high points in this book (see, for example, verse 3.15; verse 4.6). Her hand can only be her left hand, since Jael uses her right hand for the next action. Translators can render the text as is or say “her left hand” (New American Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh also includes the detail of which hand in square brackets. However, if it is necessary to include this detail in the text, then it is better to do so without any marking. Good News Translation takes a more dynamic approach by rendering the first two lines of this verse as “She took a tent peg in one hand, a worker’s hammer in the other.” If possible, translators should use an appropriate expression that includes the word hand, for example, “She took/grabbed/seized the tent peg in her left hand.” For tent peg, see verse 4.21.

And her right hand to the workmen’s mallet is parallel to the previous line, but the verb phrase She put is elided. In many languages this verb phrase will need to be inserted: “[and] she took the hammer in her right hand.” Her right hand seems to put emphasis on the fact that she uses her right, rather than her left hand. This contrasts with Ehud who used his left hand to carry out the fatal blow. Most languages will have idiomatic expressions for designating the left and right hands.

The workmen’s mallet refers to a wooden hammer used to drive the tent peg into the ground. The use of the Hebrew word for workmen may be part of a wordplay involving repetitive sounds. In Hebrew the words for workmen (ʿamelim), mallet (halmuth) and she struck … a blow (halemah) have many l, m, and h sounds. Revised Standard Version preserves the plural workmen, but the singular “workman” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible) can also be used. Good News Translation uses the word “worker.” Contemporary English Version omits this word, but it is significant, since it shows that Jael, with no military training and no formal weapon, kills the enemy of Israel with a simple household tool. Mallet does not render the same Hebrew noun translated “hammer” in verse 4.21. Here the noun is taken from the Hebrew root of the verb for struck … a blow that occurs in the next line, providing yet another play on words. Revised Standard Version has tried to preserve the difference by using two different words in English, but the same word “hammer” can be used in both passages if need be (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The exact size of this hammer is not known.

She struck Sisera a blow is literally “and she struck Sisera.” The brevity here is typical of a story climax. As noted above, the Hebrew verb rendered struck … a blow is from the same root as the noun for mallet. It is also the same verb used to describe the pounding of the horses’ hoofs in verse 5.22. This is poetic genius at work, using words for dramatic effect, to describe the climax of the story: Sisera’s death. The sounds in the text help the reader hear the horses galloping away and the pounding of Jael’s hammer. Translators may perhaps be able to express these wordplays by using repetition or various sound effects in their own languages, such as ideophones.

She crushed his head follows the Hebrew quite closely. The Hebrew word rendered she crushed (machaqah) uses many of the sounds found in the preceding words. Translators must be careful to not give the impression that she took the hammer and smashed his head. Rather, it is the tent peg going through his temple that kills him.

She shattered and pierced his temple: There is another wordplay here since the Hebrew word rendered she shattered (machatsah) sounds like the word for she crushed (machaqah). Pierced may be rendered “passed through.” The tent peg evidently went into the side of Sisera’s head. For temple see verse 4.21. New Jerusalem Bible reverses the verbs in this line, saying “she pierced his temple and shattered it.” Revised English Bible creates more drama: “with a shattering blow, she pierced his temple.”

The quick succession of four verbs in the last three lines of this verse describes a swift but significant act. However, if necessary, the number of verbs may be reduced, for example, “She drove the peg deep in his skull and pierced his head.” Contemporary English Version says “And with a blow to the head, she crushed his skull.”

As in many parts of the book of Judges, the Hebrew style used here is intended to create suspense. Once again the storyteller delights the audience with “the gory details” of the death of an enemy of the Israelites. Translators should try to maintain the dramatic effect here.

A translation model for this verse is:

• Jael took a tent peg in one hand
and a simple hammer in the other.
Striking Sisera, she split his skull.
With a shattering blow,
she pierced his temple.

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 .