Judges 4:2Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
The setting
Northern Israel, ~1125 BC. King Jabin rules from the fortified city of Hazor with his military commander Sisera, who controls iron chariot technology that gives them overwhelming advantage over Israel's foot soldiers.
The emotion here: grimly recording the harsh consequences of national apostasy
The original word
mākar (מָכַר) — sold them, like merchandise in a transaction
Why it matters
Hazor was the largest Canaanite city, covering 200 acres with 40,000 residents
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 4:2
God 'sold' them — using commercial language shows Israel became a commodity due to their choices
Common misconceptionPeople think God is being cruel here, but 'selling' them was actually mercy — instead of destroying them completely, He used discipline to bring them back.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 4:2
Bible Genome reading
Judges 4:2 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 4:2 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, consequences. Notable phrases: Yahweh sold them.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 4:2 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "grieving"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.