Lexical Summary halmuth: Dream, strength Original Word: הַלְמוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hammer From halam; a hammer (or mallet) -- hammer. see HEBREW halam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom halam Definition a hammer, mallet NASB Translation hammer (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs הַלְמוּת noun feminine hammer, mallet, only construct עֲמֵלִים ׳ה Judges 5:26 a workman's hammer. Topical Lexicon Usage in Scripture The term appears once, in Judges 5:26, within the poetic victory song of Deborah and Barak. The verse celebrates Jael’s decisive act against Sisera: “She reached for the tent peg with her left hand, and her right hand for the workman’s hammer. Then she hammered Sisera, crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple” (Judges 5:26). In the narrative, the hammer is an ordinary household implement wielded by a non-combatant woman, yet it becomes the means by which God grants deliverance to Israel. Historical Context Tent pegs and mallets were standard equipment for semi-nomadic peoples like the Kenites. Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, would have used such a hammer daily for pitching tents. Bronze-age warfare rarely featured women in battle; therefore, the account underscores the unexpected nature of the Lord’s salvation (Judges 4:9). Archaeological finds from the Late Bronze period confirm that wooden or bronze-headed mallets were common domestic tools, not weapons of war, heightening the shock value for ancient hearers. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty through Ordinary Means Scripture consistently demonstrates that deliverance flows from the Lord rather than human prowess (Psalm 44:6-7). The single occurrence of this word exemplifies how God chooses weak or humble instruments to shame the mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27). Jael’s hammer challenges cultural expectations, revealing that covenant loyalty, not social status or gender, determines one’s usefulness in God’s plan (Judges 4:17-22; Romans 2:11). Crushing the enemy’s head echoes the proto-evangelium promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). Jael’s act anticipates the Messiah’s decisive triumph over evil (Colossians 2:15). Practical Application for Ministry • Encouragement for Lay Service: God employs everyday people and tools; believers can expect Him to sanctify mundane skills for kingdom purposes (Colossians 3:23-24). Related Biblical Motifs • Hammer as Instrument of Judgment: Jeremiah 23:29 likens God’s word to “a hammer that smashes a rock,” linking the physical tool with divine power. Summary Though הַלְמוּת surfaces only once, it carries enduring theological weight. The hammer in Jael’s hand proclaims the Lord’s supremacy, the reversal of human expectations, and the promise that He will use the humble and faithful to accomplish His saving purposes. Forms and Transliterations לְהַלְמ֣וּת להלמות lə·hal·mūṯ lehalMut ləhalmūṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 5:26 HEB: תִּשְׁלַ֔חְנָה וִֽימִינָ֖הּ לְהַלְמ֣וּת עֲמֵלִ֑ים וְהָלְמָ֤ה NAS: for the workmen's hammer. Then she struck KJV: to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote INT: reached right hammer the workmen's struck 1 Occurrence |
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