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Jael

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Kenite woman who killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his head

Detailed Definition
Jael offered Sisera shelter but slew him as he slept, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy. Her act secured Israel’s victory and earned her praise in song. In poetry, Jael embodies unexpected deliverance through the marginalized, the subversion of gender expectations in warfare, and the fierce loyalty that serves divine justice—often celebrated as a heroine of cunning and courage.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Jael’s tent peg (Judges 4–5) illustrates deliverance through the unexpected; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "Aurora Leigh," Jael symbolizes the woman who acts decisively; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Jael’s hospitality turned to judgment models righteous violence; In John Keble’s "Lyra Innocentium," Jael represents the heroine of song; In Christina Rossetti’s "Goblin Market," Jael’s milk and hammer prefigure subversive strength; In T.S. Eliot’s "The Waste Land," Jael’s act echoes in modern reversals.
Additional Notes
Jael: Kenite woman who killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple (Judges 4:17–22). In poetry, Jael symbolizes unexpected heroism, the subversion of gender roles, and the domestic as battlefield. Deborah’s song praises her (“most blessed of women”)—ideal for poems on violence and salvation, the ethics of deception, or the power of the marginal to change history.
Also Known As
Jael wife of Heber Jael the Kenite
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