Judges 4:1-7
1After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what was evil in YHWH’s eyes. 2So YHWH sold them into the hand of Jabin, King of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.
3Then the Israelites cried out to YHWH, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots and he had oppressed the Israelites harshly for 20 years. 4Now Deborah was a woman, a prophetess, wife of Lapidoth. She judged Israel at that time. 5She lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mount of Ephraim. The Israelites went up to her for her to judge.
6She sent and called for Barak, son of Ahinoam from Qedesh-Naphtali, and she said to him, “Has not YHWH, God of Israel commanded that you go and set up on Mt Tabor and take with you 10 thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulon? 7And I will bring Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and his host, out to you to the brook Qishon, and I will give him into your hand. — Judges 4:1-7
The translation of this passage is pretty straight-forward except for a bit in verses 6-7 where it’s hard (for me, at least) to convey the idea of God drawing Barak out to one place to prepare for battle and doing the same thing to Sisera. They are both drawn out to a battle arranged by God.
Another reasonable question is whether, at the time Deborah calls for him, God has already told Barak to go out, or whether this is the first news. When Deborah says, “Has not the God of Israel told you . . .” she could be speaking of her own statement, or she might be referring to something Barak already knew–or should have known.