Sisera סִיסְרָא
Ancestor of a family of temple servants who returned from exile.
Who is Sisera in the Bible?
Sisera was the ancestor of a family of temple servants who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile, as recorded in Ezra 2:53 and Nehemiah 7:55. These servants, known as Nethinim, were assigned to assist the Levites in maintaining and serving the temple. Sisera's descendants are listed among the exiles who restored Jerusalem and participated in rebuilding the temple after the Babylonian captivity, demonstrating their hereditary role in temple service. This Sisera should not be confused with the Canaanite military commander of the same name mentioned in the book of Judges. The return of Sisera's family symbolizes the restoration of Jewish religious life and the reestablishment of proper temple worship following the exile.
Biography
Sisera is mentioned in Ezr.2.53 and Neh.7.55 as the ancestor of a family of temple servants (Nethinim) who were among the exiles that returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The temple servants were a group of people assigned to assist the Levites in the maintenance and service of the temple. Sisera's descendants are listed among the temple servants who returned to Jerusalem, indicating that they had a hereditary role in serving at the temple. The return of Sisera's family, along with other exiles, was part of the restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian captivity. This Sisera should not be confused with the Canaanite commander mentioned in the book of Judges.
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 2:53
"the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,"
Study Ezra →
Nehemiah 1 verse
- Nehemiah 7:55
"the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,"
Study Nehemiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | סִיסְרָא | Sisera , the name of a Canaanitish king and of one of the Nethinim |
Sisera
ve important points of difference. The first is a prose, the second a poetic narrative. In the first only Naphtali and Zebulun are mentioned as being under the command of Barak; in the second 6 tribes are given as being under his command. In Judges 4 Sisera is known as the captain of Jabin's forces, while in Judges 5 he seems to have been an independent leader. There is also a difference as to the scene of the battle and as to the manner in which Sisera met his death at the hand of Jael. Because of these points of difference, added to the fact that this is the only account, in these early times, where a king did not lead his own forces, it is thought by many that there is here the combination of two traditions dealing with different and distinct events.
Sisera resided in Harosheth of the Gentiles, a place identified with el-Charithiyeh, on the right bank of the Kishon and commanding the way from the Central Plain to the sea. Taking the versions in the two chapters of Judges as being the account of a single campaign, we find Deborah urging Barak to combine the forces of Israel to wage war with Sisera as the representative of Jabin, the king of Hazor. The scene of the battle was on the plain at the foot of the slopes of Mt. Tabor (Jud 4:12-14), or at the foot of the Carmel heights (Jud 5:19). The attack of Barak and Deborah was so furious, animated as it was by the hatred of Sisera and the Canaanites, that the hosts of Sisera were put to rout, and Sisera, deserting his troops, fled on foot to the Northeast. He took refuge in the tent of Heber, near Kedesh, and here met death at the hands of Jael, the wife of Heber (see JAEL). Sisera's name had long produced fear in Israel because of his oppression of the people, his vast army and his 900 chariots of iron. His overthrow was the cause of much rejoicing and was celebrated by the song in which Deborah led the people.
See DEBORAH.
It is interesting to note that the great rabbi Aqiba, who fought so valiantly in the Jewish war for independence as standard bearer to Bar-cocheba, was descended from the ancient warlike Sisera of Harosheth.
(2) In Ezr 2:53 and Ne 7:55 the name Sisera, after a long interval, reappears in a family of the Nethinim. There is no evidence that the latter Sisera is connected by family descent with the former.
C. E. Schenk
si-sin'-ez (Sisinnes): "The eparch (governor) of Syria and Phoenicia" under Darius Hystaspis (1 Esdras 6:3,7,27; 7:1) circa 520 BC = "Tattenai the governor beyond the river" in Ezr 5:3</