Boy Old Testament Rare
Sisera
that sees a horse or a swallow
סִיסְרָא sis.ra
Sisera (Hebrew: סִיסְרָא, sis.ra) means “that sees a horse or a swallow”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a warrior. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Abinoam in Judges 4.
Which Sisera?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
-
Sisera
-
Sisera
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 19 across 5 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Judges
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Judges 4:2 |
| Last appears | Psalms 83:9 |
| Cross-references | 243 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Barak co-occurrence Appears with Barak in Judges 4.
- Jabin co-occurrence Appears with Jabin in Judges 4.
- Jael co-occurrence Appears with Jael in Judges 4.
- Temah co-occurrence Appears with Temah in Nehemiah 7.
- Barkos co-occurrence Appears with Barkos in Nehemiah 7.
- Deborah co-occurrence Appears with Deborah in Judges 4.
- Abinoam co-occurrence Appears with Abinoam in Judges 4.
- Heber co-occurrence Appears with Heber in Judges 4.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.53
§ Sisera = "battle array"
1) the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael
2) ancestor of a family of temple slaves who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
Sisera was the ancestor of a family of temple servants who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile.
The biblical story
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.
Key verses
Sisera appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
Ezra 2:53 -
The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,
Nehemiah 7:55
Show all 2 references
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 2:53
Nehemiah (1)
- Nehemiah 7:55