He said to her, Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
Jael probably gave Sisera milk [buttermilk? Heb. hem’ah] instead of water (Judges 4:19) because milk was a better drink and would have assured Sisera of Jael’s good will toward him. Furthermore she may have intended that it would induce sleep in him. Wine has the opposite effect, at least in moderation.