I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.
Most of the Kenites lived in southern Judah. Heber’s family was able to maintain good relations with both the Canaanites and the Israelites (Judges 4:17). Heber’s name means "Ally" and reflects his alliance with the Canaanites. "Kenite" means "smith" as in "blacksmith." Heber seems to have been plying his trade under the oak of Zaanannim. Was he one of the blacksmiths responsible for keeping the Canaanites’ 900 iron chariots in good repair? Oak trees were often the sites of pagan Canaanite worship. Had he set up shop at the cultic shrine of Baal in his area? If so, he contrasts sharply with Deborah, who carried out her work of revealing the words of God and ruling His people under a palm tree (Judges 4:5). Here was a descendant of Moses’ family who may have been fraternizing with the very people Moses had commanded the Israelites to exterminate!