Barak

Barak (Hebrew: בָּרָק‎, "Lightning; Shine"), Al-Burāq (Arabic: البُراق‎ al-Burāq "lightning") the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, was a military general in the Book of Judges in the Bible. He was the commander of the army of Deborah, the prophetess and heroine of the Hebrew Bible. Barak and Deborah are credited with defeating the Canaanite armies led by Sisera, who for twenty years had oppressed the Israelites.

The story of the defeat of Canaanites under the prophetic leadership of Deborah and the military leadership of Barak, is related in prose (chapter 4) and repeated in poetry (chapter 5, which is known as the Song of Deborah). Chapter 4 makes the chief enemy Jabin, king of Hazor (present Tell el-Qedah, about three miles southwest of Hula Basin), though a prominent part is played by his commander-in-chief, Sisera of Harosheth-ha-goiim (possibly Tell el-'Amr, approximately 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Megiddo).

Grave near Tel Kadesh attributed to Barak or Deborah

Deborah said that Barak would win, but Sisera would be killed by a woman. In the battle at Mount Tabor, a cloudburst occurred, causing the river to flood, thus limiting the maneuverability of the Canaanite chariots. Sisera fled, seeking refuge in the tent of a Kenite woman, Jael. Jael gave Sisera a drink of milk and he fell asleep from weariness. Then she pounded a tent peg through his head. When Barak came along, she let him see Sisera dead in her tent. Later Israel slew King Jabin.

Contemporary use

Some of the notable individuals named Barak:

• Ehud Barak, a former Prime Minister, and current Minister of Defense, deputy prime minister and leader of Israel's Labor Party
• Barak Yitzhaki, Israeli football player
• Aharon Barak, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel

The given name Barack is not a form of this name, but is instead related to a different Semitic root which means "blessing" and is also the origin of the names Baruch (Hebrew) and Mubarak (Arabic).