Kishon (Qishon)

A river running south-east to north-west at the foot of Mount Carmel, draining the western part of the Jezreel Valley (properly the Esdraelon) and emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. It is most famously associated with the defeat of Sisera's troops that had gathered there by the Israelite forces led by Barak and Deborah (Judg 4:7-13). The sudden swelling of the river after a torrential downpour quickly turned its banks into quamire, trapping the Canaanite troops in their heavy chariots. The event was celebrated in the Song of Deborah: "the river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!" (Judg 5:21), and recalled in Psm 83:9-10: "Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground." It was also on its banks that Elijah ordered the prophets of Baal brought and executed after his famous battle with them on Mount Carmel (1 Ki 18:40).

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The river today—tamed of its wildness to overflow and flood the land by modern irrigational technologies—flows, at least for part of it, alongside a major highway through the valley (Route 66 from Haifa to Jenin).

Resources:

In other articles we have added links to some of the excellent videos from Sergio & Rhonda in Israel. Their video on The Deadly River; Kishon (on YouTube) is, however, confusing. The Kishon flows into the Mediterranean not the Jordan as depicted in their video. The description attached to the videa states that the river is the Nahal Tavor; the mistake may have occurred in the editing.)

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Concordance (NIV):

Judg 4:7 — I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.

Judg 4:13 — Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

Judg 5:21 — The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!

1 Ki 18:40 — Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

Psm 83:9 — Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon . . .