At the climax of the victory over the Canaanite army, an extraordinary act of bravery takes place inside a quiet tent. Jael chooses to defeat the threatening commander not with a standard weapon, but with ordinary work tools. This choice stems from more than mere convenience. Driven by her righteousness and a commitment to modesty, she avoids using a sword, which is considered a man's weapon and inappropriate for a woman to bear [צאינה וראינה].
She acts with deliberate precision, taking a tent peg in her left hand [מצודת ציון] and a hammer in her right [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Her hands work in perfect, unified motion [רד״ק, אברבנאל], guided by the Divine Presence. God is with her, steadying her grip and granting her the courage to strike down such a terrifying warrior without trembling [אלשיך].
The primary approach among commentators is that she wields a heavy iron hammer used by craftsmen, rather than a simple wooden tent mallet, ensuring the blow will be fatal. However, the concept of heavy labor and weariness in this moment is also seen as a reflection of the physical state of the people involved. It may describe the commander's sheer exhaustion [רש״י], or it could reflect Jael's own hands, which are weak and tired from the immense effort [מלבי״ם].
The attack itself unfolds in calculated stages. She crushes his head, an action compared to striking off the excess from a full measuring cup, effectively obliterating his skull [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. According to one perspective, she first strikes him with the heavy hammer alone to shatter his skull, ensuring he cannot wake up and retaliate. Only after he is completely neutralized does she drive the peg into him [אלשיך]. A contrasting view describes a miraculous event: Jael only manages a weak strike that leaves a small dent, but the peg miraculously sinks deeply into his head on its own [מלבי״ם].
Ultimately, she inflicts a severe and fatal wound [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. She targets his temple, the highly sensitive area near the eye [מצודת ציון], and the peg passes completely through from one side of his head to the other [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק].