Her son, Sisera, was defeated in battle by Deborah and Barak, and then killed by Yael, who drove a tent peg through his skull.
Her attendants suggest, and she agrees, that Sisera is dividing and enjoying the plunder, including "a womb or two for every man" (Judges 5:30, ESV).
Arthur Waskow notes that "the tone of contempt she uses might lead to a much rougher translation in colloquial English",[1] while Nehama Aschkenasy says that it is "blatantly graphic and sexual".
By blowing only 100 times, Ashkenazi Jews counteract all but one cry, leaving that to the natural emotion of a mother weeping over her son.
[9] One rabbinic tradition suggests that, in looking out of the window, Sisera's mother gets a glimpse of the future and sees that her offspring, one of whom is Rabbi Akiva, will change their ways and become teachers of Torah.