DEBORAH 

A judge and prophet. An Israelite leader, Deborah (“honey bee”) is introduced in Judges 4:4 with a string of designations: “Deborah, a woman, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth (or “fiery woman”), was judging Israel at that time.” The only female judge and the only named prophet in Judges, she is also the only biblical individual called “a mother in Israel” (5:7).

Israelites come to Deborah for judgment under “the palm of Deborah” between Ramah and Bethel. Like other prophets (1 Sam 15:3 ; 1 Kgs 20:13 ; 2 Kgs 9:7 ), she incites war, summoning Barak (“lightning”) from Naphtali and ordering him to fight Sisera, the general of Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor. Barak agrees to go only if Deborah will accompany him. She consents, warning that God will deliver Sisera to a woman rather than to him. As battle approaches, she urges Barak with assurances of God’s presence. With divine assistance, Barak and the soldiers of Zebulun and Naphtali destroy the army. But Sisera seeks refuge with an ally, Heber the Kenite, whose wife Jael lulls the exhausted general to sleep and murders him with hammer and tent peg. Thus Deborah’s word is confirmed in an ironic, unexpected way. Lack of confidence in a woman’s prophecy loses Barak his full victory; mistaken confidence in a woman’s caregiving forfeits Sisera’s life. Two women share glory—one for calling the battle, the other for concluding it.

Judges 5 consists of a triumphant song of Deborah with Barak. Generally considered one of the Bible’s oldest texts, its details differ somewhat from those of the prose account. The role call of tribes mustered and missing is more elaborate and fails to correspond fully to the Pentateuch’s twelve-tribe scheme. God participates with a torrent in the Wadi Kishon. Jael evidently murders Sisera while he is standing. Sisera’s mother is pictured waiting at the palace window, speculating that her son is dividing spoil, including women for the soldiers and embroidery for herself. Though a product of poetic imagination, this mother elucidates the threat posed to women by callous enemies, both warriors and women. Deborah as “mother in Israel” and Sisera’s mother become counterparts, while Jael, caught between the two armies, is praised for her cunning.

Though Barak is included in heroes’ lists in 1 Sam 12:11 and Heb 11:32 , Deborah is not mentioned outside of Judges. Historical questions regarding roles attributed to Deborah are finally unanswerable; nevertheless, readers are fascinated by the matter-of-fact recognition in Judg 4-5 of a woman who prophesied, judged, commanded a commander, and rode to war.

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Bibliography: Susan Ackerman. Warrior, Dancer, Seductress, Queen: Women in Judges and Biblical Israel (1998); Barnabas Lindars. Judges 1-5 : A New Translation and Commentary (1995); Klaas Spronk. “Deborah, a Prophetess: The Meaning and Background of Judges 4:4-5 .” The Elusive Prophet: The Prophet as a Historical Person, Literary Character, and Anonymous Artist. Johannes C. De Moor, ed. (2001) 232-42.

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This article has been adapted from The New Interpreter's® Dictionary of the Bible. A diverse group of 900 scholars from 40 countries contributed 7100 fresh new articles with 8400 entries including persons, places, things, theological concepts, and much more. The complete five volume work is included with a subscription to Ministry Matters. Copyright © 2007-2013 by Abingdon Press