Deborah was one of Israel’s major judges when they overtook the land of Canaan¹. She was the only female judge, and also one of two judges to be called a prophet (Samuel was the other)². In Judg 4:4, Deborah is identified as eshet lappidot, which may mean “woman of [the town] Lappidoth,” “wife of [the man] Lappidoth,” or “woman of torches” (that is, “fiery woman”).
There seems to be no genealogy of Deborah, apart from her being “the wife of Lapidoth”, whose name is the only relative the Bible gives us. Their home was between Bethel and Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim. The palm tree under which Deborah ruled and possibly lived was a landmark, as palms were then rare in Palestine. The tradition of Rabbis explains that this location of Deborah’s “office” validated her fairness, openness, and refusal to show partiality³. In honor of her works, it became known as “The Palm of Deborah” (Judg 4:5). Also, although she was referred to as a “mother in Israel,” there is no record of Deborah being a mother of natural children by Lapidoth⁴.
Like Moses and David, Deborah merged the roles of prophet, national leader, and military commander³. She judged and led Israel for 60 years; 20 years before Israel’s war with Canaan, and 40 years in peace after that.
One day, Deborah summoned Barak to be her general, and told him God’s command to take ten thousand men to Mount Tabor to begin the battle with Canaan. Barak said he would only go if she went with him. Deborah agreed to go, but informed Barak that he would not get the glory from the victory, for “the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman” (4:9).
There are different views on Barak’s acceptance of Deborah’s leadership in this battle². Some feel that Barak respected her as a leader and prophetess and willingly heeded her call. Others think that his response showed his discomfort in taking orders from a woman, despite the esteem she was held in, so more or less as sarcasm. I side with the former view. You see, Canaan’s king, Jabin, and his commander Sisera had “nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years” (4:3). It was the Israelites’ cry to the Lord that had led to this war to free them from oppression. Barak had a good understanding of their foe and their chariots of iron, which were considered the height of military technology at the time⁵. This was a serious battle, and I think his request for Deborah was his way of asking for God’s presence on the battlegrounds. Barak’s intention was however flawed because it was God who gave him the charge in the first place and would definitely be there with him!
A first time reader may naturally assume that the woman who would kill Sisera will be Deborah, but this was not the case. Barak and his warriors destroyed all the Canaanites except Sisera, who fled from the battle and sought refuge with a woman called Jael. Jael killed Sisera, becoming the woman Deborah had prophesied about.
The Song of Deborah in Judges 5, tells more about this final battle. It described the chaotic conditions that existed until “you arose, Deborah,/arose as a mother in Israel” (5:7). Deborah’s job was not to fight. As the prophetic leader, her job was to sing encouraging war chants and a victory song while the actual fighting was done by Barak and his men¹. From this same song, we know that God (YHWH) took part in the battle, causing a sudden flood storm: “The stars fought from heaven,/from their courses they fought against Sisera./The torrent Kishon swept them away” (5:21). This disabled the Canaanite chariots, enabling Israel to win. The battle was a total victory. “All the Army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.”⁵. Deborah’s Song continued the Israelite tradition of immortalizing a victory in song, just like Moses and Miriam’s songs of victory after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 15:1–21)3.
Deborah’s story is a radical departure from standard biblical themes, which rarely place women in roles as warriors and generals. Her role as a military commander is therefore unique, and so unique that it is told twice: a summary in Judges 4 and then in a poem/song in Judges 5⁵.
Her story also teaches us:
- Obedience: If God tells you to do something or go somewhere, despite your fears, listen to His call. He has plans that we cannot begin to understand, and hearts and lives may be changed by your obedience.
- Courage: Doing something out of your comfort zone to glorify God can be terrifying, but faith was never promised to be easy. Be bold an courageous for His glory.
- Staying true: We may not always know what the road ahead will look like, but we need to remember that God will faithfully guide us and lead the way².
Like Deborah’s story, Eph 2:10 (TLB) reminds us that we all have a role to play in God’s work:
It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.
I also like this quote that breaks it down even further:
Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks [with] compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Teresa of Avila⁶
Bibliography
- Frymer-Kensky, T. (2009, March 20). Deborah:Bible. Jewish Women’s Archive. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/deborah-bible
- Nelson, S. J. (2019, July 10). Who Was Deborah in the Bible? Christianity.com. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-deborah-in-the-bible.html
- Branch, R. G. (20211, January 31). Deborah in the Bible. Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/deborah-in-the-bible/
- Zondervan. (1988). Deborah №2. BibleGateway. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Deborah-No-2
- Curry, A. (2008, January 25). As a Military Leader, Deborah is a Rare Biblical Character. U.S.News. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/as-a-military-leader-deborah-is-a-rare-biblical-character
- Goodreads. (n.d.). Theresa of Avila>Quotes>Quotable Quote. Goodreads.com. Retrieved April 3, 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/66880-christ-has-no-body-now-but-yours-no-hands-no
