Study of Deborah

DEBORAH (Heb. dĕḇôrâ)

1. One of the most notable women in the OT. Deborah (“honeybee”) figures prominently in Judg. 4 and 5, which recount a decisive battle between the Canaanites, under the command of Jabin and his general Sisera, and an Israelite tribal militia force. This episode, set in the period of the judges, is one of a series of deliverer stories that constitute the central section of the book of Judges. Judg. 4 is a narrative account, usually dated to the late monarchic period. A poetic and probably much earlier version, perhaps dating to the late 12th century B.C.E., appears in Judg. 5 and is known as the Song of Deborah (although the superscription in 5:1 attributes it to both Deborah and her general Barak). Its archaic language of divine triumph over Israel’s enemies represents the only extended poetic account accompanying the prose description of an episode in Judges.

Deborah is identified in Judg. 4:4 by two terms: “a prophet” (NRSV “prophetess”), lit., “a woman (Heb. ʿiššâ), a prophet”; and as one who was “judging Israel” at the time of a 20-year period of oppression by the heavily armed Canaanites. Between these two terms is another identifier, the phrase ʾēšeṯ lappɩ̂ḏôṯ, typically translated “wife of Lappidoth (Torches).” However, it could equally mean “fiery (or spirited) woman” (lit., “woman of torches”) because Lappidoth, elsewhere unknown in the Bible, is unlikely to be a man’s name and because the noun ʿēšeṯ (construct of ʿiššâ) can mean “woman of” as well as “wife of.” The need to have a woman identified in relation to a man, rather than the acknowledgement that a woman’s identity could in some instances stand alone, apparently influenced virtually all modern and ancient translations. Yet the several roles Deborah plays as an autonomous woman in national life would warrant her name appearing with the epithet “fiery woman” and without reference to a man. Because of the overlap between territory and kinship groups in ancient Israel, her family identity is supplied by the information in Judg. 4:5 about her geographical locale—that she comes from a place “between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim”—rather than by the name of a male relative.

Key Passages

Jdg 4:4–9

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went up to her for judgment. 6 Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has indeed commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will hand him over to you.’ ” 8 Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “I will certainly go with you; however, the fame shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Jdg 5:3

“Hear, you kings; listen, you dignitaries! I myself—to the Lord, I myself will sing, I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!

Jdg 5:7

“The peasantry came to an end, they came to an end in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

Key Events

Story of Deborah and Barak Judg 4:1–5:31

Deborah and Barak gather an army Judg 4:1–10

Deborah encourages Barak to gather an army Judg 4:4–9

Barak and Deborah gather an army at Kedesh Judg 4:10

Deborah and Barak defeat Sisera Judg 4:11–5:31

Barak and Deborah rout Sisera’s army Judg 4:12–16

Deborah and Barak sing Judg 5:1–31