March - Women's History Month Biblical Leaders in the Old Testament

As the story opens in Judges 4, Deborah is already a judge, settling disputes brought to her while she sits under the “palm of Deborah” in the hill country of Ephraim (4:5). She is identified as eshet lappidot (4:4), which may mean “woman of [the town] Lappidoth,” “wife of [the man] Lappidoth,” or “woman of torches” (that is, “fiery woman” or even “pyromancer”). If Lappidoth is a person, he is an otherwise unknown figure in the Hebrew Bible. Some Jewish traditions posit that Lappidoth is another name for Deborah’s general Barak, whose name means “lightning.” The Hebrew word Deborah is often translated as ‘bee’. Many biblical authors regarded bees as dangerous pursuers, which might explain Deborah’s role as “pursuer” in her battle against the enemy, in Judges 4:23-24. Other scholars believe Deborah means to ’speak’ which supports her role as a prophetess in Judges 4:9,14 and as a judge in Judges 4:5–6 and in her Song in Judges chapter 5. Deborah’s surname also has possibilities as ‘Lappidoth’ is often translated as ‘torches’ in Judges 7:16, 20; 15:4-5, and Deborah was a torchbearer for Israel’s faith, peace, and security. In the Book of Judges, it is stated that Deborah was a prophet, a judge of Israel, and the wife of Lapidoth. She is the only woman who is both a prophet and judge alongside two other men in Israel's history – Moses and Samuel. 

Deborah was the only woman among the twelve judges in the Old Testament. Her role shows that women weren't always inferior to men since Deborah was called upon by God to deliver Israel. She rendered her judgments beneath a date palm tree between Ramah in Benjamin and Bethel in the land of Ephraim. Deborah is called a judge before the battle, but the narrative does not include the story of how she became a judge, why she is called a “prophetess,” or the way in which God commanded her to begin the battle against Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, and his general, Sisera. All other judges in the book appear to be military leaders, so we can assume Deborah is as well. The text does not describe her actually wielding weapons, though it also does not mention Barak doing so, and interpreters uniformly assume he did. Deborah was chosen by God to lead as a prophet, and judge, and even led the men into battle. The story of Deborah matters because she was a judge appointed by God to lead and guide the people of Israel into ways of righteousness. Judges were regional leaders who arbitrated cases between people, helped the people follow God, and occasionally fought battles against their enemies. This is what Deborah did because she wasn’t just a woman passing out advice, but a strong, wise, and obedient follower of God and, notably, both a prophet and a judge. “Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so. And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them” Judges 2:16-18 (NKJV).

Deborah heard from God, shared His Word with Barak, and supported Barak as he reluctantly followed God's order. Deborah rebuked him when necessary but still went with him into battle. And then, after the victory against Sisera's army and Sisera's gruesome death at the hands of Jael, Deborah and Barak sang of praise. The great leader, Deborah was not only a judge but also a prophet. Some try to argue that God called Deborah only because Barak refused to go to battle without her. But that ignores the fact Deborah held court before this male military leader came on the scene. God allowed the Canaanite King Jabin, to oppress the disobedient Israelites. Jabin’s General – Sisera, had a huge army and 900 iron chariots. Deborah, with guidance from God, sent for the warrior Barak telling him the Lord had commanded Barak to gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali and lead them to Mount Tabor. Deborah plotted to lure Sisera and his army into the Kishon Valley where Barak would defeat them according to Judges 4:5-6. Barak refused to go unless Deborah accompanied him to inspire the troops. She agreed but prophesied that the victory would be credited to a woman (Judges 4:9). “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will [b]deliver him into your hand’?” And 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!” So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him ” Judges 4:4-10 (NKJV).

Deborah prophesied a battle is fought (led by Barak), and Sisera is completely defeated. He escapes on foot while his army is pursued as far as Harosheth Haggoyim and destroyed. Sisera comes to the tent of Jael and lies down to rest. He asks for a drink, she gives him milk and while he is asleep she hammers a tent-pin through his temple. The Biblical account of Deborah ends with the statement that after the battle, there was peace in the land for 40 years. The Song of Deborah is found in Judges 5:2–31 and is a victory hymn, sung by Deborah and Barak, about the defeat of Canaanite adversaries by some of the tribes of Israel. The song itself differs slightly from the events described in Judges 4. The song mentions six participating tribes: Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir—a group associated with the Tribe of Manasseh—Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali, as opposed to the two tribes in Judges 4:6 (Naphtali and Zebulun) and does not mention the role of Jabin (king of Hazor). Lastly, according to Hebrews 11:32, Barak is mentioned as a great man of faith “who conquered kingdoms.” Barak is the man who came when Deborah summoned him because he believed that God spoke through her as his prophet and was with her in a special way. Deborah’s additional prophecy was that the Lord was going to hand Sisera over to another woman who would be praised for her courage. This did not deter Barak. “When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord!  “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. “Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; The mountains gushed before the Lord, This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel. “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the Lord!  “Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges’ attire, And who walk along the road. Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates. “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam! “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The Lord came down for me against the mighty. From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. . . “The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’ Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself, ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’ “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength" Judges 5:2–31 (NKJV).