Thus Jael gained fame for killing Sisera, which diminished Barak’s fame for his victory over King Jabin’s army, as Deborah had prophesied. Seizing her opportunity, Jael tiptoed into the tent and drove a tent peg through Sisera’s head with a mallet. Thirsty, he asked for water, but she gave him milk and curds, a heavy meal that caused him to fall asleep. Sisera asked for sanctuary in the tent of Jael (or Yael), the wife of the clan leader. The Israelite warriors won the battle, and General Sisera escaped to the camp of the Kenites. (The name Barak means lightning, but he would not strike until he was given instruction by Judge Deborah.) She told him to take 10,000 troops up to Mount Tabor to confront Jabin’s general, Sisera, who led an army made up of 900 iron chariots. Barak was Deborah’s junior, her next in command. Having received instruction from God, Deborah called forth an Israelite warrior named Barak. The most common theory is that Deborah’s King Jabin was a descendant of Joshua’s defeated enemy and that Hazor had been rebuilt during intervening years. ![]() Several theories have been put forth to try to solve this detail, but none have been satisfactory thus far. The reference to Jabin of Hazor is confusing since the Book of Joshua says that it was Joshua who conquered Jabin and burned Hazor, one of the main Canaanite city-states, to the ground a century earlier. This location, “between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim,” places Deborah and the Hebrews in an area controlled by King Jabin of Hazor, who had oppressed the Israelites for 20 years, according to the Bible. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would approach her for judgment. Therefore, many of the judges also were considered prophets who spoke “a word from the Lord.” Their practice was to seek guidance from God through prayer and meditation before making a ruling. These rulers were called mishpat-”judges,”-an office that traced back to a time when Moses appointed assistants to help him resolve disputes among the Hebrews ( Exodus 18). Judge Deborah was one of the rulers of the Israelites prior to the monarchy period that began with Saul (around 1047 BC). Deborah’s courage and wisdom in calling up an army to break Hazor’s control gave the Israelites 40 years of peace. This poem celebrates her victory over the Canaanites. ![]() This passage often called The Song of Deborah, is believed to date as early as the 12th century BC and is possibly the earliest example of Hebrew poetry. In Judges 5, we read judge Deborah’s story again, but this time in poetic form. More likely, “mother in Israel” is a title indicating that the nation looked to Deborah for leadership as the nation’s mother, similar to how the childless George Washington could be called “the father of our nation” of the United States. Yet we don’t know for certain if that means she was a mother to children. We know that Deborah was a “mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). Some Biblical scholars have suggested that “lappidot” was not the name of Deborah’s husband or region, but rather the phrase “eshet lappidot” means quite literally “woman of torches”, a reference to Deborah’s fiery nature. ![]() Deciding to live single was not on a young woman’s list of options unless her husband had died and she had a big enough dowry to support herself. ![]() In Old Testament times, a woman could be only three things: a virgin, a married woman, or widowed. Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. The same word is used in Hebrew for “woman” and “wife,” so we don’t know for sure if Deborah was a “woman of Lappidoth” (a place) or “wife of Lappidoth” (a person) Many texts also believe that she was also a wife. (Now that’s some impressive company!)Īccording to the Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. The only other person who was a combination of prophet and judge was Samuel. As a priestess, she did not offer sacrifices, as the men did, but she did lead worship services and preach. As a prophet, judge Deborah was said to hear God’s voice and share the Word with others. Judge Deborah was only one of five women described as a prophet in the Old Testament (the others are: Miriam (Exodus. With an impressive resume as a judge, military strategist, poet, and prophet, she was also a singer and songwriter.
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