Deborah was a prophet. Her leadership was recognized by Israel. The Israelites came to her to settle disputes and receive her advice. That's really cool! These days, it should be normal to have women in leadership roles and to seek their advice, but for ancient times this is radical and extraordinary. We don't know her age or whether she had children. It's not important to her story.
In most English translations, Judges 4:4 says that Deborah was the wife of Lappidoth. But that's not exactly what the Hebrew says. Consider this:
In Judges 4:4, Deborah is identified as a “woman of lappidoth” (eshet lappidot). In patriarchal societies, such as those in Bible times, women are typically identified by their relationship to a man, usually a father or husband, although some can be identified by their hometown. So “woman of lappidoth” may mean that Deborah was the wife of a man called Lappidoth or that she was from a town called Lappidoth. Aside from the reference in Judges 4:4, however, no person or place is called Lappidoth in the Bible.
There is a third way of interpreting “woman of lappidoth.” Rather than being a proper noun, lappidot in Judges 4:4 could be the plural of lappid, a word usually translated as “torches” elsewhere in the Old Testament, including the book of Judges where the word occurs in two fiery and fierce situations (Judg. 7:16, 20; 15:4-5). Did Deborah have a fiery or fierce personality? Does eshet lappidot mean “fiery lady”?
Lappid can also refer to lightning flashes (e.g., Exod. 20:18). This has led a few scholars and rabbis to suggest that Deborah was a “woman of splendours”.Whatever the precise meaning of eshet lappidot, Deborah was a splendid woman. We see this in the song recorded in Judges 5 where Deborah is described as a matriarch, a “mother in Israel,” who had the support of the princes of Israel (Judg. 5:7, 15). She was a formidable woman and much appreciated by her people (from Marg Mowczko).
After we are introduced to this influential woman, Deborah sends Barak, the leader of Israel's army, a telling message. "Hasn't the Lord, Israel's God, issued you a command?" She reiterates the plan that Barak has maybe not yet started acting upon. She knows the command that the Lord has issued because she is a prophet. She probably gave him the initial word from the Lord. And now, because Barak hesitated, Deborah prophecies that "the Lord will hand over Sisera to a woman." Is Deborah claiming the honor for herself? I guess we'll have to find out. They march out. Barak and Deborah. What a team. This team defeats the 900 chariots in the army of Sisera and all of their soldiers.
However, Sisera escapes on foot. He reaches the tent of Jael, who is married to a man named Heber. This is important because Heber is a Kenite. Heber's family is at peace with Sisera and King Jabin, but their family is also descended from Moses' father-in-law.
Jael invites Sisera in, gives him some milk, and allows him to rest in her tent with the promise of safety. He asks her to stand at the door and tell no one he is there. He trusts her, and falls asleep. Once he is asleep, she drives a tent peg into his head. Surprise! Jael is the woman of whom Deborah prophesied!
Because of this decisive victory, King Jabin of Canaan was defeated completely and there were forty years of peace in Israel.
Wow. That's an intense story. There are many ways to interpret it. Here's a few possibilities:
- Women should not have access to tent pegs. What a dangerous weapon. Poor Sisera!
- Men should not drink milk and take naps in other people's homes. There may be an evil woman such as Jael lurking nearby.
- Deborah was only leading because Barak was a coward.
- Lappidoth and Heber should control their wives. These women should not be leaders.
Thankfully, we do not interpret scripture this way. Let's continue on to Judges 5. The full text is to the right for your reference. If you're on mobile, select view web version at the bottom of the page. All scripture is taken from the Common English Bible (CEB).
This is the song of Deborah and Barak. This is not a historical retelling of events, this is the interpretation of events told by the victors after the battle.
This song begins, ends, and is filled to the brim with praising the Lord, who is given the honor for this win in battle. This battle isn't about giving honor to Barak, Deborah, or Jael. It's about giving the glory to God.
This song begins, ends, and is filled to the brim with praising the Lord, who is given the honor for this win in battle. This battle isn't about giving honor to Barak, Deborah, or Jael. It's about giving the glory to God.
In verse 7, we are introduced to Deborah again, arising as a leader, as a mother in Israel. Before you say, "She isn't called a leader!" please remember how much you love your mother. Yes, mothers are leaders. Plus, the scripture has already called Deborah a prophet and a judge or leader. This is a a term of respect used to describe Deborah.
In verse 12, we see a call for both Deborah and Barak to rise up, sing, capture, and march against the enemy warriors. The next several stanzas are a beautiful call for the tribes of Israel to join Deborah in the fight, some answer the call, and some do not. In verse 20, we see the stars fighting the battle with Israel against Sisera. Even the Kishon river advances to fight. Clearly there is some poetic license taken to describe the battle. But it seems clear that there was some divine intervention to flood the battle plain and give Israel victory.
Now here is my favorite part. You may have read the earlier account with a measure of disgust when it came to the story of Jael. How could she just murder a man like that? Her husband was at peace with Sisera! But Israel doesn't want us to interpret the story that way. What Jael did may have been misguided or selfish, we don't know why she did it. But we know that she was acting on the side of Israel. Regardless of why she did what she did, the response of Israel is of rejoicing and blessing (see verse 24). Her actions helped bring about forty years of peace. When was the last time your actions brought an end to oppression? I am definitely not advocating for murder, by the way. Just pointing out how Jael is praised for her trickery because of what it brought about.
Women stand out in this story for several reasons: Their scarcity, their strength, and their value. There aren't any other female judges or leaders of Israel. We have a few other female prophets, like Miriam and Huldah, but Deborah is the only judge/leader. This does not mean we should keep female leaders to a minimum. In Deborah's song, we see the strength of Jael's hand celebrated. We see Deborah's advice sought to settle disputes. We see Deborah march into battle with Barak, at his request. These women are strong. They are women of valor. And we see a celebration of these women. Their victories are lauded and applauded. God worked through these women to achieve great things. Let us celebrate them for it.
March on, my friends; and with might fight against oppression!
Other valuable resources:
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/deborah-bible
https://margmowczko.com/deborah-and-the-no-available-men-argument/
In verse 12, we see a call for both Deborah and Barak to rise up, sing, capture, and march against the enemy warriors. The next several stanzas are a beautiful call for the tribes of Israel to join Deborah in the fight, some answer the call, and some do not. In verse 20, we see the stars fighting the battle with Israel against Sisera. Even the Kishon river advances to fight. Clearly there is some poetic license taken to describe the battle. But it seems clear that there was some divine intervention to flood the battle plain and give Israel victory.
Now here is my favorite part. You may have read the earlier account with a measure of disgust when it came to the story of Jael. How could she just murder a man like that? Her husband was at peace with Sisera! But Israel doesn't want us to interpret the story that way. What Jael did may have been misguided or selfish, we don't know why she did it. But we know that she was acting on the side of Israel. Regardless of why she did what she did, the response of Israel is of rejoicing and blessing (see verse 24). Her actions helped bring about forty years of peace. When was the last time your actions brought an end to oppression? I am definitely not advocating for murder, by the way. Just pointing out how Jael is praised for her trickery because of what it brought about.
Women stand out in this story for several reasons: Their scarcity, their strength, and their value. There aren't any other female judges or leaders of Israel. We have a few other female prophets, like Miriam and Huldah, but Deborah is the only judge/leader. This does not mean we should keep female leaders to a minimum. In Deborah's song, we see the strength of Jael's hand celebrated. We see Deborah's advice sought to settle disputes. We see Deborah march into battle with Barak, at his request. These women are strong. They are women of valor. And we see a celebration of these women. Their victories are lauded and applauded. God worked through these women to achieve great things. Let us celebrate them for it.
March on, my friends; and with might fight against oppression!
Other valuable resources:
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/deborah-bible
https://margmowczko.com/deborah-and-the-no-available-men-argument/
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