Deborah Portrait of a Leader
Old Testament Prophet and a Predecessor to Today's Visionary Women
Oct 31, 2009
Approximately 1125 B.C., Deborah was a tribal leader (judge) in Israel. She settled disputes while she sat under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel (Judges 4:5). She brought victory for the people of Israel, which is recorded separately in Judges 4-5.
Deborah's Relationship to God and the People
When the terms "prophet" or "prophetess" are used, many think of the ability to predict the future. But the true meaning behind such terms reflects the ability and tendency of the individual in question to "hear" a message from God, and to pass it on to others. They were also covenant enforcement mediators. Thus the role of the prophet in the ancient Near East was to "speak" for God to their contemporaries and mediate the covenant, and Deborah was both a judge and prophet.
Deborah Summons Barak
Deborah's role as a strong leader is an inspiration. Her name means "bee" in Hebrew, and has also been interpreted as "spirited or fiery woman." There is no indication that the people of her day failed to accept her leadership due to her gender. Jabin, the king of Canaan in Hazor demonstrated an oppressive regime. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was Jabin's army commander. Israel looked to Deborah for wisdom. She called for Barak, a local military leader in whom she had great faith.
Barak the Reluctant Warrior
Barak was not convinced that his forces could defeat Jabin's mighty forces. Sisera's army was superior in number and technology. It possessed 900 iron-trimmed chariots with which to crush an opposing force. The odds were against Barak, Deborah, and their people. At Deborah's command, however, Barak gathered 10,000 troops and led them to Mt. Tabor. He was to meet Sisera and his forces at the border, the Kishon River. Barak would not go unless Deborah went with him. She agreed.
A Confused Army Gets Swept Away
Sisera gathered his army and met Barak and Deborah at the river. According to Judges 4, the Lord "confused" Sisera's army and Sisera lost all his men, and he fled to tent of Jael, wife of Heber. Judges 5 records a slightly different account. In this section, often called "The Song of Deborah," Deborah and Barak sang that the river Kishon "swept them [the opposing forces] away." (NASB, Judges 5:21)
Many secondary sources presume that Sesera's chariots became stuck in the mud, allowing Barak's forces to overcome them, but the text does not say that. Logic would, however, lead one to believe that Sisera's army drowned or were immobilized, leading to death either way.
Deborahwas a great leader to her people and she serves as an inspiration to contemporary women who seek to lead and serve others.
Sources:
The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, (New American Standard Bible, 1977). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1990.
The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Ed. Bruce M. Metzger & Michael D. Coogan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
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