The Story of Deborah (the Prophetess and Judge of Israel)

Bibliaon Team

Created and reviewed by our editors

Deborah was one of the judges of Israel, serving as a leader during a difficult time for the Israelite people. Her story is told in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. The Bible describes Deborah as a wise and influential woman.

In addition to being a judge, Deborah was also a prophetess, meaning she had a special connection with God, receiving and conveying His messages.

Deborah - The Prophetess and Judge of Israel

According to the Bible, Deborah served as a judge under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites came to her to resolve disputes.

During a time when Israel was being oppressed by the Canaanite king Jabin, Deborah summoned Barak, an Israelite warrior, and delivered a message from God: he was to gather an army and fight against the oppressor. Barak agreed but insisted that Deborah accompany him. She accepted but warned that the glory of the victory would not be his, but would belong to a woman.

The army of Israel, led by Barak with Deborah’s assistance, defeated the enemy forces. During the battle, God sent a great storm that disorganized the enemy's chariots, making it easier for the Israelites to achieve victory.

The enemy commander fled on foot and hid in the tent of Jael, a woman who took him in and later killed him, fulfilling Deborah's prophecy.

After this victory over the Canaanites and the death of the enemy commander, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God. The song celebrates Israel's deliverance, the courage of the people, and the importance of women, especially Jael, who played a crucial role in defeating the oppressor.

Deborah continued to serve as a judge and leader of Israel. Her role as a prophetess and judge brought a period of peace and stability to the people. During her leadership, Israel enjoyed a time of prosperity and security, as the Canaanite oppression was overcome and the nation was consolidated under God's guidance.

Prophetess Deborah is remembered as one of the great leaders and judges of Israel, whose courage and wisdom were essential for the salvation of the people. Her story highlights the importance of just and dedicated leaders, and it remains a testimony to divine victory and the bravery of the Israelites.

Significant events in the life of Deborah

Event	Description
Call of Barak	Deborah summons Barak and conveys God’s instructions to gather an army against Sisera, the commander of King Jabin's army.
Leadership in Battle	She accompanies Barak in the battle, motivating him and ensuring victory by God's will.
Victory over Sisera	Under her leadership, the Israeli army completely defeats Sisera’s forces.
Fulfillment of Prophecy	She predicted that the glory of the victory over Sisera would go to a woman, which was fulfilled when Jael killed Sisera.
Strengthening of Israel	After the victory, Israel grew stronger and eventually destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.

Characteristics or Qualities of Deborah

Listened to God, was a prophetess: Deborah had the gift of prophecy, enabling her to communicate God’s messages to the people of Israel.
Knew how to judge, was a judge of Israel: She governed and administered justice in Israel, resolving disputes and guiding the people.
Was married, wife of Lapidoth: Her role as a wife is mentioned, though no details about Lapidoth are provided.
Charismatic leader: She had authority and influence, so much so that commander Barak did not want to go into battle without her.
Brave and determined: Not only did she prophesy the victory, but she also accompanied Barak to the battlefield.
Had a strong sense of justice: She sat under a palm tree where people of Israel would come to tell her their problems and receive her judgment.

Lessons We Can Learn from Deborah's Life

The story of Deborah teaches us several valuable lessons. First, the importance of leadership based on faith and justice. Deborah judged wisely and led her people with confidence in God. Her willingness to support Barak shows that a true leader does not hesitate to stand with their people in battle.

Another lesson is the value of cooperation and trust in God. Deborah and Barak worked together, relying on God’s promise of victory. Additionally, the story highlights that God can use anyone to fulfill His purposes, regardless of gender. Jael, an ordinary woman, was the final instrument in Israel's victory.

We can summarize our learnings as under:

The importance of wisdom and justice: Deborah judged with wisdom and justice, guiding her people firmly and confidently in God’s will.
Inspirational leadership yields good results: Her leadership motivated Barak and the army, showing the importance of leaders being present in the battles.
Prophecies from God come to pass: Deborah prophesied that a woman would bring the victory, emphasizing the crucial role of women in God's divine plan.
Cooperation and trust are essential: Deborah and Barak exemplified the strength of cooperation and trust in God’s promises.
We must recognize God's work and be grateful: Deborah celebrated the victory with a song, highlighting the importance of praising God for the accomplishments we achieve.
We must maintain faith and courage in adversity: Deborah faced challenges with courage, demonstrating that faith in God is essential during difficult times.
Trusting in God’s will is important: Her story teaches us to trust in God and act according to His will to overcome challenges.

To conclude, Deborah shows us that faith in God and the courage to act according to His will are fundamental to overcoming challenges. Her life is an example of how trust in God and justice can bring freedom and peace.

Let us learn from Deborah to be wise and courageous leaders, always trusting in God’s promises and willing to act according to His guidance.

The Song of Deborah

After achieving victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God, celebrating Israel's liberation and Jael's bravery. This song, recorded in chapter 5 of Judges, is one of the oldest texts in the Bible and emphasizes the importance of obedience to God and courage in times of adversity.

The Song of Deborah

¹On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

²“When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer themselves -
praise the Lord!

³“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I, even I, will sing to the Lord;
I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

⁴“When you, Lord, went out from Seir,
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens poured,
the clouds poured down water.
⁵The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁶“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.
⁷Villagers in Israel would not fight;
they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
until I arose, a mother in Israel.
⁸God chose new leaders
when war came to the city gates,
but not a shield or spear was seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
⁹My heart is with Israel’s princes,
with the willing volunteers among the people.
Praise the Lord!

¹⁰“You who ride on white donkeys,
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider ¹¹the voice of the singers at the watering places.
They recite the victories of the Lord,
the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord
went down to the city gates.
¹²‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!
Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’

¹³“The remnant of the nobles came down;
the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
¹⁴Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
From Makir captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
¹⁵The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
yes, Issachar was with Barak,
sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
¹⁶Why did you stay among the sheep pens
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
¹⁷Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher remained on the coast
and stayed in his coves.
¹⁸The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.

¹⁹“Kings came, they fought,
the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,
they took no plunder of silver.
²⁰From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
²¹The river Kishon swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!
²²Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
²³‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
to help the Lord against the mighty.’

²⁴“Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
²⁵He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
²⁶Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.
²⁷At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell - dead.

²⁸“Through the window peered Sisera’s mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
²⁹The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
³⁰‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments for my neck -
all this as plunder?’

³¹“So may all your enemies perish, Lord!
But may all who love you be like the sun
when it rises in its strength.”

³²Then the land had peace forty years.

- Judges 5:1-32

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