Deborah is maybe the most famous woman depicted in the Book of Judges, besides Delilah. And what sets Deborah apart from perhaps every woman in the entirety of the scriptures—both the Hebrew and Christian Testaments, is the astonishing position she held in Israel.
As Judge, Deborah held civic authority over all who came to her for justice, men and women, village elders and all other leadership.
As Prophet, Deborah was anointed by God to deliver the word of the Lord to the people. From God to her lips, giving her spiritual authority over every priest and Levite, women and men alike.
As Poet, Deborah recorded the history of her people in the medium in which it would be best preserved, for her Song of Victory, one of the oldest pieces of literature in the Bible, commemorates the Lord’s remarkable intervention on behalf of God’s people a full three millennia ago.
I Deborah, Judge, Judges 4:1-5
II Deborah, Prophet, Judges 4:8-24
III Deborah, Poet, Judges 5
I turned to four scholars for help in reading Deborah’s story: J. David Schloen, Rebekah J. Evans, Shimon Bakon, and Judy Taubes Sterman. You will see their research throughout this video, and I have cited their work in the credits.
This is a bonus study for Broken, Searching, Trusted Powerful
Each video is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study.
The Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful series is a companion to the book, available on Amazon, and published by Wipf and Stock.
Deborah, great woman of God, nice post.
Thank you so much! I learned a lot.
Beautifully done, Joanne.
Wow, thanks!