Biblical Profile: Deborah

Deborah

Deborah the prophet was one of the early judges of Israel, a woman of integrity and devotion to the Lord. As a prophet, she received divine revelation; as a judge, she arbitrated legal disputes. She could aptly be characterized as “a mother for Israel” (see Judg 5:7).

The time period in which Deborah lived was one of increasing moral depravity, spiritual blindness, and political fragmentation. Israel was doing “evil in the Lord’s sight” (Judg 4:1), so God once again turned Israel over to an oppressor, Jabin of Canaan. And once again, Israel “cried out to the Lord for help” (4:3).

Through Deborah, God called Barak to fight against Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army. But Barak did not receive God’s call with enthusiasm and courage. Instead, he set a condition: Deborah must go with him. Deborah agreed, but with a cost: The glory for the victory would not go to Barak but to a woman. And so it happened: Barak defeated Sisera and his army, but the glory went to Jael, the woman who killed Sisera and fulfilled Deborah’s prophecy. Barak’s lack of courage and leadership contrasts with the courage and leadership of these two women. Deborah’s actions resulted in a forty-year period of peace for Israel (5:31).

Passages for Further Study

Judg 4:1–5:31