Deborah
“Bee”
Summary
A prophetess and judge of Israel who inspired Barak to defeat the Canaanite general Sisera, celebrated for her triumphant song of victory.
☩Deborah the Judge
Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, who judged Israel during the oppression by Jabin king of Canaan. She would sit under the 'palm tree of Deborah' between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where Israelites came to her for judgment. As palms were rare in Palestine, this lone tree served as a well-known landmark. Her role was not merely judicial but prophetic—she spoke God's word to His oppressed people.
☩Summoning Barak
Deborah summoned Barak of Kedesh-naphtali and delivered God's command to gather ten thousand men from Zebulun and Naphtali at Mount Tabor. There he would face Sisera, Jabin's general, with his nine hundred iron chariots and vast army. Barak's faith faltered; he would not go unless Deborah accompanied him. She agreed but prophesied that the honor of victory would go not to him but to a woman.
☩The Victory
At Deborah's word, Barak descended from Tabor. The Lord threw Sisera's host into confusion; the stars from heaven fought against Sisera, and the ancient river Kishon swept many away. Sisera fled on foot and sought refuge with Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, who killed him with a tent peg while he slept. Thus Deborah's prophecy was fulfilled—a woman received the glory of the victory.
☩The Song of Deborah
The triumphant ode in Judges 5, attributed to Deborah and Barak, celebrates the victory and rebukes tribes that failed to help. It describes God marching from Sinai to fight for His people, praises the volunteer warriors, and vividly portrays Sisera's mother waiting in vain for her son's return. The song concludes: 'So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.'
☩Rebekah's Nurse
A different Deborah was Rebekah's nurse, who accompanied her mistress from Mesopotamia and remained with Jacob's household until her death. She was buried under an oak below Bethel, called 'Allon-bachuth,' the oak of weeping—testimony to the affection felt for this faithful servant.
See Also
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Deborah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.George Morrish, "Deborah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Deborah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).