"Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who had become a judge in Israel. She would hold court under the Palm of Deborah, which stood between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to settle their disputes." Judges 4:4-5 NLT
Wow! What a loaded description of this woman! Unfortunately, some of the descriptors are lost in translation. Below is a link to an article that fills in some of these gaps.
My first thoughts when I read Judges 4 & 5 were: how did she become Judge? It seems backwards from the other stories of the Judges; I thought a Judge was raised up after the people cried out for help, but Deborah was already leading them (4:3-4). And if that's the case why isn't Barak or Jael the Judge? Or why wasn't Doborah the one victorious in battle like the other Judges? What is the deal with Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali?! And so many more!
As I worked through the study questions each day, an understanding started to break through. I read and re-read some of the passages and went to my favorite translation, the New Living Translation, and read it again. I encourage you to do the same. If you're just not "getting it" with the translation in the study guide, try your favorite translation or go to www.Biblegateway.com and choose a different translation. That and the foot notes in my study Bible helped to shed light on what was going on during this time in Israel's history and specifically during this fierce battle.
But that still wasn't enough for me! I Googled 'Deborah the Judge' and found some very interesting information - stuff that really got me excited about Deborah and what this story means for me, a 21st Century woman! Click here to read an informative article by Tikva Frymer-Kensky (1943-2006), who was a professor of Hebrew Bible at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. It's well written and not very long.
Let me whet your curiosity with this: according to Frymer-Kensky, "the wife of Lappidoth" (4:4) can be translated as "wife of Lapidot", but it also means "woman of torches" or "fiery woman". That certainly adds depth to Deborah's personality! She also tells us that "Her weapon is the word, and her very name is an anagram of "she spoke" (dibberah)". Please, please, please read the article - it's worth it!!
Another tool that I found useful was a map I found in my Bible. The study guide map only shows the territories of the Tribes and Judges. When I looked at a map with more detail, with the places in this story marked (the cities, Mount Tabor, and the Kishon River), along with the Tribes and Judges, I started to get a clearer picture of the enorimity of the battle and the importance of Deborah's leadership.
I especially like this map. Zoom in to see the city & river names.
Deborah is not the only interesting character in this story! Barak and Jael can teach us a thing or two, too! Keep reading the study guide and working through the questions and pray for understanding and insight. And it's okay to read Saturday, Sandra's summary, before the end of the week :)
Comments: I love 'em! How are you doing with the book of Judges so far? What message do you hear from the story of Deborah? Which version of the story do you like better: Judges 4, the prose telling or Judges 5, the poetic song?
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
honey
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
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