Deborah the 4th Judge of Israel

Judges 4:1-24 and 5:1-31. Deborah was the only woman Judge or Ruler of Israel. She ruled about 1237BC—1198BC, she was also a prophetess.

She was the wife of Lapidoth and held court under the palm tree of Deborah. Deborah seems to have held her court under the palm tree of Deborah for a number of years, this may have been for more than thirty years. She could have lived till she was over seventy years old.

She must have been some woman: people came to her, she did not go to them.

The palm tree of Deborah was between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim.

Deborah in Hebrews means: bee, wasp.

Background Reading:

Deborah, Israel’s Fourth Judge

4:1 After Ehud died, while the LORD was watching, the Israelis made the evil they had been practicing even worse, 2 so the LORD turned them over to domination by Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commanding officer of his army, lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 The Israelis cried out to the LORD, because of his 900 iron chariots. Jabin oppressed the Israelis forcefully for twenty years.

4 Deborah, a woman, prophet, and wife of Lappidoth, was herself judging Israel during that time. 5 She regularly took her seat under the Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountainous region of Ephraim, where the Israelis would approach her for decisions. 6 She sent word to Abinoam’s son Barak from Kedesh-naphtali, summoning him. She asked him, “The LORD God of Israel has commanded you, hasn’t he? He told you, ‘Go out, march to Mount Tabor, and take 10,000 men with you from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I will draw out Sisera, the commanding officer of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and troops, to the Kishon River, where I will drop him right into your hands.’”

8 “If you’ll go with me, I’ll go,” Barak replied. “But if you won’t go with me, then I’m not going.”

Read more » Continued in Judges 4:9-5:31

More Information:

Deborah ruled for forty years and after the death of Deborah, the Israelites again did evil in the eyes of God. This time for seven years when God gave them into the hands of the Midianites, was one of about seven cycles were the Israelites again did evil in the eyes of God.


Other slides in this module: