Bible Characters
Who Was Deborah in the Bible? Prophet and Judge of Israel
Deborah was a prophet and judge who led Israel during the period of the judges, before Israel had a king (Judges 4:4). She settled disputes for the Israelites, summoned Barak to lead an army against the Canaanite commander Sisera, and went with him to battle (Judges 4:5-10). After the victory, Deborah and Barak sang the song recorded in Judges 5, and the land had peace for forty years (Judges 5:31).
Her story is in Judges 4 and 5. Judges 4 gives the narrative in prose, and Judges 5 retells the same events as a poem.
Quick Facts About Deborah
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | "Bee" |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | Judges |
| Time period | About 1200 BC, in the era of the judges (traditional chronology places the judges between roughly 1380 and 1050 BC) |
| Known for | Serving as prophet and judge, summoning Barak, the defeat of Sisera, the Song of Deborah |
Israel Before Deborah
The Book of Judges describes a repeated pattern. Israel did evil in the Lord's eyes, God handed them over to enemies, the people cried out, and God raised up a deliverer (Judges 2:11-19).
After the judge Ehud died, Israel again did evil (Judges 4:1). God sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. His army commander was Sisera, who had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. Jabin cruelly oppressed Israel for twenty years (Judges 4:2-3).
Who Was Deborah in the Bible as a Leader?
The text introduces Deborah this way:
"Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided." (Judges 4:4-5, NIV)
The NIV footnote notes that "leading" translates the Hebrew word traditionally rendered "judging." Deborah is the only person in the Book of Judges described as both a prophet and a judge. Her husband, Lappidoth, is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.
Deborah is one of several women called prophets in the Old Testament. Others include Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14).
Could you identify Deborah from her clues? Test yourself in Who Am I? Bible Edition.
Deborah and Barak
God's Command
Deborah sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She told him that the Lord commanded him to take ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun to Mount Tabor. God would lure Sisera and his army to the Kishon River and give them into Barak's hands (Judges 4:6-7).
Barak's Condition
Barak answered that he would go if Deborah went with him, but not if she stayed behind (Judges 4:8). Deborah agreed to go. She told him that because of the way he was going about it, the honor would not be his, since the Lord would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman (Judges 4:9).
Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, and ten thousand men followed him (Judges 4:10).
The Battle at Mount Tabor
When Sisera heard that Barak had gone up Mount Tabor, he gathered his nine hundred chariots and his troops at the Kishon River (Judges 4:12-13). Deborah told Barak to go, because this was the day the Lord had given Sisera into his hands, and the Lord had gone ahead of him (Judges 4:14).
Barak led his men down the mountain. The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army, and Barak pursued them to Harosheth Haggoyim. Not one of Sisera's soldiers was left (Judges 4:15-16). The Song of Deborah adds that the Kishon River swept the enemy away and that the stars fought from the heavens (Judges 5:20-21).
Jael and the Death of Sisera
Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber's clan was at peace with Jabin (Judges 4:17). Jael invited him in, covered him, and gave him milk when he asked for water (Judges 4:18-19).
While Sisera slept, Jael drove a tent peg through his temple into the ground, and he died (Judges 4:21). When Barak arrived in pursuit, Jael showed him Sisera's body (Judges 4:22). This fulfilled Deborah's word that a woman would receive the honor for Sisera's defeat (Judges 4:9). Israel grew stronger against Jabin until they destroyed him (Judges 4:23-24).
The Song of Deborah
Judges 5 records the song Deborah and Barak sang on the day of victory (Judges 5:1). The song:
- Praises the Lord for the willing volunteers among Israel's leaders and people (Judges 5:2, 9).
- Describes how travel had stopped and village life had ceased until Deborah arose as a mother in Israel (Judges 5:6-7).
- Honors the tribes who fought, including Zebulun and Naphtali, who risked their lives (Judges 5:14-15, 18).
- Rebukes tribes that stayed home, including Reuben, Dan, and Asher (Judges 5:15-17).
- Pronounces a curse on the town of Meroz for not helping (Judges 5:23).
- Calls Jael most blessed of women in tents (Judges 5:24-27).
- Pictures Sisera's mother waiting at a window for a son who would not return (Judges 5:28-30).
The song ends with a prayer that the Lord's enemies perish and those who love him be like the rising sun. The land then had peace for forty years (Judges 5:31).
Barak in the New Testament
Deborah is not named in the New Testament. Barak is listed in Hebrews 11:32 among those who through faith conquered kingdoms, alongside Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel.
Key Lessons From Deborah's Life
- Speaking God's word clearly. Deborah passed on the Lord's command to Barak with specific instructions (Judges 4:6-7).
- Confidence in God's promise. She told Barak the Lord had already gone ahead of him (Judges 4:14).
- Giving God the credit. Her song opens and closes by praising the Lord, not herself (Judges 5:3, 31).
- Willing participation. The song honors the tribes who volunteered and rebukes those who held back (Judges 5:2, 15-18).
Where Deborah Appears in the Bible
- Judges 4: the narrative account
- Judges 5: the Song of Deborah
A different Deborah appears in Genesis. She was Rebekah's nurse, who died and was buried near Bethel (Genesis 35:8).
For other deliverers from the time of the judges, see Gideon and Samuel. Another woman who acted at a decisive moment for her people was Esther.
Ready for more judges, prophets, and kings? Play Who Am I? Bible Edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Deborah known for in the Bible?
Deborah was a prophet and judge who decided disputes for Israel under the Palm of Deborah (Judges 4:4-5). She summoned Barak to fight Sisera and went with him to battle (Judges 4:6-10).
Who was Deborah's husband?
Deborah was the wife of Lappidoth (Judges 4:4). The Bible gives no other details about him.
Who killed Sisera?
Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple while he slept in her tent (Judges 4:21). This fulfilled Deborah's word that a woman would receive the honor (Judges 4:9).
How long did Israel have peace after Deborah?
After the victory over Sisera, the land had peace for forty years (Judges 5:31).
Where is the Song of Deborah?
The Song of Deborah is recorded in Judges 5. Deborah and Barak sang it on the day of the victory over Sisera (Judges 5:1).