Deborah | |
|---|---|
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| Other names | Debora, Débora, Dvora, Debra |
| Occupation(s) | Prophetess of God, Fourth Judge of Israel |
| Predecessor | Shamgar |
| Successor | Gideon |
| Spouse | Lapidoth (possibly) |
| Judges in the Hebrew Bible שופטים |
|---|
| Italics indicate individuals not explicitly described as judges |
| Book of Exodus |
| Book of Joshua |
| Book of Judges |
| First Book of Samuel |
According to the Book of Judges, Deborah (Hebrew: דְּבוֹרָה, Dəḇōrā) was a prophetess of Judaism, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, and the only female judge mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Many scholars contend that the phrase, "a woman of Lappidoth", as translated from biblical Hebrew in Judges 4:4 denotes her marital status as the wife of Lapidoth.[1] Alternatively, "lappid"[1] translates as "torch" or "lightning", therefore the phrase, "woman of Lappidoth" could be referencing Deborah as a "fiery woman."[2] Deborah told Barak, an Israelite general[1] from Kedesh in Naphtali, that God commanded him to lead an attack against the forces of Jabin king of Canaan and his military commander Sisera (Judges 4:6–7); the entire narrative is recounted in chapter 4.
Judges 5 gives the same story in poetic form. This passage, often called The Song of Deborah, may date to as early as the twelfth century BCE,[3] and is perhaps the earliest sample of Hebrew poetry.[4]
- ^ a b c Van Wijk-Bos, Johanna WH. The End of the Beginning: Joshua and Judges. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2019.
- ^ García Bachmann, Mercedes L., Ahida E. Pilarski, and Barbara E. Reid. "Judges." Wisdom commentary, Liturgical Press, 2018.
- ^ Coogan, Michael David (2006). A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in its Context. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 216. ISBN 978-0195139112.
- ^ Cook, Stanley (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 904.