Judges 4:4-11

Deborah was one of three prophetesses identified as such in the Old Testament (Judges 4:4), along with Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14). Anna (Luke 2:36) and Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:8-9) were also prophetesses. Deborah was also one of the judges (Judges 4:4). Another translation of "wife of Lappidoth" is "woman of torches." This may be the meaning since she motivated Barak and demonstrated conquering power, which torches symbolize (cf. Judges 5:7; Isaiah 62:1; Daniel 10:6; Zechariah 12:6). [Note: McCann, pp. 51-52.] The account of her life and ministry shows that some of the judges served as civil leaders almost exclusively. [Note: See M. O’Connor, "The Women in the Book of Judges," Hebrew Annual Review 10 (1986):277-93.] Samuel was a similar type of judge, whose military exploits were minor.

"The very looseness of early Israelite social and political organization, along with the requirements of a subsistence economy, probably explains why women could play such a major role in Israelite life, as they clearly do in the book of Judges, especially in chapters 4-5 . . ." [Note: McCann, p. 56.]

Deborah lived in the hill country of Ephraim (Judges 4:5). Her name means "Bee," and she did what often marks a bee. She stung the enemy, and she brought sweet refreshment to her people. However, her name also suggests her prophetic role as she spoke to Barak, since the consonants in her name are the same as those in the Hebrew word translated "speak" and "word." The writer may have referred to her palm tree, another source of sweetness, to contrast it with the oak of Zaanannim under which the compromising Heber worked (Judges 4:11).

Barak apparently was a well-known military leader in Israel at this time. He lived in far north Israel in Kadesh of Naphtali (Judges 4:6), which was fairly close to Hazor. It stood at the southwest corner of the Sea of Chinnereth. [Note: Yohanan Aharoni, Land of the Bible, p. 204.] Some scholars favor a Kadesh north of Lake Huleh. Barak’s name means "Lightning," which he proved to be in his battle against the Canaanites.

As a prophetess Deborah sent orders to Barak to assemble 10,000 soldiers, or possibly 10 units of soldiers, at Mt. Tabor southwest of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). Note that God’s command to Barak was clear. He was to "Go" (Heb. masak, lit. to draw along) with his recruits and wait at the mountain. God said He would draw Sisera out to come against Barak. Barak was then to move west against Sisera’s forces at the Kishon River just north of the Carmel mountain range, which stood on the south side of the Jezreel Valley.

"RSV rightly renders torrent (Hebrew nahal), the Kishon in its upper course being indeed a seasonal wadi, which, however, rises quickly and strongly in its lower course, swollen by flash floods from the slopes of Carmel and the hills of Lower Galilee as they converge upon it near Harosheth." [Note: Gray, p. 278.]

On this occasion Israel’s forces were very numerous. They had perhaps a 10 to one advantage over the Canaanites. Gideon’s later battle with the Midianites would be the opposite with Israel’s forces in the minority. God promised to give the Canaanites into Barak’s hand (Judges 4:7).

Barak’s refusal to go on this mission without Deborah raises questions. He may have been afraid to go into battle without Deborah’s comforting company. Probably he wanted to have this prophetess with him so he could obtain God’s guidance through her if he needed to do so. A third explanation follows.

". . . his mistrust of his own strength was such that he felt too weak to carry out the command of God. He wanted divine enthusiasm for the conflict, and this the presence of the prophetess was to infuse into both Barak and the army that was to be gathered around him." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, p. 303.]

Whatever his motivation may have been, he put a condition on obeying God. The will of God was clear. He even had God’s promise of victory. Nevertheless he refused to obey unless Deborah accompanied him. Barak would defeat the Canaanites, but a woman would get the credit for defeating the commander, Sisera. This was Barak’s punishment for putting a condition on his obedience to God (Judges 4:9). Barak probably assumed that the prediction in Judges 4:9 referred to Deborah, but, as things turned out, Jael the Kenite received the glory that might have been his. Even though Barak had faith (Hebrews 11:32), his faith was not as strong as it should have been.

Apparently some of the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, had moved north to continue their semi-nomadic life in the northern part of western Manasseh. Hobab was probably Moses’ brother-in-law (NIV) rather than his father-in-law (AV, NASB; cf. Numbers 10:29). The consonants of the Hebrew words translated "father-in-law" and "brother-in-law" are the same (i.e., htn). Only the vowels, which later scribes supplied, are different (hoten being "father-in-law" and hatan being "brother-in-law").

Most of the Kenites lived in southern Judah. Heber’s family was able to maintain good relations with both the Canaanites and the Israelites (Judges 4:17). Heber’s name means "Ally" and reflects his alliance with the Canaanites. "Kenite" means "smith" as in "blacksmith." Heber seems to have been plying his trade under the oak of Zaanannim. Was he one of the blacksmiths responsible for keeping the Canaanites’ 900 iron chariots in good repair? Oak trees were often the sites of pagan Canaanite worship. Had he set up shop at the cultic shrine of Baal in his area? If so, he contrasts sharply with Deborah, who carried out her work of revealing the words of God and ruling His people under a palm tree (Judges 4:5). Here was a descendant of Moses’ family who may have been fraternizing with the very people Moses had commanded the Israelites to exterminate!