Deborah's army the book of judges chapter 11

The people of israel had been oppressed by jabin, the king of canaan, whose capital was hazor. Deborah s courage and wisdom in calling up an army to break hazors control gave the israelites 40 years of peace. Judges 4 commentary commentary critical and explanatory on. Well cover the 4th and 5th chapters in this book today. Deborah judges 45 bible commentary theology of work. We learned from chapter three that god was going to prepare the children of israel to learn of war, and the way god did this was to leave their enemies scattered in the lands where. The children of israel again did evil in the sight of the lord, when ehud was deadthe removal of the zealous judge ehud again left his infatuated countrymen without the restraint of religion 2, 3. Judge deborah, a prophet and warrior, came after shamgar who followed ehud in the book of judges. I will make music to the lord, the god of israel 4 b lord, when you went out from seir. Deborah assures barak theyve got god on their side. The story of deborah begins in the fourth chapter of the book of judges and extends for two chapters. In our last study, we looked at chapter 4 of the book of judges and the story of deborah and barak. Deborah did play a crucial leadership role in our text, but note the outcome of her leadership.

Deborahs story offers us an important reminder of the power and freedom of god, and serves to rebuke us for our own cowardice and lack of faith. Aug 08, 2017 the book of judges shows, among other things, that the male leadership in the nation had declined to a point where women were, of necessity, taking the lead. When ehud was dead, the children of israel again did evil in the sight of the lord. When uprising broke out in israel, when the people rallied for dutybless the lord. Their deliverance is concerted between deborah and barak v. Deborah agreed to go because she knew that the lord shall sell sisera into the hand of a woman judges 4. While deborah went with the army, she did not engage in battle. Judges 4 deborah again the israelites did evil bible. Yet the writer of judges refers only to deborah as the judge to whom the word of the lord came judges 4. While its not entirely clear why deborah is not listed in hebrews 11, we must avoid reading too much into her absence. So the lord sold them into the hand of jabin king of canaan, who reigned in hazor. Judges 5 commentary james burton coffman commentaries. After greeting me, she enthusiastically told me about the exciting ministries god was allowing in and through her life. The children of israel again did evil in the sight of the lord, when ehud was dead the removal of the zealous judge ehud again left his infatuated countrymen without the restraint of religion.

The ones that rode the white asses in deborahs day are the ones in authority, and many of the governors were on the side of deborah, even though the people of israel were not. Judges 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Judges 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. She rendered her judgments beneath a date palm tree between ramah in benjamin and bethel in the land of ephraim. According to author joseph telushkin in his book jewish literacy, the only thing known about deborahs private life was the name of her husband, lapidot or lappidoth. But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.

Because of deborahs strong, confident, commanding words to barak and her presence with him, barak did take 10,000 israelite troops down from mount tabor as commanded. Perhaps the new testament writer meant to list only those who literally conquered kingdoms. Study guide for judges 4 by david guzik blue letter bible. The book of judges recounts the battles between the israelites and enemies such as the canaanites, amorites, ammonites, arameans, midianites, and philistines. Deborah and barak judges 4 september 4 united church of god. Judges chapter 8 verse by verse bible commentary matthew. Gideon prudently pacifies the offended ephraimites, judges 8. So far in our study of the book of judges we have looked at. Despite jephthahs background and his history of vain men, god turned his situation, which would destroy most people, into a learning opportunity. One of deborahs judgments was to instruct barak to summon 10,000 men and attack jabins army. And she dwelt under the palm tree of deborah between ramah and bethel in mount ephraim.

The book of judges is the second book in the deuteronomic history, a history that begins with the farewell address of moses in deuteronomy and ends with the exile of judah in 587 b. Jan 02, 2020 the canaanites had 900 chariots of iron and ruled over israel for 20 years judges 4. It also recounts a number of battles and events that take place amongst the israelites themselves. Such as mocking deborahs commissioning speech daniel i. What land did the ammonites claim belonged to them. Judges chapter 4 verse by verse bible commentary matthew. Each of the major judges comes from a different area of israel and fights a different enemy. As a military leader, deborah is a rare biblical character. And the lord routed sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before barak judges 4.

Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in harosheth haggoyim. Baraks army was drawn primarily from zebulun and naphtali. Her story is told in the book of judges, chapters 4 and 5. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the israelites for twenty years, they cried to the lord for help. Deborah again the israelites did evil in the eyes of the lord, now that ehud was dead. There are valuable lessons to be learned in the book of judges. The judges judges 316 deborah judges 45 the economic effects of war judges 6. These books tell of the israelites reign over the land of canaan and have a heavy focus on divine reward and punishment. But the fact that he demands it shows that he is trusting more in deborah s relationship with god than with his own relationship with god. The book of judges was probably written after the reforms of josiah in 622 b.

This bible study is written by roger christopherson, and its transcription is provided by. Deborahs story would stand out even without her unusual role as a military leader. Generally speaking, the women of the bible who achieve prominence do so through either marriage or motherhood. Deborahs war against the canaanites, which took place around 1125 b. Judges chapter 5 is known as the song of deborah, a text that exults in her victory over the canaanites. And where he expected shelter he had his life stolen from him by jael while he was asleep judges 4. A prophetess named deborah judged or made rulings for the people of israel under a palm tree during that time. So the lord sold them into the hands of jabin king of canaan, who reigned in hazor.

Learn about her courage and prophecy in this video, part of our judges series and curriculum. Those prior judges, notably othniel, deborah were wellrespected and faithful. She became known as the female warrior who rescued her people. One of deborahs judgments was to instruct barak to. There they recount the just deeds of the lord, his just deeds bringing freedom to israel. Most notably, deborahs army was only 110 the size of siseras, yet because deborah had the lord on her side, she was the victor. But the fact that he demands it shows that he is trusting more in deborahs relationship with god than with his own relationship with god. In the book of judges, it is stated that deborah was a prophet, a judge of israel and the wife of lapidoth. Dec 14, 2017 this story of deborah from the bible, book of judges, chapt 4 is an inspirational example of the prophetess and leader of israel that with god all things are possible as deborah s army of 10,000. Judges 4 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. Samson and delilah, chapter 16, of the book of judges, in the old testament. This chapter gives us a further account of gideons victory over the midianites, with the residue of the story of his life and government.

Also, it was barak, not deborah, who actually led the army in the battle. Moore also cited deborah as the undeniable author of the poem, which is, distinctly confirmed by judges 5. After attending a lecture at the seminary where i teach, i saw a female student whom id not seen in months. I will sing, i will sing to the lord, i will make music to the lord, the god of israel. There are six major judges in the main cycle of the book, with a number of shorter stories about lesser judges mixed in. As deborah prophesied, a woman settles the score with sisera. The ones that rode the white asses in deborah s day are the ones in authority, and many of the governors were on the side of deborah, even though the people of israel were not. Judges chapter 4 oppressors and deliverers oppression by jabin. Deborah, one of the most talked about women in the bible, tells barak they should take on the canaanite army.

This chapter gives us a further account of gideon s victory over the midianites, with the residue of the story of his life and government. But he worries they dont stand a chance against canaanite commander sisera and his modern technology. Deborah lived somewhere about 1150 bce, about a century or so after the hebrews entered canaan. The historical significance of this chapter consists in its integrity as an incontestable hebraic document of the twelfth century b. Judges 5 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on. Judges chapter 5, the song of deborah and barak by. In the song of deliverance in chapter 5 verse 2, we see that because of deborahs.

Jan 23, 2014 prophet deborah is the only female judge in the torah. We would expect that the woman to do this would be. Chapter 5 of judges reveals that smaller elements of issachar, benjamin, manasseh and reuben were also present, but reuben true to his nature, genesis 49. Lord, when you went out from seir, when you marched from the plains of edom, the earth shook.

However, the book of judges begins by recounting israels failure to obey yahwehs command to drive the inhabitants out of the land chapter 1. He comes at the beginning of this long sequence of. Because of this, barak will not be the one to personally defeat sisera, the commander of jabins army but a woman will. Its the story of another judge another tribal leader. The rejection jephthah experienced during times of peace prepared him to be a leader when war was threatening. Deborahs courage and wisdom in calling up an army to break. The second part contains a magnificent description of the battle, witnessed, as it were, from a birds eye point of view. Deborah held three positions of leadership in israel.

Prophet deborah is the only female judge in the torah. Deborah s name means bee or wasp and as one hebrew scholar wrote deborah was a bee in peace and a wasp in war. Judges 4 commentary matthew henrys complete commentary on. Service as a judge and deborah, a prophetess, the wife of lapidoth, she judged israel at that time. The method of the history of deborah and barak the heroes in this chapter is the same with that before here is, i.

It is considered part of the deuteronomic history that begins in the last book of the torah and ends with the second book of kings. Yet some think it refers to the kenites, mentioned immediately before, judges 4. Deborah told barak that god commanded him to lead an attack against the forces of jabin king of canaan. The canaanites had 900 chariots of iron and ruled over israel for 20 years judges 4. Judges 4 commentary matthew henrys complete commentary. He bravely pursues the flying midianites, judges 8. Sisera, upon notice of baraks motions, takes the field with a very numerous and powerful army judges 4. Joseph, daniel, and maryto name a feware not mentioned, either. Notice that it wasnt love of a man or romance that she mourned, but not living long enough to bear a child. A final point, in judges, the story of gideon marks a midpoint in the judges themselves. The first part tells of god being the deliverer of his people. There is no indication who deborahs parents were, what kind of work lapidot did, or whether they had any children.