Deborahדבורה
Description
According to the Book of Judges, Deborah 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. Alternatively, "lappid" translates as "torch" or "lightning", therefore the phrase, "woman of Lappidoth" could be referencing Deborah as a "fiery woman". Deborah told Barak, an Israelite general 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; the entire narrative is recounted in chapter 4.
Facts
| Other names | Debora, Débora, Dvora, Debra |
| Occupations | Prophetess of God, Fourth Judge of Israel |
| Predecessor | Shamgar |
| Successor | Gideon |
| Spouse | Lapidoth (possibly) |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Bible narrative | In the Book of Judges, it is stated that Deborah was a prophetess, a judge of Israel and the wife of Lapidoth. |
| Traditional chronology | The Seder Olam Rabbah places Deborah's 40 years of judging Israel (Judges 5:31) from 1107 BC until her death in 1067 BC. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Deborah, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| I will surely go with you; nevertheless the road on which you go shall not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman | Judg 4:9 |
| Awake, awake, Deborah! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives! … Bless the Lord | Judg 5:12-13 |