Judges 4:1-9

Deborah and Barak Delivered Israel Judges 4:1 to Judges 5:31

The Rise of Deborah Judges 4:1-9

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time,
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Napthtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

1.

What evil did Israel do after Ehud was dead? Judges 4:1

In the absence of any mention of a specified type of evil, we conclude that the Israelites continued to worship the Baalim and Ashtaroth. They undoubtedly continued to intermarry among these pagan peoples and were led deeper and deeper into the slough of syncretistic practices. They relaxed their efforts to subdue their enemies and to drive out the Canaanites who lived in the land. As a result, they were easy preys for the Canaanites.

2.

Who was Jabin? Judges 4:2-3, (cf. Joshua 11:1; Joshua 11:4)

Joshua fought against a king by that name near the same site in his day. Jabin may have been a standing title given to the ruler of this area. Many of the kings of the surrounding areas had titles which were given to successive rulers. For example, the kings in Egypt were called Pharaohs. At least two kings in Judah's territory bore the title, Adoni, or lordAdonizedek, king of Jerusalem, and Adoni-bezek, ruler in Bezek. We are not surprised then to read about a Jabin in the days of Joshua, and another at this later date.

3.

Where was Hazor? Judges 4:2

Hazor was a chief city of north Palestine. It was situated near Lake Huleh. It is known primarily as the seat of Jabin, this powerful Canaanitish king. He was the one who led in the northern coalition as the kings attacked Joshua (Joshua 11:1 ff.). The Bible narrative says Hazor stood on a tell (Joshua 11:13), but the surrounding territory was flat, and suitable for the use of chariots. Nine hundred of these were under the command of Sisera in the days of Deborah and Barak. Hazor had been assigned to the tribe of Naphtali (Joshua 19:36) and remained in their possession after Jabin was driven out.

4.

What is the meaning of sold? Judges 4:2

God delivered them to their enemies. This kind of terminology suggests God's putting a price on the people of Israel, but in actuality their being delivered into the hands of their enemies was a direct result of their selling themselves into the worship of false gods. They sold themselves into slavery to the idolatrous practices of the Canaanite peoples, among whom they made marriages and whose pagan gods they reverenced.

5.

Who was Deborah? Judges 4:4

Deborah has been called the Sibyl of Mount Ephraim. She was an Ephraimite woman, and like Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), she rose to a place of leadership and respect among the people of Israel. Her song, which is recorded in Judges Five, is one of the great songs of triumph preserved for us in the Word of God, Since her utterances show an insight into the affairs of men which is above the normal, we believe she was inspired of God; and her song of victory is often compared with the odes of Miriam (Exodus 15), Hannah (1 Samuel 2) and Mary (Luke 1),

6.

Why was a woman in authority? Judges 4:4

She was a prophetess, one evidently enjoying the charismatic gift. In other words, God had chosen her. We are also led to believe there was a lack of men to take the leadership. Even Barak was willing to lead only when he was summoned by Deborah and challenged by her to take immediate action. In the beginning God made woman to be a helpmeet for man. Woman was not given the preeminence by nature; but when men fail to lead in the cause of righteousness, women are certainly within their rights to stand fast in their convictions and to challenge others to join them.

7.

What judging did she do, and where? Judges 4:5

Her judging was done in the hill country of Ephraim over all Israel. We are led to believe her influence was felt in all Israel because the statement is made that the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. We are further led in this direction because of the fact of her calling Barak who was a resident of the tribe of Naphtali, the northernmost of Israel's tribe. If her influence had been only local, she would hardly have been able to summon Barak from the north; nor would it be recorded that the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. From her vantage point in the hill country north of Jerusalem, she was able to reach north, east, south, and west as she championed the cause of righteousness. The reading of the text does not suggest that she rode in a circuit as Samuel did (1 Samuel 7:15-17). Instead of moving about from place to place, she remained quietly at home; and the children of Israel sought out her wisdom. They recognized that the Spirit of God was upon her and that as a prophetess she was able to help them to know the will of God for their lives. Her court was a palm tree which stood between Ramah and Bethel, little more than ten miles north of Jerusalem.

8.

Why call the soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun? Judges 4:6

They were the closest to the site of the battle. These were not the only tribes who assisted in the battle. In her song Deborah makes mention of Benjamin, Machir (Manasseh), Zebulun, and Issachar (Judges 5:14-15). She evidently summoned all of the tribes because she chided those who lived beyond the Jordan for not coming. She also rebuked Dan and Asher for not assisting (Judges 5:16-17). Deborah must have known that Barak was a righteous and capable man. She wanted his assistance. His being of the tribe of Naphtali naturally led to the most direct appeal being made to his tribe and their neighbors, Zebulun (Judges 4:6).

9.

Where were the river Kishon and mount Tabor? Judges 4:6-7

The Kishon River ran along the foot of Mount Carmel. Mount Tabor was at the east end of the Plain of Jezreel. The word Kishon means bending or winding. The river is also described as the waters of Megiddo (Judges 5:19). This stream is a torrent; that is, it rises and runs fast in the rainy, winter season. The river takes its rise near Mount Tabor, and runs in a northeasterly direction through the plains of Esdraelon, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea near the base of Mount Carmel. There are two channels of the stream which unite just a few miles north of Megiddo. At this point the stream is deep and miry, and the ground for some distance on each side is low and marshy. During the winter it is difficult to ford the Kishon, and sometimes after a heavy rain it is impassable. The modern name Nahr el Mukatta signifies the river of slaughter. Probably this name arose from the slaying of the priests of Baal in the days of Elijah which occurred here (1 Kings 18:40) as well as from the battle fought here in the days of Deborah.