Deborah's name day
Deborah's name day is not celebrated, since there are no saints with that name in the calendar.
The meaning of the name Deborah
Deborah means "bee" (this is the translation of the name Deborah from the Hebrew language).
origin of the name Deborah
It makes sense to start analyzing the mystery of the name Deborah with its origin. The history of the name Deborah has Jewish roots. It comes from a Hebrew name (Deborah), which is translated into Russian as "bee". In the Old Testament, Deborah (Russian synodal translation of the name Deborah) is the heroine of the biblical book of Judges, a judge and a prophetess of the era of the Judges. She became the inspirer and leader of the war against the Canaanite king Yavin, who ruled in Hatzor around 1200-1125 BC.
What does the name Deborah mean according to P. Rouge
In accordance with the interpretation of the name Deborah according to P. Rouge, the main character traits of the name Deborah are: will - intellect - intuition - sociability.
Type: Women named Deborah know how to order and, when necessary, are very dexterous. With great arrogance. Perfectly adapt to the circumstances. Even when it seems that everything is lost, they do not lose their presence of mind.
Mind: introverts. They don't always say what they think, and they don't always do what they say. Very balanced, not amenable to influence. Don't be fooled by their meek appearance - they will try to lead you astray with ambiguous hints.
Will: Strong and well organized. To better serve their own interests, they are ready to pretend that they do not understand what you are talking about, or cannot do what you require of them.
Excitability: purely external.
Reaction speed: somewhat slow, which, however, does not prevent them from reacting with lightning speed if necessary. Deep down they believe in their lucky star. Their imagination is inferior to intelligence, although they try to pass off other people's ideas and thoughts as their own.
Activity: Their activity is the activity of the getter, they stop at nothing in achieving their goal. In life, very lucky and happy.
Intuition: Developed intuition allows them to choose their surroundings well.
Intelligence: They have a deep analytical mind. They are ruthless and meticulous observers, but curiosity can take them too far.
Susceptibility: would like to throw themselves into the arms of the one they love, but complex nature prevents them from clinging to the shoulder of a loved one. They keep themselves somewhat cold, they do not feel contact with relatives.
Morality: everything in them is subject to ambitions and desires. These women must be stopped in time, otherwise all moral principles will simply cease to exist for them.
Health: when they are successful, then health is excellent. They themselves know perfectly well what can and cannot be done in order to maintain physical and mental balance. The weak point is the thyroid gland.
Sexuality: another trump card in their game. They pick up shy partners, who most often do not know who they are dealing with.
Field of activity: accustomed to bringing their undertakings to the end. Since childhood, we have learned the habit of finding out in the name of what they are working. They are interested in new technologies, especially electronics, they make excellent television and radio reporters. Sometimes, in a surge of frankness, they may admit that they would like to become investigators and even scouts.
Sociability: have the gift of quickly getting to know people.
Additionally: these are women who will wish all their lives for the very best and achieve it.
Characteristics of the name Deborah according to B. HigirAccording to the description of the name Deborah according to B. Higir, women bearing this name are contradictory, like our world, and it is not an easy task to accurately assess their character. Deborah is extremely kind, brings warmth to people and can, like a bee, sting painfully if you invade her world; she is able to shine in society and suddenly turn into a “gray mouse”, be trusting, open - and for no apparent reason erect a barrier and release her claws. However, for the most part, these are not conflicting, balanced, wise people in their own way, with whom you can always agree.
They are somewhat fussy, and are always worried about pleasing their husband, children (usually sons), relatives. The slightest tension family relationships hurts them badly. They are not talkative and hardworking, like bees. Deborahs are devoid of ambition, praise makes them embarrassed (with the exception of perhaps the "January" - these are sparkling, demonstrative personalities). “Winter” women generally have a more solid character, it can be more difficult for them to get married.
Deborah receives a good upbringing and education, she is well-read, she herself is not averse to indulging in rhyme and composing a poetic congratulation to her close friend. He likes to eat tasty food, especially sweets, and is predisposed to be overweight. She is a diligent and economical hostess, she will never spend money on trifles, and her budget is always in perfect order. These women want to be loved and occasionally reminded of this. She does not tolerate loneliness, they love walks, warm feasts at a family or friendly table.
Derivatives of the name DeborahVariations for the name Deborah: Deborah, Dvorah, Dvoir.
Diminutive name Deborah: Debi.
Deborah's name in different languages
- Deborah's first name English language: Deborah (Deborah), Debra (Debra).
- Deborah's first name German: Debora, Deborah (Deborah).
- Deborah's first name French: D?bora (Deborah).
- Deborah's first name Spanish: D?bora (Deborah).
- Deborah's name in Portuguese: D?bora (Deborah).
- Deborah's first name Italian: Debora (Deborah).
- Deborah's name in Catalan: D?bora (Deborah).
- Deborah's name in Hungarian: Deb?ra (Deborah).
- Deborah's name in Dutch is Debora (Deborah).
Famous Deborahs:
- Deborah Kerr is a British theatrical, television and film actress, winner of the Golden Globe Award for The King and I, as well as honorary Oscars, BAFTAs and Cannes Film Festival awards.
- Deborah Compagnoni - famous Italian skier, three-time Olympic champion and a three-time world champion.
- Deborah Esther Lipstadt is an American historian and Holocaust scholar. He is currently a professor at the Institute for Contemporary Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta and is chair of the academic committee of the American Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- Deborah Ruffin is an American actress.
- Deborah Kara Unger is a Canadian actress.
- Deborah Duarte is a Brazilian actress.
- Deborah Seco is a Brazilian actress.
- Deborah Ann Harry is an American singer and actress, the leader of the new wave band Blondie.
- Deborah Cox is a Canadian-American rhythm and blues and soul singer, songwriter and actress.
- Deborah Falabela is an Italian-Brazilian actress.
- Deborah Yakovlevna Pantofel-Nechetskaya - Soviet opera singer and pianist, music teacher.
- Deborah Aronovna Farber is a Soviet and Russian neurophysiologist, psychologist and teacher, doctor of biological sciences, professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Education. Founder of the Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Cognitive Activity at the Institute of Developmental Physiology and Physical Education of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the USSR.
- Deborah Morgan is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Dr. Angela Habort in the telenovela All My Children and as the Seer in the TV series Charmed.
- Deborah Markovna Aranovskaya-Dubovis is a Soviet and Ukrainian psychologist, a follower of Vygotsky and a representative of the Kharkov School of Psychology.
Deborah [Heb. - bee], the wife of Lapidofov, a prophetess and one of the judges of Israel, that is, the leaders of the Israeli tribes of the era of the Judges (XIII-XI centuries BC). In accordance with the Book of Judges of Israel (Judges 4 and 5), D., the only female judge, is the 4th in a row of Israeli judges. D. ruled, sitting under a palm tree (which, probably, has since become known as the Palm of Devorina) “between Rama and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim”, where “the sons of Israel came to her for judgment” (Judgment 4.5 ). In biblical tradition, her name is associated with the liberation war of the tribes of Israel against the Canaanite king Jabin of Hazor, who "cruelly oppressed the sons of Israel for twenty years" (Judgment 4. 3). D. calls Barak, the son of Abinoamov, from Kedes Naphtalimov, so that he stands at the head of the sowing. and the central tribes, and orders him to fight Sisera, the captain of Jabin. Barak refuses to fight without the participation and support of the prophetess (Judgement 4.8). D. goes with Barak to Kedes, where a militia of 10 thousand people gathers, which, in anticipation of the battle, camps on Mount Tabor. Sisera with 900 iron chariots (the main strength of the Canaanites, providing them with an advantage over the Israelites; see: Judgment 4. 3) and with the people who were with him in Haroshef Goim, is located west of Tabor behind the Kishon stream. D. appoints the day of the battle and promises Barak that with the help of God he will win (Judgment 4. 14). The book of the Judges of Israel contains 2 versions of the description of the war with Sisera and his death - narrative (Judgment 4. 14-24) and poetic, so-called. victorious song of Deborah and Barak (Judgment 5). It is generally accepted that the poetic part is more ancient and, perhaps, belongs to D.
In accordance with the presentation of the 4th chapter. D.'s place of residence was the neighborhood of Bethel (the lot of the tribe of Efremov), while in the song, when listing the tribes that took part in the battle, D. and Barak are mentioned in connection with the tribe of Issachar: “And the princes of Issachar with Deborah, and Issachar so but, like Barak, he rushed into the valley on foot” (Judgment 5:15). The opinion was expressed (Burney. 1918. P. 78) that D. belonged to the tribe of Issachar or even was a “mother” (Court 5. 7), that is, the ancestor, of one of the Issachar families (an additional argument was seen in the fact that one of the cities located in the lot of Issachar was called Davrath (1 Chronicles 6. 57, 72)), and traditionally. the mention that D. “lived ... on Mount Ephraim” is a late element and is explained by the combination of the prophetess D. with Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, buried at Bethel (Genesis 35.8). However, the song does not say that D. lived on the territory of Issachar, but only that during the battle, together with Barak and the princes from the tribe of Issachar, she was at the head of the militia. In addition, it follows from the song that not only the immediate neighbors of the Canaanite king Jabin - sowing took part in the hostilities. tribe (in the narrative part, only 2 tribes are called: Zebulun and Naphtali, and Issachar is mentioned along with them in the song), but also those who lived in the central territory, belonging to the tribes of Benjamin, Mehir (Manasseh), and also Ephraim (Judgment 5. 14), on the lands of which lived D.
Prot. Leonid Grilikhes
Song of Deborah
regarded by most scholars as one of the earliest texts of the Heb. Bible. Even the ancient translators faced difficulties in interpreting it. In the Codex Alexandrinus (LXX) words, the translation of which, apparently, was unknown, were simply transliterated from Greek. letters (φραζων - (v. 7); μοσφαθαιμ- (v. 16); καδημιμ - (v. 21) and αμαδαρωθ - (v. 22)); Greek The Vatican Code gives meanings that, according to G. Garbini, are “a fantastic interpretation of the translator” (Garbini. 1978. P. 8) (as δυνατο (Art. 7); as τῆς διϒομίας (Art. 16); as ἀρχαίων (v. 21) and as σπουδῇ). The song is full of archaic terms and expressions. There is no mention of the Israeli monarchy in the text, but Bud. her subjects are already living in the land of Canaan. The battle described in the text is dated by scientists usually between the beginning. and con. 12th century BC (most often preference is given to the end of the century). Other dates have been proposed by Brit. scientists A. Mayes (the period immediately preceding the battles described in 1 Kings 4, i.e., a little earlier than 1150 BC - Mayes. 1969) and J. Bimson (XIII century BC - Bimson 1978).
The question of dating the text of a song is largely determined by linguistic data: the language of the text is transitional stage from the language of the agricultural "calendar" Gezer con. 10th century BC to the classical Hebrew. 8th century language BC (Garbini 1978). The poetic style of the work looks quite developed - the presence of such techniques as parallelism indicates a long prehistory of the use of the language in this genre. There are elements in the text that can be associated with Canaanite poetry of the 2nd millennium BC, especially with Ugaritic poetry (Ibidem). However, these Western Semites. elements were used not only in ancient texts, but also in later writings. Thus, in Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 3.1), as in the song of Deborah, an archaic proclitic particle is used (Penar . 1975). Up to now The date of writing this song remains a matter of debate.
D.'s prayer is addressed to the God of Israel, whose description does not differ from the descriptions of God by the prophets of the 8th-7th centuries. BC or included in Deuteronomy, except for the mention of the coming of God from the south. According to some researchers, prayer requests in verses 9-11 and 13 have features characteristic of the Yahwist (an early hypothetical source of the Pentateuch), ending (v. 31) with the curse of enemies and the blessing loving God. Based on these elements, researcher A. Weiser concluded that the hymn was part of a liturgical feast in honor of Yahweh (Weiser . 1959). In the 2nd hour, however, there are various descriptions of the acting heroes: in a situation before the battle for liberation (verses 6-8); in the invitation of 2 heroes (v. 12); in the description of the concentration of tribes before the war (verses 14-18), with praise of those who took part in the battle, and reproaches against those who, for one reason or another, decided to refrain from participation; in the description of the battle (verses 19-22). The God of Israel, except in verses 11, 13, and 23, is barely mentioned; subjects of action - planets and stars in Art. 20 and "Angel" Yahweh in v. 23. In conclusion, there are 2 stories associated with Sisera: about the flight and his murder (verses 24-27), about the expectation of his mother (verses 28-30).
Since verses 2-5 and 9-12 describe an action that seems to have little connection with the main one, then verse 31 should connect these parts. This division of the song into two parts is perhaps the result of theological editing of the text to shift the focus from the praise of the soldiers of Israel or their commanders to the praise of Yahweh leading Israel in holy war (v. 11). The editors, despite the difference in motives in 2 parts, managed to combine them, because both of them are written in the same style and use the same set of concepts.
Lit. the genre of the song is a heroic poem with liturgical elements (verses 2-5, 9-11, 31), its task is to evoke feelings of gratitude to those tribes that responded to the call, and condemnation of those who remained at home. According to Weiser, the song was supposed to be part of the ritual of the cult of the entire tribal union, and O. Bentzen and V. Bayerlin believe that it was most likely part of the celebration of the renewal of the covenant (Bentzen A. Introduction to the OT. Copenhagen, 19573. Vol. 1. P. 138; Beyerlin W. Herkunft und Geschichte der ältesten Sinaitraditionen. Tüb., 1961. S. 92) (see Old Testament worship).
According to the theory of Mayes (Mayes. 1969; idem. 1974), the battle should be dated a little earlier than the battles described in 1 Samuel 4: the Philistines intended to attack Israel shortly after their defeat in the Jezreel Valley (c. 1500 BC) . But the situation seems more complicated: it is not clear which tribes or groups took part in the battle. 1 Samuel 4 speaks of Naphtali and Zebulun, but their topography is indicated inconsistently, and in the 5th ch. (according to the Masoretic text) 10 tribes are reported, among which Zebulun is named twice - in verses 14 and 18. Levi, Simeon, Judah and such south. groups like Caleb and others are not mentioned at all. Of these tribes, 5 or 6 took an active part in the battle, 4 tribes remained aloof, although they were invited, but they had no direct interests related to the battle, because they either lived in Transjordan (Reuben and Gilead), or lived on the borders of this territory (Athir in the northwest and Dan). It follows from the text that the battle was fought for control of the route through the Jezreel Valley. It was impossible to use it while this region was under the rule of cities, which, according to Court 1. 27, Israel could not conquer (cf. Art. 6 of the song).
Most scholars believe that the name Sisera is associated with the "People of the Sea", and this suggests that the enemy of Israel was a coalition of Canaanites and Philistines (Noth M . The History of Israel / Ed., transl. S. Godman, P. R. Ackroyd. L. , 19602).
Lit.: Budde K . Das Buch der Richter. Freiburg, 1897; Burney Ch. F. The Book of Judges with Introd. a. notes. L., 1918; Weiser A. Das Deboralied: Eine gattungs- und traditionsgeschichtliche Studie // ZAW. 1959. Bd. 71. S. 67-97; Smend R. Jahwekrieg und Stämmebund. Gott., 1963; Richter W. Traditionsgeschichte Untersuchungen zum Richterbuch. Bonn, 1963. (BBiblB; 18); Müller H.-P. Aufbau des Deboraliedes // VT. 1966 Vol. 16. P. 446-459; Mayes A. D. H. The Historical Content of the Battle against Sisera // VT. 1969 Vol. 19. P. 335-360; idem. Israel in the Period of the Judges. L., 1974; Penar T. Northwest Semitic Philology and the Hebrew Fragments of Ben Sira. R., 1975; Garbini G. Il cantico di Debora // La parola del passato. Napoli, 1978. Vol. 33. Fasc. 178. P. 5-31; Bimson J. J. Redating the Exodus and Conquest. Sheffield, 1978. P. 194-200. (JSOT; 5); Craigie P. C. Deborah and Anat: The Study of Poetic Imagery // ZAW. 1978. Bd. 90. S. 374-381.
D. V. Cherkashin
05.03.2012
Clarence Bauman
Is the story of Deborah and Barak an example for women or a disgrace for men?
Text of the speech prepared by Reverend K. Bauman for the celebration of the day women's league at the Free Reformed Church of Scotland which was held on 29 October 1997 in Kelmscott.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Does Deborah serve as an example?
Can we say that Deborah exemplifies the place and purpose of a woman in marriage, church, and society? There are people who think so. Donna Strom, professor at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Dehra Dan (Northern India), complains that women are mostly involved in the process of population growth and do not make enough efforts (with the exception of Margaret Thatcher or Indira Gandhi) to join the men in the management of the land. Donna Strom writes of Deborah: "The example of Deborah makes it abundantly clear that women should not be excluded from any level of decision-making, whether religious or political". Professor Strom believes that men do not allow women to occupy leadership positions. Therefore, she writes: "Many ask: 'Where is Deborah?' But the more pressing question of modern times is this: 'Where are Baraki, Lapidoth and ten thousand men who will allow God to use With their Deborah? '" But is it really true that in the image Deborah God gives a model of activity for all women? Maybe the brothers of God's church really need to reconsider their views in order to "allow God to use their Deborah"? The modern world will undoubtedly give an affirmative answer to such questions.
But will the Lord agree (with such an answer)? As wives and mothers, should you, as wives and mothers, inspire in sons and husbands a desire to allow God to put women in leadership positions? What understanding of the position of women should we put in the minds of our children now, in the age of feminism? Also, should we, in an age of weak men, encourage all of our sons to want to be leaders?
1.2 What do we want to prove?
It is very important to listen carefully to what the Lord says in His Word. In today's context, our lives (both men and women) must conform to God's Word in order to be a light in the world around us. This morning I will try to put God's teaching about the destiny of woman on the basis of His words about Deborah and Barak in the fourth and fifth chapters of the book of Judges. However, if we really want to hear what the Lord says in the mentioned text, we need to approach it, putting aside the established ideas about the appointment of a woman in this world. I say this because, on the basis of these two chapters, it is not so difficult to justify the point of view that we wish to justify. For example, if you wish to argue on the basis of Judges 4 and 5 that women in the modern church should be prophetesses, then Judgment will be your main text. 4:4, which says that Deborah was a prophetess. If you want to show that a woman's place is next to her husband and that she must obey him, then you will pay special attention to how Deborah is identified with her husband's name: "Deborah ... the wife of Lapidoth" (Judg. 4:4). If you want to prove that a woman can be happily married and still have an important place not only in the family but also in society, the fourth chapter will serve you well. After all, Deborah was, on the one hand, the wife of Lapidoth, and on the other, the judge of Israel! I'm just trying to show that both the feminist and the "traditionalist" on the basis of the fourth chapter of the book of Judges can justify and substantiate their point of view. However, such interpretations appear when we listen not to Scripture, but to ourselves!
So, we need to put aside our own ideas and listen to what Scripture has to say. We must perceive the text as it is, without preconceived ideas and, as far as possible, without the baggage that we inherited from our fathers or received from modern society.
1.3 Description or prescription?
Another important thing to mention is the difference between what is description (description) and what is prescription (proscription). The fourth chapter of the book of Judges is an example of a descriptive text. That is, it describes the activities of Deborah. But can a description of what Deborah did in her historical period serve as a prescription for us? That is, whether the text represents the Court. 4, which describes Deborah's behavior in the ancient world, with the prescriptive text ? Various texts of Holy Scripture describe certain actions that, in our deep conviction, do not at all represent an example to follow. For example, remember how Judas behaved when he met a harlot on the road. We perceive the biblical story of Judas as a description, not perceiving it as a prescription, a guide to action. For we know that the seventh commandment forbids adultery. Judas' actions are a clear description of his sin, not a prescription for our conduct. So, is the text of the fourth and fifth chapters of the book of Judges a description? Of course yes! Is this text a prescription? That is, do these chapters establish a pattern of behavior for women (and men)? Does Deborah's position as leader of Israel (prophetess and judge) really indicate that our daughters can or should aspire to leadership positions? We can only answer this question by turning to God's revelation to find out what the Lord commands us to do.
1.4 Article outline
Before we turn to God's Word to find out what standard He has set, it is necessary to read what the Lord says about Deborah and Barak in the fourth and fifth chapters of the book of Judges. This topic is discussed in the second section of the article. In the third section, we will look at what God revealed to Israel before the time of Deborah, and in the fourth section after the time of Deborah. We are especially interested to know what changes have taken place in God's revelation since the times described in chapter four. The last section will conclude on the application of this text today.
2. WHO WAS DEBORAH?
2.1 Personality of Deborah
The personality of Deborah is spoken of in Judg. 4:4,5: “... Deborah the prophetess, the wife of Lapidothov, was the judge of Israel; she lived under the Palm of Devorina, between Rama and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came to her for judgment.”
WOMAN
Unlike our translation (English in version), the original Hebrew text emphasizes that Deborah was a woman. In Hebrew, this text sounds like this: Deborah, woman, prophetess" (the word "woman" is also absent in the Russian synodal translation.- Approx. transl.). The Lord pays special attention to her gender. The mention that Deborah is a woman, according to the Hebrew grammar rules, also indicates that she was an "ordinary woman." Thus, the author of the book of Judges does not portray Deborah as a woman head and shoulders above others, as a clear leader. She is described as an ordinary, average Israeli.
PROPHETESS
Deborahportrayed as a prophetess. Holy Scripture also mentions other female prophetesses:
Mariam: In Ref. 15:20,21 tells of Miriam, prophesying before the Lord and Israel after God's people crossed the Red Sea: “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and rejoicing. And Miriam sang before them: Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted, He cast the horse and its rider into the sea.
Oldama: AT 4 Tsar. 22:14 we read: "And Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum ... and spoke with her."
Isaiah's wife: In Isaiah. 8:3 Isaiah's wife is called a prophetess: "And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son...".
Anna: We read about this woman in Luke. 2:36: "There was also Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher ...".
So, in the Holy Scriptures, five women are mentioned, known as prophetesses. It should be noted that Old Testament does not speak of the official function of a prophet in the context of God's ordained worship. A prophet is simply a person whom God deigned to use as a means of conveying His word to people in a particular setting. Despite the fact that Deborah was a prophetess, nowhere in the text does it say that she was ordained in any way to this ministry. In this respect, she differs from such prophets as, for example, Elijah or Jeremiah. The Lord called these men to the prophetic ministry (See 1 Kings 19:19; Jer. 1:4).
In addition, we should keep in mind the following circumstance. Although Deborah was a prophetess, nevertheless, nowhere is it mentioned that she addressed people with a word from the Lord, unlike Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and all other prophets. They proclaimed, "Thus saith the Lord..." and then prophesied. In the case of Deborah, the situation is different. She did not turn to people with a word from the Lord, but people turned to her: “... and the sons of Israel came to her for judgment” (Judges 4:5). So, Deborah "sat under a palm tree" (in the Russian synodal translation - "lived under a palm tree").- Approx. transl.). Oldama behaved in exactly the same way. She did not turn to people with a prophecy, but people themselves came to her: “And Helkiya the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shafan, and Asaiah went to Holdama the prophetess, the wife of Shallum ... and spoke to her.” (2 Kings 22:14).
LAPIDOFOV'S WIFE
Further we read that Deborah was the "wife of Lapidoth". It is extremely interesting to note that Deborah is identified with the name of her husband! Deborah, despite her special position in Israel, was not known apart from her husband. The question arises: why? Why is Deborah mentioned in connection with the name of her husband, as "Lapidof's wife"? This question should be answered further.
JUDGE
In addition, Deborah is called a judge. It is with this term that Deborah is most identified in the book of Judges. Deborah is one of the twelve judges of Israel. Of these twelve, six, including Deborah, are major judges (similar to the major and minor prophets), and six are minor judges, of which little is said. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on looking at the six big judges, with some comparisons between them.
- Deborah was an unexpected candidate for the position of judge.
It turns out that all six great judges (i.e. Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson) were unexpected and unlikely candidates for the position of judge.
Othniel: "... the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb" (Judges 3: 9). Biblical history teaches that a younger brother is less privileged (compared to an older brother) and less likely to take a leadership position in society.
aod: "... the son of Hera, the son of Jemini, who was left-handed" (Judges 3:15). Aod, in the context of the normal course of things, had a physical "handicap". He was left-handed (however, by God's providence, this "flaw" turned into an advantage!)
Deborah: Text Court. 4:4 says that she was a woman, and this circumstance made her election to the position of judge unlikely.
Gideon: When the Lord called Gideon to save his people, he answered: “… Lord! how will I save Israel? behold, my tribe is the poorest in [the tribe] of Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house” (Judges 6:15). Thus, Gideon was also not a very suitable candidate for the position of judge.
Jephthah: Although Jephthah is called a "brave man" (Judg. 11:1), his mother was a harlot. This circumstance also made him an unsuitable candidate. Even his own brothers rejected him (Judg. 11:2).
Samson: This man was a Nazirite (Judg. 13:7). The Nazirite was different from other young men in ancient Israel (cf. Num. 6:1-21). Samson was a "black sheep" in society. He was not allowed to cut his hair, touch dead bodies, or drink alcohol.
As a result, a general picture emerges, according to which it is clear that the great judges were far from the best candidates for this ministry. This also applies to Deborah. “...God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27).
The Lord did not raise up Deborah to judge
The second is very important point in relation to the judicial position of Deborah is that, according to the biblical evidence, the Lord did not raise up Deborah to judge. In the case of the rest of the judges (most of them), the situation is somewhat different.
Othniel: “Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, Othniel ...” (Judg. 3: 9).
aod: “Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a savior, Ehud…” (Judg. 3:15).
Gideon: “The Lord, looking at him, said: go with this thy strength and save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; I am sending you” (Judges 6:14).
Jephthah: “And the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah…” (Judges 11:29).
Samson: “And the Spirit of the Lord began to work in him…” (Judges 13:25). “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him…” (Judges 14:6). Long before Samson was born, the Angel of the Lord told his parents that their son would deliver Israel from the Philistines. Samson was an instrument of God. However, in the description of Deborah we will not find such characteristics. She was different from the other judges! We are given only one verse - Judgment. 5:7: "... until I arose, Deborah, until I arose, a mother in Israel." Note the emphasis on the difference between Deborah and the rest of the great judges of Israel. Of course, God made Deborah the judge, for everything is in His power. However, Deborah is the only one of the judges who is not said to have been raised up by God to judge. Why? What is the difference?
- Deborah as a judge was not vested with military powers
The third point about Deborah's judicial position is that she, unlike all the other judges (of whom the book of Judges speaks), was not vested with the powers of a military commander. As for the other great judges, the Holy Scripture mentions their military duties:
Othniel: “He went out to war, and the Lord gave Khusarsafem into his hands ...” (Judg. 3:10).
aod: “When he came, he sounded a trumpet on Mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he [went] ahead of them” (Judges 3:27).
Gideon: "And Gideon and a hundred men with him came up to the camp, at the beginning of the middle watch, and woke the guards, and blew trumpets and broke the jugs that were in their hands"
(Judges 7:19).
Jephthah: "And Jephthah came to the Ammonites - to fight with them, and the Lord delivered them into his hand" (Jud.11:32).
Samson: “... and he went to Ascalon, and killed thirty people there ...” (Jud. 14:19); “He found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and stretching out his hand, took it, and killed a thousand people with it” (Judges 15:15); “And Samson said: Die, my soul, with the Philistines! And he rested [with all] his strength, and the house collapsed on the owners and on all the people who were in it. And there were more dead, whom [Samson] slew at his death, more than how many he slew in his life.
(Judg. 16:30).
However, there is no such data about Deborah. But there is other information: “[Deborah] sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedes Naphtalimov, and said to him: the Lord God of Israel commands [you]: go, ascend Mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand people from the sons of Naphtali and sons of Zebulun" (Judg. 4:6). So, Deborah did not have the authority of the supreme commander, so she chose another leader for this purpose, a man. And again we are lost in conjecture and ask the question: why?
SHE SIT UNDER THE PALMA
In the text Court. 4:5 says that Deborah “lived (sat) under the Palm Deborina, between Ramah and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came to her for judgment.” Why is it emphasized in Scripture that Deborah “sat under the palm tree”? To understand what is at stake, you need to familiarize yourself with the text of Deut. 16:18: "In all your dwellings, which the Lord your God will give you, appoint yourself judges and overseers according to your tribes, so that they judge the people with righteous judgment." This text is the instruction of the Lord to the people of Israel, according to which, having entered the promised land, they must appoint judges. The judges performed their duties “at all your gates” (in the Russian synodal translation “in all your dwellings”. – Note. transl.), that is, at the city gates. The authority of the judges did not extend to all the people or all the tribes, but rather, according to the text of Deut. 16, their jurisdiction, according to God's ordinance, was limited to a certain locality, a locality. The judge performed his duties in a certain city (tribe), so that members of the urban community (tribe) could turn to him for help in resolving conflict situations. No person in Israel was to be deprived of legal aid. Consequently, the Israelites expected a "righteous judgment" from the judge of their city. However, Deborah did not sit at the gates of her city, but outside it "under the Palm Devorina, between Ramah and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim." Deborah did not sit at the gates of her city. Moreover, she did not sit at the gates of any city at all. I cannot say with complete certainty, but, apparently, Deborah was from the tribe of Issachar (Judges 5:15). Be that as it may, Deborah knew the people of this tribe, and they knew her. However, Deborah withdrew from those she knew, settling "under the Palm tree ... on Mount Ephraim" (Judg. 4:5). Therefore, she was clearly not near her home. Deborah judged not at the gates of the city, but outside the city. She was engaged in litigation not of the inhabitants of her city, but of all the people who came to her! That's what we read in the Court. 4:5 "And the children of Israel came to her for judgment." The judicial jurisdiction of Deborah was not limited to the local population, it extended to the whole people, to all tribes. And again we are confused. Why did Deborah, especially in light of the ruling of Deuteronomy 16, act in this way?
2.2 Deborah's relationship to Barak
All evidence suggests that Deborah was not trying to push Barak into the background. On the contrary, she consciously tried to be in the shadow of this person, the man. Pay attention to the following:
* Even though Deborah could have forced the troops to attack the enemy, she did not. Rather, “[Deborah] sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoamov, from Kedes Naphtalimov” (Judges 4: 6), asking him to lead an army to fight the enemy.
* Deborah accompanied Barak during the war, not because she wanted glory, but because Barak was in fear. “Barak said to her: if you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8). Barak was afraid, and Deborah went with him to war to encourage him. One song is recorded in the fifth chapter. Although we are inclined to call it "the song of Deborah", nevertheless, the text says that it was not only Deborah who sang it. To court. 5:1 says: “In that day Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang with these words.”
2.3 Deborah's relationship to Jael
It should be noted that it was not Deborah, but another woman, Jael, who struck down the enemy of Israel (4:17-22). About this woman they sang: “May Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be blessed among women, blessed be among women in tents!” (Judges 5:24). Contrary to the attempts made to present Devorah as a model of a feminist, it is important to emphasize the fact that she did not seek to appropriate the glory of defeating the enemy. The Lord says that it was not Deborah who received this glory, but Jael.
Conclusion
So, considering the whole picture from the evidence presented, it would be wrong on the grounds of the Court. 4, 5 represent Deborah as some kind of feminist. Image Devora-feminist This is the result of a misinterpretation of Holy Scripture. In His Word, the Lord does not describe Deborah as an emancipated woman, a feminist who pushes herself to the fore and strives to rise head and shoulders to exercise her rights to a position of authority. We read about a woman who led Israel without trying to emphasize her own importance. It is clear that this woman did not seek to push herself to the fore. We will be even more convinced of the correctness of this conclusion by considering the context in which the life and work of this woman took place.
2.4 Context of Deborah's life
Again and again we meet in the book of Judges the phrase: “Then the sons of Israel began to do evil in the eyes of the Lord and began to serve the Baals” (Judges 2:11). Similar words are mentioned in connection with each of the great judges:
Othniel: "And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and the Astartes" (Judges 3:7).
aod: "The sons of Israel again began to do evil in the eyes of the Lord ..." (Judges 3:12).
Deborah: "When Ehud died, the sons of Israel began to do evil again in the eyes of the Lord" (Judges 4:1).
Gideon: "The sons of Israel began [again] to do evil in the sight of the Lord ..." (Judges 6:1).
Jephthah: “The sons of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals and the Astartes, and the gods of Aramaea, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines; but they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him” (Judg. 10:6).
Samson: "The sons of Israel continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years" (Judges 13:1).
Thus the phrase "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord" runs like a refrain throughout the book of Judges. It reaches its climax in an altered form in the well-known text of Judgment. 21:25: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what he thought was right.” This phrase is great for describing the time of Deborah - everyone did what seemed right to him.
Thus, Deborah lived in a time of deep decline, a time of great destruction. The depth of the fall, characteristic of that time, is perhaps best depicted in the text of the Judgment. 17-21, which describes the idolatry of Micah, as well as the brutal rape of the Levite's concubine. At that time, the standards of conduct and godliness in Israel were very far from God's standards set forth in His Word. In other words, times were non-NORMAL. Regarding the time of Deborah, it can be said that the decline was expressed in the absence of leaders in Israel. Deborah was forced to call Barak to a leadership position (Judg. 4:6). When they began to persecute Barak, he was so frightened that he could not do anything (Judges 4:8). Where is the strength of Varak's spirit? She is not. Varak was not a leader. He didn't know, or at least it didn't occur to him, that you could turn to the Lord for wisdom and strength! However, Barak was not the only "spineless" man in Israel. To court. 5:6,7 we read: “In the days of Samegar the son of Anathov, in the days of Jael, the roads were empty, and those who formerly walked in straight paths then walked by detours. There were no inhabitants in the villages of Israel, there was no ... ”(Judges 5: 6, 7). Just imagine for a moment that we cannot travel freely on the main roads of our city. Imagine that we, getting from one place to another to do our work, are forced to secretly, under the cover of night, looking around, run from tree to tree so as not to fall into the hands of robbers. In this case, we would immediately go to the city authorities, complaining that it is dangerous to walk on the streets. What does this circumstance say about leadership? This context of fear clearly shows that in Israel there were no worthy leaders capable of leading the people in the fight against oppressors. In connection with this circumstance, remember that none of the great judges was a suitable candidate for the position of judge. The main problem of that time was the lack of leaders. Why were there no leaders in Israel? Can we find the answer to this question? Yes we can! The Lord was saying that His relationship with Israel was patterned. In the text of the twenty-eighth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, God's blessings for obedience are described: “If you, when you cross [beyond the Jordan], will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, diligently fulfill all His commandments that I command you today, then the Lord your God will set you above all the peoples of the earth (v. 1) ... The Lord will make you the head, and not your tail, and you will only be on high, and you will not be below, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today keep and fulfill (v. 13).” Leaders are required to maintain such security. And leadership is one of the blessings the Lord promised to Israel if they obeyed. In the absence of obedience, the following will happen: “But if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God and do not try to do all His commandments and His judgments that I command you today, then all these curses will come upon you and comprehend you (v. 15) ... And you will grope in noon, like a blind man groping in the dark, and you will not succeed in your ways, and they will oppress and offend you every day, and no one will protect you (v. 29).
These words explain the reason for the fear described in the Court. 5:6,7, this is a state where people can't do anything because the leaders don't have the fortitude. Why was it dangerous to walk the streets in Deborah's time? Why did no one dare to take leadership positions? Because Israel was in deep spiritual decline. The people of Israel did not live according to God's Word. In the text of Deut. 16:18 contains God's command to appoint judges in every locality. However, the people did not turn to the judges of their villages because they did not meet God's standard of leadership. For this reason, the Israelites turned to Deborah. The spiritual fall of God's people caused the people to turn to people who were far from the best candidates for the position of judge.
Thus Deborah, wife of Lapidoth, became a prophetess in Israel under highly unusual circumstances. In times of spiritual decline, it was pleasing to God to send as a judge whom He Himself desired. The Lord showed mercy according to His promise in Deut. 18:15: "A prophet from among you, from among your brothers, like me, the Lord your God will raise up for you; listen to him." First, the Lord chose the younger brother, then the left-hander, the woman, the son of a harlot, the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and so on. That God calls a woman (Judg. 4) is very unusual. Truly, God has chosen the weak, the lowly, the worthless in the eyes of the world, in order to shame the strong and those who boast in themselves (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26). How does this circumstance relate to what God established in the beginning? What did Deborah and Israel know from God's revelation about His purpose for the relationship between a man and a woman? Does Deborah's pronounced desire to bring the man to the fore testifies to her self-doubt, or is it still about her humble obedience to God's institutions?
3. THE RATE GIVEN BY GOD BY THE TIME OF DEBORA
3.1 Man and woman are equal before God.
Deborah and Israel knew from the Scriptures that it pleased the Lord to give man and woman equal standing before Him (see Figure 1). “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; He created them male and female” (Gen. 1:26,27). In addition, male and female were commissioned to “be fruitful and multiply” (v. 28). In this case, there is no difference between a man and a woman. A man and a woman have an equal position before God, and they both receive the same important assignment. The Fall affected both men and women equally. Both suffer the consequences of the fall (Gen. 3:16). By making a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, God made it clear that both men and women were to offer sacrifices. The Lord said to Moses: "Declare to the children of Israel" (in English "declare to the children of Israel".- Approx. transl.) and tell them: when one of you wants to offer a sacrifice to the Lord ... if he sins ... ”(Lev. 1-4). These words apply equally to both men and women. In Lev. 15 also clearly shows that both man and woman are equally unclean before God and therefore need to be cleansed. Both man and woman need redemption, both receive forgiveness in the blood of Jesus. So, according to the instruction given to all Israel regarding the ministry in the tabernacle, man and woman are equal before God. Based on the verses mentioned, the following conclusion can be drawn: both Deborah and all Israel could, on the basis of God's Word, know that man and woman are equally in need of God's grace and forgiveness of sins, and therefore in life itself.
3.2 The relationship that God established between a man and a woman
GARDEN OF EDEN
It turns out that God gave men and women different roles in the context of their relationship. Despite equal abilities and equal position before God, in relations between a man and a woman there is a hierarchy established by the Lord (see Fig. 2). In the text of Gen. 2:7,8 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and placed there the man whom he had created.” Thus, man, that is, Adam, received a place in the garden and the command to "cultivate and keep it" (v. 15). Further, in verse 18 we read the words of God: “… it is not good for the man to be alone; Let us make him a helper suitable for him. And the Lord God brought a deep sleep upon the man; and when he fell asleep, he took one of his ribs, and covered the place with flesh. And the rib taken from the man, the Lord God formed a wife, and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21,22).
Note that the woman in this text is defined as a helper. It should be remembered that the expression "helper" in no way implies that a woman is inferior to a man. Our sinful (Western?) mind tends to give the word “assistant” the meaning of “assistant” (the English word “assistant” is translated literally as “assistant, assistant.” However, Holy Scripture does not put such a meaning into the word "helper". The same word is often used in the Bible to describe God as a Helper to his people. Pay attention to the words from the book of Psalms:
“Our soul trusts in the Lord: He is our help and our protection” (Ps. 32:20).
“I am poor and needy; God, come to me! You are my help and my Redeemer; God! do not delay” (Ps. 69:6).
“[House] of Israel! trust in the Lord: He is our help and shield. House of Aarons! trust in the Lord: He is our help and shield” (Ps. 113:17,18).
In the texts mentioned, the word "help" (indicating a helper) does not imply someone who is below you. Thus, we have no reason to say that the relationship between a man and a woman is a relationship of “superior” and “inferior”. However, the term "assistant" characterizes the relationship of a woman to a man. It is important to note that the woman was given to the man as a helper, not the man was given to the woman as a helper. Thus, a man should play the role not of an assistant, but of a leader, a leader. He is obliged, according to God's commission, to cultivate and maintain a garden, and a woman should be his assistant in this task. According to God's plan, both, both man and woman, must carry out His commission. However, in the context of their joint work, one of them is the leader and the other is the assistant. It is important to note that according to Gen. 2:22, the Lord brought the woman to the man, not the man to the woman. This text describes God's established order, the hierarchy of relations between a man and a woman: a man plays the role of a leader, and a woman plays the role of a helper. According to Gen. 2:23, it was not Eve who first greeted Adam, but Adam greeted Eve. The initiative belonged to Adam. Thus, one acts as a leader, and the other as a helper. Giving names (Gen. 2:19) is the function of a leader. Adam named Eve. Eve did not name Adam. Of course, men and women are equal before God. However, the Lord in Gen. 2 established the structure of relations between a man and a woman, the structure of power and subordination.
THE FALL
The Fall, described in the third chapter of the book of Genesis, destroyed creation. However, the structure "power - submission" (Gen. 2) was not abolished. Eve was the first to be tempted and sinned. However, God calls Adam to account. The Lord knew that both Adam and Eve had sinned, however, pay attention to the words from Gen. 3:9 "And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?" The responsibility lay with Adam. Notice the following verses: “He said, Your voice I heard in paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. And he said, Who told you that you were naked? have you not eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat ? (Gen. 3:10, 11). God speaks to a man. This theme is also dealt with in the New Testament, for example, in Rom. 5:12, where Paul writes, "Therefore, just as by one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin...". A similar thought is expressed in 1 Cor. 15:22: “As in Adam everyone dies…”; that is, death entered the world through Adam. It seems to us that it would be natural to say that death entered through Eve, since she sinned first. However, in the eyes of God, Adam is responsible for sin. In this case, the aspect of power (or responsibility) is emphasized. The relationship between a man and a woman (husband and wife) after the fall is described in Gen. 3:16. The Lord says to the woman: “He said to the woman: multiplying, I will multiply your sorrow in your pregnancy; in sickness you will bear children; and your desire is for your husband, and he will rule over you.” How can we understand these words of God? Do they represent a command? Should a man control a woman? Or perhaps these words represent a prophecy that in a defiled fallen world, a woman will constantly face her husband's attempts to dominate her. If the latter assumption is correct, then in the context of redemption in Christ, a Christian husband will not try to "dominate" his wife, and a Christian wife will not submissively submit to her husband. The essence of the discussion is the following question: “Should the modern structure of relations between a man and a woman be different from the structure of ‘power-subordination’ presented in the second chapter of the book of Genesis?” It turns out that the wording of Gen. 3:16 echoes the parallel text of Gen. 4:17. After Cain offered the sacrifice, the Lord addressed him: “If you do good, do you not raise your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he draws you to him, but you rule over him. God warns Cain that sin, as a reality of this world, seeks to dominate him. However, the Lord emphasizes Cain's responsibility. He must not allow sin to become his master. Cain must fight against sin. That is the meaning of the text of Gen. 3:16. God shows that a woman, as a result of the fall, seeks to dominate a man (“your desire for your husband”), however, a man should not allow this (“he will rule over you”). Thus, in the text of Gen. 3:16 contains a thought corresponding to the structure "power - subjection" (Gen. 2). If in the second chapter we see the structure in the context of harmonious relations, then in the third chapter, according to God Himself, it is presented in the context of struggle. It will be difficult for a person to accept the position that God intended for him. In Gen. 3:16 describes "the beginning of the battle of the sexes" . So, it is quite obvious that the structure "power - submission" continues to operate after the fall. But now the woman is opposed to her position, and the husband has no way to gently hold her in the position she is meant to be. Therefore, both man and woman experience pain as a punishment for sin.
AFTER THE FALL
The fact that the structure "power - submission" continues to operate after the fall becomes obvious when reading both the book of Genesis and the rest of the books of the Pentateuch. In the genealogies recorded in Gen. 5-10, only mentioned male names . In these chapters we read the names of men, their length of life, and the names of their sons. Why do all the names mentioned in these chapters belong to men? Because leadership is identified with the male gender. For this reason, a woman is mentioned in connection with her husband, thereby confirming the principle that the man is the leader and the woman is his assistant. God did not call Sarah, but Abram. “And the Lord said to Abram: Get out of your country, out of your kindred, and out of your father's house, to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Why did the Lord call not Sarah, but Abram? Sarah was with Abram because she is his wife. Nevertheless, God deigned to turn to the man. Why? The answer lies in the power-submission structure. It was men, not women, who received the sign and seal of the covenant. “This is My covenant, which you [must] keep between Me and between you and between your descendants after you: let all the male sex be circumcised among you” (Gen. 17:10). Why were women not circumcised? After all, circumcision of women is possible. Moreover, God, being the sovereign Lord, could choose a different sign and seal of the covenant, which could easily be applied to both men and women. But He didn't do that. Why? Because God acts according to the “leader-helper” structure established at creation and acting in spite of the fall. God, in explaining how the people of Israel should be sanctified to meet Him at Mount Sinai, spoke exclusively to men. On the mountain, the Lord makes a covenant with his people. One of the ordinances regarding sanctification was: “…do not touch women” (Ex. 19:15). This prohibition applies to husbands, men. God makes a covenant with Israel and speaks to men. Of course, this approach does not mean that women have no place in the covenant. Indeed, they are included in the covenant. However, we again meet with the structure "power - submission", according to which one person is the leader, and the other is the assistant. God appointed only men to the priesthood. In Ex. 28:1 The Lord gives the following instructions to Moses: "And take to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he should be a priest to Me, Aaron and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron." Why is it not said: "And the children, his daughters with him, from among the children, the daughters of Israel"? Because, according to Gen. 2, a man should be a leader, and a woman his assistant. Only men, and not women, were to stand before the Lord: “Three times a year all your male sex must appear before the Lord, the Lord” (Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16). Were women forbidden to appear before the Lord? Of course not! Didn't Anna, along with Elkana, come annually to Silom to worship God? This command is given to men because they are in the role of leaders. Elders must be men. Moses' father-in-law, having received inspiration from the Lord, gives him the following advice: thousand chiefs, hundred chiefs, fifty chiefs And ten chiefs; And Moses chose capable people from all Israel (in the English version of “men” - Approx. trans.) ... ”(Ex. 18:21, 25). Why are women not mentioned in this text? Because, according to God's ordinance, the position of leader is occupied by a man. When calculating the population of Israel, only men were taken into account. The Lord said to Moses: “... on the first [day] of the second month, in the second year after they left the land of Egypt, saying: number the whole congregation of the sons of Israel according to their generations, according to their families, according to the number of names, all males without exception” (Num. .1:1-3). God gives the command according to the principle stated in Gen. 2. The wife is under the authority of her husband. In Numbers. 5:19 a law is given concerning an unfaithful wife: “And the priest shall curse her and say to the woman, if no one has slept with you, and you have not defiled yourself and betrayed your husband (in the English version, “you were not defiled, being under the power of your husband” - Approx. transl), then you will be unharmed from this bitter water that brings a curse. Note the expression "under the authority of the husband." The wife is "under" the authority of her husband. This expression clearly shows the subordinate position of the spouse. This text not only reflects the peculiarity of Israelite culture, but contains God's institution, which is mentioned in Gen. 2. God uses a pronoun male(in the original text). In Lev. 1 explains what kind of sacrifices the Israelites were to make for certain sins. Verse 3 says: “If his offering is a burnt offering of cattle, let him offer it male, without blemish; let him bring her to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, that he may win favor with the Lord.” Why is the masculine pronoun used (in the original text)? Maybe because only men, in order to express their gratitude to the Lord, could offer sacrifices to Him? We are glad that this is not the case. Liberal translators tend to translate this text as follows: “Any people (male or female) who offer burnt offerings from cattle, let them bring ...”. However, the Lord uses the masculine pronoun. Thus, we are not dealing with a cultural feature, but with a reference to the structure established in Gen. 2: a man is a leader, a woman is an assistant. The masculine pronoun does not exclude the feminine, but indicates the fact that the woman is an (integral) part of the man. For this reason, the masculine pronoun can represent all people. Thus, it is quite clear that God's institution in creation, according to which the man is the leader and the woman is the helper, is a standard that God consistently applies throughout the entire narrative of the Pentateuch. Although men and women are equal before God, their functions are different. A man is characterized by "guidance", a woman - by "help". This truth seems to have been known to Deborah.
4. CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE TIMES OF DEBORAH
Regarding Deborah, we should draw the following conclusions:
1. It is very tragic that there were no men in Israel who were willing to take on the responsibility of leading the people, as established in Deut. 16:18 and 17:8. The men of Israel shied away from their God-given duties.
2. God's choice of a leader in special times of lack of leaders testifies to His mercy to the people. After all, He gave a leader to unworthy people. However, the fact that the leader was a woman testifies to God's judgment. God shames those who should be leaders by turning to helpers.
3. Deborah, as mentioned above, had a much better understanding of God's revelation to Israel about the position and function of woman in relation to man. Deborah was a woman who understood that according to God's ordinance, she should take the place of a man's helper. That is why, in times of lack of male initiative, Deborah urged Barak to do what he was supposed to do (according to his destiny). Deborah used her position to HELP men be the LEADERS they were meant to be. From the text of the Court. 4 we come to the conclusion that Deborah was a helpmate not only to her husband Lapidof, but to all men. Even as a judge of Israel, Deborah recognized the headship of a man, which was in accordance with God's ordinance (Gen. 2). As noted earlier, Deborah is identified with Lapidoth, her husband (Judg. 4). This fact shows that Deborah knew her God-given place and accepted it. Deborah was a woman of faith.
5. GOD'S STANDARDS HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE DEBORAH
5.1 Man and woman continue to be equal before God.
Have there been changes in God's revelation since the times described in Judg. 4 and 5? No, they didn't. Principle of Life. 1 and 2 is valid throughout the entire Scripture - a man and a woman are equal before God. Both man and woman are equally in need of salvation through Christ Jesus. For this reason, the Lord addressed the gospel message to both men and women. In Gal. 3:28 we read, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile; there is no slave nor free; There is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Thus, in the eyes of Christ, there is no difference between a man and a woman. According to 1 Pet. 3:7, husbands are to take care of their wives because they are "joint heirs of the grace of life." Men and women are equal before God.
5.2 God has not changed anything in the relationship He established between a man and a woman.
Principle of Life. 2 is valid in the sphere of relations between a man and a woman. There is a reason why the Savior of the world was not a woman, but a man. There is a reason why Jesus' disciples were male and not female. I repeat, the reason lies not in the cultural characteristics of that time. “To assert that the selection of the apostles by Christ is culturally motivated is to ignore the fact that God chose the society and time for the coming of His Son.” If God wanted a woman to become a disciple of Christ, He would call a woman to discipleship and create favorable cultural conditions for this. Acts. 1:16 tells us about Peter, who, together with his disciples (120 people, including men and women), discussed the issue of choosing an apostle to fill the place vacated after the death of Judas. Peter addressed the congregation with the words: "Men, brethren." Although Peter addressed all 120 disciples, regardless of their gender, nevertheless, his address reflects the principle of Gen. 2. Peter, speaking to the congregation, was primarily referring to the leaders. In 1 Cor. 11:3 the apostle writes: "I also want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the wife is the husband, and the head of Christ is God." Structure Gen. 2 "power - submission" remains in force. In 1 Cor. 14:34 Paul says: "Let your wives be silent in the churches, for it is not lawful for them to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law says." By law, the apostle means the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Thus, the principle of creation is at work throughout Holy Scripture. A similar thought is found in Eph. 5:22-24: “Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, as is Christ, the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. But just as the Church is subject to Christ, so are wives to their husbands in everything.” Notice how many of these verses written about the task of a husband to love wife, so that she can readily obey him. The bottom line is that the principle of Gen. 2 continues to operate. The Lord speaks to the women in 1 Tim. 2:12: "... but I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to rule over a man, but to be silent." Similar instruction is given in 1 Pet. 3:1-6: "Also, you wives, be subject to your husbands...". In Tit. 2:1-5 seems to sum up all the instructions. The Apostle Paul instructs his assistant Titus regarding his ministry. Titus must "say what is in accordance with sound doctrine." He needs to instruct the elders (v. 2) and the old women (v. 3). “So that the old women also dress decently as saints, there are no slanderers, they are not enslaved to drunkenness, they teach goodness; to admonish the young to love their husbands…” (Tit. 2:3,4). This text echoes the principle given in Gen. 2, and its correspondence to Deborah! This is what older sisters should teach young women. Rationale: "... let not the Word of God be reproached."
6. CONCLUSIONS FOR OUR TIME
Should we encourage our daughters to aspire to a position based on our perception of Deborah as a judge? Do we need to teach our sons to follow the example of "Barakov, Lapidoth, and ten thousand men who will let God use His Deborah"? Of course not! On the contrary, women should cultivate in themselves and in their daughters the spirit of a helper, understanding that God has endowed men with power and responsibility. Likewise, they should encourage husbands and sons to be leaders in marriage, family, church, community. This does not mean that our women or daughters will never be in leadership positions. The Sovereign Lord can allow things to go like this (as happened in Judg. 4). However, to occupy such a position is not the same as to strive for it, to make it your goal. Basically, it's a matter of faith. God's revelation speaks clearly about the position of a woman in relation to a man. What matters is not how this revelation fits us sinful beings. What matters is what the Lord says. Faith conditions the humble acceptance of God's revelation. The fact that a man and a woman will not be satisfied with their position was prophesied back in Gen. 3:16. However, we must humbly accept the position the Lord gives us. Can Deborah, then, be an example for women? Yes maybe. But not in the form in which it is presented by feminists. Deborah is an example for women because she was a woman of faith. In those circumstances, Deborah tried to help men become leaders, become what they should be. Is it a disgrace to the men of Deborah (and Barak)? Of course yes! The men of that time were not leaders, were not what they, by definition, were supposed to be. So God put the men to shame by giving Israel Deborah. May the Lord's men and women urge one another to humbly accept the position God has ordained for them in this world, so that "the Word of God may not be reproached."
Donna Strom "Where are the Deborahs and Baraks?" V Evangelical Review of Theology (Vol 10/1),page.19
The Bible in the book of Judges tells about the first great heroine, whose exploits are described in one of the very first poems of sacred history. Most likely, the book of Judges was written at the end of the monarchical era (seventh century BC), but collects much more ancient traditions. The story of Deborah and Barak dates back to the twelfth century BC, and many literary features of the Song of chapter 5 suggest that it comes from the same archaic era. Undoubtedly, this text is one of the oldest in the Bible, it makes it possible to reveal what the mentality of Israel was at its very beginning, at a time when nomadic clans began to settle in the Promised Land.
The name of Deborah, the heroine of chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Judges, is extremely rich in symbolism: it means "Bee". In Egyptian hieroglyphics, as often in the ancient East, the bee was a symbol of military power due to its organization, strength in battle and discipline in serving one "society". So by its very name Deborah is associated with military power, but not only this ancient symbol with it: in Egypt and Greece, the bee is an image of the afterlife of the soul, a sign of eternity, the image of which can be found on ancient graves. It symbolizes a soul that is completely pure and therefore immortal, a soul penetrating into secrets as a bee extracts juice from flowers from which it makes honey. Thus, the bee personifies the invincible power of the purified soul; and Deborah is the embodiment of the spiritual power of her people; therefore she does not fight, but intervenes on behalf of God to cause a fight.
Deborah is a prophetess, she “judges Israel under the palm tree of Deborah”, that is, she has great moral authority as a prophetess and warrior (for this is the meaning of the word “judge” in the book of Judges), and her decisions, made under the shadow of eternal Wisdom (palm tree) have in Israel the force of law. By the command of God, she sends Barak, the commander of one of the clans, to search for an army and beat the Canaanites who are oppressing the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. But this warrior, whose name is translated as "Blessed", refuses to resist the enemies without Deborah, since she is for him a guarantee of supernatural help, one that listens to the voice of God and has an intuitive knowledge of His will. And it was his demand for the presence of a woman during the battle that God considered a lack of trust and a refusal to take on the male role, the responsibility of a military leader. Therefore Deborah warns him that he will be deprived of the fruit of victory; this fruit will be delivered into the hands of a woman: “Barak said to her: if you go with me, I will go; and if you don’t go with me, I won’t go…” “She said: I’ll go with you; only know that glory will no longer be for you on this path in which you are going; but the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman” (4:8-9). Indeed, another woman, Jael (which means "The Lord is God") mortally strikes the head of the enemy army, depriving Barak of the glory of a hero. This episode recalls the promise from Genesis 3 (3:15) (the seed of the woman will strike the serpent on the head) and emphasizes the complementarity of the male and female roles. A woman is an inspirer, she awakens strength in a man and thus prepares for victory, remaining outwardly inactive. It is up to the man to carry it out, to put it into practice, to lead the battle. In Judges chapter 4, Barak does not reach the crowning achievement of his efforts because he does not fulfill his role.
The Song of Deborah (Judgment 5), which came from the depths of time and was passed down from generation to generation, tells these events in the form of a poem. Like medieval heroic tales, it allows you to see the most essential features of the ancient Jewish mentality. This war song praises the mother woman, the heroine of her people, who awakens strength in warriors:
“There were no inhabitants in the villages of Israel; sing a song! Arise, Varak! ....". (Judg 5, 7. 12).
“Let Jael be blessed among the women, ... among the women in tents, be blessed! ... Let those who love Him [the Lord] be like the sun rising in all its strength!” (Judg 5, 24).
The role of a woman here is quite obvious: with her song, she calls men to battle, ignites them, like Joan of Arc or Jeanne Ashet, and all the Ladies, for whom the knights of former times surpassed themselves and discovered unexpected sources of energy in themselves. Female presence, if it is "pointed" in the right direction, awakening masculinity, the spirit of strength and courage in the hearts of desperate and fearful men.It produces heroes.Deborah is an example of great characters that the Bible invites to meditate on.
What does the name Deborah mean? For a long time, people have been interested in the meaning of this name. What happens if you name a child Deborah? After all, each of us at birth is given a name that accompanies us all our lives. Yes, and after death, it is customary to indicate data about a person on a memorial. And what is constantly with us cannot but be reflected in the character and behavior. So let's get back to the secret of the name Deborah.
Scientists, philosophers, astrologers - they all fought for centuries, trying to decipher the male and female names. In our time, many books have been published with the meanings and secrets of the name Botagoz, and the list is constantly updated, since over the years new proper names appear, and the old ones go away, are forgotten. By the way, in ancient times, babies were given names that were even scary to pronounce. This was done on purpose to ward off evil spirits. Later in Rus', children were called by two names, one was pronounced only in church and hidden from everyone. It was believed that Botagoz is the name of a guardian angel who will protect a person all his life. Today there is a special fashion for names. Many mothers and fathers carefully choose the name of the future baby, referring to the Old Slavonic lists. Someone first studies the meaning of the name, and only then chooses the appropriate one. And there are fewer and fewer who come up with names themselves. Here everything is already limited by the flight of your imagination. But then phonetics - sound combinations and syllables - will determine the character of the owner of a unique name. IN Deborah name meaning there are many ancient roots and sources that are irretrievably lost today ...
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