Wise Judgments

Around 1100 years before the birth of Jesus at the beginning of the Iron Age, Judges ruled the various tribes of Israel. In the hill country of Ephraim, under a palm tree, Deborah served as one of these leaders, rendering wise judgments and settling disputes for all the people of her region. The era of the Judges was a time of unrest both between the tribes and with their neighbors; a time of wars and civil wars and the Judges were a combination of governors and military leaders. Deborah was one of the best, seen here giving advice to the general Barak, who refused to go into battle unless Deborah came along to personally give the command to advance. She was a remarkable woman in a time dominated by male leadership and the only Judge the Bible writers also named as a Prophet. In Hebrew, the name Deborah means bee, a symbol of wisdom in ancient times. The Song of Deborah is one of the oldest writings of Scripture. (Illustration from Prints of the Prophets.)