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According to the Book of Judges, Deborah (Hebrew: דְּבוֹרָה, Dəḇōrā, "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
She would not have had wisdom and revelation to judge disputes. She would not have heard the Lord's strategic battle plans as an intercessor.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you — who are you to judge your neighbor?" God is the only judge. He who judges another will be punished by God.
There were two other Judges, Eli and Samuel whose judgeships are described in 1 Samuel. They exercised their authority over the entire nation until the institution of the monarchy.
Place in Biblical Texts
The only female judge, the only one to be called a prophet, and the only one described as performing a judicial function, Deborah is a decisive figure in the defeat of the Canaanites.
Rallying the Israelites around him, Ehud led an attack upon the Moabites that was decisive in favour of the Israelites. Shamgar, the third judge, is merely noted as a deliverer who killed 600 Philistines.
Gideon (/ˈɡɪdiən/; Hebrew: גִּדְעוֹן, Modern: Gīdʿōn, Tiberian: Gīḏəʿōn) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in Judges 6–8 of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.
Samson (/ˈsæmsən/; Hebrew: שִׁמְשׁוֹן Šimšōn "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution of the monarchy.
Othniel (/ˈɒθniəl/; Hebrew: עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז, ʿOṯnīʾēl ben Qenaz) was the first of the biblical judges. The etymology of his name is uncertain, but may mean "God/He is my strength" or "God has helped me".
Esther. Her Story: Esther was a brave and strong queen who saved the entire nation of Israel. In the time of the Exile, when the Jews were living under Persian rule, King Xerxes got upset with his queen and decided to search the land for a new queen.
She was a leader charged with helping the people keep their covenant with the LORD their God by being faithful to the LORD's commandments. She's unique in that she's the only recorded female judge, but this is not pointed out as an anomaly in the text.
Old Testament
In answering the call, Deborah became a singular biblical figure: a female military leader. She recruited a man, the general Barak, to stand by her side, telling him God wanted the armies of Israel to attack the Canaanites who were persecuting the highland tribes.
One tradition presents Barak as Deborah's husband, who is also called “Lappidoth” (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah, Chap. 10, 48–49), thus attempting to ease the tension between them by explaining it as that between man and wife. The Biblical narrative presents Deborah as a strong woman who gives orders to Barak.
Samuel lived at the end of the period of the judges and ushered in the period of kingship. He was Israel's last judge (1 Sam 7:6, 15‑17) and first prophet (3:20; Acts 3:24; 13:20). He functioned as a priest (1 Sam 2:18) and was a great man of faith (Heb 11:32).
Deborah and Jael. Two of these women, Deborah and Jael, are present in the same story, Judges 4-5. We first meet Deborah in Judges 4:4, when she is introduced as a judge and prophet. The judges of the Bible are not by and large jurists, but rather a hybrid of military commander and governor.
Judge Deborah ranks among the most famous women of the Bible. Deborah stands out not only for her wisdom but, also for her courage. She is the only woman of the Old Testament who is known for her own faith and action, not because of her relationship with any man.
Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; Ezra 3:2; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16). Moses is the only person called “man of God” in the Torah.
The Book of Judges mentions twelve leaders who are said to "judge" Israel: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson.
Deborah and Samuel were Prophets and Judges, Eli and Samuel were Priests and Judges, for Samuel was both a Priest and a Prophet.
Vikramaditya was the king of Ujjain. He is called the greatest judge in history because he always gave perfect justice to his people.
In Deuteronomy 16:18-20, Moses instructs the people of Israel to appoint judges and officials in their various towns upon entering the Promised Land.
Samuel, Hebrew Shmuʾel, (flourished 11th century bce, Israel), religious hero in the history of Israel, represented in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in every role of leadership open to a Jewish man of his day—seer, priest, judge, prophet, and military leader.
The biblical authors often portray God as a royal judge who brings justice to a fallen creation. This portrayal analogizes God's role in governing humanity to the role played by judges in human legal systems.
Up until the time of Samuel, judges ruled over the people of Israel. Read 1 Samuel 8:4–8 to learn why Samuel was the last true judge in Israel. They wanted a king to rule over them like all the other nations had. They were jealous of other nations, and they had rejected God.