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Friday, July 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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Easy-to-Read Version

Judges 4:4

There was a woman prophet named Deborah. She was the wife of a man named Lappidoth. She was judge of Israel at that time.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Canaanites;   Deborah;   Judge;   Lapidoth;   Prophetesses;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Deborah;   Labour;   Notable Women;   Prophetesses;   Woman's;   Women;   Work, Women's;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Judges, Extraordinary;   Prophets;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Deborah;   Jabin;   Jezreel;   Sisera;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Deborah;   Judges, book of;   Prophecy, prophet;   Wife;   Women;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Education in Bible Times;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Huldah;   Isaiah;   Lapidoth;   Prophet;   Woman;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal Tamar;   Prophet;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Deborah;   Judges, Book of;   Kedesh;   Lapidoth;   Prophetess;   Ramah;   Salvation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Barak;   Deborah;   Esdraelon;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Holy Spirit;   Jabin;   Judges (1);   Lappidoth;   Levi;   Naphtali;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Prophetess;   War;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Family (Jesus);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jabin ;   Lapidoth ;   Sisera ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Barak;   Lapidoth;   Pithom;   Sisera;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armageddon;   Baal;   Barak;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Prophet;   Women;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Barak;   Deborah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Decision;   Lappidoth;   Mother;   Prophetess;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Lapidoth (Lappidoth);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
Hebrew Names Version
Now Devorah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidot, she judged Yisra'el at that time.
King James Version
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Lexham English Bible
Now at that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.
English Standard Version
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
New Century Version
A prophetess named Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was judge of Israel at that time.
New English Translation
Now Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.
Amplified Bible
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
New American Standard Bible
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Contemporary English Version
Deborah the wife of Lappidoth was a prophet and a leader of Israel during those days.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now D'vorah, a woman and a prophet, the wife of Lapidot, was judging Isra'el at that time.
Darby Translation
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time.
George Lamsa Translation
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapithor, judged Israel at that time.
Good News Translation
Now Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet, and she was serving as a judge for the Israelites at that time.
Literal Translation
And Deborah the wife of Lapidoth, a woman prophetess, was judging Israel at that time.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
At ye same tyme was Iudgesse in Israel the prophetisse Debbora, the wyfe of Lapidoth,
American Standard Version
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Bible in Basic English
Now Deborah, a woman prophet, the wife of Lapidoth, was judge of Israel at that time.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Debora a prophetisse, the wife of Lapidoth, iudged Israel the same time.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
King James Version (1611)
And Deborah a prophetesse, the wife of Lapidoth, shee iudged Israel at that time.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, —she judged Israel at that time.
English Revised Version
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Berean Standard Bible
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Delbora was a prophetesse, the wijf of Lapidoth, which Delbora demyde the puple in that tyme;
Young's Literal Translation
And Deborah, a woman inspired, wife of Lapidoth, she is judging Israel at that time,
Update Bible Version
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
World English Bible
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
New King James Version
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
New Living Translation
Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.
New Life Bible
Now Lappidoth's wife Deborah, a woman who spoke for God, was judging Israel at that time.
New Revised Standard
At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess, wife of Lapidoth, she, was judging Israel, at that time:
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there was at that time Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, who judged the people.
Revised Standard Version
Now Deb'orah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapp'idoth, was judging Israel at that time.
THE MESSAGE
Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth. She was judge over Israel at that time. She held court under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The People of Israel went to her in matters of justice.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

Contextual Overview

4 There was a woman prophet named Deborah. She was the wife of a man named Lappidoth. She was judge of Israel at that time. 5 One day Deborah was sitting under the Palm Tree of Deborah, and the Israelites came up to her to ask what to do about Sisera. (The Palm Tree of Deborah is between the cities of Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim.) 6 Deborah sent a message to a man named Barak and asked him to come meet with her. Barak was the son of a man named Abinoam. Barak lived in the city of Kedesh, which is in the area of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, "The Lord , the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go and gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. Lead them to Mount Tabor. 7 I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabin's army, come to you. I will make Sisera, his chariots, and his army come to the Kishon River. I will help you defeat Sisera there.'" 8 Then Barak said to Deborah, "I will go and do this if you will go with me. But if you will not go with me, I will not go." 9 "Of course I will go with you," Deborah answered. "But because of your attitude, you will not be honored when Sisera is defeated. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera." So Deborah went with Barak to the city of Kedesh.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2719, bc 1285, An, Ex, Is, 206, Exodus 15:20, 2 Kings 22:14, Nehemiah 6:14, Joel 2:28, Joel 2:29, Micah 6:4, Luke 2:36, Acts 21:9, 1 Corinthians 11:5, Galatians 3:28

Reciprocal: Judges 5:7 - a mother 2 Chronicles 34:22 - the prophetess Isaiah 8:3 - the prophetess Ezekiel 13:17 - prophesy

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
Cain went away from the Lord and lived in the land of Nod.
Genesis 4:17
Cain had sexual relations with his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Enoch. Cain built a city and gave the city the same name as his son Enoch.
Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two women. One wife was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah.
Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal. Jabal was the father of people who live in tents and earn their living by keeping cattle.
Genesis 15:17
After the sun went down, it got very dark. The dead animals were still on the ground, each animal cut into two pieces. Then a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the dead animals.
Exodus 13:12
you must remember to give the Lord every firstborn boy. And every male animal that is the firstborn must also be given to the Lord .
Leviticus 9:24
Fire came out from the Lord and burned the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted with joy and then bowed to the ground to show their respect.
Numbers 16:35
Then a fire came from the Lord and destroyed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
Numbers 18:12
"And I give you all the best olive oil and all the best new wine and grain. These are the things that the Israelites give to me, the Lord . These are the first things that they gather in their harvest.
Numbers 18:17
"But you must not make a payment for the firstborn cow, sheep, or goat. These animals are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a sweet-smelling gift to the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,.... Deborah was a name common to women with the eastern people, see Genesis 35:8; as Melissa, which is of the same signification with the Greeks, and both signify a "bee"; and to which Deborah answered in her industry, sagacity, and sweetness of temper to her friends, and sharpness to her enemies: she was a "prophetess", and foretold things to come, as the drawing of Sisera and his army to a certain place named by her, the victory that should be gained over him, and the delivery of him into the hands of a woman. Who Lapidoth was, or what is meant by the name, is not certain; most take it to be the name of her husband, which seems best, but who he was is not known; the Jews will have him to be the same with Barak, there being, as they think, some agreement in the names, Barak signifying lightning, and Lapidoth, lamps; but the whole context shows the contrary, that he was not her husband. Some render the words, "a woman of Lapidoth", taking it for the name of her native place on habitation; but where there was a place of this name no account can be given: some say she was so called from her employment before she was a prophetess and judge, making wicks for the lamps in the sanctuary, as Jarchi relates; and others take it to be expressive of her excellencies and virtues, which shone in her as lamps; the first sense is best:

she judged Israel at that time; toward the close of the twenty years' oppression under Jabin, being raised up of God as other judges were, and eminently endowed with gifts and grace; she endeavoured to convince the people of their sins, exhorted them to repentance, and was a means of reforming them, and administering justice and judgment in all cases brought before her; and which Jabin might admit of, connive at, or take no notice of, she being a woman, of whose growing power and interest he had no jealousy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Deborah, a prophetess - Her name, meaning a bee, is the same as that of Rebekah’s nurse (marginal reference). The reason of her preeminence is added. She was “a woman, a prophetess,” like Miriam Exodus 15:20; Huldah 2 Kings 22:14, etc. In Judges 4:6, Judges 4:9,Judges 4:14, we have examples of her prophetic powers, and in Judg. 5 a noble specimen of prophetic song. Though the other Judges are not called prophets, yet they all seem to have had direct communications from God, either of knowledge or power, or both (compare Judges 3:10 note).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 4:4. Deborah, a prophetess — One on whom the Spirit of God descended, and who was the instrument of conveying to the Israelites the knowledge of the Divine will, in things sacred and civil.

She judged Israel — This is, I believe, the first instance of gynaecocrasy, or female government, on record. Deborah seems to have been supreme both in civil and religious affairs; and Lapidoth, her husband, appears to have had no hand in the government. But the original may as well be translated a woman of Lapidoth, as the wife of Lapidoth.


 
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