Review: Women of the Bible: Deborah's Story by Ann Burton
Deborah's Story
by Ann Burton
Born a slave in Canaan, Deborah lives out her days caring for animals and avoiding her master's abusive fists. But she has a gift, one that her fellow slaves help her hide: when she touches another person, she can read their thoughts and secrets, and sometimes she can see the future. For years she has dreamed of a man named Lappidoth, who one day appears with a business proposition for her master. Deborah's master tries to kill Lappidoth, but she warns him and he escapes, only to return and free Deborah and her fellow slaves. She is then brought back to Hebrew people to fulfill the destiny she sees in her dreams: that of Israel's prophetess and judge.
The fourth book in Ann Burton's Women of the Bible series, Deborah's Story provides the background of the only female Judge recorded in the Bible. (Her story is found in Judges 4-5.) The Biblical account jumps right into Deborah's leadership, so we never know what sort of childhood she had. Burton's decision to make Deborah a woman of such humble origins was an interesting twist, and consistent with the Bible's frequent “raising up” of little people to positions of power. (Many of the patriarchs are not the first born son, Ruth was a widow, Rahab a prostitute who saved Israel, King David the youngest son of his father and a shepherd, etc. etc.)
Deborah cannot lie as a result of her prophetic gift; this is stated many times throughout the book. However, there are a couple of times that she does lie, such as giving a false name when asked who she is. So I am not sure if the “no-lies” rule applies only to her prophecies, or her whole life. Either way, Deborah has a strong sense of honesty, but she can be rather irritating when she refuses to take advantage of certain opportunities to escape or get more supplies for her fellow slaves because it would be dishonest. She's also quite ridiculous in her constant insistence that she doesn't deserve X because she's only a slave and it is far above her. Yet the book is quite entertaining, and does a fine job of expanding on the few details provided in the Bible.
No mention of Deborah's song is mentioned, which is a pity. It's believed to be one of the oldest passages in the Bible, and the earliest example of Hebrew poetry.
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