Dousing the Fiery Woman: The Diminishing of the Prophetess Deborah

The prophetess Deborah presents an exception to prevailing gender patterns in biblical narrative and religious and political leadership. Her appearance in the Hebrew Bible is limited to two chapters in the Book of Judges, yet the roles and identities attributed to her in the biblical text are remarkable: judge, military strategist, poetess, and prophetess (naviah), one of only four named women so described in the biblical texts. This study traces the "diminishing" of Deborah, considering how such a remarkable figure could receive so little textual attention. We trace the lessening and even derogation of Deborah's significance from ancient commentary to contemporary commentary, a process that perhaps began as early as the redaction of biblical sources. We argue that by focusing on Deborah's "diminishing" we gain critical purchase on textual practices that to illuminate scriptural texts also have obscured female voices and even the presence of feminine leadership.