RECONSIDERING BARAK’S RESPONSE IN JUDGES 4

Regarding his calling as a military commander, Barak’s demand of Deborah’s presence on the battlefield most likely results from his youth and inexperience at war. Barak is depicted as a young, heroic leader in battle, and a judge who strived for the deliverance and preservation of Israel (1 Sam 11,12; Heb 11,32). In the midst of an androcentric society, the involvement of a boy and two women in war reflects the absence of male leadership. As the Book of Ruth anticipates the emergence of King David, so also the story of Deborah and Barak echoes this sense of impending change, emphasizing the absence of the male leadership. On this point, Chapter 4 reflects a contrast to Chapter 5 which presents the battle as a struggle for the freedom of the individual tribes.