Introduction
to the Book:
The book of Judges is
the seventh book of Hebrew Bible and the second of the former prophets in
Jewish canon of scripture adopted by Early Christian Church as the Old
Testament. It is also considered to be a historical book. The book of Judges is
the story of settlement after Joshua. Israel’s apostasy and failures let to
Yahweh’s chastening. In all this situations, whenever trouble or crises arouse Israel
would appealed to Yahweh and Yahweh would consider them. Yahweh’s mode of
saving his people led to the rise of leader better known as Judges through whom
oppression was thrown off and peace was restored in the land. This is perhaps
the only book in the Old Testament that has a number of women centric
characters. The women in the time of
Judges, what were their roles and status, is what we will discuss in here.
Role of
Women:
The role of women in the book of judges is rich and varied,
particularly when compared to other biblical works. Bledstein has suggested that this whole book
is a satire, written by a woman, an improbable thesis.[1] Other scholars have made
claims about the centrality of women without making the concomitant claims for
wither female authorship, or for historicity Judges, in the belief that it derives
from a period in which women really were powerful. J. Cheryl Exum exclaims that
in the history of civilization women have been marginalized by men and were
denied access to positions of authority and influence.[2] Men had justified their
control over women. Women were often accepted in the marginalized position and
have adapted as well as resisted the limitations of the world where men are in
charge. According to Grenda Lerner
Women’s marginalization is a result of historical process and not something
that is natural.[3] She also points that preservation and
transmission of culture from one generation to another along with building of
civilizations, women have shared equal status with men. Yet women’s concerns
and contributions do not receive equal treatment in the records of history, for
until recently. Besides the writers of history have been men and have recorded
of events that they considered important and have interpreted it from their
point of view. Women have been not only
excluded from historical record but also from the vital process of interpreting
that record, the process of assigning meaning to the past. The creation of
Patriarchy and its subordination of women from early times was a complex
process during the biblical times. Lerner defines “patriarchy” as the
institutionalization of male dominance over women and children in family and in
society.[4] Women when appearing in
the biblical material most of the time were in a subordinated role - usually as
someone’s wife or mother or daughter – for socially women were under the
authority of their fathers before marriage and of their husband after marriage.[5] In the book of judges
itself, individual stories in which women play a role and consider in each case
what androcentric interest of the stories promote. Biblical scholars observe
that the spiral into chaos and the social and religious decline depicted in the
book of Judges directly corresponds to the well-being of its female characters.
The book portrays these female characters both as individuals and in collective
groups, sometimes naming them but often not, and only occasionally giving them
a voice in the narrative. Broadly speaking, when women are named and voiced in
Judges, things are at their best for Israel as a whole, while when women are
voiceless, they are silent victims of male violence, and things are at their
worst for Israel as a whole.
It is difficult to distinguish the role of
women and their status in the society in general because we come across many
female characters that played a vital role in a major and minor way in this
book. In the book of judges we can see that men are warriors and they are
expected to fight and be brave. In male ideology of war was, the winner
destroys his enemies until none are left or he leads away captives humiliated
in defeat. So there arose heroic male warriors. However there were a few women
some with names written and some whose names haven’t been mention have played
an important role in the book as well as in history.
Here
are a few roles that the women during the settlement period played.
1) The Mothers:
· Deborah
As a prophetess, a warrior and many other
suited role she was a mother. Mother of Israel. She considered Israel as her
child. Making Israel very precious and important part of her life.
·
Sisera’s
Mother
Sisera’s mother as mentioned in Judges5:
28-30.Anxious about her son’s wellbeing, but in such an adverse condition
couldn’t do anything to protect him. She desperately desired his success that
she tries to convince herself his delay may be caused by taking and dividing
the spoils of the battle. “Are they not finding and dividing the spoils? A
female, two females for every hero:”
·
Samson’s
Mother
Samson’s mother is considered to be in the
“good women” category. She has an important role because she receives
information from the angel that her barrenness will be turned into a blessing.
As to her will be born a child who would be divine and most powerful man who
would deliver Israel from the Palistines. She is remembered thought her name
isn’t mention as a mother.
·
Micah’s
Mother
Micah’s mother not only didn’t say anything to her son but
she supported and encouraged her son by making a cast of silver that Micah
returned and the silver she had. (200
pieces of silver) Micah also made a shrine an ephod and teraphim and installed
one of his son’s as a priest.[6] The mother support that
made his growth so much. Not an ideal mother but she does play a vital role
when it come to Micah.
2) The Wives:
·
Achsah
The first woman introduced in the book of
Judges is Achsah. In contrast with many of her subsequent female
counterparts, the book of Judges both names and gives a voice to Achsah. After
her father gives her to Othniel as a wife, she returns to him and makes a
demand, saying, "Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of
the Negeb, give me also Gulloth-mayim"[7]. The text reports that her
father grants her request.
·
Deborah
Deborah, the wife of Leppidoth, was born
before the oppression time. She spent her childhood and youth in a village of
Issachar. Her parents had more religious feeling than common people among the
Hebrew of the time. It was new thing in Israel for a woman to speak in the name
of God. We understand that Lepppidoth support his wife as an ideal husband.
·
Jael
Like Deborah and Achsah, the text both
names and gives a voice to Jael the wife of Heber. Jael became the reason for
the victory of Israel.
· Samson’s
Timnah wife
Samson's Wife is also unnamed, the
text identifies her as a Philistine (Judg 14:1–4). She tells the Philistine lords disclosing
Samson’s clue for the riddle, after a lot of nagging. Samson who leaves in
anger, leading the woman's father later to marries her off again. When Samson
returns and discovers that his wife is no longer his, he burns the Philistine
grain fields. In retaliation, the Philistine lords burn the woman and her
father (Judg 15:6). Samson kills many Philistines in
reprisal.
·
The
Levites’ Concubine
The portrayal of women in the book of
Judges culminates in the story of the unnamed woman of Judges 19, who is the
"concubine" of an unnamed Levite. Unlike many of the women who
precede her, the unnamed woman of Judges 19 has no voice she never speaks as
she is a victim of a brutal gang rape by the men of Gibeah and then her
subsequent dismemberment by the Levite into 12 pieces and distributed to tribes
in Israel which led to a rebel against the clan of Benjaminites.
3) The Daughter:
·
Jephthah’s
daughther
Jephthah’s daughter is one of the anonymous
female characters in judges. Here we see a woman having a shocking story where her
father: as a human sacrifice offers her to God in fulfillment of a vow that her
father made to Yahweh for victory over the enemies – the Ammonites. An ideal
obedient daughter, who makes no protest, accepts her fate to which her father’s
vow consigns her with alarming composure. Surrendering her volition Submitting
to the authority of her father entirely. She subordinates hers life to her community
importance, accepting her role as a sacrificial victim so that the sacrifice
might be performed and the vow her father made to Yahweh.[8] The unnamed daughter who
leaves behind no children as a legacy is not forgotten. The memories of her is
kept alive by ritual remembrance of women as she doesn’t protest her fate and
pose no threat to patriarchal authority. ‘It became a custom in Israel that the
daughters of Israel went year by year to commemorate Jephthah the Gileadite’s
daughter, four days each year.[9] Jephthah’s daughter’s name
is not preserved in history because the she is a memorial not for herself but
as a daughter.
4) The Lover
and Seductress:
· Delilah
Delilah, the only named woman in the
stories about Samson. In this well-known story, Samson falls in love with
Delilah, whom the Philistine lords ask to discover the secret of Samson's
strength. Delilah asks Samson three times what makes his strength so great and
how he might be bound in order to subdue him, and he lies three times to her
about the source. After the third time, Delilah says, "How can you say, 'I
love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me three times now
and have not told me what makes your strength so great." [10]The text does not report
Samson's reply, but merely that "finally, after she had nagged him with
her words day and day, he was tired to death. So he told her his whole
secret" [11].
Delilah then tells the Philistine lords what she has learned, sealing Samson's
fate.
5)
The Prophetess
and Judge:
·
Deborah
One of the early judges who was a
charismatic leader of Israel. She was given the title of a “Prophetess”[12] quality of inspiration by
spirit of God. She was able to arouse scattered tribes of Israel to sense unity
and loyalty to Yahweh, early struggles against Canaanites. This sense of
religious unity crucial importance for the establishment and existence of a nation. Deborah could have juggled with job and
family responsibility. She wasn’t the emphasis of this book but her usefulness
mattered to God, to Israel.[13]
She was one of those rare women whose soul
burned with enthusiasm and holy purpose when the hearts of men dejected and
despondent. As a women her work of teachings administrating justice within a
justice circle. A women who was like a queen that reigned with a firm nerve and
clear saga in the land. Even though the women’s voice had struck the deep hole which
was roused a nation of its duty. Such a women in old Hebrew days was Deborah,
the wife of Leppidoth[14] the only women judge and
prophetess.
6) The Warrior
Women:
·
Jael
The Lord would hand Sisera over to a
woman. Which woman? The battle ends with Sisera fleeing on foot; he
finds refuge with Yael, a member of the supposedly friendly Kenite clan. In both
prose and poetic accounts, Jael’s hospitality is replete with sexual
implications: coming out to meet him, inviting him into her tent feeding
and covering him. Jael hammers a tent peg through Sisera’s temple,
bringing the curtain down on this drama.[15]
·
Anonyms
women who wounded Abimelech
Although not a judge Abimelech is
considered to have ruled Israel for three years. He achieved his rule by
through slaughtering fifty of his brothers. However he was fatally wounded by a
woman and later on ordered his armor bearer to slay him than for his fate to be
remarked that a woman killed him. [16]
7)
The Replacement:
When the Levite asks the
Benjamites to turn over the perpetrators, they refuse, so he cuts up the dead
woman into 12 parts and sends her parts to the different tribes and calls the
other tribes to help him and civil war breaks out. The Benjamites are almost
wiped out. The cities, women and children are destroyed and only 600 men
escape. So that the tribe of Benjamin will not become extinct, the other tribes
annihilate the town of Jabesh Gilead, who would not take part in the civil war,
give 400 virgins to the 600 Benjamites and then send the other 200 Benjamites
to Shiloh to kidnap 200 more women dancing in the vineyard during the harvest
celebration.
Conclusion
By taking into consideration the role and status of women
especially in context with Deborah and the book of Judges, they has a special
place in society, in the eyes of men and in the eyes of God. That is why they
were used in many situations to deliver and to save. Though there were many
involved in treachery and sin there were also many who experienced grace and
the power of God. Women in the biblical times were under the control of men – fathers,
husbands, brother and these stories justify and inscribe women’s subordination
to male authority. One of the few roles in which women could achieve statues
was that of a mother. [17]
[1] Marc Zvi Brettler ,The Book Of Judges , (New York; Routledge, 2002) , 106-107.
[2] Gale A. Yee, ed., Judges & Method – New approach in
biblical studies,(Fortress Press Minneapolis ,1995), 65.
[4] Greda Lerner, The Creation of Patriarchy (New York:
Oxford University Press, 1986), 4-5
[5] Gale A. Yee, ed., Judges & Method – New approach in
biblical studies,(Fortress Press Minneapolis ,1995), 66.
[6] Judges 17: 3-5
[7] Judges 1:15
[8] Gale A. Yee, ed., Judges & Method – New approach in
biblical studies,(Fortress Press Minneapolis ,1995), 76.
[9] Judges 11:39-40
[12] Judges 4:4
[13] June Gundane. ed,.Women’s Devotional Bible (Zondervan
Publishing House-Michigan, USA – 1990),246.
[14] Rev. W. Robertson
Nicoll.ed.,The Expositors Bible– Judges
& Ruth. (A.C.Armstrong & Son. N.Y. – 1903), 91-92.
[16] Gale A. Yee, ed., Judges & Method – New approach in
biblical studies,(Fortress Press Minneapolis ,1995), 2.
[17] Gale A. Yee, ed., Judges & Method – New approach in
biblical studies,(Fortress Press Minneapolis ,1995), 27.
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