Does a Prophetess Exercise a Headship Role?
Deborah is the author’s major example to support his contention that women served in headship roles over men in the Old Testament covenant community. He writes, “I note particularly the leadership role of Deborah the prophetess and judge (Judges 4-5). Deborah clearly exercised headship functions over men as the recognized political leader of the nation, the military leader of Israel on an equal footing with the male general Barak, and a judge to whom men and women turned for legal counsel and divine instruction. There is no indication in the text that such female leadership over men in the covenant community was looked upon as unusual or was opposed to the divine will for women.” 44 In examining Deborah’s role in ancient Israel, we first note that she is introduced to us in Scripture as a “prophetess” who judged the people under a palm tree and not as a military leader. “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of
