What does Judges 4:9 mean?

Deborah, the prophetess and judge of Israel (Judges 4:4–5) has delivered a command from God to a man called Barak (Judges 4:6–7). Barak is to gather a large army and meet the Canaanite forces at a particular spot. The Lord has assured Barak of success. Barak, rather than acting immediately, has hesitated to accept the mission. He will only do so if Deborah will come with him (Judges 4:8). Barak's faith in God's promise seems weak, yet his faith in Deborah's influence seems strong. It may be Barak is convinced God would not allow Israel to lose the battle if Deborah were there in person.

Although Deborah agrees to come, she also chides Barak for asking her to do so. In a sense, she challenges Barak's manhood. She prophesies that his chosen approach—"the road on which you are going"—will mean glory for the victory will go to a woman. Modern readers can easily miss the magnitude of such a statement. In that society, women were not considered fighters, nor often accepted as leaders. Deborah is already an exception to her culture. For military victory to be credited to a woman would have been both unexpected and slightly embarrassing.

This prophecy certainly means Barak will get little or no glory for the victory. At first, it seems Deborah is suggesting that she will be the gloried one. To some extent, this is true. However, the full story of the battle against Sisera reveals another woman's impact on the victory. What follows becomes evidence that Deborah spoke the very words of God in this verse.

Deborah and Barak then set out for Kedesh, Barak's hometown in the territory of Naphtali. They begin recruiting their army of fighters from among the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. A sidenote given in verse 11 notes a particular Kenite living near there—his importance to the story only becomes clear later in the passage (Judges 4:11).