1. Judges 4:5 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

For what kind of judgment were the Israelites coming to Deborah?

Judges 4:5 (ESV)

5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Literally, the text says that Israel came to her for the judgment. This reading suggests that in their state of national crisis, Israel had a particular issue in mind, rather than a series of cases. That is, in this time of national crisis, they came to Deborah as prophetess for the judgment which she as prophetess could give, namely the judgment of God with respect to his answer and re­sponse to their cry for help.1