When you hear “women in the Bible,” what comes to mind?
What gender roles and/or patterns have you noticed in other biblical stories you’ve interacted with in the past?
What questions came up for you while reading Judges 4-5? Did anything surprise you?
What differences and/or similarities did you notice between the stories told in chapter 4 vs chapter 5?
Who are the heroes in this story? Who are the villains?
Questions for Discussion:
Did this video discussion help clarify any of the questions that came up for you while reading? What did you learn?
The Song of Deborah may be one of the oldest texts in the biblical canon [03:05]. What, if anything, might that indicate about how various interpretations and portrayals of gender in the Bible have changed over time?
How does violence show up in this story? Is it the same or different compared to the way violence shows up in Joshua?
Do you see Jael’s heroism in this story as empowering or problematic (or both/neither/other)? Explain your answer.