Devorah and Barak's Battle in Prose and Poetry/0/en

Devorah's Battle in Prose and Poetry

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Introduction

The tale of Devorah and Barak's clash with the Canaanite forces bears the distinction of being the only battle in the entire book of Judges described in both prose (Shofetim 4) and poetry (Shofetim 5). The two accounts share much in common and clearly tell the same overall story, though each contains certain details missing in the other.  Alongside these small differences, however, there are also several cases in which the lyrical account diverges significantly from the original narrative, appearing to even contradict it.

Points of Contrast

• Praise of Hashem
• Israelite leadership
• Participating tribes
• Number of soldiers
• Enemy forces
• Location of the battle
• Sisera's mother