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

Devorah's Battle in Prose and Poetry

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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).  Though the two accounts share much in common and clearly tell the same overall story, in several instances the lyrical retelling diverges significantly from the original narrative.  In fact, the two accounts appear incongruous regarding almost every defining element of the battle!

Points of Contrast

• Praise of Hashem –
• Israelite leadership – While Chapter 4 emphasizes the military leadership of Barak, having Devroah to fade into the background Chapter 5 features Devorah more prominently.
• Participating tribes
• Number of soldiers
• Enemy forces
• Location of the battle
• Sisera's mother