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The Prophet's Anthem: The Song of Deborah and Barak in the Narrative of Judges
Within the chaotic world narrated in the book of Judges, the prophet Deborah spoke under the authority of Israel’s God, interpreting an important battle and calling fellow Israelites to faithfulness. The Song of Deborah is a remarkable and challenging text, given its rare vocabulary, unique poetic structure, and opaque compositional history. Even more noteworthy is its placement within the narrative of the book of Judges. In light of studies that demonstrate the interpretive significance of songs embedded in narratives, the inclusion of Deborah’s song within Judges suggests it serves a strategic function within that larger literary complex.
In The Prophet's Anthem, Michelle Knight explores the effect of Deborah’s song being included at this juncture of one of the most fascinating and troubling narratives in the canon. While many previous analyses of Deborah’s song focus primarily on its immediate context--Judges 4--Knight uses a literary approach that attends to the song’s effect on the entire narrative. The song’s prophetic association underscores the importance of knowledge and revelation in the book of Judges, especially for a generation who "knew neither YHWH nor the deeds he had done for Israel" (2:10).
Drawing on over a century’s worth of concentrated critical research on the song, The Prophet’s Anthem combines poetic analysis and narrative criticism to yield fresh thematic and structural insights for reading the entire Judges narrative. With their attention keenly trained on Deborah’s words, readers will be better equipped to hear the book of Judges in a new register.
In The Prophet's Anthem, Michelle Knight explores the effect of Deborah’s song being included at this juncture of one of the most fascinating and troubling narratives in the canon. While many previous analyses of Deborah’s song focus primarily on its immediate context--Judges 4--Knight uses a literary approach that attends to the song’s effect on the entire narrative. The song’s prophetic association underscores the importance of knowledge and revelation in the book of Judges, especially for a generation who "knew neither YHWH nor the deeds he had done for Israel" (2:10).
Drawing on over a century’s worth of concentrated critical research on the song, The Prophet’s Anthem combines poetic analysis and narrative criticism to yield fresh thematic and structural insights for reading the entire Judges narrative. With their attention keenly trained on Deborah’s words, readers will be better equipped to hear the book of Judges in a new register.
207 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2025
Review forthcoming in the Canadian-American Theological Review
April 21, 2025
Review forthcoming. This book was not an easy read. But Michelle Knight argues that the Song of Deborah plays a programmatic role within the book, separating stories that illustrate Yahweh’s great strength seen through weak vessels (Judg 3–5) from stories that the song actually evaluates. How does Israel respond when left in the midst of enemy nations and cultures? Will they stay faithful and worship Yahweh for his goodness to them, and will they fight against the nations to gain the land God gave them? Or will they instead worship the foreign gods and forget all about Yahweh until they can’t stand their suffering? Knight shows how Judges 5 is a chapter that ought not be skipped.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews