
The Prophet's Anthem
The Song of Deborah and Barak in the Narrative of Judges
Michelle Knight(Author)
Baylor University Press
Published on 30. November 2024
Book
Hardback
277 pages
978-1-4813-2159-4 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Waco
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4813-2159-4 (9781481321594)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2024
Baylor University Press
€63.49
Available for download
Person
Michelle Knight is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Content
Introduction
1 Judges 5 in Form and Content
2 Judges 5 in Its Narrative Cycle
3 Characterization in the Song and the Savior Stories
4 Plot and Themes in the Song and the Savior Stories
5 The Narrative Function of the Song of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges
1 Judges 5 in Form and Content
2 Judges 5 in Its Narrative Cycle
3 Characterization in the Song and the Savior Stories
4 Plot and Themes in the Song and the Savior Stories
5 The Narrative Function of the Song of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges