Studying Heavenly Mother’s Traits through Women from the Scriptures: Deborah and Jael

Deborah prophesied.

Jael fulfilled the prophecy.

With this week’s Come Follow Me lesson covering Judges chapter 4, we have the opportunity to study and then discuss Deborah and Jael in Sunday School and amongst friends and/or family members. We invite you to take this opportunity to use the examples of these two powerful scriptural figures to help people see how women can be authoritative leaders who use their agency in meaningful ways, which in turn can prepare them to understand the importance of Heavenly Mother. Additionally, by studying the exemplary traits these women possess, we can begin to identify traits of our Heavenly Mother, for She as a divine being possesses on a perfect level the outstanding capabilities that Deborah and Jael demonstrate on a mortal level.

Looking for resources to dive into your study of Deborah and Jael? Scroll down.

For Kids

• Girls Who Choose God: Stories of Courageous Women from the Bible by McArthur Krishna and Bethany Brady Spalding with illustrations by Kathleen Peterson. (Hardback and e-copies are available. Sold by Deseret Book.)
• The story of Deborah (includes mention of Jael) – From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: video and short story with illustrations. Free to access and download.

For Adults

Introductory Resources

• “Theology and Testimony: Women of the Bible – Miriam and Deborah.” From the Relief Society Magazine (Official Publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1916)  Starts on page 227. Free to access and download.
• “Scriptural Giants: Deborah the Prophetess” written by Lawrence Cummins – This article re-tells the story found in Judges 4. Free to access and download.
• Lesson Plan – Come Follow Me: Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16 “The Lord Raised Up a Deliverer” written by April Young-Bennett. Free to access and download.
• Women of the Old Testament written by Camille Fronk Olson, with artwork by Elspeth Young – This book, sold by Deseret Book, contains 20 pages of content on Deborah, as well as more information on the other prophetesses of the Bible. It provides background context of the time and place of the story as well as information about the scriptural text. At the time of this post, the ebook is on sale, though the hardcover is out of stock on Deseret Book’s website.
• Walking with the Women of the Old Testament by Heather Farrell with artwork by Mandy Jane Williams – This book, also sold by Deseret Book, discusses both Deborah and, more briefly, Jael. It directly invites the reader to connect these women and others found throughout the Old Testament to efforts to seek the Divine Feminine/Heavenly Mother. Although a bit expensive to purchase in hardcover format, the ebook format is much cheaper.

In-Depth Approaches to the Study of Deborah And Jael

• “The Struggle for Female Authority in Biblical and Mormon Theology” by Cory Crawford – This resource discusses scriptural women and spiritual authority, offering fascinating insights into a variety of women, including Jael (pgs. 21-22) and Deborah (pgs. 25-26, but also throughout the document). Free to access and download.
• Deborah’s Daughters: Gender politics and Biblical Interpretation by Joy A Schroeder – This book explores how the story of the Deborah (and Jael) has been told and interpreted at various points in history and by different groups. It is quite expensive, so this link will take you to a resource that will hopefully help you find it in a library. It is an excellent book that shows how various influences can shape how the story is read.