The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.
When God raised up Deborah, Israel’s fortunes changed dramatically. Deborah saw herself as merely a mother in Israel, not a great warrior or even a prophetess, though she filled both of those roles. A mother is an unlikely leader of a successful revolutionary war. Yet God used Deborah to give new life to Israel and to nurture the conditions that would sustain her life. "Mother in Israel" also reflects the honor and gratitude that the people extended to Deborah.