Deborah's Song of Praise

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

This is one of about 230 full-page plates Doré designed for the French Bible of 1866. The wood engravings were printed again and again, and soon appeared in Bibles in many languages.

Deborah sits on a stone step before a huge pale wall, one arm raised high, a hand on her breast, strings of beads hanging from her headdress. The bright wall sets her off like a figure of light, while the listeners on both sides — bearded elders, a young man in a torn tunic — stay in shadow.

From the text

“On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song” (Judges 5:1)

“Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes!” (Judges 5:3)

“I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel” (Judges 5:3)

The artist’s own

Deborah sings alone — the text says she sang with Barak

The song set on the steps of a town square, with listeners gathered around

Heavy beads, bracelets and a flowing veil

Details

Deborah

She sits on the step in a long robe, singing with her arm raised.

The raised hand

Her hand points upward against the bright wall.

The elders

Bearded men in turbans listen from the shadow of a doorway.

A young listener

A man in a ragged tunic leans on the step and turns to look.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 1, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1873 (acc. 75.267 A), tabl. 53 · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.