The enemy at the gates comes because Israel is unprepared militarily, but also because it has forgotten that the land is a gift from God. Deborah acts as a spur to the new men of Israel, to become willing warriors again and to defend older values. She is a mother of the new Israel, giving birth to a new era. Deborah's expression of her mission evolves as a poem of praise to the Lord, in which she uses both her own femininity and righteousness as a rallying point and call to arms. According to Deborah, the men of Israel have refused their obligation, not raising a shield of defense or a spear of attack when their city gates are threatened....

But hope is still offered, as Deborah, as a mother of Israel, can give birth to the nation's full potential, provided that Israel's princes follow her heart. Interestingly, Deborah does not appeal to her countrymen as a 'weak' woman but as someone who derives strength from her position as a spiritual mother of Israel.
Works Cited

Judges." New International Version. 2007. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judg%205:2-5:31&version=31;

Keathley, Hampton. "The Role of Women in the Book of Judges." Bible.org. 2007.

25 Sept 2007. http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1481