A Woman Rises Up

Ερώτησις. ΙΒ' Τί δήποτε γυνὴ προφητευει; Ἐπειδὴ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν μία ἡ φήσις. Ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἡ γυνὴ δυεπλάσθη, καὶ λόγου μετείληχεν ὡς ἐκεῖνος. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Απόστολός φησιν, Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἔνι ἄῥῥεν καὶ θῆλεν. Οῦτω καὶ Μωσῆς προφήτης, καὶ Μαριὰμ προφῆτις. Οἴμαι δὲ καὶ τὴν Δεββώραν εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν τότε ἀνδρῶν τῆς προφητείας ἀξιωθῆναι. Οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἐξ ἐκείνων εὐρεθέντος ἀξίου τῆς χάριτος, αὕτη τῆς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος τετύχηκε δωρεᾶς· καὶ οὕτω δήλη ἧν, ὅτι τῆς ἄμωθεν ἡξίωτο χάριτος, ὡς τὸν βαρὰκ μὴ τολμῆσαι δίχα ταύτης εἰς τὴν παράταξιν ἐξελθεῖν· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ αὐτῆς ἔφη· Ἐξέλιπον οἱ κρατοῦντες ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ἕως οὕ ἐξανέστη Δεββώρα μήτηρ ἐν Ἰσραήλ. Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Εἰς Τους Κριτάς Source: Migne PG 80.497c-500a

Question 12 Why was it that a woman made prophecy? Because there is one nature of men and women. For from Adam the woman was formed and was made a participant in reason, as even he was. Thus the Apostle says, 'In Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female.' 1 So Moses was a prophet and Miriam a prophetess. And I think that Deborah was given the gift of prophecy to shame men. For when among men none could be found worthy to receive the grace, so she was endowed with this gift by the Holy Spirit. And so clearly was she in receipt of the supernal grace that Barac would not dare go to the mountain without her, whence she sings concerning herself: 'Israel was bereft of mighty men, until Deborah rose up, a mother in Israel.' 2 Theodoret of Cyrrhus, from Questions On Judges 1 Galat 3.28 2 Judges 5.7