The King James version of the Bible was officially established back in 1611, and ever since then it’s been called the ‘official’ version.
According to this version, several wise women preachers have crossed paths with Jesus Christ, many of whom were very important for Jesus’ teaching later on.
Who was the first female preacher in the KJV Bible?
The first female preacher or prophetess in the Bible to declare God’s counsel to her people was Deborah, wife of Lappidoth (Judges 4:4-5).
Deborah is one of the main judges (i.e., reputable military leaders, rather than legal figures) in the Book of Judges story about how Israel took over the land of Canaan.
There is no extra-biblical evidence for the conquest or other events of the Judge, so we would be wrong to assume that Deborah was a historical figure.
However, she is a key literary figure with an afterlife rich in Jewish interpretation.
Deborah is portrayed in the language of motherhood, despite the lack of children in her story, as a way to make her less threatening.
A respected judicial-political authority, Deborah’s partner is Abel’s midwife, who spoke and saved the city of Abel.
Deborah is one of the most influential women in the Bible.
She is known for her wisdom and courage.
As a prophet, Judge Deborah was supposed to hear God’s voice and share God’s Word with others.
As a priestess, she did not offer Mass like a man, but she conducted worship services and preached.
Deborah is the first female person in the Bible who preached Jesus’ teachings, such as the following:
If God tells you to do something or go somewhere, despite your fears, listen to His call, because He has plans that we cannot begin to understand, hearts and lives that can be changed by our obedience.
Why is the first female preacher Deborah important in the Bible?
As the only female judge, the only person to be called a prophet, and the only one described as performing a judicial function, Deborah was a decisive figure in the defeat of the Canaanites.
Deborah is referred to, or calls herself, a “mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7).
Namely, the people of Israel were oppressed for 20 years by King Jabin of Canaan, whose capital was Hazor.
Annoyed by the pitiable state of Israel, Deborah sent a message to Abinoam’s son Barak at Kedesh in Naphtali, telling him that the Lord God should gather ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun and concentrate them on Mount Tabor.
At the same time, she declares that the Lord, the God of Israel, will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to the river Kishon.
Barak refuses to go without a prophet. Deborah agrees, but explains that the glory of victory belongs to women.
As soon as news of the rebellion reached Sisera, he gathered 900 iron chariots and a large crowd.
As predicted by Deborah, a battle (led by Barak) is fought and Sisera is utterly defeated.
He flees on foot while his army is pursued and destroyed all the way to Haroches Hagoyim.
Sisera came to Jael’s tent and lay down to rest.
He asks for a drink, she gives him milk, and while he sleeps, she drives tent pins into his temples.
Deborah’s biblical account ends by saying that there was peace on earth for 40 years after the war (Judges 5:31).
Was prophetess Miriam the first female preacher in the Bible?
While Miriam is the first female preacher in many of the Bible’s public versions, this is not the case with the official King James Version (KJV).
Nevertheless, her acts and preaching were almost just as important as Deborah’s.
She was the sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.
In Exodus 15:20, Miriam led the women in singing praises after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.
From Exodus 2:1 she finds in verse 2 that Miriam was a prophetess and she led a rebellion against Pharaoh’s decree that all Hebrew boys should be drowned.
She would go out and gather groups of women and help lead the way by singing and dancing with joy when the news was announced.
This makes her an important figure for many reasons, including her gender, but also because she was one of God’s first champions of justice and freedom for his people.
Who was the first female preacher in the New Testament of the Bible (KJV)?
We find the first woman to preach the New Testament to serve the consecration of the Child Jesus, the prophetess Anne, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who never left the temple courtyard but day and night. She spoke of Jesus to all who were seeking the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:36-38 goes: “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity”.
Anna is mentioned in the Bible as a prophetess and one of Jesus’ childhood contacts.
She is the daughter of Penuel of the Asher tribe.