Shamgar
Shamgar was a minor judge of Israel who rescued the nation from Philistine oppression. He is noted for killing six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, demonstrating God's power through unconventional means. His brief account highlights the recurring cycle of deliverance in the book of Judges.
Biography
- Occupation
- Judge and farmer
- Era
- Period of the Judges
- Nationality
- Israelite
Did You Know?
Shamgar's name likely derives from Shimigar, a deity in the Hurrian pantheon, hinting that he may have been a non-Israelite leader who delivered the Israelite tribes during the judges era.
His father Anath shares a name with the Canaanite goddess of war, suggesting possible cultural intermingling or syncretism in the tribal period before the monarchy.
Shamgar is uniquely credited in Judges 3:31 with defeating six hundred Philistines using an ox goad, a pointed farming implement roughly eight feet long tipped with metal, rather than conventional weapons.
The Song of Deborah in Judges 5:6 notes that village life ceased and travelers took roundabout paths during Shamgar's time, illustrating the severe Philistine control over roads and trade routes.
Shamgar stands out as the only judge explicitly tied to Philistine conflict before the rise of Samson, and his single-verse mention underscores the book of Judges' pattern of brief, unconventional deliverers arising from rural backgrounds.
Key Passages
Shamgar slays the Philistines
Judges 3:31
Shamgar delivers Israel by slaying six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.
31nd after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
Mention in Deborah's song
Judges 5:6
Shamgar's era is referenced as a time when the highways were unsafe due to enemy oppression.
6n the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.