Shamgar

Shamgar, son of Anath was a judge in Israel, being a hero after Ehud and before Deborah's defeat of Sisera, though probably a contemporary. He killed six-hundred Philistines with an ox goad and was known to have rescued Israel.

During Shamgar's times, highways were relatively abandoned in Israel due to the threat of many hostile peoples. After Deborah's defeat of Jabin's forces, she recounts in her victory song how the highways were abandoned in the days of Shamgar, but would be free for travel due to her military victory. Deborah mentions the highways being abandoned in the day of Shamgar in parallel with the days of Jael, possibly making Shamgar a contemporary. Other than that, no other details of Shamgar's life are mentioned. Given he had no mention in the historical documentation of Deborah's leadership in Israel, Shamgar was not a prominent judge.

It is possible Shamgar's defeat of the Philistines is alluded to by God as a testament of his deliverance shortly before the days of Jephthah.

Verses
__INDEX__