Posted on 4 Comments

Shamgar, Judge

The name Shamgar is of Hebrew origin, which means “sword”. It is also the name mentioned twice in the Book of Judges. For instance, in Judges 3:31 of the New International Version Bible, it was indicated that Shamgar was the son of Anath. He was also the same man who successfully struck down and defeated 600 Philistines using an ox goad as a weapon. Moreover, this man handled saving Israel at one point in his life. He can be found on the Biblical Timeline starting at 1354 BC.

[This article continues after a message from the authors]
These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline
Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Togetherbible timeline

Unique Circular Format – see more in less space.
Learn facts that you can’t learn just from reading the Bible
Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church …

Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! >

In the Bible

Judge Shamgar, in the Book of Judges, was a great man who was able to drive away the Philistines and prevent them from invading the Israelite regions. Using an ox goad, he was able to slaughter 600 foreign invaders in the region. Another occasion where Shamgar was mentioned was in the Song of Deborah. In the scriptures, this man was presented as one of the previous rulers of the land. He ruled at a time where the roads in his land were abandoned, and there was barely any progress in the village life.

shamgar
He was able to slaughter 600 foreign invaders in the region

In the first accounts on Shamgar, there was no introduction given nor any conclusion and reference to the period that he ruled the land. There were also a few other ancient manuscripts were brief narrations on the life of Shamgar were presented after the story of Samson instead of being mentioned right after the narrative on Ehud. According to scholars, this is a more logical and more original location of Shamgar’s story in the scriptures.

Who is Shamgar?

The brave acts of Shamgar as presented in the scriptures had some similarities to what Shammah did, the courageous son of Agee. In the books of Samuel, Shammah was presented as “one of the Three”, which was a group of warriors during the time of King David. Based on scholars, the similar person was presented in this part of the Bible, and that the text was only moved from the Book of Judges and into the current location in the Song of Deborah.

There were also claims among scholars that the person was originally Shammah, yet he was only influenced by the man named Shamgar in the accounts presented in the Song of Deborah. Furthermore, in another instance that Shamgar was mentioned in the Bible, this associated the man with the collapse and difficulty in the life of the Israelites. Hence, there were speculations by scholars that Shamgar was a foreigner who handled the low period of the Israelites instead of being a great ruler.

It is also worth noting that Shamgar was believed to be a Hittite, and that his name might be similar to the one who was associated with Sangara, who was the Hittite ruler of Carchemish. Other accounts on Shamgar pointed out that the terms “son of Anath”, which was often linked with his name, was only a royal title. Some scholars also assume that he may also be Sisera’s father. However, further studies need to be carried out to determine the actual roles of this person in the scriptures.

These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline with World History. Quickly See Over 6000 Years of Bible and World History Togetherbible timeline
  • Unique circular format - over 1,000 references at your fingertips on this wonderful study companion
  • Discover interesting facts - Biblical events with scripture references plotted alongside world history showcase fun chronological relationships
  • Attractive, easy to use design - People will stop to look at and talk about this beautifully laid out Jesus history timeline poster ideal for your home, office, church ...
  • Click here to find out more about this unique and fun Bible study tool!

Gift yourself, your family and Bible studying friends this amazing study companion for an exciting journey of discovery.

4 thoughts on “Shamgar, Judge

  1. I want to know the specific thing that kills SHAMGAR

  2. I learned quite a bit about this man,[judge Shamgar] I never realized that when I started this message, that I could actually make a three point message out of. It touched my heart. What Shamgar taught me was unreal.
    1.Start where you are
    2.Use what you have
    3.Do what you can

    1. Very good points

  3. What scripture showing the timespan of Shamgar’s reign?

Leave a Reply to Dee Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *