Shamgar

The son of Anath, otherwise unknown. The Philistines from the maritime plain had made incursions into the Hebrew upland for the purposes of plunder, when Shamgar headed a rising for the purpose of freeing the land from this oppression. He repelled the invasion, slaying 600 men with an "ox goad." The goad was a formidable pointed instrument, sometimes ten feet long. He was probably contemporary for a time with Deborah and Barak.

Shamgar is the third judge listed in the Book of Judges. The duration of his reign is not known.

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References

Sources

  • Easton, M.G. (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.
  • Judg. 3:31; 5.

This article incorporates text from Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) by M.G. Easton, which is in the public domain.