Judg 3:31 | KingComments | STEP | Only one verse is dedicated to a victory over the Philistines by a certain Shamgar. His name means ‘foreigner’ or ‘resident’. The name is not Jewish. This seems to indicate that Shamgar comes from the nations. He is the son of Anath, which means ‘answer’. His weapon, “an oxgoad”, also speaks of the Word, but then as the world looks at it. For the world, the Word is without any visible value. Shamgar is apparently a farmer, a simple person, someone who may not even be able to pronounce words well (cf. ). Possibly he is uneducated ( ). He has, to put it in today’s language, no knowledge of the source text and he has not had a high level of education. The Philistine people are an enemy in the land. They populate a small strip of land on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. They claim the land for themselves and even seal it by attaching their name to it. In the word ‘Palestine’ the name ‘Philistines’ can be heard. But Shamgar is taught by God. In this way he knows the distinction between a member of God’s people and an enemy of it, even though that enemy also speaks the same language as God’s people. He knows ‘his Bible’ and knows how to use it. Shamgar’s oxgoad never fails when he uses it for his oxen. He can trust its operation. He keeps his oxen on the path he wants them to take. From experience we know that we can trust in God’s Word. It never let us down. The enemy cannot stand up to such a testimony. Like the unbeliever who mockingly said to a preacher that he could not believe that the Lord Jesus had changed water into wine. That preacher invited him to his house. There he would show him an even greater miracle: how beer had turned into household goods. He used to be a drunkard, but God’s Word had healed him. Then he started spending his money in another way. We can learn a number of things from this one verse and make applications: 1. Only in Judges 4 we do read that Ehud, the previous judge, died ( ). It seems that Shamgar was a contemporary of Ehud. After Ehud’s victory, not after his death, Shamgar followed the same path of faith. He is a fellow deliverer. In this way we can achieve victories together, each on our territory, for the benefit of all the people. 2. As said, his name means ‘stranger’. The awareness that our own home is heaven and that only there is rest there for the Christian, makes us fit to overcome the enemy. 3. Anath, which means ‘answer’, evokes the thought that Shamgar’s performance is an answer to Israel’s ‘calling’. 4. This enemy is in the land, unlike Moab, the previous enemy, who comes from outside the land. Philistine means ‘wanderer’. This resembles ‘stranger’. The difference is that a wanderer does not have his own place of residence, while a stranger does. 5. The number six hundred also has something to tell us. Besides names, numbers in the Bible also have their meaning. The number six speaks of man created on the sixth day. Examples we have with the image of Nebuchadnezzar ( ) and the number of the beast ( ). Six lacks one to be seven; the latter represents completeness. Shamgar’s victory is not a total victory. 6. The oxgoad is used to keep the oxen in the right track. It is a stick with sharp points. If an ox deviates, it is corrected with that stick. This is a beautiful picture of what God’s Word does in our lives. We often learn to apply the Word in our lives because others tell us something from it. “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of [these] collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd” ( ). Such words let the pilgrim walk in the right direction instead of “to kick against the goads” ( ). 7. “He also saved Israel.” We can emphasize the word ‘also’. It indicates that he, like his predecessors Othniël and Ehud, has redeemed Israel from a precarious position. This has given them back their freedom. Othniel is a soldier, Ehud a diplomat and Shamgar an oxherd. God has been able to use them all because they have made themselves available to Him out of love for His people.

‏ Judges 3:31

Shamgar

Only one verse is dedicated to a victory over the Philistines by a certain Shamgar. His name means ‘foreigner’ or ‘resident’. The name is not Jewish. This seems to indicate that Shamgar comes from the nations. He is the son of Anath, which means ‘answer’. His weapon, “an oxgoad”, also speaks of the Word, but then as the world looks at it. For the world, the Word is without any visible value.

Shamgar is apparently a farmer, a simple person, someone who may not even be able to pronounce words well (cf. 1Cor 1:26-29). Possibly he is uneducated (Acts 4:13). He has, to put it in today’s language, no knowledge of the source text and he has not had a high level of education.

The Philistine people are an enemy in the land. They populate a small strip of land on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. They claim the land for themselves and even seal it by attaching their name to it. In the word ‘Palestine’ the name ‘Philistines’ can be heard.

But Shamgar is taught by God. In this way he knows the distinction between a member of God’s people and an enemy of it, even though that enemy also speaks the same language as God’s people. He knows ‘his Bible’ and knows how to use it. Shamgar’s oxgoad never fails when he uses it for his oxen. He can trust its operation. He keeps his oxen on the path he wants them to take. From experience we know that we can trust in God’s Word. It never let us down.

The enemy cannot stand up to such a testimony. Like the unbeliever who mockingly said to a preacher that he could not believe that the Lord Jesus had changed water into wine. That preacher invited him to his house. There he would show him an even greater miracle: how beer had turned into household goods. He used to be a drunkard, but God’s Word had healed him. Then he started spending his money in another way.

We can learn a number of things from this one verse and make applications:

1. Only in Judges 4 we do read that Ehud, the previous judge, died (Jdg 4:1). It seems that Shamgar was a contemporary of Ehud. After Ehud’s victory, not after his death, Shamgar followed the same path of faith. He is a fellow deliverer. In this way we can achieve victories together, each on our territory, for the benefit of all the people.

2. As said, his name means ‘stranger’. The awareness that our own home is heaven and that only there is rest there for the Christian, makes us fit to overcome the enemy.

3. Anath, which means ‘answer’, evokes the thought that Shamgar’s performance is an answer to Israel’s ‘calling’.

4. This enemy is in the land, unlike Moab, the previous enemy, who comes from outside the land. Philistine means ‘wanderer’. This resembles ‘stranger’. The difference is that a wanderer does not have his own place of residence, while a stranger does.

5. The number six hundred also has something to tell us. Besides names, numbers in the Bible also have their meaning. The number six speaks of man created on the sixth day. Examples we have with the image of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:1) and the number of the beast (Rev 13:18). Six lacks one to be seven; the latter represents completeness. Shamgar’s victory is not a total victory.

6. The oxgoad is used to keep the oxen in the right track. It is a stick with sharp points. If an ox deviates, it is corrected with that stick. This is a beautiful picture of what God’s Word does in our lives. We often learn to apply the Word in our lives because others tell us something from it. “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of [these] collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd” (Ecc 12:11). Such words let the pilgrim walk in the right direction instead of “to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).

7. “He also saved Israel.” We can emphasize the word ‘also’. It indicates that he, like his predecessors Othniël and Ehud, has redeemed Israel from a precarious position. This has given them back their freedom.

Othniel is a soldier, Ehud a diplomat and Shamgar an oxherd. God has been able to use them all because they have made themselves available to Him out of love for His people.