Shamgar | |
|---|---|
 Medieval depiction of Shamgar | |
| Nationality | Unclear; possibly Israelite, Canaanite, or both |
| Predecessor | Ehud? |
| Successor | Deborah? |
Shamgar, son of Anath (Hebrew:שַׁמְגַּרŠamgar), is the name of one or possibly two individuals named in theBook of Judges. The name occurs twice:
Unlike the descriptions of Biblical Judges, the first reference to Shamgar has no introduction, conclusion, or reference to the length of reign,[3] and it is not said that he judged Israel.[4] The subsequent text[5] follows on directly from the previous narrative.[6] In several ancient manuscripts this reference to Shamgar occurs after the accounts ofSamson rather than immediately after the account ofEhud, in a way that is more narratively consistent; some scholars believe that this latter position is more likely to be the passage's original location.[6][3]
| Judges in the Hebrew Bible שופטים |
|---|
| Italics indicate individuals not explicitly described as judges |
| Book of Exodus |
| Book of Joshua |
| Book of Judges |
| First Book of Samuel |
The act of this Shamgar is similar to that ofShammah, son of Agee, mentioned in theappendix of theBooks of Samuel as being one ofThe Three, a distinct group of warriors associated withKing David.[7] Scholars are not certain as to whether the same individual was originally meant, and that the passage in the book of Judges was later moved to its present location, or whether each of the two figures were different heroes.[7] Scholars also believe that the name of the individual may originally have beenShammah, and became corrupted under the influence of theShamgar in the Song of Deborah.[6] The term usually translated asoxgoad is a biblicalhapax legomenon,[3] the translation into English being made on the basis of theSeptuagint's translation into Greek.
The other mention of Shamgar, that in the Song of Deborah, connects Shamgar with a low period of Israelite society.
The Jewish Encyclopedia suspects him of having been a foreign oppressor of the Israelites, rather than an Israelite ruler.[6] From the form of the name, it is suspected that Shamgar may actually have been aHittite, a similar name occurring withSangara, a Hittite king ofCarchemish; more recent scholars hold that the name is ofHurrian origin and may well beŠimig-ari.[8]
The Bible also indicates that he was the "son" ofAnath (the name of aCanaanite deity). In recent years, arrowheads bearing the namesben-anat and Aramaicbar anat, dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BC, have been discovered.[9] This has led several recent scholars to theorize that the expression "son of Anath" probably designates awarrior title.[10]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Emil G. Hirsch,George A. Barton (1901–1906)."Shamgar". InSinger, Isidore; et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Media related toShamgar at Wikimedia Commons| Preceded by | Judge of Israel | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
