Shamgar, son of Anath from Levi, named in the Book of Judges. When Israel was in a most depressed condition, Shamgar was raised up to be a deliverer and described as having been one of the prior rulers, in whose days roads were abandoned, with travelers taking winding paths, and village life collapsing. Shamgar preceded the time of Deborah (Jdg 5:6,7) and followed those of Ehud, Israel’s subjugation was so complete that “the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.” The government had become thoroughly disorganized, and as in the days of Deborah, the people were entirely unprepared for war.

This is the first mention of the Philistines as troublesome neighbours of the Israelites (Jdg 3:31). Shamgar’s improvised weapon with which he helped to “save Israel” is spoken of as an oxgoad. With no arms in his hand but an ox-goad, Shamgar repelled Philistine incursions into Israelite regions and smote 600 of the invaders with an ox goad, which was used to guide oxen or defend oneself from an oxen in rage; hence the reference to it being a formidable weapon sometimes ten feet long (B.C. about 1290.) However, it is well known that the warriors of Israel were masters of a Divinely unique method of martial arts, whereby they were capable of defeating large numbers of their enemies. The military prowess of the ancient Israelite warriors is known to some as being Abir  warrior fighting arts. Abir is a Hebrew word meaning powerful, a warlord, palace guard, protector of royalty, warrior, bodyguard, or a defender and to soar above protectively. The history of these ancient Israel fighting techniques, included both hand to hand and also weaponries in nature.

According to a tradition represented in Josephus (Ant., V, iv, 3), Shamgar died in the year he became judge. Unlike the descriptions of other Biblical Judges, the first reference to Shamgar has no introduction, conclusion, or reference to the length of reign, and the subsequent text follows on directly from the previous narrative. In several ancient manuscripts this reference to Shamgar occurs after the accounts of Samson rather than immediately after the account of Ehud, in a way that is more narrative consistent; scholars believe that this latter position is more likely to be the passage’s original location.