What is the meaning of Judges 3:31? After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath • Scripture places Shamgar immediately after Ehud’s eighty-year period of peace (Judges 3:30). • “After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD” (Judges 4:1). God responds by raising another deliverer, demonstrating His ongoing patience. • Shamgar’s appearance is also mentioned in the Song of Deborah: “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath… the roads were deserted” (Judges 5:6). That note hints at social instability, showing the need for someone courageous to step forward. And he too saved Israel • Judges regularly highlights that salvation comes through individuals God appoints: “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them” (Judges 2:16). • Shamgar’s salvation is part of a pattern: “Then the LORD sent Jerub-baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you” (1 Samuel 12:11). Each deliverer points to God’s faithfulness rather than personal glory. • The brevity of Shamgar’s story underscores that God’s rescuing acts do not require lengthy biographies; His power shines even in a single verse. striking down six hundred Philistines • Six hundred enemy warriors fell—an extraordinary victory echoing other Spirit-empowered feats: – Samson “struck down a thousand men” (Judges 15:15). – One of David’s mighty men “killed eight hundred men with his spear at one time” (2 Samuel 23:8). • The Philistines were a persistent threat long before the days of Saul and David (Judges 10:6). Shamgar’s blow temporarily checked their advance and reminded Israel that God could still protect them despite their recurring lapses. with an oxgoad • An oxgoad is a long wooden stick tipped with iron, used to prod cattle—hardly standard military gear. • God delights in confounding expectations: – Samson used “the fresh jawbone of a donkey” (Judges 15:15). – David defeated Goliath “with a sling and a stone” (1 Samuel 17:50). – “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). • By employing ordinary farm equipment, the LORD shows that victory depends on Him, not on conventional weapons or human strength (Zechariah 4:6). summary Shamgar’s single-verse story proclaims that God continually raises deliverers, even during seasons of national compromise. Working through an unlikely hero armed with nothing more than an oxgoad, the LORD preserved His people and displayed His sovereign power. The account encourages trust that God can still accomplish great things through ordinary believers who are willing to stand up when others shrink back. |
    |