The Meaning of Judges 3:31 Explained

Judges 3:31

KJV: And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

YLT: And after him hath been Shamgar son of Anath, and he smiteth the Philistines -- six hundred men -- with an ox-goad, and he saveth -- he also -- Israel.

Darby: After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an oxgoad; and he too delivered Israel.

ASV: And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And after  him was Shamgar  the son  of Anath,  which slew  of the Philistines  six  hundred  men  with an ox  goad:  and he also delivered  Israel. 

What does Judges 3:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Several factors suggest that Shamgar"s victory took place sometime during the98 years described in the previous section ( Judges 3:12-30). First, Judges 4:1 refers to Ehud, not Shamgar. Second, there is no reference to Israel doing evil in Yahweh"s sight in this verse. Third, the length of the Philistine oppression was long. Fourth, the writer did not mention a number of years that the land enjoyed rest. Evidently during this98-year period the Philistines also oppressed Israel.
David Washburn argued that the phrase "after him" may indicate the beginning of a new episode. If this is Song of Solomon , we should place Shamgar contemporary with Deborah rather than Ehud (cf. Judges 5:6). He acknowledged, however, that it is impossible to determine exactly when Shamgar slew the600 Philistines. [1]
The Philistines had been in Canaan since Abraham"s day at least ( Genesis 21:32; et al.). However, during the period of the judges a major migration of the Sea Peoples from the Aegean area brought many new inhabitants into Canaan, perhaps about1230 B.C. These peoples settled in the coastal areas of Canaan, especially in the South. They became the infamous Philistines who opposed and fought the Israelites until David finally brought them under Israel"s control.
"The name Shamgar is non-Israelite and may have been of Hittite or Hurrian origin. This does not automatically infer that he was a Canaanite, although this is possible; it may witness to the intermingling of the Israelites with the native population. In any case his actions benefited Israel." [2]
Peter Craigie believed that Shamgar may have been a Hurrian mercenary soldier rather than a Hebrew. His name "ben (son of) Anath" suggests that he might have been a religious Canaanite since Anath was a Canaanite goddess. [3] It seems unlikely, however, that he was a religious Canaanite because the writer identified him as a hero through whom God delivered His people. Another suggestion is that "son of Anath" indicated that Shamgar was like Anath, namely, of a warlike character. [4] Shamgar could have been the son of a mixed marriage or even a foreigner whom God used. Perhaps he was a proselyte to Yahweh worship. Whatever his background and whomever he may have served, his destruction of600 Philistines accomplished God"s will, specifically the destruction of the non-Israelite occupants of the land.
The writer did not record Shamgar"s hometown, but some commentators connect Beth-anath (lit. house of Anath) in Naphtali or Beth-anoth in Judah ( Joshua 15:59) with him. Most assume Anath was the name of Shamgar"s father.
An "oxgoad" was a stout stick8 to10 feet long used to train and drive oxen.
"At the thin end they have a sharp point to drive the oxen, and at the other end a small hoe, to scrape off any dirt that may stick to the plough." [5]
Evidently Shamgar seized an opportunity to kill600 Philistines with this unusual instrument that he used as a weapon (cf. 2 Samuel 23:11). The text does not say how quickly he did this, whether all at once, or one by one in guerrilla type warfare.
Though the writer did not call Shamgar a judge in the text, he was one of Israel"s heroic deliverers (cf. Judges 5:4). Few students of the book exclude him from the list of Judges , though he may not have functioned in the nation as a typical one.
Like Shamgar, Samson also fought the Philistines. The writer devoted four chapters to Samson, but Samson did not accomplish in four chapters what Shamgar did in one verse. Samson did not deliver Israel. This comparison further demonstrates the pattern of progressive deterioration that characterizes the Book of Judges. [6] It also suggests that the writer saw more instructive lessons for the reader in Samson"s life than he did in Shamgar"s.
The major lesson we should learn from Shamgar is that a shady personal background and lack of proper equipment do not keep God from working through people who commit to doing His will. Many Christians think that because they do not have a good background or the best tools they cannot serve God. If we commit ourselves to executing God"s will and use whatever background and equipment we have, God can accomplish a great deal through us.
In this third chapter we see that God raised up unusual people and empowered them to do great acts for His glory. Often very distinguished people rise from humble backgrounds, as these judges did. Jesus" disciples are similar illustrations. A single individual committed to executing God"s revealed will is all He needs. He uses all types of people but only those committed to His will who step out in faith. In the case of the Judges , the will of God was the extermination of Israel"s enemies.

Context Summary

Judges 3:15-31 - The "message From God"
The sword is usually worn at the left hand, and Ehud escaped suspicion because his was girded under his raiment on his right thigh. Eglon was also the more ready to listen to him and give a secret audience, because he had just received a tribute from Ehud's hand. It was a terrible deed of vengeance, which must not be judged by our ethical standards. But can we not understand how the hatred of a downtrodden and high-spirited race would express itself in just this manner?
That dagger, thrust in up to the hilt, was indeed a message from God, for it ended Eglon's life and summoned his soul to stand at the bar of divine judgment. A supreme tragedy cannot befall except by the divine permission. Though God's silent permission of evil cannot be construed as acquiescence, yet the results of an evil deed may be wrought into the scheme of His providence, as in the case of Genesis 50:20-21 and Acts 2:23. It is our frequent experience to have thrusts made at us; let us ask if they may not be messages from God! There is no chance in life. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 3

1  The nations which were left to prove Israel
5  By communion with them they commit idolatry
8  Othniel delivered them from Chushan-Rishathaim
12  Ehud from Eglon
31  and Shamgar from the Philistines

What do the individual words in Judges 3:31 mean?

And after him was Shamgar son of Anath and who killed of the Philistines six hundred men with an goad ox and delivered also he - Israel -
וְאַחֲרָ֤יו הָיָה֙ שַׁמְגַּ֣ר בֶּן־ עֲנָ֔ת וַיַּ֤ךְ אֶת־ פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ שֵֽׁשׁ־ מֵא֣וֹת אִ֔ישׁ בְּמַלְמַ֖ד הַבָּקָ֑ר וַיֹּ֥שַׁע גַּם־ ה֖וּא אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל ס

וְאַחֲרָ֤יו  And  after  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
שַׁמְגַּ֣ר  Shamgar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁמְגַּר  
Sense: son of Anath and a judge of Israel; with an ox-goad he slew 600 Philistines and delivered Israel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֲנָ֔ת  of  Anath 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָת  
Sense: father of Shamgar.
וַיַּ֤ךְ  and  who  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
שֵֽׁשׁ־  six 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
מֵא֣וֹת  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
אִ֔ישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּמַלְמַ֖ד  with  an  goad 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַלְמָד  
Sense: ox goad.
הַבָּקָ֑ר  ox 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וַיֹּ֥שַׁע  and  delivered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation