For one, Shamgar’s report is the briefest of any of the minor judges. Also, only this account has a detail about how the judge went about his judging; none of the other accounts of the minor judges say that an enemy was defeated by the judge, or that a deliverance for Israel was accomplished, but Shamgar does both. As he is the first of the minor judges, it’s possible that he, like Othniel, who was the first of the major judges, is an exemplar of these lesser leaders, though unlike for most of them, we have no clue about Shamgar’s biodata, marital status, children produced, death, or legacy.¹