THE BOOK OF
JUDGES

Judges 18

1The Danites send five men to seek out for them an inheritance, who come to the house of Micah, and are encouraged by the Levite to proceed on their way. 7They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope. 11Six hundred men are sent to surprise the place. 14On the way they rob Micah of his consecrated things, and carry off his priest. 22Micah pursueth them, but is obliged to return for fear of violence. 27Laish is surprised, taken possession of, and called Dan. 30Idolatry is set up in Dan, where Jonathan the Levite and his sons have the priesthood.


1IN those days there was noa1king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not 2fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

a Judges 17:6; 21:25.

1 See Judges 17 on verse 6. This was the cause that those of the tribe of Dan must seek help for themselves: whereas the tribes previously had assisted one another to provide for everyone a convenient and sufficient inheritance, according to the command of Moses, Num. 32:21, 22, etc.; Joshua 22:2, 3; Judges 1:3.

2 Namely, neither by lot in the life-time of Joshua, nor afterward by order of supreme authority, or assistance of the other tribes. Their inheritance indeed was fallen to them under Joshua, but it was too little. See Joshua 19:47 where is related in brief what is here more largely described.

2And the children of Dan sent of their family five men 3from their coasts, men of valour, from 4Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of 5Micah, they lodged there.

3 Other, from their uttermost, that is, both of high and low estate or degree.

4 See Judges 13 on verse 2; Judges 13 on verse 25.

5 See Judges 17:1, etc.

3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the 6young man the Levite: and they turned in 7thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

6 See Judges 17:7, etc. It may be that they, being lodged close by in some inn (as commonly inns were wont to be near such idols’ houses, because of the concourse of people desirous of news and superstition) have heard him sing or speak, not as an Ephraimite, but as a Jew, in the house of the god of Micah.

7 To the house of Micah.

4And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

5And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, 8of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

8 Such they call the idolatry of the false ephod, and of the images, whereof the Levite had told, and was truly kept in mind by them. See verse 14; Judges 17 on verse 5.

6And the priest 9said unto them, Go in peace: 10before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.

9 After that he, according to his manner, had asked counsel of the idols.

10 As if he said: The eyes of the Lord (as the Holy Scripture also speaks) are open upon your design and this your journey, to direct and prosper the same; the Lord takes care for it. Thus he boldly and presumptuously misused the Name of the Lord in his idolatrous practice.

7¶Then the five men departed, and came to 11Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they 12dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and 13secure; and there was 14no 15magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame 16in any thing; and they were 17far from the Zidonians, and 18had no business with any man.

11 See verse 27.

12 Or, dwelling in confidence. Understand, that the city of Laish was situated in a very safe, secure place, out of all danger of any inroad or invasion, according to their own and the common opinion. Others apply this to the inhabitants, whereof is spoken in the following words.

13 Hebr. confident; that is, being secure and careless.

14 Other, no man that offered them any ignominy or disgrace, also none that possessed the government hereditarily. Some apply this unto the people, that they had a republic or commonwealth free from inheritance.

15 Hebr. possessing hereditarily the government or the highest command or constraints. It seems that they took sometimes one, sometimes another to be their ruler or governor, who would not displease the subjects, but let them have their wills in all things. Or perhaps they might have lived without any magistrate or ruler at all.

16 Who durst put shame and disgrace upon any man for any offence committed; so that everyone did what he listed, their sins in that respect being ripe for judgment.

17 So that they could not come to help them, as being too far westward on the sea.

18 Hebr. they had no word, thing or nothing with one man, that is, neither league, nor commerce, nor conduct with any man, but lived for themselves in all carelessness and luxury.

8And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?

9And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye 19still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

19 Without saying or doing anything, or taking anything in hand? Hebr. be silent. See of the use of such words, Exod. 14:14; Judges 16:2; 1 Kings 22:3; Psalm 28:1, with the annotations there.

10When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a 20large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.

20 Hebr. wide in hands or sides. See of this phrase Gen. 34 on verse 21.

11¶And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

12And they went up, and pitched in 21Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place 22Mahaneh-danb unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.

21 Otherwise called Kirjath-baal: see Joshua 15:60, situated upon a mountain at the uttermost borders of Judah and Dan, toward the north.

22 That is, the camp of Dan. See Judges 13:25.

b Judges 13:25.

13And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of 23Micah.

23 See Judges 17:1.

14¶Then 24answered the 25five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in 26these houses an 27ephod, and 28teraphim, and a 29graven image, and a molten image? now therefore 30consider what ye have to do.

24 That is, they spoke, began to speak. As such is the same word also elsewhere used. See 1 Sam. 14:28; 1 Kings 1:28; 13:6; 2 Chron. 29:31; Ezra 10:2; Isa. 14:10, and in the New Testament, Mat. 11:25; 17:4; 22:1; 28:5; Acts 5:8; 10:46; 15:13; Rev. 7:13.

25 See verse 2, etc.

26 That is, in one of those houses. See Judges 12 on verse 7.

27 As Judges 17:5.

28 As Judges 17:5.

29 As Judges 17 on verse 3.

30 That is, advise whether it be not good to take all these along with us, to use them in the places where we shall come, as in our former journey we asked counsel by them of God. See verse 5.

1531And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the 32young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and 33saluted 34him.

31 After they had concluded to take away all these instruments of idolatry.

32 Of whom Judges 17:7.

33 When he was called forth, or was brought to the gate by the five men.

34 That is, touching his welfare, how he did, whether he was yet in good health; see Gen. 37 on verse 14; Exod. 18:7.

16And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

17And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the 35graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

35 Of this carved, and the other molten image, see Judges 17 on verse 3.

18And 36these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

36 Namely, the five men.

19And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, 37lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?38

37 That is, (as we use to say) Hold your mouth closed, restrain it, do not gainsay, make no noise. See this phrase Job 21:5; 29:9; 40:4; Prov. 30:32; Micah 7:16.

38 Intimating, that he would greatly make better his condition, and have cause to rejoice in it.

20And the priest’s 39heart was 40glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

39 A clear sign of a parasite, who was all for the belly, and did all for gain and worldly honor.

40 Hebr. good. As Judges 16:25.

21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the 41carriage 42before them.

41 Or, baggage; or, also their precious commodities.

42 In order that they might be out of danger and not be in their way, if anyone would attack from behind, to fetch back that which was stolen and plundered.

22And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that 43were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

43 That is, which dwelt near and about him, the entire neighborhood was gathered together with a loud call.

23And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: 44and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

44 Intimating, as a blinded idolater, that they had bereft him of what was most near and dear unto him.

25And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest 45angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy 46life, with the lives of thy household.

45 Hebr. bitter of soul; that is, whose mind is embittered or bitterly incensed. Also 2 Sam. 17:8. Sometimes this phrase signifies grieved in spirit, as 1 Sam. 1:10; Prov. 31:5, etc.

46 Hebr. gather thy soul, and the soul of your house; that is, you and your household perish or die. Compare Psalm 26 on verse 9.

26And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27And 47they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at 48quiet and secure: and they smote them 49with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

47 Men of Dan.

48 Hebr. resting or being quiet, and confident; as verse 7.

49 Hebr. the mouth of the sword.

28And there was no deliverer, because 50it was 51far from Zidon, and 52they had no business with any man; and 53it was in the valley that lieth by 54Beth-rehob. And 55they built a city, and dwelt therein.

50 The city of Laish.

51 Situated from Zidon eastward, close by mount Lebanon, where the two fountains, Jor and Dan, running into one, make the Jordan. See further Gen. 14 on verse 14; Joshua 19 on verse 47.

52 Namely, the inhabitants. See verse 7.

53 The city.

54 Compare 2 Sam. 10:6, 8.

55 Men of Dan.

29Andc they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto 56Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

c Joshua 19:47.

56 That is, Jacob. See Gen. 30:6.

30¶And the children of Dan set up the graven 57image: and 58Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the 59land.

57 See verses 14, 17; Judges 17:3.

58 Of whom Judges 17:7, etc.

59 That is, the inhabitants of the land, which (as may be gathered from the following verse) came to pass at that time when the Philistines smote Israel with a very great slaughter, and carried away the ark of the Lord, 1 Sam. 4:2, 10, 11, 17. Such great discomfitures were wont to be accompanied with the transportation or carrying away of many captives.

31And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in 60Shiloh.

60 Whither the house of God was brought in the time of Joshua, Joshua 18:1. The ark, being carried away by the Philistines and sent back, was brought to Kirjath-jearim, 1 Sam. 7:1, 2, and all idols removed by Samuel, 1 Sam. 7:3, 4, amongst which, without doubt, was also this idol of Micah and of the people of Dan. Afterward the ark was brought into Jerusalem by David, 2 Sam. 6:16, 17.