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Judges Chapter
Eighteen
Judges 18
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 18
This
chapter relates how the Danites, being overcrowed in their inheritance, sent
out spies to search the land, and see if they could find any proper place to
add unto it, and enlarge it, Judges 18:1 who
returned and reported Laish as such, and encouraged the Danites to go and
possess it; for which purpose they sent six hundred men up to it, Judges 18:7 and as
they went, called at the house of Micah, and took away his priests and his
gods, Judges 18:13 and
having taken Laish, set up Micah's graven image there, Judges 18:28.
Judges 18:1 In
those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of
the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that
day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.
YLT
1In those days there is no
king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danite is seeking for itself
an inheritance to inhabit, for [that] hath not fallen to it unto that day in
the midst of the tribes of Israel by inheritance.
In those days there was no king in Israel,.... No
supreme magistrate, no judge, for it was before the time of the judges, after
the death of Joshua and before Othniel the first judge; this is observed
before, Judges 17:6 and
here repeated to account for the evil things done by the Danites, their
consulting Micah's oracle, taking away his priest and his gods, and setting up
his graven image in Dan, by which means idolatry was spread in Israel, and
brought on their servitude to Chushanrishathaim, from which Othniel the first
judge was their deliverer:
and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an
inheritance to dwell in; that is, a family of them, as in the next verse, not the whole
tribe; for as a family is sometimes put for a tribe, Joshua 7:17 so a
tribe for a family, Judges 20:12.
for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen to
them among the tribes of Israel: we rightly supply the words "all
their"; for otherwise an inheritance had fallen to them by lot, as the
other tribes. Joshua 19:40, but
that was not only too little for them, Joshua 19:47 but
all that was allotted to them did not come into their possession, but a part remained
unsubdued; and some they had possession of they could not keep, either through
the superior strength of the Amorites, or their own sloth and cowardice, or for
want of the help of their brethren; see Judges 1:34.
Judges 18:2 2 So the children of Dan
sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and
Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the
land.” So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and
lodged there.
YLT
2And the sons of Dan send,
out of their family, five men of them, men, sons of valour, from Zorah, and
from Eshtaol, to traverse the land, and to search it, and they say unto them,
`Go, search the land;' and they come into the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the
house of Micah, and lodge there.
And the children of Dan sent of their family five men,.... According
to Abarbinel one out of a family, as Moses sent one out of a tribe to spy the
land; and so there must be five families concerned in this affair:
from their coasts, men of valour from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to
spy out the land, and to search it; these men were sent from
the borders of the tribe, the extreme parts of it, as the word may signify,
where perhaps they were the most pressed and overcrowded: Zorah and Eshtaol are
particularly mentioned, and were the first cities in their lot, and were the
coast of their inheritance; see Gill on Joshua 19:41 some
take the phrase rendered "from their coasts" to signify persons of
extreme meanness, men of the lowest class among them; but the above mentioned
writers interpret it to a quite contrary sense, by "Katzinim",
princes, such as Moses sent to spy the land; and this better agrees with the
next clause, "men of valour": and the word used signifies not only
magnanimity and fortitude of mind, but wealth and riches; and these were sent
not to spy the land of Canaan, but such places as fell to this tribe, but were
possessed by the Canaanites; and their errand was to observe in what condition
they were, and whether fit for their purpose, and easy to obtain, and how they
might get the possession of any of them:
and they said unto them, search the land; and see if
some convenient place cannot be found out to enlarge their inheritance, and
give them more room and liberty for their families, now pent up, and a
pasturage for their flocks and herds:
who when they came to Mount Ephraim; which lay upon the
borders of them:
to the house of Micah, they lodged there; that is, when
they were come near to the house of Micah, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret
it, they took up their lodging in the neighbourhood of it, perhaps at a public
house or inn; for the sense is not, that they lodged in Micah's house, for
after this we read of their turning into it, as in the next verse. According to
BuntingF18Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 112. , this place
was twenty four miles from Zorah and Eshtaol, from whence these men came.
Judges 18:3 3 While they were at
the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned
aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place?
What do you have here?”
YLT
3They [are] with the
household of Micah, and they have discerned the voice of the young man, the
Levite, and turn aside there, and say to him, `Who hath brought thee hither?
and what art thou doing in this [place?] and what to thee here?'
When they were by the house of Micah,.... At their
inn, which might be next to it, or as they were passing by it:
they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; who had been
in their country, and they had been in his company and conversation, and they
knew the tone of his voice when they heard it; a particular brogue he might
have. Abarbinel conjectures, that he was singing to Micah's idol, or
multiplying his prayers before him:
and they turned in thither; into Micah's house, and
into the apartment where the young man was:
and said unto him, who brought thee hither? they knew he
was of Bethlehemjudah; they inquire therefore how he came there, who sent for
him, and by what means he was brought to that place:
and what makest thou in this place? they knew he was a
Levite, and that such an one had no business to minister but at the tabernacle,
and therefore they inquire what was his employment here: and what hast thou
here? to support himself with, what he had for his maintenance, or how he
lived.
Judges 18:4 4 He said to them, “Thus and
so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.”
YLT
4And he saith unto them,
`Thus and thus hath Micah done to me; and he hireth me, and I am to him for a
priest.'
And he said unto them, thus and thus dealeth Micah with me,.... Told them
the whole story, how he came to the door of Micah's house, how he inquired of
him who he was, and from whence he came, and whither he was going, and then
invited him into his house to stay with him:
and hath hired me; by the year, for ten shekels of silver, a
suit of clothes, and meat and drink, and by this means he got a livelihood, and
was supported:
and I am his priest; and that was his
business to offer sacrifice for his family, and to consult his oracle for him,
and for whomsoever should apply.
Judges 18:5 5 So they said to him,
“Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go
will be prosperous.”
YLT
5And they say to him, `Ask,
we pray thee, at God, and we know whether our way is prosperous on which we are
going.'
And they said unto him, ask counsel, we pray thee, of God,.... They did
not reprove him for assuming the priestly office, when they knew he was a
Levite, such was the corruption of those times, and the great depravity and
declensions they were fallen into; nor even for the idolatry he was guilty of,
but encourage him in it, and thought they had got a fine opportunity, which
they readily laid hold on, to have counsel asked for them of God, about the
success of the errand they were sent about; to this they were led at sight of
the ephod, which was like that in the tabernacle, and of the teraphim, images
which, according to a notion that prevailed, when consulted, foretold future
things; whether by God they meant the true God, who they thought would give an
answer by these, or Micah's gods, is not certain; according to the Targum of
Jonathan, they meant the true God, which paraphrases it,"ask of the Word
of the Lord:"
that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous
or no; whether they should find out a proper place to dwell in, and be
able to get possession of it.
Judges 18:6 6 And the priest said to
them, “Go in peace. The presence of the Lord be with you on
your way.”
YLT
6And the priest saith to
them, `Go in peace; over-against Jehovah [is] your way in which ye go.'
And the priest said to them, go in peace,.... After he
had consulted the oracle, or had asked counsel by the ephod and teraphim;
either of his own head, or by a voice he had heard, which Satan might be
permitted of God to deliver, he very roundly told them that they might proceed
on in their journey with their minds quite easy, and with full assurance of
success:
before the Lord is your way wherein ye go; it is seen,
observed, and taken notice of by him, and he approves of it; it is according to
his will, and under his direction and protection, and success from him may be
depended upon; though some observe that this answer is delivered in ambiguous
terms, as generally the oracles of demons were, and might be taken in a good or
bad sense, as the event should be; as that their way was before the Lord, and
was seen by him either with pleasure or displeasure, with approbation or
disapprobation, for their good, or for their harm: so that let it fall out as
it might, the credit of the oracle was saved.
Judges 18:7 7 So the five men departed
and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt
safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no
rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were
far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone.[a]
YLT
7And the five men go, and
come in to Laish, and see the people which [is] in its midst, dwelling
confidently, according to the custom of Zidonians, quiet and confident; and
there is none putting to shame in the land in [any] thing, possessing
restraint, and they [are] far off from the Zidonians, and have no word with
[any] man.
And the five men departed,.... From Mount Ephraim,
and Micah's house there:
and came to Laish; which, according to BuntingF19Ut
supra. (Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 112.) , was one hundred and four
miles from Mount Ephraim, and so many he makes it to be from Jerusalem; it lay
at the furthest northern border of the land of Canaan, at the foot of Mount
Lebanon, near the fountain of Jordan; it was four miles from Paneas, as Jerom
saysF20De loc. Heb. fol. 90. H. , as you go to Tyre; it is the
Caesarea Philippi of the New Testament, and the same that is called Leshem; see
Gill on Joshua 19:47,
and saw the people that were therein; went into the
city, and made their observations on the inhabitants of it, their number,
strength, and manner of living:
how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and
secure; the inhabitants of Zidon, whose customs they might imitate,
whose laws they might use, and might be under their government, since they are
said to have no magistrate within themselves; and their carelessness and
confidence might arise from their strong fortresses; or rather because they
thought their city, and the land adjacent to it, did not belong to the land of
Israel, and did not know that the Israelites made any pretensions to it, and
therefore were quite easy, and in no fear of them; had no watchmen to guard
their city, and did not take care to furnish themselves with weapons of war for
their defence, even as the Zidonians; who, besides their city being a strong
and fortified one, were in no fear of the Israelites, because their city was not
in the land of Canaan, only the border of it reached to it:
and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to
shame in anything; to restrain them from vice, and punish them for it, or even to
reprove and correct them, and so put them to shame; or put any mark of infamy
and disgrace upon them in a public manner, that might shame them; hence they
lived in a disorderly and dissolute manner, whereby they became the more easy
prey to others: or the sense is, there was no king, nor an heir of the kingdom,
as Kimchi interprets it, so that there were none to contest his right to the
government of the place, or to accuse another, and put him to shame for taking
it away from him. Jarchi takes the sense to be, that none needed to turn back
his neighbour empty, when he asked anything of him for his relief, since there
was no want of anything in the land, as after observed; but the first sense
seems best:
and they were far from the Zidonians; who were the
only people that could help them, being in friendship with them; and it may be
they were under their government, as before observed; they are saidF21Adrichom.
Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 105. to be about eleven miles from them; JosephusF23Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 3. sect. 1. says, a day's journey:
and had no business with any man; no trade or commerce,
but lived independent of others, and within themselves, their land affording
them everything sufficient for them. Some understand it of their not being in
any league or alliance with any other people, and so had none to call in to
their assistance in case of any attack upon them.
Judges 18:8 8 Then the spies came
back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them,
“What is your report?”
YLT
8And they come in unto their
brethren, at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren say to them, `What -- ye?'
And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol,.... After
they had well viewed the city, and made their remarks on the inhabitants of it,
the condition and circumstances in which they were, and took notice of the
goodness of the land about it, they returned to their brethren that sent them,
particularly those that dwelt at the two places mentioned:
and their brethren said unto them, what say ye? what tidings
do you bring? what account of the place and country where you have been?
Judges 18:9 9 So they said, “Arise, let
us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very
good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and
enter to possess the land.
YLT
9And they say, `Rise, and we
go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo, very good; and ye are
keeping silent! be not slothful to go -- to enter to possess the land.
And they said, arise, that me may go up against them,.... That is,
prepare for war, and go up in an hostile manner against the present possessors
of the land, not doubting of being masters of it easily:
for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good. AdrichomiusF24Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 1.) says it was very good pasture land, and
fertile, abounding with fruits of all kinds; and the same is attested by
JosephusF25Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 1.) :
and are ye still? can ye sit still, and be easy, and not
bestir yourselves to go up and possess so good a country, of which an easy
conquest may be made? or, affirmatively, "ye are still or silent"F26א־תאם מחשים "vos autem
desidetis", Tigurine version; "et vos quiescitis", Munster. ; ye
make no answer to what we say, and seem careless and indifferent about the
matter; or by way of exhortation, "be silent", either that the people
may remain in their quiet, easy, careless state, and lest, on hearing designs
against them, should prepare for their defence; or, as Abarbinel, lest any of
the other tribes of Israel should hear of it, and go take it before them:
be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land; they suggest
that there was scarce anything more to be done than to go and take possession,
and that it would be altogether owing to their sloth and indolence if they did
not.
Judges 18:10 10 When you go, you will come
to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a
place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”
YLT
10When ye go, ye come in unto
a people confident, and the land [is] large on both hands, for God hath given
it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything which [is] in the
land.'
When ye go, ye shall come to a people secure, and to a large land,.... For
though it was but one city, the territories of it were large, and the villages
belonging to it might be many; which, with the security of the people, might
easily be surprised and taken, not being upon their guard, are the arguments
used by the spies to encourage their countrymen to go up and take it, to which
they add others:
for God hath given it into your hands; which they
concluded from the state and condition they found the people in, thoughtless
and defenceless; or it may be on account of the oracle in Micah's house they
had consulted, and to which they gave credit; though some think their faith was
grounded upon this place being given by lot to the tribe of Dan, but this does
not appear:
a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth; in the land
of Canaan; meaning, that there was nothing in the whole land but might be found
there, as wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olives, and honey,
with all other necessaries and conveniences of life.
Judges 18:11 11 And six hundred men of the
family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with
weapons of war.
YLT
11And there journey thence,
of the family of the Danite, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, six hundred men
girded with weapons of war.
And there went from thence of the family of the Danites,.... Or
families, the singular being put for the plural; for it can hardly be thought
that such a number of men, as after mentioned, went out of one family:
out of Zorah, and out of Eshtaol; the two places the spies
were sent from, and now had returned unto: and upon their report, and at their
instigation, and by the encouragement they gave, there were
six hundred men appointed with weapons of war; that set out
armed from the above places, on the expedition to take Laish.
Judges 18:12 12 Then they went up and
encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh
Dan[b] to this
day. There it is, west of Kirjath Jearim.)
YLT
12And they go up and encamp
in Kirjath-Jearim, in Judah, therefore they have called that place, `Camp of
Dan,' till this day; lo, behind Kirjath-Jearim.
And they went up and pitched in Kirjathjearim in Judah,.... Of which
place see Joshua 15:9.
According to BuntingF1Ut supra. (Travels of the Patriarchs, &c.
p. 112.) it was sixteen miles from Zorah and Eshtaol, and this was their first
day's march:
wherefore they called the name of that place Mahanehdan unto this
day; which signifies the camp of Dan, or of the Danites; so it was
called in the times of Samson, Judges 13:25 and is
a proof that this expedition was before his time; and it was so called, it
seems, in the time of Samuel, the writer of this book:
behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim; to the west of it; for
though they are said to pitch in that place, the meaning is, that they pitched
near it, in the fields adjacent to it, which were the most proper and
convenient for a camp.
Judges 18:13 13 And they passed from there
to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
YLT
13And they pass over thence
[to] the hill-country of Ephraim, and come in unto the house of Micah.
And they passed thence unto Mount Ephraim,.... Steering
their coast still northward; this, according to BuntingF2Ibid.
(Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 112.) , was eight miles from
Kirjathjearim, or Mahanehdan, in which Micah's house was, for as yet they were
not come to it, see Judges 18:15.
Judges 18:14 14 Then the five men who had
gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, “Do
you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved
image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.”
YLT
14And the five men, those
going to traverse the land of Laish, answer and say unto their brethren, `Have
ye known that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and graven
image, and molten image? and now, know what ye do.'
Then they answered the five men that went to spy out the country
of Laish,.... That were sent by their brethren, Judges 18:5 and, as
it seems from hence, were sent particularly to Laish; they had some notion of
that place as proper for them, and therefore sent those men to reconnoitre it;
and now as they had passed this way before, when they came within sight of
Micah's house, it put them in mind of what they had seen there; wherefore one
in the name of the rest, and with their approbation, acquainted the company
with it:
and said unto their brethren, do ye know that there is in those
houses; in one of them, pointing to the houses of a village or town in
sight:
an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? of which see Judges 17:4 and no
doubt but they acquainted them, only that they had seen them, and so were
certain but had consulted them, and that with success:
now therefore consider, say they:
what ye have to do; whether it may not be proper to consult
them again, or rather to take them with us, to consult as occasion may require,
and as tokens and pledges of God being with us, and so may the rather hope that
everything will succeed to our wishes.
Judges 18:15 15 So they turned aside
there, and came to the house of the young Levite man—to the house of Micah—and
greeted him.
YLT
15And they turn aside
thither, and come in unto the house of the young man the Levite, the house of
Micah, and ask of him of welfare, --
And they turned thitherward,.... It seems as if the
house lay a little out of their way, and therefore they turned on one hand to
go unto it:
and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the
house of Micah; for the young man's house was only an apartment of Micah's, and
lay very probably next to that in which the images, and oracle were; and they
made up to the young man's apartment, rather than to Micah's, because the above
things were under his care:
and saluted him; asked him of his welfare in a kind and
obliging manner, the rather to ingratiate themselves unto him.
Judges 18:16 16 The six hundred men armed
with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the
entrance of the gate.
YLT
16(and the six hundred men
girded with their weapons of war, who [are] of the sons of Dan, are standing at
the opening of the gate), --
And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war,.... Who were
armed men, and marched with their armour about them:
which were of the children of Dan; for no other were
concerned in this expedition: stood by the entering of the gate; not of Micah's
house, but of the city in which his house was; here they stood while the five
men went up to the house.
Judges 18:17 17 Then the five men who had
gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image,
the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the
entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with
weapons of war.
YLT 17yea, the five men, those
going to traverse the land, go up -- they have come in thither -- they have
taken the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image
-- and the priest is standing at the opening of the gate, and the six hundred
men who are girded with weapons of war –
And the five men that went out to spy the land went up and came
thither,.... They first came to Micah's house, and saluted the young man,
and after that salutation told him there was such a number of their brethren at
the gate of the city, very probably, who would be glad to see him; and the
young man being desirous also of seeing them, and paying his respects to them,
went with them thither, and after they had introduced him, left him discoursing
with them, and then returned to his apartment:
and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and
the molten image; and brought them away with them; and from hence it appears
plainly that there were two images, the one graven, and the other molten, since
they are so manifestly distinguished, and the ephod and teraphim are spoken of
between them:
and the priest stood in the entering of the gate, with the six
hundred men that were appointed with the weapons of war; who kept him
in talk, while the five men went and stole the above things.
Judges 18:18 18 When these went into
Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and
the molded image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
YLT
18yea, these have entered the
house of Micah, and take the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the
molten image; and the priest saith unto them, `What are ye doing?'
And these went into Micah's house,.... Into that part of it
where his gods were; not the six hundred men last mentioned, but the five men
who knew the house, and the chapel where the things were:
and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the
molten image; and brought them away in their hands to their brethren at the
gate, where the priest also was: and when he saw them:
then said the priest to them, what do ye? what do you
mean by this? is this your kindness to me, to take away what are my care and
charge, and on which my livelihood depends? and do you consider the wickedness,
the sin of sacrilege you are guilty of, to take away these sacred things, these
objects of religious devotion?
Judges 18:19 19 And they said to him, “Be
quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a
priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of
one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”
YLT
19and they say to him, `Keep
silent, lay thy hand on thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us for a father
and for a priest: is it better thy being a priest to the house of one man, or
thy being priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?'
And they said unto him, hold thy peace,.... Be
silent, make no disturbance, be quiet and easy:
lay thy hand upon thy mouth; as a token of silence;
so the Egyptians used to paint Harpocrates, the god of silence, with his
fingers pressing his lips:
and go with us; for they wanted him as well as his gods,
not knowing well how to make use of them without him:
and be to us a father and a priest; to direct them, instruct
them, perform acts of devotion for them, and ask counsel on their account; it
seems as if it was common in those days to call a priest a father, see Judges 17:10.
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? suggesting,
that it must be much more honourable for him, and more to his advantage, to
officiate as a priest to a body of people, that might be called a tribe, or to
a family consisting of various houses, than in the house of a private person;
this they left him to consider and judge of.
Judges 18:20 20 So the priest’s heart was
glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and
took his place among the people.
YLT
20And the heart of the priest
is glad, and he taketh the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and
goeth into the midst of the people,
And the priest's heart was glad,.... He rejoiced that
such an opportunity offered; it suited well with his covetous, ambitious,
rambling, and unsettled disposition of mind:
and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image; and no doubt
the molten image also, out of the hands of the five men into his own, agreeing
to go with them, and officiate for them:
and went in the midst of the people; the six hundred armed
men, either for the security of himself, if Micah should raise his servants,
and his neighbours, to pursue after him, and fetch him back, with his images;
or, as others think, in imitation of the priests bearing the ark, who in
journeying marched in the middle of the camp.
Judges 18:21 21 Then they turned and
departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them.
YLT
21and they turn and go, and
put the infants, and the cattle, and the baggage, before them.
So they turned and departed,.... Turned from the gate
of the city where Micah dwelt, and marched forward to Laish:
and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the carriage, before
them; partly for safety from Micah, and his friends and neighbours,
and partly that they might not be overdriven: their wives, who doubtless were
with them, though not mentioned, and their children, and also their flocks and
herds, they brought with them from Zorah and Eshtaol, as never intending to
return again thither, and being fully assured they should take Laish, and the
country about, and settle there; and also all their wealth and substance, as
the Targum renders the word for "carriage", whatever they were
possessed of that was movable; their vessels, silver and gold, and other
movables, as Kimchi interprets it, whatever was weighty, valuable and glorious,
as the word signifies, or that was of any importance and worth.
Judges 18:22 22 When they were a good way
from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s
house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.
YLT
22They have been far off from
the house of Micah -- and the men who [are] in the houses which [are] near the
house of Micah have been called together, and overtake the sons of Dan,
And when they were a good way from the house of Micah,.... For it
might be some time before Micah knew that his gods were stolen, and his priest
was decoyed from him; and it must take up more time still to get his servants
and neighbours together to pursue after those that injured him:
the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were
gathered together; no doubt at the request of Micah, who informed them of what had
happened to him: and they being not only his neighbours, but deeply involved in
the same superstition and idolatry, and closely addicted to it, and to whom it
might in some respects be advantageous at it brought people from various parts
to worship, or to consult the oracle: these being got together in a body,
pursued
and overtook the children of Dan; who were obliged to move
but slowly, because of their wives, little ones, and heavy substance they
carried with them.
Judges 18:23 23 And they called out to the
children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you, that
you have gathered such a company?”
YLT
23and call unto the sons of
Dan, and they turn round their faces, and say to Micah, `What -- to thee that
thou hast been called together?'
And they cried unto the children of Dan,.... When they
had got pretty near them, and in their hearing, they called to them aloud, and
desired they would stop, having something to say to them:
and they turned their faces; that is, the Danites
turned and looked at them, and stopped to hear what they had to say to them;
these were they who were in the rear in marching:
and said unto Micah; who was at the head of
them:
what aileth thee that thou comest with such a company? as if he
intended to attack them in an hostile way, and therefore asks what should be
the occasion of it? what affront had been given him, what injury had been done
him, that had provoked him to come out and follow them in such a manner?
Judges 18:24 24 So he said, “You have
taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now
what more do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’”
YLT
24And he saith, `My gods
which I made ye have taken, and the priest, and ye go; and what to me more? and
what [is] this ye say unto me, What -- to thee!'
And he said, ye have taken away my gods that I made,.... Meaning
his graven and molten images, which he had made, or caused to be made, out of
the silver his mother gave him, or however had paid for the making of; and
though this might be an argument proving his right unto them, it was a very
poor one in favour of their deity; and it is astonishing he should call them
gods he knew the making of, and who could not save themselves from being stolen
and carried off:
and the priest and ye are gone away; they had not only took
away his gods, but the priest that sacrificed for him unto them, and assisted
him in acts of devotion to them, or to God by them, and were gone off with
both:
and what have I more? signifying, that all he
had in the world, wife, children, and substance, were all nothing in comparison
of these; there was nothing he so much valued as he did these, nor could he
take any pleasure or comfort in anything, being deprived of them, so much was
his heart set on them:
and what is this that ye say unto me, what aileth thee? what a
question is this you ask, as if the injury done me was none at all, and that I
had no reason to complain; that it was a trifling insignificant thing, worthy
of no regard, when it was a matter of the greater moment and importance to him
in life.
Judges 18:25 25 And the children of Dan
said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon
you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!”
YLT
25And the sons of Dan say
unto him, `Let not thy voice be heard with us, lest men bitter in soul fall
upon you, and thou hast gathered thy life, and the life of thy household;'
And the children of Dan said unto him, let not thy voice be heard
among us,.... Complaining of us as having done an unjust thing, charging
and reproaching us with theft and sacrilege, insisting upon a restoration of
the things taken, and abusing with odious names and characters:
lest angry fellows run upon thee: lest men of bitter and
passionate spirits, provoked by ill language given them, should draw their
swords and fall upon thee:
and thou lose thy life, and the life of thy household; the life of
himself, his family, servants, tenants, and neighbours with him, which ought to
have been more precious and valuable than his gods; of which there was great
danger in demanding his gods, which by this they let him know they would not
part with.
Judges 18:26 26 Then the children of Dan
went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he
turned and went back to his house.
YLT
26and the sons of Dan go on
their way, and Micah seeth that they are stronger than he, and turneth, and
goeth back unto his house.
And the children of Dan went their way,.... Went on
their way, would not stay to have any further talk with him, as being an
impertinent man, and unworthy of their regard, bidding him defiance, and do his
worst, having nothing to fear from him:
and when Micah saw they were too strong for him; that he could
not prevail upon them by words and arguments; to take up arms, and use them, he
perceived it was to no purpose, since they were more numerous and more mighty
than he and his neighbours:
he turned and went unto his own house; and if he
returned from his idolatry to the true God, and the right worship of him,
having lost his gods, it was well for him they were taken away.
Judges 18:27 27 So they took the things
Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a
people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and
burned the city with fire.
YLT
27And they have taken that
which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and come in against Laish,
against a people quiet and confident, and smite them by the mouth of the sword,
and the city have burnt with fire,
And they took the things which Micah had made,.... The
ephod, teraphim, and the two images, the Danites took them, or having taken
them kept them, and went on with them:
and the priest which he had; him also they took, and
who was willing enough to go with them:
and came unto Laish, unto a people that were quiet and secure; having no
sentinels placed at any distance to give them warning of an enemy, nor any
watchmen on their walls to discover one; and perhaps their gates not shut, nor
any guard at any of their passes and avenues, having no apprehension at all of
being visited by an enemy, especially from Israel, not being apprized that they
had any pretensions to their city, and the land about it:
and they smote them with the edge of the sword; entered their
city, and fell on them suddenly, and cut them to pieces:
and burnt the city with fire; to strike terror to all
about; or it may be only they set fire to some part of it, as they entered,
only to frighten the inhabitants, and throw them into the greater confusion,
that they might become a more easy prey to them; for their intention was to
inhabit it, and it seems to be the same city still, though they rebuilt it, and
called it by another name.
Judges 18:28 28 There was
no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with
anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the
city and dwelt there.
YLT
28and there is no deliverer,
for it [is] far off from Zidon, and they have no word with [any] man, and it
[is] in the valley which [is] by Beth-Rehob; and they build the city, and dwell
in it,
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon,.... Under
whose government and protection they seem to have been; and that city being at
a distance from them, and the Danites coming upon them suddenly, there was no
time to send to them for help, or any to come in to their assistance, and save
them from their enemies, see Judges 18:7.
and they had no business with any man; that could
have given them notice of the design of the children of Dan against them, nor
to the Zidonians to come soon enough for their protection and defence; none
there were in alliance with them except them:
and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob; which lay in
the northern border of the land of Canaan, as you go to Hamath of Syria; see
Gill on Numbers 13:21.
and they built a city to dwell there; not a new one
altogether, but they rebuilt and enlarged Laish, and made it convenient for
them to dwell in.
Judges 18:29 29 And they called the name
of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel.
However, the name of the city formerly was Laish.
YLT
29and call the name of the
city Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and yet
Laish [is] the name of the city at the first.
And they called the name of the city Dan,.... The name
of their tribe, and to show that though they were at the furthest part of the
land northward, and at such a distance from their tribe, which lay to the
southwest, yet they belonged to it:
after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel; one of the
twelve sons of Jacob or Israel:
however, the name of the city was Laish at first; which
signifies a "lion", and might be so called from its being infested
with lions, which might come from the mountain of Lebanon, near to which it
was, and whither Dan, as a lion's whelp, leaped, Deuteronomy 33:22
and now the prophecy had its accomplishment. This place was also called Leshem,
Joshua 19:47 and it
is remarkable that Leshem is the name of the precious stone in the high priest's
breastplate, on which the name of Dan was engraved, which was done many years
before this city fell into the hands of the Danites, though that might portend
it.
Judges 18:30 30 Then the children of Dan
set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the
son of Manasseh,[c] and his
sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the
land.
YLT
30And the sons of Dan raise
up for themselves the graven image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of
Manasseh, he and his sons have been priests to the tribe of the Danite, till
the day of the removal of [the people] of the land.
And the children of Dan set up the graven image,.... In their
new city Dan, and very probably had a house built for it, peculiar to it, in
the same place where Jeroboam, in later times, set up one of his golden calves.
The Danites having succeeded, according to the oracle in Micah's house, they
had a very great veneration for the images they brought away with them from
thence, and set them up for religious worship in a proper place; for though
only mention is made of the graven image, yet no doubt the molten image, and
the teraphim, with the ephod, were all placed together for devotion and
consultation:
and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his
sons were priests to the tribe of Dan: not to the whole tribe,
but to that part of it which resided in this city, called Dan; and this
Jonathan seems to be no other than the Levite Micah took into his house, and
made a priest of; and whom the Danites took with them to Laish, to be their
priest, who is said to be the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh: now Gershom
was the son of Moses, and this man is thought by some to be a grandson of his;
and with this agrees the time in which he lived, for as Phinehas the grandson
of Aaron was now living, Judges 20:28 so
might a grandson of Moses; and though he is called a young man, he might be a
younger son of Gershom's; nor is his being a Levite any objection, since it is
a clear case that Moses made no provision for his family, so disinterested was
he, which may be observed against the deists: and it is remarkable that the
"nun", or "N" in Manasseh, is suspended over the other
letters in our printed copies of the Hebrew Bible, and so without it may be
read, Moses; and the JewsF3T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 109. 2. have a
notion, that this was done for the honour of Moses, and to observe that he was
more like a son of Manasseh than of Moses; though rather this being the first
letter of נשה, "to forget", may suggest, as
AltingF4Shiloh, l. 4. c. 28. p. 334. observes, that he had forgot
the virtues of his grandfather; and the Vulgate Latin version reads, the son of
Moses; and someF5See Dr. Kennicott's Dissertation 2. p. 51, &c.
are of opinion that this is the true reading of the text; though it may be that
another Gershom than the son of Moses, and another Manasseh we know nothing of,
are here intended, so Marcus MarinusF6Apud Glassium in Philolog.
Sacr. l. 1. tract. 1. sect. 2. : however, this man, and his sons in succession
after him, were priests in Dan:
until the day of the captivity of the land; not till the
captivity of Sennacherib or Salmaneser, when Dan, with the rest of the ten
tribes, were carried captives, as Jarchi; for this idolatry, and these
idolatrous priests, can hardly be thought to be continued here through the
times of Samuel, David, and Solomon: nor is it to be understood of the
captivity of Israel by Jabin king of Canaan, as Ben Gersom; for as the other is
too long a time, this is too short, since it is clear, by the next verse, that
this idolatry continued all the time the house of God was at Shiloh; and which
directs us to the captivity here spoken of, when the ark was carried captive by
the Philistines, and the house of Shiloh was forsaken; which is the sense of
Kimchi, R. Isaiah, and Abarbinel; and may be illustrated and confirmed by some
passages in Psalm 78:58.
Judges 18:31 31 So they set up for
themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of
God was in Shiloh.
YLT
31And they appoint for them
the graven image of Micah, which he had made, all the days of the house of God
being in Shiloh.
And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made,.... Which is
repeated for the sake of the time of its continuance next expressed:
all the time the house of God was in Shiloh; which,
according to some Jewish writersF7Maimon. in Misn. Zebachim, c. 14.
sect. 6. & Bartenora in ib. sect. 7. , was three hundred and sixty years;
that is, so long as the tabernacle was there, which was afterwards removed to
Nob.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)