Bible Commentaries

JUDGES CHAPTER 18

Those of the tribe of Dan, having not sufficient inheritance, send forth five men to spy out a place; they come to the house of Micah, and desire the Levite to ask counsel of God touching their journey, Jude 18:1-5. He encouraging them, they spy out the city Laish; and at their return instigate their brethren to set upon the city, Jude 18:6-10. Six hundred go forth armed: in their march they seize upon Micah’s priest and idols; which he in vain, demandeth again, Jude 18:11-25. They pull down Laish; build it again; inhabit it; and call it Dan, Jude 18:26-29; consecrate their priest, and set up Micah’s images, Jude 18:30,31.

In those days; not long after Joshua’s death, of which See Poole on "Jude 17:6".

The tribe of the Danites; a part or branch of that tribe, consisting only of six hundred men of war, Jude 18:16, with their families, Jude 18:21: or, a family of the Danites; for the word schebet, which properly signifies a tribe, is sometimes taken for a family, as Jude 20:12, as elsewhere family is put for a tribe, as Zechariah 12:13. All their inheritance had not fallen unto them; the lot had fallen to them before this time, Joshua 19:40, &c., but not the actual possession of their lot, because therein the Philistines and Amorites opposed them, not without success. See Poole on "Joshua 19:40"; See Poole on "Jude 1:34".

Of their family; which shows that it was but one, though a large family, which was engaged in this expedition. Eshtaol; of which see Joshua 19:41 Jude 13:2,25.

They lodged there; not in the same house, but near it, as appears from the next verse, in a neighbouring place.

They knew the voice of the young man; either,

1. By his manner of pronunciation, which was differing and distinguishable in several tribes, as appears from Jude 12:6 Mark 14:70. Or,

2. By the celebration of some part of his office, which they, then lodging in the neighbourhood, might be invited to. Or rather,

3. By some acquaintance which some of them formerly had with him which they might have upon many occasions.

What makest thou in this place; this being not thy usual place, nor proper for thy employment?

Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, to wit, by thine ephod, or teraphim, or images, which they knew he had, Jude 18:14.

Your way, i.e. your journey or design, is under the eye of God, i.e. under his care, and protection, and direction, which the eye of God being upon a person commonly notes in Scripture, as Psalms 32:8 34:15. Compare Jeremiah 39:12 40:4. So the phrase is here taken in a restrained sense, which is elsewhere taken more largely, as Proverbs 5:21. This answer he either feigns to gratify their humour, or did indeed receive from the devil, who transformed himself into an angel of light, and in God’s name gave them answers, and those not seldom very true, which God suffered for the trial of his people. See Deuteronomy 13:1-3. But it is observable, that his answer was, as the devil’s oracles usually were, ambiguous, and such as might have been interpreted either way, as they had success or disappointment.

Laish, called also Leshem, Joshua 19:47.

After the manner of the Zidonians, who living in a very strong place, and abounding in wealth, and understanding that they were not a part of that land which God gave to his people, and perceiving that the Israelites never attempted any thing against them, were grown secure and careless.

That might put them to shame in any thing, or, that might rebuke or punish any thing, i.e. any crime; Heb. that might put any thing to shame, or, make any thing shameful. Putting to shame seems to be used metonymically for inflicting civil punishment, because shame is generally the adjunct or effect of it.

They were far from the Zidonians, who otherwise could have succoured them, and would have been ready to do it.

Had no business with any man; no league of confederacy, nor much converse with other cities, it being in a pleasant and plentiful soil, between the two rivulets of Jor and Dan, not needing supplies from others, and therefore minding only their own ease and pleasure.

Are ye still, Heb. silent? Silence is oft put for stillness or cessation from action or motion, as Exodus 14:14 Isaiah 62:1 Lamentations 2:18. For they do not accuse them for want of speaking, for that they did; but for want of doing, and putting their words and resolves into execution.

God hath given it into your hands: this they gather partly from God’s word or promise, which they supposed they had from the Levite’s mouth; and partly from his providence, which hath so disposed them, that they will be an easy prey to you.

Of the family; by which it again appears, that the tribe, Jude 18:1, is put for family.

Kirjath-jearim, called Kirjath-baal, Joshua 15:60; a city lying in the northern parts of Judah, in the road to Laish; yet not in the city, but in the fields belonging to it, as the following words evince.

Behind Kirjath-jearim, i.e. westward from it, as the western sea is called the hindermost sea, Deuteronomy 11:24; and as, on the contrary, the east is called Keedem, which signifies the forepart.

i.e. To the town in which his house was, for they were not yet entered into it.

Then answered, i.e. spake, the word answering being oft used in Scripture of the first speaker, as 1 Kings 1:28 13:6 Ezra 10:2 Isaiah 14:10.

In those houses, i.e. in one of these houses, the plural number for the singular, as Jude 12:7.

Consider what ye have to do, i.e. whether it be not expedient, either,

1. To consult them again for your own satisfaction; or rather,

2. To take them away for your further use, as you shall have occasion; for their action is the best comment upon their words.

Heb. asked him of peace, i.e. if he were in peace, peace being commonly put for health and prosperity.

Come in thither, to wit, into the house, and that part of it where those things were.

In the entering of the gate; whither they had drawn him forth that they might without noise or hinderance take them away.

These, to wit, the five mentioned Jude 18:17.

What do ye? what do you mean to do? I hope you will not do so impious and injurious an action.

Lay thy hand upon thy mouth, i.e. be silent, as this phrase is used, Job 21:5 29:9 40:4 Proverbs 30:32. The same thing repeated in other words.

A father and a priest: see Poole on "Jude 17:10".

A family in Israel, to wit, a tribe that is (and being oft put for that is) a family. For it is certain this was not an expedition of the whole tribe, which numbered 64,000 men, Numbers 26:43, but only of one family, which it seems were more vexed with the Philistines or Amorites, and therefore resolved to seek new habitations at a great distance from them. And after this time we find the body of the Danites in their old and proper portions in Samson’s time, which, though placed before this, was long after it.

The priest’s heart was glad; being wholly governed by his own interest, and making all his obligations of justice and gratitude give place to it. But it is not strange, if he who was before perfidious to God, should prove so to men.

In the midst of the people, i.e. among the people; or properly in the midst, both for the greater security of such precious things, and that Micah might not be able to come at him, either to injure or upbraid him; and it may be, because that was the place where the ark used to be carried.

For their greater security, if Micah should pursue them.

So far was he besotted with superstition and idolatry, that he esteemed those gods which were man’s work. But he could not be so stupid as to think these were indeed the great Jehovah that made heaven and earth; but only a lower sort of gods, by whom, as mediators, he offered up his worship unto the true God, as it is manifest divers of the heathens did.

What have I more? I value nothing I have in comparison of what you have taken away. Which zeal for idolatrous trash may shame multitudes that call themselves Christians, and yet apparently value their worldly conveniences more than all the concerns even of the true religion, and of their own salvation.

Thy voice; thy complaints and reproaches.

Angry fellows; the soldiers, who are in themselves sharp and fierce, and will soon be inflamed by thy provoking words.

And thou lose thy life; which, notwithstanding all thy pretences, thou dost value more than thy images, as indeed appeared from his following practice.

Not wholly, but in great measure, to strike the greater terror into the inhabitants, and to make their conquest of the place more easy.

Beth-rehob; a place near Libanus and Hamath; of which see Numbers 13:21 Joshua 19:28 21:31 Jude 1:31.

After the name of Dan their father; that it might be manifest that they belonged to the tribe of Dan, though they were seated at a great distance from them, even in the most northerly part of the land; whereas the lot of their tribe was in the southern part of Canaan.

Having succeeded in their expedition according to the prediction which, as they supposed, they had from this image, they had a great veneration for it.

Until the day of the captivity of the land; either,

1. When the ark and the Israelites were taken captives by the Philistines, 1 Samuel 4:10,11; though there is no mention of any who were then taken captives, or that the Philistines did pursue the victory, and conquer the land at that time, for their victory was quickly damped, and turned to mourning, 1Sa 5. Or,

2. After that time, when the Philistines slew Saul and Jonathan, and discomfited the whole host of Israel, and made the rest of the people flee out of their cities, and took possession of their cities and land. Or,

3. When the whole land of the ten tribes, whereof Dan was one, was conquered, and the people carried captive by the Assyrian, 2 Kings 17:6,23. which is called by way of eminency the captivity, 1 Chronicles 5:22. But against this it is objected, that it is not probable that this idolatry should continue so long in such a public place and manner; or that David and Solomon would suffer it.

Answ. It is not said that the graven image was there so long, for that is restrained to a shorter date, even to the continuance of the ark in Shiloh, Jude 18:31, which was removed thence, 1Sa 4; but only that Jonathan’s posterity were priests to this tribe or family of Dan, which they might be under all the changes, even till the Assyrian captivity, sometimes more openly and allowedly, sometimes more cunningly, sometimes more secretly, sometimes in one way of superstition or idolatry, and sometimes in another; and in and after Jeroboam’s time, in the worship of the calves, for which service, though he did make priests of the meanest of the people, 1 Kings 12:31, yet that was not by choice, but out of necessity, because the priests and Levites generally forsook him, 2 Chronicles 11:13,14; and therefore when he could engage any of the priests or Levites in that service, he was doubtless very glad of them to gain reputation to his impious and absurd device.