CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Judges 18
Chapter 18 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in Judges 18
The tribe of Dan sends out spies looking for new territory. They discover Micah's shrine and his Levite priest. Later, six hundred Danite warriors steal Micah's idols and priest, conquer the peaceful city of Laish, and set up their own center of idol worship.
Scripture
Judges 18
Danite Spies Visit Micah's House
Study note
The tribe of Dan had not yet conquered their full territory. They sent five warriors to scout out new land. The spies recognized the young Levite at Micah's house and asked him to consult God about their journey. The priest told them to go in peace, for the Lord was watching over their trip. This shows how confused worship had become: a priest at an unauthorized idol shrine claiming to speak for God.
1 Israel still had no king during this time. The tribe of Dan was on the hunt for land to call their own because they had not yet received their full share among the tribes of Israel. In those days there was no king 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 fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
2 The people of Dan chose five tough warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol and sent them out to explore the land. They told them, "Go check out the countryside." These scouts traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and spending the night at Micah's place. And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, 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 Micah, they lodged there.
3 While they were near Micah's house, they recognized the young Levite by his voice. They went over to him and asked, "How did you end up here? What are you doing in this place? Who brought you?" When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
4 He explained everything Micah had arranged for him and said, "He hired me to be his personal priest." And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
5 The scouts said, "Would you ask God for us whether our trip is going to be successful?" And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 The priest told them, "Go without worrying. The Lord is watching over the path you are taking." And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
The Spies Find Laish
Study note
The spies traveled far north and found the city of Laish. Its people lived peacefully and securely, with no strong defenses and no allies nearby. The spies returned and enthusiastically reported that the land was excellent and easy to take. Six hundred armed Danite warriors then set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, camping briefly at Kiriath-jearim before heading to Micah's house in Ephraim.
7 The five scouts continued on until they reached the city of Laish. The people living there were relaxed and felt completely safe, living much the way the people of Sidon did. They had no worries and no enemies threatening them. They had no strong ruler to protect them, and they lived far from Sidon with no nearby allies. Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8 When the scouts returned to their families in Zorah and Eshtaol, everyone asked, "So what did you find out there?" And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 The scouts answered enthusiastically, "Get up! We need to go attack them right away! The land we saw is fantastic. What are you waiting for? Stop sitting around and let's go claim it!" And 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 still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 "When you arrive, you will discover people who are completely off guard, and the land stretches wide open. God has given it to you. It is a place that has everything anyone could ever want." When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 So six hundred Danite warriors armed for battle set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 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.
12 They marched up and camped near Kiriath-jearim in the territory of Judah. That is how the area just west of Kiriath-jearim came to be called Mahaneh-dan, which means "the camp of Dan." People still call it that today. And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
13 From that spot, they pushed on into the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at Micah's house. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
The Danites Steal Micah's Idols and Priest
Study note
The five spies told the other warriors about Micah's shrine and its valuable religious objects. While the six hundred men stood guard at the gate, the spies went in and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. When the priest objected, they asked him, 'Would you rather be priest for one man's family or for a whole tribe?' The priest was delighted and went with them. Micah gathered his neighbors and chased them but was threatened and forced to give up.
14 The five scouts who had explored the area near Laish spoke up and told their fellow warriors, "You should know that in one of these houses there is a priestly ephod, some household idols, a carved image, and a metal idol. Think about what we should do." Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 They turned off the main path and headed to the home of the young Levite who lived at Micah's place. They greeted him warmly. And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
16 The six hundred armed Danite soldiers positioned themselves at the entrance gate. And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17 The five scouts went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol. Meanwhile, the priest stood outside at the gate with the six hundred armed warriors. And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven 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.
18 The scouts walked right into Micah's house and grabbed the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the metal idol. The priest asked them, "What do you think you are doing?" And these 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?
19 They told him, "Keep your mouth shut! Put your hand over your lips and come with us. You can be our priest. Would you rather be a priest for just one man's family, or a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel?" And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay 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?
20 The priest loved the idea. He snatched up the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and off he went with the warriors. And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 They turned and kept going. They put the children and animals up front. Their goods went at the front too, for safety. So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22 They had traveled a good distance from Micah's house when Micah gathered his neighbors together. They chased after the Danites and caught up with them. And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
23 They started shouting at them. The Danites turned around and called back to Micah, "What is your problem? Why did you bring all these men?" And 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?
24 Micah shot back, "You stole the gods I made with my own hands and took my priest away from me! I have nothing left! And you have the nerve to ask me what my problem is?" And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
25 The Danites warned him, "You had better keep your voice down. Some of the guys in this group have short tempers, and if they come after you, it will cost you your life and the lives of your whole family." And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26 With that, the Danites turned and kept walking. Micah could see he was hopelessly outnumbered, so he gave up and went home. And 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.
Dan Conquers Laish
Study note
The Danites attacked Laish, killing its peaceful and unsuspecting people and burning the city. They rebuilt it and renamed it Dan. They set up Micah's carved image and established their own worship center. Jonathan, a grandson of Moses (or Manasseh, depending on the text), and his descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan. This unauthorized worship continued until the land was conquered by foreign invaders.
27 The Danites took everything Micah had made along with his priest and headed straight for Laish. The people there were peaceful and had no idea what was coming. The Danites attacked them with swords and burned the entire city to the ground. And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 Nobody came to rescue the people of Laish, because they lived too far from Sidon and had no alliances with anyone. The city sat in a valley near Beth-rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and made it their new home. And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 They renamed it Dan, after their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Israel. Before that, the city had been called Laish. And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 The people of Dan set up the carved image and started to worship it. Jonathan, the son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, and his sons after him served as priests for the tribe of Dan. This went on until the people were taken away as prisoners. And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, 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 land.
31 The carved image that Micah had made stayed in use the whole time God's tabernacle was at Shiloh. And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Key Themes
Themes in Judges 18
The failure of the tribe of dan to trust GodStealing religion versus genuine relationship with GodThe exploitation of peaceful peoplesUnauthorized worship spreading corruption
Apply This Today
Living Judges 18
The Danites stole another man's priest and idols rather than seeking God for themselves. Borrowed or stolen faith has no real power. Each person and each community must develop their own genuine relationship with God. Taking shortcuts in spiritual life only leads to shallow, unauthorized worship that dishonors God.
Go Deeper
Study Judges in Covenant Path
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