Judges18

The Danites, seeking an inheritance, send spies who discover the vulnerable city of Laish. On their journey, they encounter Micah's Levite priest and his idolatrous images, which they seize along with the priest. The six hundred armed Danites then conquer Laish, rename it Dan, and establish Micah's graven image as their cultic center with the Levite as their priest.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Danites Seek New Territory

1
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 their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. ​
2
And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there. ​
3
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? ​
4
And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am become his priest.
5
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
And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way wherein ye go. ​

The Spies Discover Vulnerable Laish

7
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man. ​
8
And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9
And they said, Arise, and let us 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 in to possess the land.
10
When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large; for God hath given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth. ​

Six Hundred Danites Set Out

11
And there set forth from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
12
And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan, unto this day; behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim. ​
13
And they passed thence unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

The Danites Steal Micah's Idols and Priest

14
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
And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
16
And the six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17
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 by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
18
And when these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?
19
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? ​
20
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
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.
22
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
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
And he said, ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee? ​
25
And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26
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.

Conquest of Laish and Establishment of Dan

27
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
28
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein. ​
29
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
And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. ​
31
So they set them up Micah’s graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. ​

Study Notes for Judges 18

Verse 1

The recurring phrase “there was no king in Israel” sets the context of political and spiritual anarchy. The tribe of Dan had failed to secure their assigned coastal territory (Judg 1:34) and were being pressured to find a new homeland.

Verse 2

Zorah and Eshtaol were the traditional southern strongholds of Dan, later known as the area where Samson grew up (Judg 13:25). The mission involved five men to find and assess new land.

Verse 3

The spies recognized the Levite’s voice, perhaps due to a distinctive dialect or prior acquaintance while traveling. They questioned him regarding his unusual circumstances far from the central places of worship.

Verse 5

The Danites consult the priest to discern divine will regarding their journey. This reflects the common, though often unauthorized, practice of using the ephod or teraphim (V. 14) to seek prophetic guidance.

Verse 6

The priest offers a positive assurance. This shows the ease with which an unauthorized religious figure could provide divine sanction for a military and territorial endeavor born out of tribal failure and self-interest.

Verse 7

Laish was vulnerable because its people lived 'careless' (secure and complacent), relying on the distant protection of Sidon. They lacked a local defense structure, making them an easy target for the organized Danite force.

Verse 10

The spies use highly persuasive, almost theological, language, describing the land as a place of great abundance that 'God hath given' into their hands, thereby justifying their planned military invasion.

Verse 12

Kirjathjearim was a key city in Judah. The name Mahanehdan, meaning 'Camp of Dan,' preserves the memory of this location as the staging point for the massive northward migration.

Verse 14

The spies recognized that founding a new city and tribal center required religious infrastructure. They decided to steal Micah’s ready-made cult objects (ephod, teraphim, and idols), reflecting a pragmatic, self-serving approach to religion.

Verse 19

The Danites appeal to the priest’s ambition, offering him a vast upgrade in status and influence. Being a priest to an entire tribe was significantly more prestigious than serving as a private chaplain to one family.

Verse 20

The Levite’s willingness to abandon his employer and steal the sacred objects demonstrates his complete lack of moral integrity, prioritizing personal gain and status over loyalty or legitimate worship.

Verse 24

Micah equates his stolen idols with his personal 'gods' (Hebrew: 'elohim'), illustrating the deeply corrupted state of worship where divinity was associated with objects manufactured by human hands.

Verse 28

The conquest was swift and brutal, characterized by a lack of mercy toward the defenseless people of Laish. Their isolation, noted earlier by the spies (V. 7), sealed their catastrophic fate.

Verse 29

By renaming the city Dan, the tribe established the northernmost boundary of Israel (often cited as 'from Dan to Beersheba'). However, this new city was founded on violence, theft, and idolatry.

Verse 30

The priest is identified as Jonathan, the grandson of Gershom, son of Manasseh (often understood by scholars to be Moses, based on textual variant). This connection reveals that the corruption of the priesthood reached even the most revered lineage in Israel.

Verse 31

This verse provides a chronological anchor, emphasizing the spiritual tragedy: the tribe of Dan established a long-lasting, competing idolatrous cult center (Micah’s image) while the legitimate Tabernacle of God was still operating in Shiloh.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options