Judges 18

King James Version

Full text for Judges Chapter 18

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 [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

2And 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.

3When 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?

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, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

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

7¶ 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.

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 still? be not slothful to go, [and] to enter to possess the land.

10When 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.

11And 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 Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, [it is] behind Kirjathjearim.

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

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.

15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, [even] unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

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 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.

18And 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?

19And 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?

20And 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.

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

22[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.

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: and what have I more? and what [is] this [that] ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

25And 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.

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.

27¶ 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.

28And [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 Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

29And 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.

30And 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.

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

As there was no king in Israel, the tribe of Dan sought a new inheritance, sending five men to spy out the land. These spies encountered a Levite serving as priest to Micah's private idolatrous shrine, and received a favorable oracle concerning their mission. They subsequently found the city of Laish, whose inhabitants lived carelessly and securely, making them an easy target. Upon returning, the spies convinced 600 armed Danites to conquer this land. On their way, the Danites forcibly took Micah's graven image, ephod, and teraphim, and persuaded his Levite priest to serve their entire tribe. They then attacked Laish, smiting its people and burning the city, before rebuilding it and naming it Dan. The Danites established Micah's idol and the Levite Jonathan as their priests, perpetuating idolatry throughout the period the tabernacle was in Shiloh.

Long Summary

In a time when there was no king in Israel, the tribe of Dan had not yet fully secured their inheritance among the other tribes. Consequently, they dispatched five valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol to scout for a suitable dwelling place. During their journey, these spies lodged at the house of Micah in Mount Ephraim, where they recognized the voice of a young Levite serving as Micah's personal priest. They inquired of him about their mission's prosperity, and he responded with an encouraging oracle: "Go in peace: before the LORD is your way." The spies then traveled to Laish, observing its people living carelessly and securely, without any magistrate or external connections, making them an isolated and vulnerable target. Returning to their brethren, the spies reported the land's excellence and the inhabitants' complacency, urging immediate action to possess it. Inspired by this report, six hundred armed Danite men, accompanied by their families and possessions, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. As they passed through Mount Ephraim, the five original spies reminded their brethren of Micah's religious artifacts. The Danites then entered Micah's house, seizing his graven image, molten image, ephod, and teraphim. They further persuaded the Levite priest, Jonathan, to abandon Micah and serve their entire tribe, promising him a more prominent role, which he gladly accepted. Micah, discovering the theft of his gods and priest, gathered his neighbors and pursued the Danites. However, the Danites, being a superior force, turned and threatened Micah's life and household, causing him to retreat. The Danites proceeded to Laish, a people living in peace and security, and mercilessly attacked them with the sword, burning their city to the ground, as there was no one to deliver them. They subsequently rebuilt the city and renamed it Dan, after their ancestor. Tragically, the children of Dan then set up Micah's stolen graven image, and Jonathan, the Levite, and his descendants served as priests to the tribe of Dan, establishing a lasting center of idolatry that persisted until the captivity of the land, concurrent with the period the house of God was in Shiloh.

Core Concepts

  • Danite MigrationThe tribe of Dan, unable to fully possess their initial inheritance, sought a new territory to dwell in, leading them to migrate northwards. This highlights their struggle for settlement and the decentralized nature of Israelite tribal life during this period.
  • Private IdolatryMicah's household possessed a graven image, molten image, ephod, and teraphim, served by a hired Levite priest. This illustrates the widespread practice of unauthorized and personal religious worship, deviating from the central tabernacle.
  • Levitical CorruptionThe Levite priest, Jonathan, readily abandoned his post with Micah to serve the Danite tribe for greater prestige, despite the idolatrous nature of their worship. This demonstrates the spiritual decline and opportunistic behavior among some religious figures in this era.
  • Careless SecurityThe people of Laish lived in a state of quiet and security, without a magistrate or external alliances, making them vulnerable to attack. Their isolation and lack of preparedness ultimately led to their swift and brutal conquest by the Danites.
  • Establishment of IdolatryThe Danites not only stole Micah's images but also set them up as their primary religious objects in their new city, Dan, with the Levite as their priest. This act established a lasting center of idolatry in the northern kingdom, coexisting with the legitimate worship at Shiloh.
  • Absence of Central AuthorityThe repeated phrase "In those days there was no king in Israel" underscores the lack of a unified political or religious authority. This vacuum contributed to the tribal autonomy, internal conflicts, and widespread religious syncretism depicted in the chapter.