Judges Chapter 18 — The Danites and Micah's Idols
The tribe of Dan seeks new territory, steals Micah's idols and priest, and conquers the unsuspecting city of Laish to establish their own settlement.
1In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.
2The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land!”
3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have here?”
4He said to them, “Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest.”
5They said to him, “Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.”
6The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”
7Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in safety, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one 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 anyone else.
8They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?”
9They said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Do you stand still? Don’t be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
10When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
11The family of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol with six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
12They went up and encamped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.
13They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim,*teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property. and a carved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do.”
15They went over there and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.
16The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”
20The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.
21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them.
22When 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.
23As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”
24He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’ ”
25The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”
26The 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.
27They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burned the city with fire.
28There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city and lived in it.
29They 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 used to be Laish.
30The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
31So they set up for themselves Micah’s engraved image which he made, and it remained all the time that God’s house was in Shiloh.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Judges 18:1
“In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.”
This verse sets the historical context of the chapter, highlighting the lack of central authority and the displacement of the Danites.
Judges 18:19
“They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?””
This question illustrates the pragmatism and lack of religious integrity among both the Danites and the Levite priest.
Chapter Summary
Judges Chapter 18 continues the narrative of spiritual decay in Israel during the period before the monarchy. The tribe of Dan, seeking a permanent inheritance, sends five spies to scout for land. During their journey, they encounter a young Levite serving as a priest in Micah's house and ask him to consult God for them. Finding the city of Laish peaceful and unprotected, the spies return to encourage their tribe to seize it. Six hundred Danite men set out and stop at Micah's house, where they forcibly take his carved image, ephod, and household idols. They also persuade Micah's priest to join them, offering him a higher position as a priest to a whole tribe. Despite Micah's protests, the Danites proceed to Laish, destroy the city, and rebuild it as Dan. The chapter concludes by noting that the Danites set up the stolen idols and established a line of priests from the descendants of Moses, which continued until the land's captivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text states that the Danites were seeking an inheritance because they had not yet secured a permanent territory among the tribes of Israel. They felt compelled to scout for a new, easier land to inhabit.
The Danites took Micah’s carved image, his molten image, his ephod, and his household idols (teraphim). They also persuaded Micah's hired Levite priest to leave Micah and serve their entire tribe instead.
The priest is eventually identified as Jonathan, the son of Gershom and grandson of Moses. He chose to follow the Danites for personal advancement rather than loyalty to Micah.
Study Note
The identification of the priest as a descendant of Moses in verse 30 underscores the depth of spiritual compromise within prominent families during this era of Israel's history.
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