Judges 18 (NET)

The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance

1 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place1 to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.2 2 The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives,3 capable men4 from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.5 3 As they approached6 Micah’s house, they recognized the accent7 of the young Levite. So they stopped8 there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”9 4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,10 “He hired me and I became his priest.” 5 They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us,11 so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”12 6 The priest said to them, “Go with confidence.13 The Lord will be with you on your mission.”14

7 So the five men journeyed on15 and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there16 were living securely, like the Sidonians do,17 undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way.18 They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.19 8 When the Danites returned to their tribe20 in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen21 asked them, “How did it go?”22 9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them,23 for24 we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic,25 but don’t hesitate26 to invade and conquer27 the land. 10 When you invade,28 you will encounter29 unsuspecting people. The land is wide!30 God is handing it over to you – a place that lacks nothing on earth!”31

11 So six hundred Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.32 12 They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan.33 It is west34 of Kiriath Jearim.) 13 From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house. 14 The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish35 said to their kinsmen,36 “Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do.” 15 They stopped37 there, went inside the young Levite’s house (which belonged to Micah),38 and asked him how he was doing.39 16 Meanwhile the six hundred Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.40 17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole41 the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men.42 18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole43 the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser44 and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?”45 20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.46

21 They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.47 22 After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors48 gathered together and caught up with the Danites. 23 When they called out to the Danites, the Danites49 turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?” 24 He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’”50 25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men51 will attack you, and you and your family will die.”52 26 The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized53 they were too strong to resist,54 he turned around and went home.

27 Now the Danites55 took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.56 28 No one came to the rescue because the city57 was far from Sidon58 and they had no dealings with anyone.59 The city60 was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites61 rebuilt the city and occupied it. 29 They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons.62 But the city’s name used to be Laish. 30 The Danites worshiped63 the carved image. Jonathan, descendant64 of Gershom, son of Moses,65 and his descendants66 served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. 31 They worshiped67 Micah’s carved image68 the whole time God’s authorized shrine69 was in Shiloh.

118:1tn Heb “an inheritance.” 218:1tn Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.” 318:2tn Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.” 418:2tn Heb “men, sons of strength.” 518:2tn Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.” 618:3tn Or “When they were near.” 718:3tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263). 818:3tn Heb “turned aside.” 918:3tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?” 1018:4tn Heb “He said to them, ‘Such and such Micah has done for me.’” Though the statement is introduced and presented, at least in part, as a direct quotation (note especially “for me”), the phrase “such and such” appears to be the narrator’s condensed version of what the Levite really said. 1118:5tn Heb “Ask God.” 1218:5tn Heb “so we can know if our way on which we are going will be successful.” 1318:6tn Heb “in peace.” 1418:6tn Heb “In front of the LORD is your way in which you are going.” 1518:7tn Or “went.” 1618:7tn Heb “who were in its midst.” 1718:7tn Heb “according to the custom of the Sidonians.” 1818:7tn Heb “and there was no one humiliating anything in the land, one taking possession [by] force.” 1918:7tc Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX and Symmachus read “Syria” here rather than the MT’s “men.” This reading presupposes a Hebrew Vorlage אֲרָם (’aram, “Aram,” i.e., Arameans) rather than the MT reading אָדָם (’adam). This reading is possibly to be preferred over the MT. 2018:8tn Heb “They came to their brothers.” 2118:8tn Heb “brothers.” 2218:8tn Heb “What you?” 2318:9tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.” 2418:9tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.” 2518:9tn Heb “But you are inactive.” 2618:9tn Or “be lazy.” 2718:9tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.” 2818:10tn Heb “When you enter.” 2918:10tn Heb “you will come to.” 3018:10tn Heb “broad of hands,” an idiom meaning “wide on both sides.” 3118:10tn Heb “a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.” 3218:11tn Heb “They journeyed from there, from the tribe of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men, equipped with weapons of war.” 3318:12tn Or “Mahaneh Dan”; the Hebrew term “Mahaneh” means “camp [of].” Many English versions retain the transliterated Hebrew expression, but cf. CEV “Dan’s Camp.” 3418:12tn Heb “behind.” 3518:14tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX lacks the phrase “of Laish.” 3618:14tn Heb “brothers.” 3718:15tn Heb “turned aside.” 3818:15tn Heb “Micah’s house.” 3918:15tn Heb “they asked him concerning peace.” 4018:16tn Heb “And the six hundred men, equipped with the weapons of war…from the sons of Dan.” 4118:17tn Heb “went up, went in there, took.” 4218:17tn Heb “six hundred men, equipped with the weapons of war.” 4318:18tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.” 4418:19tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10. 4518:19tn Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?” 4618:20tn Heb “and went into the midst of the people.” 4718:21tn Heb “They turned and went and put the children, the cattle, and the possessions in front of them.” 4818:22tn Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.” 4918:23tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 5018:24tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’” 5118:25tn Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs. 5218:25tn Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.” 5318:26tn Heb “saw.” 5418:26tn Heb “they were stronger than he.” 5518:27tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 5618:27tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English. 5718:28tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27. 5818:28map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3. 5918:28tn Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” 6018:28tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27. 6118:28tn Heb “They”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 6218:29tn Heb “They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who had been born to Israel.” 6318:30tn Heb “erected for themselves.” 6418:30tn Heb “son.” 6518:30tc Several ancient textual witnesses, including some LXX mss and the Vulgate, support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew mss have a nun (נ) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 401-2. 6618:30tn Heb “sons.” 6718:31tn Heb “they set up for themselves.” 6818:31tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.” 6918:31tn Heb “the house of God.”