Judges 18
DOYLY— until the day of the captivity] Some have endeavoured to frame an argument from this passage, that this book was written in later times, after the ten tribes were carried away by Shalmaneser; but it is highly improbable that these images should have been suffered to continue so long, especially through the reign of David. It is therefore with the greatest reason concluded, that by “the captivity of the land,” is meant the taking of the ark by the Philistines, and the carrying of it captive into the temple of Dagon, 1 Sam. iv. 11, &c. This interpretation is confirmed by the next verse, which says, that the images remained during the continuance of the ark and sanctuary at Shiloh; which continuance ended in Eli’s time, when the ark was taken by the Philistines, and never after carried back to Shiloh. Bp. Patrick. Chap. XIX. ver. 1. — a concubine] A concubinewife; one who was really his wife, but was taken without a dowry, and had nothing to do with the government of his family. Dr. Wells.
Judges 18:2
- — went away from him] To escape the punishment to which she was liable as an adulteress.
Judges 18:5
- — Ask counsel, — of God.] By this it appears, that they were as ignorant or regardless of true religion as the Levite and Micah, in thinking that God would answer them as well there as at His own tabernacle. Dr. Wells.
Judges 18:7
- — they were far from the Zidonians.] And therefore could not obtain assistance from them on any sudden invasion.
Judges 18:14
- — consider what ye have to do.] They desire them to consider, whether it might not be expedient to carry those sacred things along with them, which, they seem to have supposed, would afford an assurance of the Divine presence with them; and by means of which they appear to have thought that the Levite had before given them an answer. Bp. Patrick.
Micah is robbed of his idols. Idolatry is set up in Dan. Before CHRIST about 1406. one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
Judges 18:30
- — set up the graven image:] Thus was this kind of superstitious worship introduced into the tribe of Dan, and by these means it spread and was propagated through the country, the town of Dan long continuing the seat of this impiety. Pyle. This false worship continued in this place, notwithstanding the seal of many judges, who were good men and great reformers, but could not extend their authority to the very skirts of the country, where idolatry still lurked. And it was probably owing to this place being much addicted to idolatrous worship, that when Jeroboam set up his golden calves, he erected one of them here at Dan, as the other at Beth-el. Lewis. Now the wildfire of idolatry, which was confined before to the private hall of Micah, flew furiously through all the tribe of Dan, who, like to thieves that have carried away contagious clothes, have insensibly infected themselves and their posterity to death. Heresy and superstition have small beginnings, dangerous proceedings, pernicious conclusions. This contagion is like a canker: at first it is scarcely visible, afterwards it eats away the flesh and consumes the body. Bp. Hall. of the sword, and burnt their city with fire.