Judges 18

Judges 18:7-13

How great a matter doth a little fire kindle? The idolatry of a family does inflate a strike. We are told, (1.) How the Danites spies sent to view Laish get acquainted with Micah’s priest, ver. 1—6. (2.) The encouraging report their spies brought back, ver. 7—10. (3.) What forces were sent to conquer Laish, ver. 11—13. (4.) How they by the way plundered Micah of his gods, ver. 14—20. (5.) How safely they conquered Laish, ver. 27—30. and wickedly set up the graven image in it, ver. 30, 31.

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. 2. And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coults, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Efraid, 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. 3. When 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 makes thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4. And he said unto them, Thus and thus deaeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am 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 the LORD is your way wherein ye go.’

2. 1—6. A great part of the inheritance of the Danites remained unconquered, chap. i. 34, 35. and the Amorites flattening them yet more, one family of the tribe bethought them of looking out some easier conquest; and having the city of Laish allotted them in the northern border.

3. They send out five men as spies to search the land, that they might know its condition, and what force would be necessary to attack it. Note, With good advice make war.

4. In their way passing by Micah’s house, and spending a night there, one of them, by his voice, discovers the Levite, whom he had formerly known; this produces enquiry into his business there, and he informs them of his office, and Micah’s agreement with him.

5. Far from being shocked at the account, or ready to reprove this idolatry, they beg this unhallowed priest to ask counsel of his teraphin, and think it a lucky accident that they have such an opportunity of enquiring whether their undertaking should prosper. Strange folly? to ask direction of idols when Shiloh was to sign, and prefer an intruding self-make proof, to the anointed of the Lord. Thus still the blind lead the blind, and the people love to have it to.

6. The Levite priest pretends to give them hereupon an answer from God, and assures them of the success of their enterprise. Their way was under divine direction, and God would guard and prosper them in it. Note, They may comfortably go on their ways, whose goings the Lord upholds and guides.

7. ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly, 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. 8. And they came unto their brethren to Zorah, and Efraid: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9. And they said, Artie, 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 faithful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10. When 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. 11. ¶ And there went from thence of the family of the Danites

nices out of Zorah and out of Efhtaol, fix hundred men, appointed with weapons of war. 12. And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanch-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. 13. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

The five spies proceeded on their journey to Laïsh, of which we have here an account.

1. The people were living in the most supine security, without guards to protect, or governors to refrain them. Wickedness met with no reproof, and knew no shams, so that they appeared ripe for judgment; and as they entirely neglected their gates, and were at a distance from any help, nothing could be an easier prey. Nate, (1.) If there be no magistrate to bear the sword, or negligence lets it sleep in the Seaband, bare-faced property will quickly walk in triumph. (2.) Shame is a great refrain on sin; when that is lost, men grow utterly abandoned. (3.) The security of sinners is their ruin.

2. They were this report back to their brethren, and earnestly preet them to make no delay to go up; the conquest is easy, the people secure, the land excellent, and nothing wanting but to put off their sloth, and march and possess it. Nate, (1.) Sloth is a great enemy to the soul, in its spiritual warfare. (2.) We need exhort one another daily, to arise and be doing; none knows how much comfort he loses here, and how much glory hearsher, by his sinful negligence. (3.) Heaven is a good land, and if we have a heart to travel thither, and bravely enter, we shall find every want supplied for ever.

3. The family of the Danites, to whom the city was allotted, begin their march; fix hundred men of war, with their housholds and hishlance, as if to certain victory. Nate, They who go out in faith are sure to prevail.

4. ¶ Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laïsh, 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 thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and I saluted him. 16. And the fix hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entring 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 in the entring of the gate with the fix hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18. And 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? 19. And 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: it is 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? 20. And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the mulls of the people. 21. So 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. 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 ye are gone away: and ‘what have I more?’ and what is this that ye lay unto me, What aileth thee? 25. And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, left I angry fellow: run upon thee, and thou I lose thy life, with the lives of thy houshold. 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.

Judges 18:14-26

As their rout lay not far from Micah’s house, when they came in sight of it, the five men, who had gone to spy out Laïsh, informed their brethren of Micah’s house of gods, and of the use they had made of them, throwing in a hint, whether it might not be worth consideration, either to consult

them at present, or perhaps take them along with them by way of oracle. No sooner is the hint dropped than the advice is followed.

1. The five men, who knew the avenues to the chapel, are sent to steal the images, ephod, and teraphim, whilst the priest in the gate is held in converse with the men of war. Strange that they could have dependence upon gods so little able to defend themselves! and stranger still, to hope that stolen gods should bring a blessing with them! How blind and stupid is the sinner!

2. The priest, surprised at seeing them return with his treasure, expediates with them against the theft; but his complaints are easily silenced; no sooner do they propose to him to go along with them, and let in his view better wages and greater preferment, than he very readily confesses to follow his gods, and leave a private cure for a fee, little concerning himself about the charge, or the infamous means of his advancement. Accordingly now the Danites think themselves furnished, and with their priest and gods in the mulls of them, march on confidently. Nate, (1.) When a priest’s heart is more glad of his preferment, than concerned about the weight of his office, it is a sure sign he serves an idol god. (2.) Which a man chutes the ministry for the salary, not the souls, it cannot be but that he must be made in his profession.

3. Micah no sooner found his gods and his priest thus stolen away, than collecting his neighbours, who resisted to his idols with him, he prefers the Danites, and in the present anguish of heart complains of his irreparable loss; they, dear to his cries, give him a surly answer, and bid him take care of himself, lead his ill-judged importunity should provoke them to murder him: frightened with the menace, Micah returns; not, it is to be feared, to renounce his idolatry, but to mourn over his idols. Nate, (1.) They are still idolaters, who, under afflictive providence, refuse to be comforted, as if to be deprived of creature-comforts was to lose their all. (2.) If Micah appeared in distressed for his idols, with how much greater cause should the soul, from whom God hath withdrawn himself, lament and mourn after him. (3.) Where power is with oppressors, to complain of injustice is only to meddle to our harm. (4.) They who dare commit theft will hardly scruple, if needful to secure their ill-gotten wealth, to commit murder.

4. And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laïsh, 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. 28. And there was no deliverers, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that both by Beth-rehob: and they built a city and dwelt therein. 29. And they called the name of the city ‘Dan, after the name of Dan: Jich. 30. And the children of Dan: Yet up the graven image: and Jonathan the son of Gerthom, the son of Manaffeh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan, until the day of the captivity of the land. 31. And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Judges 18:27-31

Proceeding on their expedition they arrive at Laïsh, where, according to the report of the spies, the people were in perfect security; but when sinners cry, Peace, peace, then cometh the sword.

1. They smote them without any resistance, put the people to the sword, and burnt the city, which they afterwards rebuilt, and called it Dan, to preserve their connection with their brethren, lead, by their distance from them, they might afterwards be dishonest.

2. They set up Micah’s idols there, probably imputing their success to their presence; and the Levite, whose name was Jonathan, the son of Gerthom, the son of Manaffeh, or Mole, as some read it, he and his sons were priests there, until the ark was taken by the Philistines, in the name of Eli. And though this idol-worship seems to be suppressed during the days of Samuel, David and Solomon, yet enough of the old leaven remained to make Jeroboam’s calves welcome. Nate, (1.) Prosperity in an evil way encourages the heart to persevere in it. (2.) If pious parents could look out of their graves upon their degenerate children, it would shock and grieve them. (3.) When bad habits are long indulged, it is very hard to eradicate them; and if, for a season, they are restrained, yet relapses are greatly to be feared.