Judges 18
PATaileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?. Accordingly they made a stand, and faced about, asking him what he would have, and what he meant to bring a litUo army withhim, as if he intended an assault.
Judges 18:12
And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah. Not in the city itself, but in the fields belonging to it, as appears from the last words of this verse. See concerning this place Josh. xv. 9. 60. which lay in. the north part of the tribe of Judah, and so lay in the road to Laish. Wlierefore they called the place Mahaneh-Dan, unto this day.’] See xiii. ult. Behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.) On the west of it, towards the Mediterranean Sea, which is called the hinder most sea, Deut. xi. 24. as, on the contrary, the east is called Kedem, which imports as much as before. Here the Danites encamped te first night, after they came from Zorah and Eshtaol.
Judges 18:13
And they passed thence unto Mount Ephraim. The second day’s march was to this place, still more northward. And they came to the house of Micah.] Unto the town or village where Micah lived; for they did not yet come to his house, but afterward, (ver. 15.) -
Judges 18:14
Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish. In the Hebrew language he is said oft-times to answer who speaks first, as in 1 Kings i. 28. and many other places. And said ttnto their brethren.] Who knew, perhaps, that they called at this place by the way, and asked them, who dwelt there? • Do ye know that there is in these houses.] L e. In that town or village, viz. in Micah’s house, which was the chief in the town. (Sec ver. 12.) An ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image?] Which the Levite had shewn them, or told them were in the house. Now therefore consider what ye have to do.] Whether it might not be expedient to carry those sacred things along with them, which they fancied would be an assurance of the Divine presence with them: for from thence they had received an answer of peace, when they went to spy the country whither they were now going, (ver. 6.)
Judges 18:15
And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah. To that part of the house where the Levite had his apartment, not to the sacred place where the forcnamed idols were. And saluted him.] Or, asked him of his health and welfare, as the Hebrew phrase signifies, Asked him of peace. Ver. 1G. And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.] Whither the five men brought the Levite out to them, or he, hearing there was such a company there, came out to view them, after the salutation was over.
Judges 18:17
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither. Having brought him out, they returned back to the place where they knew the images, &c. were. And took tlie 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, &c] That is, while the Levite was discoursing with them, and wishing them, perhaps, good success, they robbed the chapel, and took away all the furniture of it. Some think Micah, also, was with him at the gate, entertaining them with meat and drink. But that is confuted by what follows.'
Judges 18:18
And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and tlie molten image. They not only took them, as is said before, but brought them out openly before the Levite’s eyes, who saw them in their hands, and thereupon expostulated with them. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?’] Will you be guilty of such a sacrilege; or, will you thus requite mc, who have been very kind to you?
Judges 18:19
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine handupon thy mouth. Keep silence, and make no noise. So this phrase is used thrice in the book of Job, xxi. 5. xxix. 9. xxxix. 37. and in the book of Proverbs, xxx. 32. and the prophet Micah, vii. 1G. And go with us, and be unto us a father and a priest.] They invite him to serve them in the same quality as he did Micah, promising him the same authority, reverence^ and affection that he had from him: and, moreover, they represent to him, in the next words, how much more advantageous it would be to minister unto so great a part of a tribe than to one private person. 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?] They were not a tribe, but only a part of it; yet so considerable a part being a great family, they are called a tribe and a family; that is, a whole family in that tribe.
Judges 18:20
And the priest’s heart was glad:. To think he should so very much mend his condition; for the same arguments which prevailed with him to dwell with Micah, were far stronger now (viz. covetousness and ambition) to move him to go along them. And he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image.] Under which is comprehended also the molten image, which the five men brought out of the house with the other, (ver. 17, 18.) And went in the midst of the people.] Who undertook to guard him from any assault that might be made on any side to bring him back: or he went, perhaps, with those sacred things (as they accounted them) in the midst of the people, in imitation of the ark, which was so placed when the camp of Israel marched, (Numb, x.21.)
Judges 18:21
And so they turned and departed. From his house. And put the little ones, and the cattle, and the carriage before them.] Both for safety, if any should pursue them, and that they might march no faster than they were able to bear it.
Judges 18:22
And when they were a good way from the house of Micah. Who did not immediately miss the Levite and his idols, and spent some time in assembling his neighbours. Tlie men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house.] If there was not a town there before, it is likely the place of worship which Micah set up made many resort thither, and settle their habitation there. Gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.] Hoping to recover what they had taken away.
Judges 18:23
And they cried to the children of Dan. Desiring them to stop their march till they had spoken with them. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What
Judges 18:24
And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away. By gods ho means the symbols of the Divine presence; for ho was not so sottish as to believe that he could make his god, he being a worshipper of Jehovah/(xvii. 3. 13.) And what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?] He thought it a strange question to ask what he ailed, when they had taken away that which he valued above all things in the world.
Judges 18:25
And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us. They that were next to him advised him not to say a word more, lest, if the whole army should hear his reproaches, mischief might follow. Lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, and the life of thy household.] There are always such fierce and furious men among soldiers, who are incensed to bloody executions upon the least provocation; and these being men going to make their fortune (as we speak) it is likely were generally of such a violent temper.
Judges 18:26
And the, children of Dan went their way. Turned about again, and pursued their march, with neglect and scorn of Micah. And when Micah satv that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.] His zeal was not so great for his gods, but he loved his life better.
Judges 18:27
And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had. i. e. They kept them and carried them along with them. And came unto Laish.] They seem to have made three days’ march in this expedition, encamping first at Kirjathjcarim,* and the next night at Micah’s house, and coming the next day to Laish. Unto a people that were at quiet, and secure.] Whom they found in the posture the spies had described them, ver. 10. having no scouts abroad to bring them notice of any approaching danger, nor any guards of the passes to their city, or at its gates; so that they were easily surprised. And they smote them, with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.] Killed the people of the country and city, unto which they sot fire, when they had taken, I suppose, the spoil of it. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Moses concerning this tribe, Deut. xxxiii. 22. (See there.)
Judges 18:28
And there was no deliverer, because it was far. from Zidon. See ver: 7, And they had no business with any man.] Which deprived them of all intelligence.,…, r And it was in the valley tltat lieth by Beth-rehob.] A city near to Hamath, iu the most northerly part of the country. (See Numb. xiii. 21.) And they built a city, and dwell’therein.]’ Larger, perhaps, than the former; which being not big enough to contain them, they thought fit to burn it and build a better.
Judges 18:29
And they called. the name of the city Dan, after the name of their father Dan, who was born unto Israel. They gave it. this name, that it might be remembered they belonged to the people of Israel, though they lived at a great distance from their own tribe, in the very extremity of the north of Judca (whereas the tribe of Dan had their lot in the south-west); from whence came the common saying afterward, when they would express the whole length of the country, from Dan to Beer-sheba. Ilowbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.] This seems to signify, that they did not burn the whole city, but so much as might strike a terror into the inhabitants, and make their conquest more easy; for he speaks of it as still the same city, though it lost its old name.
Judges 18:30
And the children of Dan set up the graven image. Together with the molten, no doubt, and mado use of tho cphod and teraphim here, as Micah had done in his house; fancying, I suppose, it was by a Divine direction from this oracle, that the five.men had such good success, when they went to spy out this land, (ver. 5, G.) And Jonathan.] This was the name of the Levitc who came along with them. The son of Gershom, the sort of Manasseh.] So not only the Hebrew^ but the Chaldce, and the LXX. (both in the Roman edition, and in that of* Basil, and in the Palatine MS. as Hottinger observes), which will not let us doubt it is the true reading: though the Vulgar hath put Moses instead of Manasseh, according to an idle conceit of some of the rabbins, who say, the letter nun, in the middle of the word, is not written even with the rest, but suspended above the rest of the letters, to shew, that though lie was indeed the son of Moses, yet he should rather be called the son of Manasseh, because he did the works of Manasseh, and not of Moses; that is,’ was’an idolater. So Kimchi (as the same Hottinger observes), who therein follows’ the Talmudists, in Bava Bathra. (See his Thesaurus Philologicus, lib. i. cap. 2. quaest. 4. andBartoloccius, in his Kirjath-sepher, torn. i. p. 114.) And thus they made this Jonathan to be the grandchild of Moses, for Gershom was his son: but it is not likely he would have been left in so poor a condition, if he had been so nearly related to their great lawgiver; nor would he have had so ijl an education. And, being now but a youth, it is not probable that he was the son of that Gershom, but of some other, who had the name of his famous ancestor given him, though his father’s name was Manasseh: but it is wholly uncertain from what family of the Levites this man was derived; and these names, no doubt, were common to more than those who first bare them. He, and his sons, were priests of the tribe of Dan.] Of that part of the tribe’who settled here at Laish. Until the day of the captivity of the land.] Some cavillers have endeavoured to frame an argument from hence, that this book was written in later times, after the ten tribes were carried away by Salmanassar; or, as some of the Jews in Seder Olam interpret the captivity of the land, to signify that by Nebuchadnezzar: but Kimchi and Balbag very well object against this, that it is altogether unlikely these images should have been suffered’ to continue in the days of David; who was a man after God’s own heart, and set himself to* advance true religion to the utmost of his power, all the country over, from Dan to Bcersheba: therefore Kimchi, with great reason, concludes, that by the captivity of the land is meant the taking of the ark by the Philistines, and carrying it. captive into the temple of Dagon: which is confirmed, as our famous Selden observes (Syntag. i. de Diis Syris, cap. 2.) by the next verse, which saith, that, till Shilbh was destroyed,