They 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. There 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. They 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.
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Judges 18:27-29 sits inside this longer paragraph.
The 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. They 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. There 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. They 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. The 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. So 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.
Parallel Translations
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They 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.
There 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.
They 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.
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And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, 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.
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
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And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein.
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel; howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
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Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (24)
- Joshua 19:47 (vv27, 29) The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck…
- Judges 18:7 (vv27–28) Then 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,…
- 2 Samuel 10:6 (v28) When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob, and…
- Genesis 14:14 (v29) When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his three hundred eighteen trained men, born in his house, and pursued as…
- Numbers 13:21 (v28) So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
Show all 22 cross-references
- Judges 18:10 (v27) When 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…
- 1 Kings 15:20 (v29) Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Beth…
- Genesis 30:6 (v29) Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.
- Judges 20:1 (v29) Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of…
- 1 Kings 12:29-30 (v29) He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before…
- Psalms 7:2 (v28) lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.
- Genesis 32:28 (v29) He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
- Deuteronomy 33:22 (v27) About Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps out of Bashan.”
- Joshua 11:8 (v28) Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the…
- Joshua 11:11 (v27) They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burned…
- Judges 18:1 (v28) 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…
- 2 Samuel 14:6 (v28) Your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and…
- 2 Samuel 17:11 (v29) But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and…
- Psalms 50:22 (v28) “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.
- Isaiah 23:4 (v28) Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor given birth, neither have I…
- Isaiah 23:12 (v28) He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”
- Daniel 3:15-17 (v28) Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and…
22 distinct cross-references across this passage (24 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv27–28 Meaning, the idols, as verse 18.
Meaning, the idols, as verse 18.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv27–29 Jdg 18:27 And they took [the things] which Micah…
Jdg 18:27 And they took [the things] which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, 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.
Ver. 27. And they took the things.] Chuckering themselves, to think what happiness they should have in them, and little considering that there would be "bitterness in the end." {Jer 2:19}
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Unto a people that were at quiet and secure.] See Jdg 18:10. This is often repeated, as the root of their wretchedness. Security ushereth in destruction. {1Th 5:3}
And they smote them.] God oft punisheth the wicked by the wicked: and when he hath worn his rod to the stumps, as that martyr said, he casteth it into the fire. Vice may correct sin.
And burnt the city with fire.] Here we have much in few: as in that of Virgil, so much admired by Macrobius for fulness of matter in fewness of words, Iam seges est ubi Troia fuit.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv27–29 Not wholly, but in great measure, to strike the…
Not wholly, but in great measure, to strike the greater terror into the inhabitants, and to make their conquest of the place more easy.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v27 Here is, I. Laish conquered by the Danites. They…
Here is, I. Laish conquered by the Danites. They proceeded on their march, and, because they met with no disaster, perhaps concluded they had not done amiss in robbing Micah. Many justify themselves in their impiety by their prosperity. Observe, 1. What posture they found the people of Laish in, both those of the city and those of the country about. They were quiet and secure, not jealous of the five spies that had been among them to search out the land, nor had they any intelligence of the approach of this enemy, which made them a very easy prey to this little handful of men that came upon them, Jdg 18:27. Note, Many are brought to destruction by their security. Satan gets advantage against us when we are careless and off our watch. Happy therefore is the man that feareth always. 2. What a complete victory they obtained over them: They put all the people to the sword, and burnt down so much of the city as they thought fit to rebuild (Jdg 18:27, Jdg 18:28), and, for aught that appears, herein they met with no resistance; for the measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was full, that of the Danites was but beginning to fill. 3. How the conquerors settled themselves in their room, Jdg 18:28, Jdg 18:29. They built the city, or much of it, anew (the old buildings having gone to decay), and called the name of it Dan, to be a witness for them that, though separated so far off from their brethren, they were nevertheless Danites by birth, which might hereafter, by reason of their distance, be called in question. We should feel concerned not to lose the privilege of our relation to God's Israel, and therefore should take all occasions to own it and preserve the remembrance of it to ours after us.
II. Idolatry immediately set up there. God had graciously performed his promise, in putting them in possession of that which fell to their lot, obliging them thereby to be faithful to him who had been so to them. They inherited the labour of the people, that they might observe his statues, Psa 105:44, Psa 105:45. But the first thing they do after they are settled is to break his statues. As soon as they began to settle themselves they set up the graven image (Jdg 18:30), perversely attributing their success to that idol which, if God had not been infinitely patient, would have been their ruin. Thus a prosperous idolater goes on to offend, imputing this his power unto his god, Hab 1:11. Their Levite, who officiated as priest, is at length named here - Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh. The word Manasseh, in the original, has the letter n, set over the head, which, some of the Jewish rabbin say, is an intimation that it should be left out, and then Manasseh will be Moses, and this Levite, they say, was grandson to the famous Moses, who indeed had a son named Gershom; but, say they, the historian, in honour of Moses, by a half interposition of that letter, turned the name into Manasseh. The vulgar Latin reads it Moses. And if indeed Moses had a grandson that was rakish, and was picked up as a fit tool to be made use of in the setting up of idolatry, it is not the only instance (would to God it were!) of the unhappy degenerating of the posterity of great and good men. Children's children are not always the crown of old men. But the learned bishop Patrick takes this to be an idle conceit of the rabbin, and supposes this Jonathan to be of some other family of the Levites. How long these corruptions continued we are told in the close. 1. That the posterity of this Jonathan continued to act as priests to this family of Dan that was seated at Laish, and in the country about, till the captivity, Jdg 18:30. After Micah's image was removed this family retained the character of priests, and had respect paid them as such by that city, and it is very probable that Jeroboam had an eye to them when he set up one of his calves there (which they could welcome at Can, and put some reputation upon, when the priests of the Lord would have nothing to do with them), and that this family officiated as some of his priests. 2. That these images continued till Samuel's time, for so long the ark of God was at Shiloh; and it is probable that in him time effectual care was taken to suppress and abolish this idolatry. See how dangerous it is to admit an infection, for spiritual distempers are not so soon cured as caught.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv27–29 And they took the things which Micah had made,....…
And they took the things which Micah had made,.... The ephod, teraphim, and the two images, the Danites took them, or having taken them kept them, and went on with them:
and the priest which he had; him also they took, and who was willing enough to go with them:
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and came unto Laish, unto a people that were quiet and secure; having no sentinels placed at any distance to give them warning of an enemy, nor any watchmen on their walls to discover one; and perhaps their gates not shut, nor any guard at any of their passes and avenues, having no apprehension at all of being visited by an enemy, especially from Israel, not being apprized that they had any pretensions to their city, and the land about it:
and they smote them with the edge of the sword; entered their city, and fell on them suddenly, and cut them to pieces:
and burnt the city with fire; to strike terror to all about; or it may be only they set fire to some part of it, as they entered, only to frighten the inhabitants, and throw them into the greater confusion, that they might become a more easy prey to them; for their intention was to inhabit it, and it seems to be the same city still, though they rebuilt it, and called it by another name.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv27–29 Burnt - Not wholly, but in great measure, to…
Burnt - Not wholly, but in great measure, to make their conquest more easy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv27–29 Verse 27. Unto a people - at quiet and…
Verse 27. Unto a people - at quiet and secure] They found the report given by the spies to be correct. The people were apprehensive of no danger, and were unprepared for resistance; hence they were all put to the sword, and their city burnt up.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v27 Jdg 18:27-29. And burned the city with fire —…
Jdg 18:27-29. And burned the city with fire — Not wholly, but in a great measure, to make their conquest more easy. They built a city — Or, rather, repaired and enlarged that which they found there. After the name of Dan — That it might be manifest they belonged to the tribe of Dan, though they were settled at a great distance from them in the most northerly part of the land; whereas the lot of their tribe was in the southern part of Canaan.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv27–28 The things which Micah had made - Rather, from…
The things which Micah had made - Rather, from Jdg 18:24, “the gods which Micah had made.” See Jdg 18:31; Deu 27:15; Exo 20:4.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv27–29 And, &c. Hebrew, "and they took what Michas had…
And, &c. Hebrew, "and they took what Michas had made, and the priest,....and came." (Haydock) --- Fire, as they could not make themselves masters of it otherwise. They were forced afterwards to rebuild it. Some Rabbins have supposed, that Sidon and its colonies were not given by God to Israel: but their proofs are unsatisfactory. Lais was inhabited by the Chanaanites; and though it was in the territory of Aser, as the people of Dan had made the conquest, they were suffered to keep quiet possession of it. See Josue xvii. 10.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv27–28 THEY WIN LAISH. (Jdg 18:27-29)
THEY WIN LAISH. (Jdg 18:27-29)
they . . . came unto Laish . . . smote them--the inhabitants.
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and burnt the city--"We are revolted by this inroad and massacre of a quiet and secure people. Nevertheless, if the original grant of Canaan to the Israelites gave them the warrant of a divine commission and command for this enterprise, that sanctifies all and legalizes all" [CHALMERS]. This place seems to have been a dependency of Zidon, the distance of which, however, rendered it impossible to obtain aid thence in the sudden emergency.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv28–29 28. Because it was far from Zidon — The…
28. Because it was far from Zidon — The Zidonians were the only people likely to give them assistance at such a time of disaster, for they originally belonged to Zidon. See note on Jdg_18:7.
No business with any man — No alliance with nearer governments. from whom, in such case, they might have received help.
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Beth-rehob — Dr. Robinson is inclined to identify this place with Hunin, an ancient fortress several miles southwest of Dan, and commanding a fine prospect of the plain of the Huleh. With him agrees J.L. Porter, who says: “The site is most commanding — a terrace on the steep mountain side, a thousand feet above the plain of Dan. Facing it, on the opposite range of Hermon, I saw the ruins of Caesarea Philippi. The sacred writer, in telling the story of the capture of Laish by the Danites, says it was situated in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. There was the valley before me, and yonder little rounded hill in the midst of it is the site of Laish.” It was an important stronghold, and was occupied, in the time of David, by the Syrians. 2Sa_10:6. It is not to be confounded with the Rehob in the tribe of Asher, further west. Jdg_1:31; Jos_19:28.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv27–29 27. that which Micah had made] Perhaps originally the…
27. that which Micah had made] Perhaps originally the God which … as in Jdg_18:24. The form of the sentence suggests that the objectionable expression has been modified.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv27–29 (27) Burnt the city with fire.—This was unusual, for…
(27) Burnt the city with fire.—This was unusual, for we are told that Hazor was the only city which Joshua burnt (Jos_11:13). Perhaps they had devoted the city by a ban, as Jericho was devoted (Jos_6:24); or the burning may have been due to policy or to accident. Probably the notion that such conduct was cruel and unjustifiable never occurred to them; nor must we judge them by the standard of Christian times. But Dan was no gainer. His name disappears from the records of 1Ch_4:1, and he is not mentioned among the elected tribes in Revelation 7. Blunt (Undesigned Coincidences, pt. 2, 4) conjectures, from 2Ch_2:14, that the cause of their disappearance from Israelite records—the latest mention of them as a tribe being in 1Ch_27:22—was due to their intermarriages with the Phœnicians.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv27–29 And they. In the Hebrew the they is emphatic.…
And they. In the Hebrew the they is emphatic. It would be better expressed in English by repeating The children of Dan. The repetition of the epithets quiet and secure, as applied to the people of Laish, rather seems to indicate the writer"s reprobation of the deed as cruel, like that of Simeon and Levi in slaying Hamor and Shechem. They smote them with the edge of the sword a phrase denoting an exterminating slaughter. (Exo_34:26 Jos_19:47 1Sa_15:8, etc.) And they burnt the city, etc. Perhaps they had made the people and city a cherem, a devoted thing, and therefore slew the one and burnt the other; (cf. Num 21:3Jo Num_8:19 Num_11:11, etc.) or the burning of the city may have been one of the means by which they destroyed the people.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v27 what Micah had made
what Micah had made
Micah did not make his gods, rather a craftsman made them for him. Also, this can be stated in active form. AT: "the things that had been made for Micah" or "Micah's things" (See: Metonymy and Active or Passive)
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Laish
See how you translated this in Judges 18:7.
with the edge of the sword
"with their swords." Here "the sword" represents the swords and other weapons that the soldiers used in battle. (See: Synecdoche)
they had no dealings with anyone
this means they lived far enough away from any other city, that they lived secluded from other people. See how you translated this phrase in Judges 18:7.
Beth Rehob
This is a name of a town. (See: How to Translate Names)
translationWords
Dan
priest
people group
sword
Sidon
Israel
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.