Judg 18:1 | Clarke | STEP | Some Danites, seeking an inheritance, send five men to search the land, who arrive at the house of Micah, , . They employ the Levite, who served to his house as priest, to ask counsel for them of God, . He inquires, and promises them success, . They depart, and go to Laish, and find the inhabitants secure, . They return to their brethren, and encourage them to attempt the conquest of the place, . They send six hundred men, who, coming to the place where Micah dwelt, enter the house, and carry off the priest and his consecrated things, . Micah and his friends pursue them; but, being threatened, are obliged to return, . The Danites come to Laish, and smite it, and build a city there, which they call Dan, . They make the Levite their priest, and set up the images at this new city, , . Verse 1 There was no king in Israel - See (note). The circumstances related here show that this must have happened about the time of the preceding transactions. The tribe of the Danites - That is, a part of this tribe; some families of it. All their inheritance - That is, they had not got an extent of country sufficient for them. Some families were still unprovided for, or had not sufficient territory; for we find from , etc., that, although the tribe of Dan did receive their inheritance with the rest of the tribes of Israel, yet their coasts went out too little for them, and they went and fought against Leshem, (called here Laish), and took it, etc. This circumstance is marked here more particularly than in the book of Joshua. See on (note).

Judges 18:1

Introduction

Some Danites, seeking an inheritance, send five men to search the land, who arrive at the house of Micah, Jdg 18:1, Jdg 18:2. They employ the Levite, who served to his house as priest, to ask counsel for them of God, Jdg 18:3-5. He inquires, and promises them success, Jdg 18:6. They depart, and go to Laish, and find the inhabitants secure, Jdg 18:7. They return to their brethren, and encourage them to attempt the conquest of the place, Jdg 18:8-10. They send six hundred men, who, coming to the place where Micah dwelt, enter the house, and carry off the priest and his consecrated things, Jdg 18:11-21. Micah and his friends pursue them; but, being threatened, are obliged to return, Jdg 18:22-26. The Danites come to Laish, and smite it, and build a city there, which they call Dan, Jdg 18:27-29. They make the Levite their priest, and set up the images at this new city, Jdg 18:30, Jdg 18:31.

Verse 1

There was no king in Israel - See Jdg 17:6 (note). The circumstances related here show that this must have happened about the time of the preceding transactions.

The tribe of the Danites - That is, a part of this tribe; some families of it.

All their inheritance - That is, they had not got an extent of country sufficient for them. Some families were still unprovided for, or had not sufficient territory; for we find from Jos 19:40, etc., that, although the tribe of Dan did receive their inheritance with the rest of the tribes of Israel, yet their coasts went out too little for them, and they went and fought against Leshem, (called here Laish), and took it, etc. This circumstance is marked here more particularly than in the book of Joshua. See on Jos 19:47 (note).