Chapter 18

1
no king The word mailech, which generally means a king, is sometimes taken for a supreme ruler, governor, or judge (see note on Gen 36:31, and see note on Deut 33:5); and it is probable it should be so understood here, and in the parallel passages. Judg 17:6, Judg 19:1, Judg 21:25

the tribe Josh 19:40-48

for unto Judg 1:34


2
men Heb. sons

Zorah Judg 18:8, Judg 18:11, Judg 13:2, Judg 13:25, Judg 16:31; Gen 42:9; Josh 19:41

to spy Num 13:17; Josh 2:1; Prov 20:18; Luke 14:31

mount Judg 17:1, Judg 19:1, Judg 19:18; Josh 17:15-18


3
they knew They knew by his dialect or mode of pronunciation, that he was not an Ephraimite (see the parallel texts). Judg 12:6; Gen 27:22; Matt 26:73

and what hast Isa 22:16


4
hired me Judg 17:10; Prov 28:21; Isa 56:11; Ezek 13:19; Hos 4:8-9; Mal 1:10; John 10:12-13; Acts 8:18-21, Acts 20:33; 1Tim 3:3; Titus 1:11; 2Pet 2:3, 2Pet 2:14-15


5
Ask counsel 1Kgs 22:5; 2Kgs 16:15; Isa 30:1; Ezek 21:21; Hos 4:12; Acts 8:10

of God Judg 18:14, Judg 17:5, Judg 17:13


6
Go in peace 1Kgs 22:6, 1Kgs 22:12, 1Kgs 22:15; Jer 23:21-22, Jer 23:32

before Deut 11:12; Ps 33:18; 1Thess 3:11

the Lord As the Levite uses the word Jehovah, and as the Danites succeeded according to the oracle delivered by him, some learned men are of opinion, that the worship established by Micah was not of an idolatrous kind.


7
Laish Josh 19:47, called Leshem

how they Judg 18:27-28; Rev 18:7

magistrate Heb. possessor, or, heir of restraint, 1Sam 3:13; 1Kgs 1:6; Rom 13:3; 1Pet 2:14

and had no In the most correct copies of the LXX this clause stands thus; και λογος ουκ ην αυτοις μετα Συριας; "and they had no transactions with Syria;" evidently reading instead of ΰγν H120, adam, man, ΰψν H758, aram, Syria; words so nearly similar that the only difference between them is in the ψ, raish, and γ, daleth, which in both manuscripts and printed books is sometimes indiscernible. Laish was situated on the frontiers of Syria.


8
Zorah and Eshtaol Judg 18:2, Judg 18:11, Judg 13:2, Judg 16:31


9
Arise Num 13:30, Num 14:7-9; Josh 2:23-24

are ye still 1Kgs 22:23

be not Josh 18:3; 1Sam 4:9; 2Sam 10:12; John 6:27; Heb 6:11-12; 2Pet 1:10-11


10
secure Judg 18:7, Judg 18:27

God hath Deut 2:29, Deut 4:1; Josh 6:16

where there Exod 3:8; Deut 8:7-9, Deut 11:11-12; Ezek 20:6; 1Tim 6:17


11
appointed Heb. girded, Judg 18:11


12
Kirjathjearim A city of Judah, on the confines of Benjamin; distant nine miles from Alia or Jerusalem, in going towards Diospolis or Lydda, according to Eusebius. Josh 15:60; 1Sam 7:1; 1Chr 13:5-6; 2Chr 1:4

Mahanehdan Judg 13:25 *marg.


13
mount Ephraim Judg 18:2-3, Judg 17:1, Judg 19:1; Josh 24:30, Josh 24:33


14
Then 1Sam 14:28

in these Judg 18:3-4, Judg 17:5

now therefore Prov 19:27; Isa 8:19-20


15
saluted him Heb. asked him of peace, Gen 37:14, Gen 43:27; 1Sam 17:22 *marg. 2Kgs 4:26; Matt 10:12-13; Luke 10:4-6; John 14:27


16
six hundred Judg 18:11


17
five men Judg 18:2, Judg 18:14

the graven Judg 6:31, Judg 17:4-5; Exod 32:20; 1Sam 4:11, 1Sam 6:2-9; 2Kgs 19:18-19; Isa 46:1-2, Isa 46:7


19
lay thine This was the token of silence. These men were evidently very ignorant; and absurdly concluded that they should, by taking Micah's gods, secure the presence and favour of the God of Israel, in their expedition and settlement. They perhaps supposed the piety of their motives, and the goodness of their end, would justify the means. But it was a base robbery of Micah, aggravated by the Levite's ingratitude, and their menaces. Job 21:5, Job 29:9, Job 40:4-5; Prov 30:32; Mic 7:16

a father Judg 17:10; 2Kgs 6:21, 2Kgs 8:8-9, 2Kgs 13:14; Matt 23:9


20
heart Judg 17:10; Prov 30:15; Isa 56:11; Ezek 13:19; Hos 4:3; Acts 20:33; Phil 3:19; 2Pet 2:3, 2Pet 2:15-16

went He was glad of his preferment among the Danites; and went into the crowd, that he might not be discovered by Micah or his family.


21
and put These men were so confident of success, that they removed their whole families, household goods, cattle, and all.

the carriage Kevoodah, from kavad, to be heavy, denotes the luggage or baggage. Judg 18:21


23
What aileth Gen 21:17; 1Sam 11:5; 2Sam 14:5; 2Kgs 6:28; Ps 114:5; Isa 22:1

comest Heb. art gathered together


24
what have Judg 17:13; Ps 115:8; Isa 44:18-20; Jer 50:38, Jer 51:17; Ezek 23:5; Hab 2:18-19; Acts 19:26; Rev 17:2


25
angry Heb. bitter of soul, 1Sam 30:6; 2Sam 17:8; Job 3:5, Job 27:2 *marg.


27
Laish Judg 18:7, Judg 18:10

they smote Deut 33:22; Josh 19:47

burnt Josh 11:11


28
And there 2Sam 14:6 *marg. Ps 7:2, Ps 50:22; Dan 3:15-17

far from Probably the people of Laish were originally a colony of the Zidonians; who being an opulent people, and in possession of a strong city, lived in a state of security, not being afraid of their neighbours. In this the Leshemites imitated them, though they appear not to have had the same reason for their confidence; and though they might naturally expect help from their countrymen, yet as they lived at a considerable distance from Sidon, the Danites saw they could strike the blow before the news of the invasion could reach that city. Judg 18:1, Judg 18:7; Josh 11:8; Isa 23:4, Isa 23:12

Bethrehob Num 13:21, Rehob, 2Sam 10:6


29
Dan Judg 20:1; Gen 14:14; Josh 19:47; 2Sam 17:11; 1Kgs 12:29-30, 1Kgs 15:20

who was Gen 30:6, Gen 32:28; Laish, or Dan, was situated at the northern extremity of the land of Canaan, in a beautiful and fertile plain, at the foot of mount Lebanon, on the springs of Jordan, and, according to Eusebius, four miles from Cesarea Philippi, or Paneas, now Banias (with which some have confounded it), towards Tyre. Burckhardt says, that the source of the river El Dhan, or Jordan, is at an hour's distance from Banias, which agrees with Eusebius.


30
set up Exod 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deut 17:2-7, Deut 27:15, Deut 31:16, Deut 31:29; Josh 19:40-48; Ps 78:58-61; God had graciously performed his promise, in putting these Danites 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. Ps 105:44-45. But the first thing they do after they are settled is to break his laws, by setting up the graven image, 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. Instead of Manasseh, some would read Moses; as it is found in some manuscripts, in the Vulgate and in the concessions of the most intelligent Jews. But Bp. Patrick takes this to be an idle conceit of the Rabbins, and supposes this Jonathan to be of some other family of the Levites. Yet Kimchi acknowledges, that the Jews, deeply concerned for the honour of their lawgiver, to whom they thought it would be a great dishonour to have a grandson who was an idolater, suspended the letter, π, noon, over the word ξωΡ H4872, H4873, Moses, thus ξπωΡδ H4519, as it is found in the Hebrew Bibles; which, by means of the points, they have changed into Manasseh.

until Judg 13:1; 1Sam 4:2-3, 1Sam 4:10-11; Ps 78:60-62

the land Houbigant contends, that, instead of haaretz, "the land," we should read haaron, "the ark;" for the ε, wav, and ο, noon final, might easily be mistaken for υ, tzadday final; which is the only difference between the two words. This conjecture is the more likely, as the next verse tells us, that Micah's graven image continued at Dan "all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh;" which was till the ark was taken by the Philistines.


31
all the time Judg 19:18, Judg 21:21; Josh 18:1; 1Sam 1:3, 1Sam 4:4; Jer 7:12


‎