Judges 18:1-2

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 18:1-6

Here is, 1. The eye which these Danites had upon Laish, not the whole tribe of Dan, but one family of them, to whose lot, in the subdivision of Canaan, that city fell. Hitherto this family had sojourned with their brethren, who had taken possession of their lot, which lay between Judah and the Philistines, and had declined going to their own city, because there was no king in Israel to rule over them, Jdg. 18:1. It lay a great way off, separate from the rest of their tribe; it was entirely in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 18:1

In those days there was no king in Israel ,.... No supreme magistrate, no judge, for it was before the time of the judges, after the death of Joshua and before Othniel the first judge; this is observed before, Judges 17:6 and here repeated to account for the evil things done by the Danites, their consulting Micah's oracle, taking away his priest and his gods, and setting up his graven image in Dan, by which means idolatry was spread in Israel, and brought on their servitude to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 18:2

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men ,.... According to Abarbinel one out of a family, as Moses sent one out of a tribe to spy the land; and so there must be five families concerned in this affair: from their coasts, men of valour from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it ; these men were sent from the borders of the tribe, the extreme parts of it, as the word may signify, where perhaps they were the most pressed and overcrowded: Zorah and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 18:1

There was no king in Israel - See Judges 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 Joshua 19:40 , etc., that,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 18:2

Five men - men of valor - The Hebrew word חיל chayil has been applied to personal prowess, to mental energy, and to earthly possessions. They sent those in whose courage, judgment, and prudence, they could safely confide. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 18:2

This identity of locality with the scene of Samson’s birth and death indicates that both narratives are drawn from the same source, probably the annals of the tribe of Dan. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 18:1

Judges 18:1. In those days there was no king in Israel These words seem to be repeated in order to assign the reason of such enormous practices as are recorded in this and the preceding chapter. They appear to have taken place not long after Joshua’s death, probably between his death and that of the elders who survived him, and the time of Othniel, who was the first judge raised up for them by God. The tribe of the Danites A part of that tribe, consisting only of six hundred men of war,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 18:2-5

Judges 18:2-5. They lodged there Not in the same house, but near it. They knew the voice of the young man Having been acquainted with him before he came to live with Micah. Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God By thine ephod and teraphim, or image, which they knew he had. This and the following verse show that this sanctuary of Micah was dedicated to the true God, and not to idols. But how ignorant were these Danites, to suppose God would be consulted here as well as in his house at... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 18:1-31

17:1-21:25 TRIBAL DISORDER WITHIN ISRAELThe writer of the book has now finished his account of the activity of the judges. To this he adds an appendix consisting of two stories (not necessarily placed in their correct chronological position in the book) that illustrate the disorder that existed in Israel during that period. The nation had no central government and people in the various tribes did as they pleased (see 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The stories record important changes that occurred... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 18:1

those days. Numbers 17:0 and Numbers 21:0 , thought by some to record earlier events in the days of Othniel by Figure of speech Hysteresis ( App-6 ). See note on Judges 17:1 , and Structure. no king. No true "house of God" religiously (Judges 17:5 ), leads to "no king" nationally (Judges 18:1 ); and nationally to apostasy. See note on Judges 18:6 , above. Danites. See note on Genesis 49:17 . read more

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