Judges 18 Study Notes: The Danites Take Laish
Still lacking land of their own, the Danites send spies who consult Micah’s Levite and find the peaceful, isolated city of Laish. An armed band of six hundred steals Micah’s idols, lures away his priest, brushes off his protest, destroys Laish, and rebuilds it as Dan around a rival shrine.
General
What name did the Danites give the rebuilt city, and why (Judges 18:29)?
Answer: Dan, after their ancestor who was a son of Israel
The Danites named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan, one of the sons born to Israel (that is, Jacob), though its name had been Laish (18:29). Dan was born in Jacob’s household and named by Rachel (Genesis 30:6). The city that began with a stolen idol later became a center of false worship again, when King Jeroboam placed one of his golden calves there, and the people traveled all the way to Dan to bow before it (1 Kings 12:28-30).
- Judges 18:29 (BSB)“They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.”The Danites rename the city Dan after their forefather, though it had been called Laish.
- Genesis 30:6 (BSB)“Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.”Dan was born to Jacob’s household and named by Rachel.
- 1 Kings 12:28-30 (BSB)“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.”Centuries later Jeroboam set up a golden calf in Dan, and it became a sin.
Theological
According to Judges 18:29, after whom was Laish renamed?
Answer: Dan, the tribe’s forefather, born to Israel
The city is renamed Dan after the tribe’s forefather, a son born to Israel, replacing its former name Laish (18:29; compare Genesis 30:6). Its religious history begins with stolen idols, and it later hosts one of Jeroboam’s golden calves, which became a sin to Israel (1 Kings 12:28-30).
- Judges 18:29 (BSB)“They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.”The Danites rename the city Dan after their forefather, though it had been called Laish.
- Genesis 30:6 (BSB)“Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.”Dan was born to Jacob’s household and named by Rachel.
- 1 Kings 12:28-30 (BSB)“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.”Centuries later Jeroboam set up a golden calf in Dan, and it became a sin.
General
According to Judges 18:28, why did no one come to rescue Laish?
Answer: It lay distant from Sidon, without any treaty partners
After taking Micah’s idols and priest, the Danites came to Laish, attacked its peaceful, unsuspecting people, and burned the city (18:27). No rescuer came, because it lay a long way from Sidon, with no treaty partner of any kind (18:28; compare 18:7). The Danites then built it again and made it their home. The narrator stresses how peaceful and defenseless the victims were, and he records no word from the LORD directing the attack. Coming right after the theft of Micah’s idols, this conquest is reported as part of a time when everyone did what he saw fit (17:6), a verdict the book repeats at its close (21:25), not held up as a model.
- Judges 18:27-28 (BSB)“After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.”The Danites attack the quiet, unsuspecting people of Laish, burn the city, and rebuild it.
- Judges 18:7 (BSB)“So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.”The spies had seen that Laish was quiet, unsuspecting, isolated, and without allies.
- Judges 17:6 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The narrator frames these chapters as a time when everyone did what he saw fit.
- Judges 21:25 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The book closes with the same verdict on the era.
Theological
What reason does Judges 18:28 give that Laish had no deliverer when Dan attacked?
Answer: It lay distant from Sidon, without any treaty partners
The Danites fall on a quiet, unsuspecting people, burn Laish, and rebuild it as their home (18:27-28). No one rescues the city because it was remote from Sidon and lacked any alliances (18:28), exactly as the spies had observed (18:7). The narrator emphasizes the victims’ defenselessness and records no divine command for the campaign; set within the frame of 17:6 and 21:25, the conquest is narrated, not approved.
- Judges 18:27-28 (BSB)“After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.”The Danites attack the quiet, unsuspecting people of Laish, burn the city, and rebuild it.
- Judges 18:7 (BSB)“So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.”The spies had seen that Laish was quiet, unsuspecting, isolated, and without allies.
- Judges 17:6 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The narrator frames these chapters as a time when everyone did what he saw fit.
- Judges 21:25 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The book closes with the same verdict on the era.
General
Why were the Danites searching for a place to live (Judges 18:1)?
Answer: They had not yet received a share of land like the other tribes
The chapter opens by repeating that Israel had no king at that time, and explains that Dan’s tribe was looking for land to settle because, up to then, they had not taken possession of an inheritance among Israel’s tribes (18:1). Earlier, the Amorites had pushed Dan back into the hills and kept them out of the plain (1:34). Joshua also records, in a brief note, that the Danites later captured a city and called it by their ancestor’s name, Dan (Joshua 19:47). The repeated reminder of Israel’s kingless state (compare 17:6) prepares the reader for another story of people doing as they pleased.
- Judges 18:1 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.”With no king in Israel, the Danites look for land because they had not yet received an inheritance.
- Judges 1:34 (BSB)“The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.”The Amorites had pushed the Danites back into the hills and kept them out of the plain.
- Joshua 19:47 (BSB)“(Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and put it to the sword. So they took possession of Leshem, settled there, and renamed it after their father Dan.)”Joshua records in summary that the Danites later captured a city and renamed it after Dan.
- Judges 17:6 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The same refrain about Israel having no king introduced Micah’s shrine.
Theological
According to Judges 18:1, what circumstance set the Danites searching for territory?
Answer: They had not yet taken possession of an inheritance among Israel’s tribes
Under the renewed notice of Israel’s kingless condition, the narrator explains that Dan was seeking territory because it had not yet entered into a tribal inheritance (18:1). The Amorites had confined Dan to the highlands (1:34), and Joshua’s summary records Dan’s later capture and renaming of a city after its forefather (Joshua 19:47). The refrain (compare 17:6) signals that what follows is another account of Israel acting on its own judgment.
- Judges 18:1 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.”With no king in Israel, the Danites look for land because they had not yet received an inheritance.
- Judges 1:34 (BSB)“The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.”The Amorites had pushed the Danites back into the hills and kept them out of the plain.
- Joshua 19:47 (BSB)“(Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and put it to the sword. So they took possession of Leshem, settled there, and renamed it after their father Dan.)”Joshua records in summary that the Danites later captured a city and renamed it after Dan.
- Judges 17:6 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The same refrain about Israel having no king introduced Micah’s shrine.
General
True or False: While six hundred armed Danites waited by the gate, five men went into Micah’s house and carried off his image, ephod, and household idols (Judges 18:16-18).
Answer: True
This is true. With Dan’s six hundred fighters posted by the gateway, the five spies went in and removed the carved image, ephod, cast idol, and the family idols (18:16-18). This was plain theft (Exodus 20:15). It also exposes the emptiness of Micah’s gods: they could not protect themselves and had to be carried off by others, just as the prophets later mocked idols that cannot move and have to be hauled about (Jeremiah 10:5).
- Judges 18:16-18 (BSB)“The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?””While the armed men guard the gate, the five spies take Micah’s image, ephod, and household idols.
- Exodus 20:15 (BSB)“You shall not steal.”God’s law forbids stealing.
- Jeremiah 10:5 (BSB)“Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.””Idols must be carried because they cannot walk, and they can do neither harm nor good.
Theological
True or False: The five spies seized Micah’s shrine objects while the armed force of six hundred waited at the gate (Judges 18:16-18).
Answer: True
This is true. With the armed force posted at the gate, the five spies remove the carved image, ephod, household idols, and cast idol (18:16-18). The act is theft (Exodus 20:15), and it displays the impotence of idols, which cannot defend themselves and must be carried (Jeremiah 10:5).
- Judges 18:16-18 (BSB)“The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war. And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?””While the armed men guard the gate, the five spies take Micah’s image, ephod, and household idols.
- Exodus 20:15 (BSB)“You shall not steal.”God’s law forbids stealing.
- Jeremiah 10:5 (BSB)“Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.””Idols must be carried because they cannot walk, and they can do neither harm nor good.
General
How long did Micah’s carved image remain set up among the Danites (Judges 18:31)?
Answer: For as long as God’s house stood at Shiloh
The Danites installed idols, and Jonathan, whom the verse names as the son of Gershom, Moses’ son, served with his sons as Dan’s priests until the land went into captivity (18:30). Micah’s image remained in place for as long as God’s house stood at Shiloh (18:31). Israel had pitched the tabernacle at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1), and the LORD later spoke of Shiloh as the first place He chose as a dwelling for His Name (Jeremiah 7:12), the kind of chosen place where offerings were to be brought (Deuteronomy 12:13-14). So all the while the true house of God stood at Shiloh, Dan kept its own rival shrine built around a stolen idol.
- Judges 18:30-31 (BSB)“The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.”The Danites set up idols with Jonathan son of Gershom as priest, and Micah’s image remains while God’s house is at Shiloh.
- Joshua 18:1 (BSB)“Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,”Israel had set up the tabernacle at Shiloh.
- Deuteronomy 12:13-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see; you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.”Offerings were to be brought only to the place the LORD would choose.
- Jeremiah 7:12 (BSB)“But go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.”The LORD calls Shiloh the place where He first made a dwelling for His Name.
Theological
What does Judges 18:31 say about the duration of the idol worship at Dan?
Answer: Micah’s image stood there throughout the time God’s house was at Shiloh
Dan installs idols with Jonathan, named as Gershom’s son and Moses’ son, and his sons as priests until the land’s captivity (18:30), and Micah’s image stands throughout the period that God’s house is at Shiloh (18:31). With the tabernacle established at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1), the first place the LORD chose as a dwelling for His Name (Jeremiah 7:12), the place of His choosing for offerings (Deuteronomy 12:13-14), Dan’s shrine was a standing rival to true worship.
- Judges 18:30-31 (BSB)“The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.”The Danites set up idols with Jonathan son of Gershom as priest, and Micah’s image remains while God’s house is at Shiloh.
- Joshua 18:1 (BSB)“Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,”Israel had set up the tabernacle at Shiloh.
- Deuteronomy 12:13-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see; you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.”Offerings were to be brought only to the place the LORD would choose.
- Jeremiah 7:12 (BSB)“But go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.”The LORD calls Shiloh the place where He first made a dwelling for His Name.
General
What offer persuaded the Levite to leave Micah and go with the Danites (Judges 18:19-20)?
Answer: Serving as priest for a whole tribe instead of one household
When the Levite objected, the Danites told him to be silent and come with them to be their father and priest, asking whether it was better to serve one man’s household or a whole tribe and clan in Israel (18:19). The Levite was glad. He himself carried off the ephod, the image, and the family idols and went along with them (18:20). He left the man who had taken him in without a word of protest once a bigger position was offered. Jesus described the hired hand who looks after himself rather than the sheep (John 10:12-13), and Peter told shepherds to serve willingly and not for gain (1 Peter 5:2).
- Judges 18:19-20 (BSB)““Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.”The Danites offer the Levite a priesthood for a whole tribe, and he gladly goes with them.
- John 10:12-13 (BSB)“The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.”The hired hand cares for himself rather than the flock.
- 1 Peter 5:2 (BSB)“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;”Shepherds of God’s flock must serve willingly, not out of greed.
Theological
What argument did the Danites use to win the Levite over in Judges 18:19, and how did he respond?
Answer: A tribe’s priesthood was better than one house’s, and he was glad to go
Silenced by the Danites, the Levite is offered promotion: priest to a tribe and clan in Israel rather than to one man’s house (18:19). He is glad, and he himself carries off the ephod, household idols, and image (18:20). His loyalty follows advancement, the mark of the hired hand (John 10:12-13), in contrast to the willing, ungreedy shepherding Scripture requires (1 Peter 5:2).
- Judges 18:19-20 (BSB)““Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.”The Danites offer the Levite a priesthood for a whole tribe, and he gladly goes with them.
- John 10:12-13 (BSB)“The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.”The hired hand cares for himself rather than the flock.
- 1 Peter 5:2 (BSB)“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;”Shepherds of God’s flock must serve willingly, not out of greed.
General
What answer did the Levite give when the spies asked him to inquire of God about their journey (Judges 18:5-6)?
Answer: He assured them they could go safely, with the LORD watching over them
The spies asked the Levite to ask God whether their journey would succeed (18:5). He told them to go in peace and said the LORD was watching over their way (18:6). The text records his answer but no word from the LORD to him, and he was serving at a shrine filled with images that God had forbidden (compare 18:17-18). Scripture warns about those who promise peace and safety to people who are not walking in God’s ways (Jeremiah 23:17), and about priests who teach for pay yet claim the LORD is with them (Micah 3:11).
- Judges 18:5-6 (BSB)“Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.” And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.””The spies ask the Levite to inquire of God, and he assures them of success.
- Jeremiah 23:17 (BSB)“They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’”False prophets kept promising peace to those who despised the LORD.
- Micah 3:11 (BSB)“Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.””Priests who teach for a price still claim the LORD is with them.
- Judges 18:17-18 (BSB)“And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?””The same Levite served in a shrine filled with idols.
Theological
In Judges 18:5-6, what assurance did the Levite give the Danite spies when they asked him to inquire of God?
Answer: That they should go in safety because the LORD was watching their way
Asked to inquire of God (18:5), the Levite promptly assures the spies of peace and the LORD’s oversight of their journey (18:6). The narrator records only the answer, not any revelation from the LORD, and the speaker is a hired priest of an idol shrine (compare 18:17-18). His word fits the pattern of those who announce peace to people walking in their own stubbornness (Jeremiah 23:17) and of priests who give instruction for pay while presuming on the LORD’s presence (Micah 3:11).
- Judges 18:5-6 (BSB)“Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.” And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.””The spies ask the Levite to inquire of God, and he assures them of success.
- Jeremiah 23:17 (BSB)“They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’”False prophets kept promising peace to those who despised the LORD.
- Micah 3:11 (BSB)“Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.””Priests who teach for a price still claim the LORD is with them.
- Judges 18:17-18 (BSB)“And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men. When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?””The same Levite served in a shrine filled with idols.
General
What did Micah’s complaint to the Danites reveal (Judges 18:24)?
Answer: He had nothing left once the gods he had made were taken
Micah gathered his neighbors and caught up with the Danites (18:22-23). He protested that they had taken the gods he had made and his priest, and asked what he had left (18:24). The irony is plain: gods that Micah had made could be carried off by others and could not even protect themselves. The Danites threatened him, and Micah went home because they were stronger than he was (18:25-26). Scripture describes idols as the work of human hands that cannot see, hear, or act (Psalm 115:4-8), and God challenged His people to let the gods they had made rise up and save them if they could (Jeremiah 2:28).
- Judges 18:22-24 (BSB)“After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites. When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?” He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’””Micah and his neighbors pursue the Danites, and Micah complains that his gods and priest have been taken.
- Judges 18:25-26 (BSB)“The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.”The Danites threaten him, and Micah turns back because they are too strong.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols made by human hands cannot see, hear, or act, and those who trust them become like them.
- Jeremiah 2:28 (BSB)“But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.”God challenges Judah to let the gods it made rise up and save it.
Theological
What irony does Micah’s protest in Judges 18:24 expose about his religion?
Answer: His handmade gods could be stolen, and without them he felt he had nothing
Micah’s lament (18:24) speaks of gods he himself made, now carried off along with his priest, and asks what he has left. Gods that must be guarded and can be stolen expose themselves as nothing; the man who trusted them is left with nothing. Outmatched and threatened, Micah turns home (18:25-26). Scripture’s mockery of handmade idols (Psalm 115:4-8) and God’s challenge to let self-made gods save their makers (Jeremiah 2:28) fit the scene exactly.
- Judges 18:22-24 (BSB)“After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites. When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?” He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’””Micah and his neighbors pursue the Danites, and Micah complains that his gods and priest have been taken.
- Judges 18:25-26 (BSB)“The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.”The Danites threaten him, and Micah turns back because they are too strong.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols made by human hands cannot see, hear, or act, and those who trust them become like them.
- Jeremiah 2:28 (BSB)“But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.”God challenges Judah to let the gods it made rise up and save it.
General
What did the spies observe about the people of Laish (Judges 18:7)?
Answer: They lived at ease, unsuspecting, and with no allies
At Laish the five men saw a people living in security, peaceful and unsuspecting, much like the Sidonians (18:7). The land lacked nothing and had no ruler oppressing it. Laish also lay far from Sidon, with no treaty partner, so no one would come to its aid (18:7). The narrator repeats this description when the Danites attack (18:27-28), drawing attention to how defenseless the city was.
- Judges 18:7 (BSB)“So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.”The spies find Laish living securely and quietly, lacking nothing, far from Sidon and without allies.
- Judges 18:10 (BSB)“When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.””The spies report to Dan that the people of Laish are unsuspecting.
- Judges 18:27-28 (BSB)“After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.”The narrator later repeats that Laish was quiet, unsuspecting, and without anyone to deliver it.
Theological
How does Judges 18:7 describe the condition of Laish when the spies arrived?
Answer: Secure and peaceful, isolated, and with no one to come to its aid
Laish is portrayed as living securely, quiet and unsuspecting like the Sidonians, lacking nothing and free of oppressive rule, yet remote from Sidon and without any alliance (18:7). The narrator repeats these details at the moment of attack (18:27-28), underscoring the city’s defenselessness.
- Judges 18:7 (BSB)“So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.”The spies find Laish living securely and quietly, lacking nothing, far from Sidon and without allies.
- Judges 18:10 (BSB)“When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.””The spies report to Dan that the people of Laish are unsuspecting.
- Judges 18:27-28 (BSB)“After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.”The narrator later repeats that Laish was quiet, unsuspecting, and without anyone to deliver it.
General
As Dan’s armed force of six hundred passed Micah’s house, what did the five spies tell them (Judges 18:14)?
Answer: One house held an ephod, family gods, and idols, so they should decide what to do
Six hundred Danites armed for battle set out from their towns of Zorah and Eshtaol (18:11). When they reached Ephraim’s hill country, the five spies told the others that one of the houses there contained an ephod, family gods, and images, and they urged them to consider what to do (18:14). Instead of being troubled by idols that God had forbidden (Exodus 20:4), the Danites saw them as something worth taking for themselves, though the law warned Israel not to covet such things or take them (Deuteronomy 7:25).
- Judges 18:11 (BSB)“So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.”Six hundred armed Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
- Judges 18:14 (BSB)“Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.””The spies point out that one of the houses holds an ephod, family gods, and idols.
- Exodus 20:4 (BSB)“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.”God had forbidden making idols.
- Deuteronomy 7:25 (BSB)“You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God.”Israel was not to covet or take the silver and gold of idols, or it would be ensnared.
Theological
What did the spies call to the attention of the armed Danites at Micah’s house in Judges 18:14?
Answer: That one house held an ephod, family gods, and idols to think about
With six hundred men armed for war (18:11), the spies point out Micah’s shrine objects, an ephod, family gods, and images, and invite their brothers to consider what to do (18:14). Far from recoiling from what God had forbidden (Exodus 20:4) and warned against coveting (Deuteronomy 7:25), the Danites regard the idols as assets to acquire for their new settlement.
- Judges 18:11 (BSB)“So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.”Six hundred armed Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
- Judges 18:14 (BSB)“Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.””The spies point out that one of the houses holds an ephod, family gods, and idols.
- Exodus 20:4 (BSB)“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.”God had forbidden making idols.
- Deuteronomy 7:25 (BSB)“You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God.”Israel was not to covet or take the silver and gold of idols, or it would be ensnared.
General
When the five Danite spies stopped at Micah’s house, what did the young Levite tell them about his position (Judges 18:4)?
Answer: Micah had hired him to serve as his priest
Dan sent five capable men from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol on a scouting mission, and on the way they lodged overnight at Micah’s house (18:2). They knew the young Levite by the sound of his speech and asked who had brought him there and what he was doing (18:3). He explained that Micah had made arrangements with him and employed him as his priest (18:4), just as 17:10 described. His own words describe a hired post, not a calling from the LORD, and Jesus later contrasted the hired hand with a true shepherd who cares for the flock (John 10:12-13).
- Judges 18:2-4 (BSB)“So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.””The five Danite spies lodge at Micah’s house, recognize the Levite’s voice, and ask why he is there.
- Judges 17:10 (BSB)““Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in”Micah had hired the Levite for a yearly wage, clothing, and food.
- John 10:12-13 (BSB)“The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.”Jesus describes the hired hand who does not truly care for the flock.
Theological
How did the Levite describe his role at Micah’s house when the Danite spies questioned him (Judges 18:4)?
Answer: Micah had hired him to serve as his priest
The five spies sent out by Dan lodge at Micah’s house (18:2), recognize the Levite by his voice, and ask what he is doing there (18:3). His answer is telling: Micah has hired him as priest (18:4; compare 17:10). He presents his ministry as employment, the outlook of the hired hand rather than the shepherd (John 10:12-13), and the rest of the chapter confirms it.
- Judges 18:2-4 (BSB)“So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.””The five Danite spies lodge at Micah’s house, recognize the Levite’s voice, and ask why he is there.
- Judges 17:10 (BSB)““Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in”Micah had hired the Levite for a yearly wage, clothing, and food.
- John 10:12-13 (BSB)“The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.”Jesus describes the hired hand who does not truly care for the flock.
General
What reasons did the returning spies give for urging Dan to attack Laish (Judges 18:9-10)?
Answer: The land was good, its people unsuspecting, and God had given it to them
Back in Zorah and Eshtaol, the spies urged their brothers not to hesitate: the land was very good, the people were unsuspecting, the territory was spacious, and nothing was lacking there (18:8-10). They also claimed that God had put the land into their hands (18:10). The only word of guidance in the account is the Levite’s assurance (18:6), and the narrator never records the LORD commanding this campaign. A plan can seem right and still lead to ruin (Proverbs 14:12).
- Judges 18:8-10 (BSB)“When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?” They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land! When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.””The spies urge an attack, describe the land as very good, and claim God has given it to them.
- Judges 18:6 (BSB)“And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.””The Levite had assured the spies of a safe journey.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A way can seem right to a man and still end in death.
Theological
On what grounds did the spies urge the Danites to march on Laish in Judges 18:9-10?
Answer: The land was good, its people unsuspecting, and God had given it to them
The spies argue from the land’s richness and the people’s unguarded state, and add that God has given it into Dan’s hand (18:8-10). The only word of guidance behind that claim is the hired Levite’s assurance (18:6), and the narrator nowhere records a word from the LORD sanctioning the campaign. It is a vivid example of a path that looks right to a person (Proverbs 14:12).
- Judges 18:8-10 (BSB)“When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?” They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land! When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.””The spies urge an attack, describe the land as very good, and claim God has given it to them.
- Judges 18:6 (BSB)“And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.””The Levite had assured the spies of a safe journey.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A way can seem right to a man and still end in death.