Judges 18:7

Laish In Joshua 19:47 Leshem. After the place was occupied by the Danites and re-named, it became the most northerly of Israelite settlements; cf. 2 Samuel 24:6; Jeremiah 4:15, and the expression -from Dan to Beer-sheba" Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20 etc. Josephus defines the situation of Laish-Dan as -near the springs of the lesser Jordan" (Ant.viii. 8, 4, cf. i. 10, 1; Judges 18:3; Judges 18:1). Does this mean the source at Tell el-Ḳâḍi, or the other source 3½ m. to the S.E., at Bânias (the Caesarea Philippi of the Gospels 1 [62])? Most authorities adopt the identification with Tell el-Ḳâḍi, where the Jordan, at this point called by the Arabs Nahr Leddan, gushes in powerful volume out of the western side of the Tell. G. A. Smith, however, prefers the other site (Hist. Geogr., pp. 473, 480 f.). In the background of the district rises the imposing snow-capped mountain of Hermon; cf. Psalms 42:6. The modern names Tell el-Ḳâḍi (Ḳâḍi = Dan = judge) and Nahr Leddan may preserve a reminiscence of ancient associations, but we cannot be sure.

[62] The reference in Eusebius, Onomasticon275, 33 and 249, 32 is not decisive.

the people … how they dwelt in security So LXX, correcting the text; how they dweltis fem. and cannot agree with the people(mas.). Either, then, read the verb as mas., or suppose that the text originally ran -and they found the city inhabited (lit. sitting, cf. Isaiah 47:8; Zephaniah 2:15) in security, and the people that were therein … quiet and secure."

after the manner of the Zidonians of Zidonians; the civilization was Phoenician in character. Apparently Laish was a dependency of Zidon (cf. Judges 18:28). Though remote from the suzerain city, the inhabitants felt secure enough, and never suspected attack from outside.

for there was … in any thing The text is overloaded and partially corrupt. Read perhaps … quiet and secure, and there was no want of any thing that is in the earth(as in Judges 18:10), in possession of wealth(?). The phrase possessing authority, lit. restraint(?) cannot be right. The LXX took the word rendered restraint(?), i.e. -eṣer, to mean treasure, i.e. "ôṣar; altering one letter we might read -osher= wealth, but the corruption may well be deeper.

with any man The LXX., cod. A and Luc., reads with Syria, i.e. Aramfor adam. The change is not necessary but it gives more force to the expression. The people of Laish were not only far from the friendly power of Phoenicia, but they had not allied themselves with their Syrian neighbours (cf. 2 Samuel 10:6); this explains more distinctly why they fell such an easy prey to the Danites.