Judges 18:4

_AND THE CHILDREN OF DAN SENT OF THEIR FAMILY FIVE MEN FROM THEIR COASTS, MEN OF VALOUR, FROM ZORAH, AND FROM ESHTAOL, TO SPY OUT THE LAND, AND TO SEARCH IT; AND THEY SAID UNTO THEM, GO, SEARCH THE LAND: WHO WHEN THEY CAME TO MOUNT EPHRAIM, TO THE HOUSE OF MICAH, THEY LODGED THERE._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 18:1 IN THOSE DAYS, etc. See Judges 17:6. THE TRIBE OF THE DANITES SOUGHT THEM AN INHERITANCE, etc. This does not mean that the whole tribe of Dan were still seeking their inheritance. The bulk of the tribe, as we read in Joshua 19:40-6, did receive their inheritance by lot before the death of Joshua (Joshua 19:49) and Eleazar (Joshua 19:51). But as long as any part of the tribe was not settled, the tribe as such, in its unity, was still seeking a settlement. The land for

AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THUS AND THUS DEALETH MICAH WITH ME,.... Told them the whole story, how he came to the door of Micah's house, how he inquired of him who he was, and from whence he came, and whither he was going, and then invited him into his house to stay with him: AND HATH HIRED ME; by the year, for ten shekels of silver, a suit of clothes, and meat and drink, and by this means he got a livelihood, and was supported: AND I AM HIS PRIEST; and that was his business to offer sacrifice for his family, and to consult his oracle for him, and for whomsoever should apply....

CHAPTER 18 THE DANITE IDOLATRY _ 1. The Danites seek an inheritance (Judges 18:1)_ 2. Their robbery (Judges 18:13) 3. Laish taken and idolatry consummated (Judges 18:27) The history of this chapter is closely linked with the preceding. The tribe of Dan had failed to take the God-given inheritance (Joshua 19:40). “The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley” (Judges 1:34). Then in self-will, entirely disregarding the will of God, they sent out spies to

THE DANITE SCOUTS AT THE HOUSE OF MICAH. This chapter is of great value as an illustration of the mode in which an Israelitish tribe found a settlement in the country. We are taken back almost to the time of the Conquest. On the difficulty which the Danites had in taking possession of the territory first allotted to them see Judges 1:34. Some of them determined to seek their fortune in fresh fields. Their five scouts passed the house of Micah on the way north. How they knew the Levite's voice we are not told. Either he was an old acquaintance, or the words mean that they heard a voice intoning, which they knew to be a Levite's. Seizing their opportunity, they bade him ask counsel of God for them, and obtained a gratifying response....

_and he hath hired me_ points to Judges 17:10-11 a; so a continuation of that narrative....

_Micah and the Danites Judges 18:1-31_ In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there, 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said un

THE DANITES GO IN QUEST OF AN INHERITANCE. THEY ROB MICAH OF HIS IMAGES, CAPTURE AND SETTLE IN LAISH, AND SET UP IDOL-WORSHIP THERE 1-10. The Danite Spies....

LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 18 V1 At that time, *Israel’s people had no king. Dan’s *tribe were looking for a place where they might live. They had not yet received any area that was their own among *Israel’s *tribes. V2 So Dan’s *tribe sent out 5 fighting men from Zorah and Eshtaol. They were trying to get secret information about the country. They wanted to discover what it was like. These men acted for all their families. The families had told them to discover what the land was like. The men came to the hilly country where Ephraim’s *tribe lived. And they spent the night at Micah’s house. V3 While they were near Micah’s house, they recognised someone’s voice. It was the voice of the young man from Levi’s *tribe. They went over to him. They asked him, ‘Who brought yo

THUS AND THUS. — Literally, _according to this and according to that,_ as in 2 Samuel 11:25; 1 Kings 14:5. I AM HIS PRIEST. — See Judges 17:13. Similarly in the dearth of genuine priests Jeroboam was forced to make even Levites out of the lowest of the people (1 Kings 12:31)....