Chapter 18
The Danites Invade and Take the Levite and the Idols
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.
We read again that there was no king in Israel, emphasizing the fact that there was no ’national’ leadership. Much of the land allocated to the tribes by Joshua still had foreign entities occupying their allocated land. Due to their disobedience, God told them that He would no longer fight for them, that each tribe was on their own to purge out the enemies from their territories (see Judges 2:3). Some were successful, and some were not, since the tribe of Dan could not remove the current inhabitants of their territory (between Judah and Ephraim) they went looking for a suitable alternate location.
18:2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” 4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD.”
The people of Dan send out five men to spy and explore the land. They entered the hill country of Ephraim and eventually made it to the house of Micah where they stayed overnight. One of them apparently recognized the Levite’s voice and queried as to why he was there. The Levite told them his story, and they, apparently were impressed, so they asked him to inquire of God regarding the success of their mission to find land. The Levite replied, “Go in peace,…For the LORD is watching over your journey.” (Judges 18:6, NLT)
18:7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
There is no reference to the amount of time that passed as the city of Laish was approximately eighty miles north of the hill country of Ephraim. Much of the northern Israel coastal territory allocated to the tribe of Asher and parts of Naphtali’s allocation were still occupied by the Sidonians (Sidon was the first-born son of Canaan, see Genesis 10:15). When the five spies came into Laish they saw how the people were living, what we might call today “care free” lives, and were enjoying their prosperity. Even though under Sidon’s rule, the Sidonians were far enough away that they could not protect the city from any invasion, so they thought this was what they were looking for. The spies returned to Zorah an Eshtaol where their tribe had been temporarily staying and suggest an invasion of Laish. They note that the land is spacious, lacking nothing, that the people will not suspect or be prepared for any attack, and that they believe God has given it into their hands.
18:11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
Six hundred men left the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol and camped just west of Kiriath-jearim (approximately 6-8 miles depending on departure location). The location just west of the city became known as Mahaneh-dan (meaning the “camp of Dan”). They went from there to the house of Micah.
18:14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.
The spies tell the others about what they saw previously in the house of Micah, that there was an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image. They ask a curious question, “What do think you should do?” (NLT) They go to Micah’s home and inquire from the Levite about his welfare (Hebrew šā·lôm’, peace, in context his contentment). While the Levite is outside at the gate with the 600 men of the tribe of Dan (unclear if held there unwillingly or not), the five spies went in and removed the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image from the house. The Levite asks them what are they doing. They tell the Levite to be silent, but then ask him to be to them a father and be their priest. And further entice him by asking him, “Isn’t it better to be a priest to a tribe and clan in Israel than to one man?” The priest (the Levite) was happy to accept and took the ephod, household gods, and carved image and went with the Danites.
18:21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. 22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.
The Danites proceed to leave the hill country of Ephraim heading north to Laish. We are told that they placed their children, livestock, and their supplies in the front, which was typically done to protect them from any attack from the rear. Bringing their livestock and children is also an indicator that they were confident of their success. Shortly after they left, Micah and the men from his house chased after and caught up with the Danites, who then ask him why they were after them. Micah surprised by the question replies, “You stole my gods and priest and you ask me what’s wrong?” The Danites threaten their lives if they pursue any further and seeing that the Danites outnumbered them, they went back home empty-handed.
18:27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it.
They arrive at Laish and slaughter them as the residents did not suspect any danger, they then burn the city down. And since the city was far from Sidon, no one came to deliver them from the Danites. We are told that this occurred in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob (unknown why this is mentioned, but does play a role many years later, see 2 Samuel 10:6). The Danites rebuild the city and then occupied it.
18:29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
The Danites name the city after Dan, the fifth son of Israel, their ancestor. They set up the stolen carved image (idol) for themselves and had the Levite, who is now identified as Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses (does not imply a direct descendant, could be a grandson of Moses, great grandson, etc.) to be their priest (he and his sons served as their priests until the Assyrian captivity. This story concludes that Micah’s carved image was worshiped in Dan as long as a the Tabernacle was in Shiloh (when the Philistines captured it, see 1 Samuel 4:1-11).