1 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 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.
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 unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18 And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

1In those dayes there was no king in Israel: and in those daies the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwel in: for vnto that day, all their inheritance had not fallen vnto them, among the tribes of Israel.

2And the children of Dan sent of their family, fiue men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it, and they said vnto them, Goe, search the land: Who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the yong man the Leuite: and they turned in thither, & said vnto him, Who brought thee hither? And what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

4And hee said vnto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his Priest.

5And they sayd vnto him, Aske counsell, we pray thee, of God, that we may know, whether our way which we goe, shall be prosperous.

6And the Priest said vnto them, Goe in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye goe.

7 Then the fiue men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelesse, after the maner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in any thing, and they were farre from the Zidonians, and had no businesse with any man.

8And they came vnto their brethren to Zorah, and Eshtaol: and their brethren said vnto them, What say yee?

9And they said, Arise, that we may goe vp against them: for we haue seene the land, and behold, it is very good: and are ye still? Bee not slothfull to goe, and to enter to possesse the land.

10When ye goe, ye shall come vnto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath giuen it into your handes: a place where there is no want of any thing, that is in the earth.

11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites out of Zorah, and out of Eshtaol, sixe hundred men, appoynted with weapons of warre.

12And they went vp, and pitched in Kiriath-iearim, in Iudah: Wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-Dan, vnto this day: behold, it is behinde Kiriath-iearim.

13And they passed thence vnto mount Ephraim, and came vnto the house of Micah.

14 Then answered the fiue men that went to spie out the countrey of Laish, and saide vnto their brethren, Doe ye know that there is in these houses an Ephod, and Teraphim, and a grauen image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye haue to doe.

15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the yong man the Leuite, euen vnto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

16And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entring of the gate.

17And the fiue men that went to spie out the land, went vp and came in thither, and tooke the grauen image, and the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: and the Priest stood in the entring of the gate, with the sixe hundreth men that were appointed with weapons of warre.

18And these went into Micahs house, and fetched the carued image, the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: then said the Priest vnto them, What doe ye?

19And they said vnto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand vpon thy mouth, and goe with vs, and bee to vs a father and a Priest: Is it better for thee to bee a Priest vnto the house of one man, or that thou be a Priest vnto a tribe and a family in Israel?

20And the Priests heart was glad, and he tooke the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the grauen image, and went in the middest of the people.

21So they turned, and departed, and put the little ones, and the cattell, and the cariage before them.

22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses neere to Micahs house, were gathered together, and ouertooke the children of Dan.

23And they cried vnto the children of Dan: and they turned their faces, and said vnto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou commest with such a company?

24And he said, Yee haue taken away my gods which I made, and the Priest, and ye are gone away: and what haue I more? and what is this that yee say vnto me, What aileth thee?

25And the children of Dan said vnto him, Let not thy voyce bee heard among vs, lest angry fellowes run vpon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the liues of thy houshold.

26And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah sawe that they were too strong for him, he turned and went backe vnto his house.

27And they tooke the things which Micah had made, and the Priest which hee had, and came vnto Laish, vnto a people that were at quiet, and secure, and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the citie with fire.

28And there was no deliuerer, because it was farre from Zidon, and they had no businesse with any man: and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob, and they built a citie, and dwelt therein.

29And they called the name of the city, Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was borne vnto Israel: howbeit the name of the citie was Laish at the first.

30 And the children of Dan set vp the grauen image: and Ionathan the sonne of Gershom, the sonne of Manasseh, hee and his sonnes, were Priests to the tribe of Dan, vntill the day of the captiuitie of the land.

31And they set them vp Micahs grauen image, which hee made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

I == Josh 19:47 ; Judg 17:6 ; 21:25

 

 

II == Num 13:17 ; Josh 2:1 ; Judg 13:25 ; 17:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Judg 17:10

 

V == Judg 17:5 ; 18:14 ; 1st Kings 22:5 ; Isa 30:1 ; Hos 4:12

VI == 1st Kings 22:6

 

VII == Josh 19:47 ; Judg 18:27-28

 

 

 

 

VIII == Judg 18:2

IX == Num 13:30 ; Josh 2:23-24 ; 1st Kings 22:3

 

 

X == Deut 8:9 ; Judg 18:7 , 27

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Josh 15:60 ; Judg 13:25

 

XIII == Judg 18:2

 

XIV == Judg 17:5 ; 1st Sam 14:28

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == Judg 18:11

 

XVII == Judg 17:4-5 ; 18:2 , 14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Judg 17:10 ; Job 21:5 ; 29:9 ; 40:4 ; Prov 30:32 ; Mic 7:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXV == 2nd Sam 17:8

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Deut 33:22 ; Josh 19:47 ; Judg 18:7 , 10

 

XXVIII == Num 13:21 ; Judg 18:7 ; 2nd Sam 10:6

 

 

XXIX == Gen 14:14 ; Josh 19:47 ; Judg 20:1 ; 1st Kings 12:29-30 ; 15:20

XXX == Judg 13:1 ; 1st Sam 4:2-3 , 10-11 ; Ps 78:60-61

 

XXXI == Josh 18:1 ; Judg 19:18 ; 21:12

 

 

1 At that time there was no king in Israel. Moreover the tribe of Danites were in search of a district to dwell in, for up to that time they had received no heritage among the tribes of Israel.

2 So the Danites sent from their clan a detail of five valiant men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. With their instructions to go and scout the land, they traveled as far as the house of Micah in the mountain region of Ephraim, where they passed the night.

3 Near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite and turned in that direction. "Who brought you here and what are you doing here?" they asked him. "What is your interest here?"

4 "This is how Micah treats me," he replied to them. "He pays me a salary and I am his priest."

5 They said to him, "Consult God, that we may know whether the undertaking we are engaged in will succeed."

6 The priest said to them, "Go and prosper: the LORD is favorable to the undertaking you are engaged in."

7 So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people dwelling there lived securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resources. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no contact with other people.

8 When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report,

9 they replied, "Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slothful about beginning your expedition to possess the land.

10 Those against whom you go are a trusting people, and the land is ample. God has indeed given it into your power: a place where no natural resource is lacking."

11 So six hundred men of the clan of the Danites, fully armed with weapons of war, set out from where they were in Zorah and Eshtaol,

12 and camped in Judah, up near Kiriath-jearim; hence to this day the place, which lies west of Kiriath-jearim, is called Mahaneh-dan.

13 From there they went on to the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14 The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household idols, and a carved idol overlaid with silver? Now decide what you must do!"

15 So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.

16 The six hundred men girt with weapons of war, who were Danites, stood by the entrance of the gate, and the priest stood there also.

17 Meanwhile the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up and entered the house of Micah.

18 When they had gone in and taken the ephod, the household idols, and the carved idol overlaid with silver, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19 They said to him, "Be still: put your hand over your mouth. Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?"

20 The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, household idols, and carved idol and went off in the midst of the band.

21 As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.

22 The Danites had already gone some distance, when those in the houses near that of Micah took up arms and overtook them.

23 They called to the Danites, who turned about and said to Micah, "What do you want, that you have taken up arms?"

24 "You have taken my god, which I made, and have gone off with my priest as well," he answered. "What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me what I want?"

25 The Danites said to him, "Let us hear no further sound from you, lest fierce men fall upon you and you and your family lose your lives."

26 The Danites then went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he, returned home.

27 Having taken what Micah had made, and the priest he had had, they attacked Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed their city by fire.

28 No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no contact with other people. The Danites then rebuilt the city, which was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob, and lived there.

29 They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. However, the name of the city was formerly Laish.

30 The Danites set up the carved idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land.

31 They maintained the carved idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.

v 1. The tribe of Dan had never driven the Canaanites out of their inheritance. Then the five nation Philistine confederacy crowded Samson’s parents along with other Danites up into the hills at the very edge of their inheritance, Jud. 13:1. We don’t know at what chronological point of time some of Dan moved onto this northern area.

v 2-6. Samson lived among the children of Dan, in the short distance between Zorah and Eshtaol, Jud. 13:2,25. The people were wise in sending the five wise and strong men ahead as spies. Micah had at one time wandered among them and they recognized his voice. It is sad that they had gone right by Shiloh and had not asked of God, yet they ask of these false gods. The Lord was surely not speaking through the erring Levite, but the counsel he gave as a false prophet was still accurate.

 

 

 

v 7--10. The spies found that Laish had no government and the people were living in an unbridled, carefree manner, and without treaty with any other group. They brought back an excellent report and urged the people to go and claim the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 11-13. They were so confident of an easy victory over Laish that only a select group of 600 soldiers went, along also their families and possessions. They followed the same route the spies had gone and came to Micah’s house.

 

 

v 14-21. Instead of calling on God, they devised an evil plan. While the spies went in and stole Micah’s ephod and gods, the 600 soldiers stood at the gate and worked on the young Levite’s pride, convincing him he would be better off coming with them. He was unscrupulous and not at all concerned about them stealing Micah’s gods. When they moved on, they kept the soldiers in the rear to ward off attack from Micah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 22-26. The soldiers insolently mocked Micah for rounding up his neighbors and coming after them. Micah was in his rights, but  they threatened him with death if he tried to interfere with what they were doing. Out powered, Micah returned helplessly, even his gods had not been able to help him or save themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

v 27-29. The Danites continued on with the priest and the gods and coming upon the prosperous, unsuspecting, defenseless people of Laish, he totally wiped them out. In Josh. 19:47 Laish was called Leshem, but they rename it Dan, their tribal name.

 

 

 

v 30-31. For many years they followed the double standard of having a Levite priest, but following the false gods. The young Levite is finally named, Jonathan, a descendent of Gershom, a descendent of Moses, not Manasseh. Early authorship would indicate this was not the Assyrian captivity centuries later, but an unnamed local captivity. perhaps at the time the Philistines captured the ark of God. Obsession with false gods at Dan probably influenced Jeroboam to set up one of the calves of worship there, 1 Ki. 12:28,29.