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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 18
Danites send men to seek an inheritance—They take Micah's images and
priest, win Laish, and set up idolatry.
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1 IN those days
there was no aking in
Israela: 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.
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1a In those days there was no
king in Israel Now there is a significant position of perspective
which is being expressed. The Book of Ruth, which many scholars including
Josephus at one time as part of the Book of Judges, presents within that
same perspective of being in the same book a differing point of view in the
name of a major player in the genealogy of Christ. As apposed to the concept
that 'there is no king in Israel' the name of Elimelech means 'God Is My
King'. If taken as contrasting views, then the people of Israel in general
were left to themselves to do as they so contrived in themselves because
they had began to fail to recognized that 'The King of Israel was
Jehovah'. This also brings furth meaning to the fact that it was
the house of Elimelech, an Ehrathite, who held to the concept that God was
King in Israel. And it is further of great significance that Elimelech was
the legal and lawful ancestor to the Messiah. His house held the right of
the promise covenant to bear the Son of God. Perhaps when Elimelech and his
family left Israel for Moab, the people completely turned to the concept that
there was 'No King In Israel'. (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph)
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4a
Moses 3:4-5;
Abr. 5:4-5
b
TG
Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5a
TG
Nature, Earth
b
TG
Spirit Creation
c
TG
Creation
d
TG
Man, Physical Creation of
e
Moses 3:5
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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.
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4a
Moses 3:4-5;
Abr. 5:4-5
b
TG
Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5a
TG
Nature, Earth
b
TG
Spirit Creation
c
TG
Creation
d
TG
Man, Physical Creation of
e
Moses 3:5
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7 ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish,
and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt
acareless, after the manner of the Zidonians,
bquiet 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?
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4a
Moses 3:4-5;
Abr. 5:4-5
b
TG
Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5a
TG
Nature, Earth
b
TG
Spirit Creation
c
TG
Creation
d
TG
Man, Physical Creation of
e
Moses 3:5
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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 astill? be not bslothful to
go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people
asecure, 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.
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11 ¶ And there went from thence of the family of
the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men
aappointed with weapons of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in
aKirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place
bMahaneh-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.
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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
asaluted 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.
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Danites Steal Priest of Ephraim
While the record makes a big deal out of the idols stolen from the houses
of Micah which his mother had given to the founder to make an molten image.
That the priest was a legal Levite priest and likely a performer of the
rites of Israel unto the family of Micah, which may have been at this date
mixed with rites of idol worship, perhaps from the belief of Micah's mother
seems totally possible. But the fact that the Danites steal the Levite Priest
as well as the ephod, the teraphim and 'the molten image (which
Micah's mother had made), all together, and that the tribe of Dan became
idol worship from that theft might be more signficant that a single man's
house in Ephraim being in possession of such. Remember that the tribe of Dan
will eventually be left out of consideration is some latter listings of the
tribes of Israel.
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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 ateraphim, and the molten
image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine
ahand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father
and a bpriest: 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?
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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.
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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?
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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 aquiet and secure: and they
smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
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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.
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30 ¶ And the children of Dan set up the graven
image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of
aManasseh, 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 ahouse of God was in
bShiloh.
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