Judges Chapter 18 Bible Study
Priests, idols, and death
This is part eighteen of my Judges study. Read the previous parts here and watch for part nineteen coming on June 18.
Chapter eighteen covers the story of the tribe of Dan establishing a settlement in the North of Israel, as they had been unable to capture any territory at this point. The land they were allotted was between the territories of Ephraim and Judah.1 Five Danites were sent out to explore the land with the intent of finding somewhere for their tribe to live. When they arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, the Danites stayed at the home of Micah, and recognizing the Levite’s accent, asked him why he was there, to which he replied that he had been hired as Micah’s priest.
Wanting to know if their journey would be successful, the Danites requested the Levite ask God about this. He told them that the Lord would be watching over their journey. When they came to the city of Laish, which was 39 km north of the Sea of Galilee,2 the Danites saw it was a good place to live with abundant resources and people living peacefully, so they informed their tribe of this upon their return and suggested they take the land. The name Laish means “lion” and is mentioned in other texts from the ancient Near East, attesting to its importance.3 It was located in the portion of land given to the tribe of Naphtali.4
Armed with their weapons, six hundred Danites set off from Zorah and Eshtaol, camping at Kiriath-jearim, meaning “Town of Forests,”5 in Judah and making their way to Micah’s house. The five Danite scouts told the six hundred men about the idols Micah had, and then they stole all of Micah’s idols and his other cultic objects. When the Levite saw what they were doing, he inquired about it, but the Danites told him to shut up and to be a father and priest to them, as it was better to have such a role for an entire tribe than just one man. Hearing this reasoning, the Levite was easily persuaded and agreed to come, so he and the Danites gathered up their possessions and headed off.
Micah got mad at the Danites, but they threatened him and his family with violent deaths, and as they were much more powerful than he was, he reluctantly went home empty-handed. Upon arriving at Laish, the Danites killed the people residing there and burned the city, but there was no one around to rescue the people from their attackers. So, the Danites rebuilt the city and named it after their ancestor Dan, setting up the carved image there. There is evidence of a fire at Laish marking the end of Canaanite occupation of the city in a burn layer that could correspond to the fire mentioned in this passage.6
The Levite is said to be named Jonathan, the son of Gershom, son of Moses. Many medieval Masoretic manuscripts and a few other versions read “Manasseh” instead of “Moses” here, though “Moses” is the more likely reading, given that it is the more theologically difficult one.7 Since the word “son” here can also mean descendant, Jonathan may not have been the actual son of Gershom.8 He and his descendants served as priests at Dan up until the exile, and Micah’s carved image was there for as long as the Tabernacle remained at Shiloh.
This chapter is a story that illustrates just how depraved Israel has become. None of the characters look good; neither Micah nor the Levite nor the Danites are anywhere near being virtuous people. In fact, it has even been suggested that this story was written as a polemic against Dan, as that became one of the main cultic sites in the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam.9 The thing is, the Danites never should have settled as far North as they did; to do so was an act of disobedience against God, as that was not the land they had been assigned.10
And that is it! We are approaching the end of the book of Judges, with only three chapters left to go, but those last three chapters constitute what is perhaps the most horrific story in the Bible, so… be warned.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Block, Daniel I. “Judges.” In Joshua, Judges & Ruth, edited by John H. Walton, 198-451. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.
Boda, Mark J. “Judges.” In Judges, Ruth, edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 30-347. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
Evans, Mary J. Judges and Ruth. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017.
McCann, J. Clinton. Judges. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching Series. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2011.
Way, Kenneth C. Judges and Ruth. Teach the Text Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2016.
Webb, Barry G. The Book of Judges. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012.
Younger Jr., K. Lawson. Judges and Ruth. The NIV Application Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
Block, “Judges,” 373.
Webb, The Book of Judges, 434.
Block, “Judges,” 376.
Evans, Judges and Ruth, 171.
Webb, The Book of Judges, 437.
Way, Judges and Ruth, 218.
Boda, “Judges,” 299.
Webb, The Book of Judges, 447.
McCann, Judges, 132.
Boda, “Judges,” 294.