Judges 18:1-7

1 In those days there was no king in Yisra'el: and in those days the tribe of the Dani sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day [their] inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Yisra'el.
2 The children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Tzor`ah, and from Eshta'ol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land. They came to the hill-country of Efrayim, to the house of Mikhah, and lodged there.
3 When they were by the house of Mikhah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside there, and said to him, Who brought you here? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?
4 He said to them, Thus and thus has Mikhah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I am become his Kohen.
5 They said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 The Kohen said to them, Go in shalom: before the LORD is your way wherein you go.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people who were therein, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Tzidonim, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything, and they were far from the Tzidonim, and had no dealings with any man.

Judges 18:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 18

This chapter relates how the Danites, being overcrowed in their inheritance, sent out spies to search the land, and see if they could find any proper place to add unto it, and enlarge it, Jud 18:1-6 who returned and reported Laish as such, and encouraged the Danites to go and possess it; for which purpose they sent six hundred men up to it, Jud 18:7-12 and as they went, called at the house of Micah, and took away his priests and his gods, Jud 18:13-27 and having taken Laish, set up Micah's graven image there, Jud 18:28-31.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.