Judges 18:24-31

24 Micah answered, "You took my gods that I made and my priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What's the matter?'"

25 The Danites answered, "You should not argue with us. Some of our angry men might attack you, killing you and your family."

26 Then the Danites went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.

27 Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those peaceful people and killed them with their swords and then burned the city.

28 There was no one to save the people of Laish. They lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there.

29 They changed the name of Laish to Dan, naming it for their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel.

30 The people of Dan set up the idols in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses' son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the land was captured.

31 The people of Dan set up the idols Micah had made as long as the Holy Tent of God was in Shiloh.

Judges 18:24-31 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.