Judges 18:8-13

8 When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”

9 They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.

10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.”

11 Then six hundred men of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.

12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan^[a] to this day.

13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

Judges 18:8-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 13:30; 1 Kings 22:3
• 2. ver 7,27; Deuteronomy 8:9
• 3. 1 Chronicles 4:40
• 4. ver 16,17
• 5. Judges 13:2
• 6. S Joshua 9:17
• 7. Judges 13:25
• 8. S Judges 17:1

Footnotes

• [a]. "Mahaneh Dan" means "Dan’s camp."