Judges 18:1

1 In those days was no king in Israel; and the lineage of Dan sought (a) possession to itself, to dwell therein; for till to that day it had not taken heritage among other lineages. (In those days there was no king in Israel; and the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves to live in; for unto that day they had not taken their inheritance among the other tribes.)

Judges 18:1 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:1

In those days there was no king in Israel
No supreme magistrate, no judge, for it was before the time of the judges, after the death of Joshua and before Othniel the first judge; this is observed before, ( Judges 17:6 ) and here repeated to account for the evil things done by the Danites, their consulting Micah's oracle, taking away his priest and his gods, and setting up his graven image in Dan, by which means idolatry was spread in Israel, and brought on their servitude to Chushanrishathaim, from which Othniel the first judge was their deliverer:

and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance
to dwell in;
that is, a family of them, as in the next verse, not the whole tribe; for as a family is sometimes put for a tribe, ( Joshua 7:17 ) so a tribe for a family, ( Judges 20:12 )

for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen to them among
the tribes of Israel:
we rightly supply the words "all their"; for otherwise an inheritance had fallen to them by lot, as the other tribes. ( Joshua 19:40 ) , but that was not only too little for them, ( Joshua 19:47 ) but all that was allotted to them did not come into their possession, but a part remained unsubdued; and some they had possession of they could not keep, either through the superior strength of the Amorites, or their own sloth and cowardice, or for want of the help of their brethren; see ( Judges 1:34 Judges 1:35 ) .

Judges 18:1 In-Context

1 In those days was no king in Israel; and the lineage of Dan sought (a) possession to itself, to dwell therein; for till to that day it had not taken heritage among other lineages. (In those days there was no king in Israel; and the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves to live in; for unto that day they had not taken their inheritance among the other tribes.)

2 Therefore the sons of Dan sent five (of) the strongest men of their generation, and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, that they should espy the land, and behold diligently (so that they could spy out the land, and carefully look it over). And they said to them, Go ye, and behold the land. And when they going forth had come into the hill (country) of Ephraim, and had entered into the house of Micah, they rested there.

3 And they knew the voice of the young waxing deacon; and they rested in his place, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? What doest thou here? For what cause wouldest thou come hither? (And they knew the voice of the young Levite; and they rested there before him, and said to him, Who hath brought thee here? What doest thou here? For what reason wouldest thou come here?)

4 The which answered, Micah hath given to me these things and these, and he hath hired me for meed, that I be priest to him. (And he answered, Micah hath given these things, and other things to me, and he hath hired me for money, to be his priest.)

5 And they prayed him, that he should counsel with the Lord, and that they might know (so that they could know), whether they went in the way of prosperity, and that the thing of their purpose should have effect.