Judges 18:27

27 Forsooth six hundred men took the priest, and the things which we before-said, and came into Laish to the people resting and secure; and they smited them by the sharpness of sword, and betook the city to burning, (And the six hundred men took the priest, and all the things which we spoke of, and came into Laish to the people there, who were secure and at rest, yea, without a care in the world; and they struck them down with their sharp swords, and burned down the city,)

Judges 18:27 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:27

And they took the things which Micah had made
The ephod, teraphim, and the two images, the Danites took them, or having taken them kept them, and went on with them:

and the priest which he had;
him also they took, and who was willing enough to go with them:

and came unto Laish, unto a people that were quiet and secure;
having no sentinels placed at any distance to give them warning of an enemy, nor any watchmen on their walls to discover one; and perhaps their gates not shut, nor any guard at any of their passes and avenues, having no apprehension at all of being visited by an enemy, especially from Israel, not being apprized that they had any pretensions to their city, and the land about it:

and they smote them with the edge of the sword;
entered their city, and fell on them suddenly, and cut them to pieces:

and burnt the city with fire;
to strike terror to all about; or it may be only they set fire to some part of it, as they entered, only to frighten the inhabitants, and throw them into the greater confusion, that they might become a more easy prey to them; for their intention was to inhabit it, and it seems to be the same city still, though they rebuilt it, and called it by another name.

Judges 18:27 In-Context

25 And the sons of Dan said to him, Beware, lest thou speak [any] more to us, and men stirred in soul come to thee, and thou perish with all thine house.

26 And so (the sons of) Dan went forth in the journey begun. And Micah saw, that they were stronger than he, and [he] turned again into his house (and so he returned to his house, along with all of his neighbours).

27 Forsooth six hundred men took the priest, and the things which we before-said, and came into Laish to the people resting and secure; and they smited them by the sharpness of sword, and betook the city to burning, (And the six hundred men took the priest, and all the things which we spoke of, and came into Laish to the people there, who were secure and at rest, yea, without a care in the world; and they struck them down with their sharp swords, and burned down the city,)

28 while no man utterly gave help (to them), for they dwelled far from Sidon, and had not anything of fellowship and cause with any men. And the city was set in the country(side) of Bethrehob; the which city Dan builded again, and dwelled therein; (while utterly no one gave them any help, for they lived far from Sidon, and the city was set in the countryside of Bethrehob, and they had nothing of fellowship, or dealings, with anyone. And then the Danites rebuilt the city, and lived there;)

29 and the name of the city was called Dan, by the name of their father (after the name of their father), whom Israel had begat, the which city was called Laish before.