Judges 18:28

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;)

Judges 18:28 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:28

And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon,
&c.] Under whose government and protection they seem to have been; and that city being at a distance from them, and the Danites coming upon them suddenly, there was no time to send to them for help, or any to come in to their assistance, and save them from their enemies, see ( Judges 18:7 )

and they had no business with any man;
that could have given them notice of the design of the children of Dan against them, nor to the Zidonians to come soon enough for their protection and defence; none there were in alliance with them except them:

and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob;
which lay in the northern border of the land of Canaan, as you go to Hamath of Syria, (See Gill on Numbers 13:21).

and they built a city to dwell there;
not a new one altogether, but they rebuilt and enlarged Laish, and made it convenient for them to dwell in.

Judges 18:28 In-Context

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.
30 And Dan setted there the graven image (And the Danites set up Micah's idol), and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, [the] son of Moses, and Jonathan's sons, (were) the priests, in the lineage of Dan, till into the day of their captivity.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.