Judges 18:3

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?)

Judges 18:3 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:3

When they were by the house of Micah
At their inn, which might be next to it, or as they were passing by it:

they knew the voice of the young man the Levite;
who had been in their country, and they had been in his company and conversation, and they knew the tone of his voice when they heard it; a particular brogue he might have. Abarbinel conjectures, that he was singing to Micah's idol, or multiplying his prayers before him:

and they turned in thither;
into Micah's house, and into the apartment where the young man was;

and said unto him, who brought thee hither?
they knew he was of Bethlehemjudah; they inquire therefore how he came there, who sent for him, and by what means he was brought to that place:

and what makest thou in this place?
they knew he was a Levite, and that such an one had no business to minister but at the tabernacle, and therefore they inquire what was his employment here: and what hast thou here? to support himself with, what he had for his maintenance, or how he lived.

Judges 18:3 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.