What does Judges 18:16 mean?
Scouts sent from the tribe of Dan had passed through Micah's home (Judges 17:1–5, 13) on a previous occasion (Judges 18:1–6). Then, they were on their way to find territory for their tribe in northern Israel. They found an unsuspecting group of Sidonians in a perfect spot for small tribe of Israelites looking for a home. They are now on their way to attack those people and take their town (Judges 18:11–13).As they make their way back, the five Danites are not alone. They come as part of a small army: six hundred armed warriors who now stand outside the gates of Micah's property. This is a deliberate show of force. Not long before, the five men had made not-at-all subtle references to Micah's wealth in the form of his religious artifacts (Judges 18:14–15). It's clear these men have come to take what they want from Micah before continuing north.