Judges 18:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?”

NIV: As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, 'What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?'

NASB: Then they called out to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, 'What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?'

CSB: They called to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you mustered the men? "

NLT: They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, 'What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?'

KJV: And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

NKJV: And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?”

Micah has gathered a group to chase down the men who had robbed him (Judges 18:14–20). Among the stolen goods was Micah's enormous collection of expensive religious artifacts (Judges 17:1–5). Micah also wants his priest back, probably not realizing the young Levite (Judges 17:7–13) was more than happy to leave with the raiders and even helped them in their theft.

The men of Dan anticipated Micah would come after them. That's why all the soldiers were in the back of the group with the precious cultic items and the children in the front (Judges 18:21). When Micah arrives shouting for the men of Dan to stop, they turn around and ask him why he has come with so many people. The warriors of Dan act surprised to see this collection of neighbors chasing them from behind. This is probably just that—an act, meant to intimidate—like the cliché of a tough man asking someone "what are you looking at?" Their sarcastic teasing, even asking "what's the matter with you?" will not last long.

Judges 18:14–31 describes how the migrating people of the tribe of Dan steal from Micah (Judges 18:1–5). They take his collection of expensive idols and religious totems. His hired Levite priest accepts the Danites' invitation to come along with the raiders. Micah and his neighbors desperately chase, but the Danite forces are too large to risk attacking. The Danites arrive at Laish, in the north, and slaughter its peaceful, unprepared Sidonian occupants. They take possession of the town, rename it Dan, and establish a nexus of false worship.

The people of the tribe of Dan want to relocate because they failed to take their allotted territory in the Promised Land. They send five scouts to find land. The men stop at Micah's home (Judges 17:1–5, 13) and meet his priest before continuing north. They find Laish and realize it's a soft, vulnerable, peaceful town. A six hundred-man army and their families stop at Micah's home to steal his house gods and hired priest. When they arrive at Laish, the Danites slaughter the Sidonians living there, burn the city, rebuild it, and move in. Dan becomes a center of false worship.

In the prior chapter, Micah hires a personal cleric for his family religion. Judges 18 describes how he loses all his religious objects and that priest to raiders from the tribe of Dan. That convoy continues north to their target, the town of Laish. This town was selected, in part, for being helpless against attackers. The raiders rename the city "Dan." The people and the priest establish a center for false worship which lasts for centuries. Joshua 19:40–48 describes how Dan moved from their allotted land into this unapproved territory (Joshua 17).

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 5/7/2024 3:54:01 AM