Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Overview
Jdg 18:1, The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance; Jdg 18:3, At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged on their way; Jdg 18:7, They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope; Jdg 18:11, Six hundred men are sent to surprise it; Jdg 18:14, In their way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things; Jdg 18:27, They win Laish, and call it Dan; Jdg 18:30, They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inherits the priesthood.
no king: The word mailech, which generally means a king, is sometimes taken for a supreme ruler, governor, or judge (see note on Gen 36:31, and see note on Deu 33:5); and it is probable it should be so understood here, and in the parallel passages. Jdg 17:6, Jdg 19:1, Jdg 21:25
the tribe: Jos 19:40-48
for unto: Jdg 1:34
men: Heb. sons
Zorah: Jdg 18:8, Jdg 18:11, Jdg 13:2, Jdg 13:25, Jdg 16:31; Gen 42:9; Jos 19:41
to spy: Num 13:17; Jos 2:1; Pro 20:18; Luk 14:31
mount: Jdg 17:1, Jdg 19:1, Jdg 19:18; Jos 17:15-18
they knew: They knew by his dialect or mode of pronunciation, that he was not an Ephraimite (see the parallel texts). Jdg 12:6; Gen 27:22; Mat 26:73
and what hast: Isa 22:16
hired me: Jdg 17:10; Pro 28:21; Isa 56:11; Eze 13:19; Hos 4:8, Hos 4:9; Mal 1:10; Joh 10:12, Joh 10:13; Act 8:18-21, Act 20:33; Ti1 3:3; Tit 1:11; Pe2 2:3, Pe2 2:14, Pe2 2:15
Ask counsel: Kg1 22:5; Kg2 16:15; Isa 30:1; Eze 21:21; Hos 4:12; Act 8:10
of God: Jdg 18:14, Jdg 17:5, Jdg 17:13
Go in peace: Kg1 22:6, Kg1 22:12, Kg1 22:15; Jer 23:21, Jer 23:22, Jer 23:32
before: Deu 11:12; Psa 33:18; Th1 3:11
the Lord: As the Levite uses the word Jehovah, and as the Danites succeeded according to the oracle delivered by him, some learned men are of opinion, that the worship established by Micah was not of an idolatrous kind.
Laish: Jos 19:47, called Leshem
how they: Jdg 18:27, Jdg 18:28; Rev 18:7
magistrate: Heb. possessor, or, heir of restraint, Sa1 3:13; Kg1 1:6; Rom 13:3; Pe1 2:14
and had no: In the most correct copies of the LXX this clause stands thus; και λογος ουκ ην αυτοις μετα Συριας; "and they had no transactions with Syria;" evidently reading instead of אדם [Strong's H120], adam, man, ארם [Strong's H758], aram, Syria; words so nearly similar that the only difference between them is in the ר, raish, and ד, daleth, which in both manuscripts and printed books is sometimes indiscernible. Laish was situated on the frontiers of Syria.
Zorah and Eshtaol: Jdg 18:2, Jdg 18:11, Jdg 13:2, Jdg 16:31
Arise: Num 13:30, Num 14:7-9; Jos 2:23, Jos 2:24
are ye still: Kg1 22:23
be not: Jos 18:3; Sa1 4:9; Sa2 10:12; Joh 6:27; Heb 6:11, Heb 6:12; Pe2 1:10, Pe2 1:11
God hath: Deu 2:29, Deu 4:1; Jos 6:16
where there: Exo 3:8; Deu 8:7-9, Deu 11:11, Deu 11:12; Eze 20:6; Ti1 6:17
appointed: Heb. girded, Jdg 18:11
Kirjathjearim: A city of Judah, on the confines of Benjamin; distant nine miles from Alia or Jerusalem, in going towards Diospolis or Lydda, according to Eusebius. Jos 15:60; Sa1 7:1; Ch1 13:5, Ch1 13:6; Ch2 1:4
Mahanehdan: Jdg 13:25 *marg.
mount Ephraim: Jdg 18:2, Jdg 18:3, Jdg 17:1, Jdg 19:1; Jos 24:30, Jos 24:33
Then: Sa1 14:28
in these: Jdg 18:3, Jdg 18:4, Jdg 17:5
now therefore: Pro 19:27; Isa 8:19, Isa 8:20
saluted him: Heb. asked him of peace, Gen 37:14, Gen 43:27; Sa1 17:22 *marg. Kg2 4:26; Mat 10:12, Mat 10:13; Luk 10:4-6; Joh 14:27
six hundred: Jdg 18:11
the graven: Jdg 6:31, Jdg 17:4, Jdg 17:5; Exo 32:20; Sa1 4:11, Sa1 6:2-9; Kg2 19:18, Kg2 19:19; Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2, Isa 46:7
lay thine: This was the token of silence. These men were evidently very ignorant; and absurdly concluded that they should, by taking Micah's gods, secure the presence and favour of the God of Israel, in their expedition and settlement. They perhaps supposed the piety of their motives, and the goodness of their end, would justify the means. But it was a base robbery of Micah, aggravated by the Levite's ingratitude, and their menaces. Job 21:5, Job 29:9, Job 40:4, Job 40:5; Pro 30:32; Mic 7:16
a father: Jdg 17:10; Kg2 6:21, Kg2 8:8, Kg2 8:9, Kg2 13:14; Mat 23:9
heart: Jdg 17:10; Pro 30:15; Isa 56:11; Eze 13:19; Hos 4:3; Act 20:33; Phi 3:19; Pe2 2:3, Pe2 2:15, Pe2 2:16
went: He was glad of his preferment among the Danites; and went into the crowd, that he might not be discovered by Micah or his family.
and put: These men were so confident of success, that they removed their whole families, household goods, cattle, and all.
the carriage: Kevoodah, from kavad, to be heavy, denotes the luggage or baggage. Jdg 18:21
What aileth: Gen 21:17; Sa1 11:5; Sa2 14:5; Kg2 6:28; Psa 114:5; Isa 22:1
comest: Heb. art gathered together
what have: Jdg 17:13; Psa 115:8; Isa 44:18-20; Jer 50:38, Jer 51:17; Eze 23:5; Hab 2:18, Hab 2:19; Act 19:26; Rev 17:2
angry: Heb. bitter of soul, Sa1 30:6; Sa2 17:8; Job 3:5, Job 27:2 *marg.
they smote: Deu 33:22; Jos 19:47
burnt: Jos 11:11
And there: Sa2 14:6 *marg. Psa 7:2, Psa 50:22; Dan 3:15-17
far from: Probably the people of Laish were originally a colony of the Zidonians; who being an opulent people, and in possession of a strong city, lived in a state of security, not being afraid of their neighbours. In this the Leshemites imitated them, though they appear not to have had the same reason for their confidence; and though they might naturally expect help from their countrymen, yet as they lived at a considerable distance from Sidon, the Danites saw they could strike the blow before the news of the invasion could reach that city. Jdg 18:1, Jdg 18:7; Jos 11:8; Isa 23:4, Isa 23:12
Bethrehob: Num 13:21, Rehob, Sa2 10:6
Dan: Jdg 20:1; Gen 14:14; Jos 19:47; Sa2 17:11; Kg1 12:29, Kg1 12:30, Kg1 15:20
who was: Gen 30:6, Gen 32:28; Laish, or Dan, was situated at the northern extremity of the land of Canaan, in a beautiful and fertile plain, at the foot of mount Lebanon, on the springs of Jordan, and, according to Eusebius, four miles from Cesarea Philippi, or Paneas, now Banias (with which some have confounded it), towards Tyre. Burckhardt says, that the source of the river El Dhan, or Jordan, is at an hour's distance from Banias, which agrees with Eusebius.
set up: Exo 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deu 17:2-7, Deu 27:15, Deu 31:16, Deu 31:29; Jos 19:40-48; Psa 78:58-61; God had graciously performed his promise, in putting these Danites in possession of that which fell to their lot, obliging them thereby to be faithful to him who had been so to them; they inherited the labour of the people, that they might observe his statues. Psa 105:44, Psa 105:45. But the first thing they do after they are settled is to break his laws, by setting up the graven image, attributing their success to that idol, which, if God had not been infinitely patient, would have been their ruin. Thus a prosperous idolater goes on to offend, imputing this his power unto his God. Instead of Manasseh, some would read Moses; as it is found in some manuscripts, in the Vulgate and in the concessions of the most intelligent Jews. But Bp. Patrick takes this to be an idle conceit of the Rabbins, and supposes this Jonathan to be of some other family of the Levites. Yet Kimchi acknowledges, that the Jews, deeply concerned for the honour of their lawgiver, to whom they thought it would be a great dishonour to have a grandson who was an idolater, suspended the letter, נ, noon, over the word משׁ [Strong's H4872], [Strong's H4873], Moses, thus מנשׁה [Strong's H4519], as it is found in the Hebrew Bibles; which, by means of the points, they have changed into Manasseh.
until: Jdg 13:1; Sa1 4:2, Sa1 4:3, Sa1 4:10, Sa1 4:11; Psa 78:60-62
the land: Houbigant contends, that, instead of haaretz, "the land," we should read haaron, "the ark;" for the ו, wav, and ן, noon final, might easily be mistaken for ץ, tzadday final; which is the only difference between the two words. This conjecture is the more likely, as the next verse tells us, that Micah's graven image continued at Dan "all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh;" which was till the ark was taken by the Philistines.
all the time: Jdg 19:18, Jdg 21:21; Jos 18:1; Sa1 1:3, Sa1 4:4; Jer 7:12