Focused Passage

Judges 18:14-18

Dan's Migration: Stolen Gods and a Tribal Shrine

Judges 18 turns Micah's private shrine into Dan's tribal cult, showing that when Israel lacks righteous covenant rule, even the search for inheritance can become theft, intimidation, idolatry, and unauthorized worship.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

16The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 14

Original words

-וַֽיַּעֲנ֞וּH6030Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralThen the fiveחֲמֵ֣שֶׁתH2568Number - masculine singular constructmenהָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםH582Article | Noun - masculine pluralwho had goneהַהֹלְכִים֮H1980Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralto spy outלְרַגֵּל֮H7270Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe landהָאָ֣רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singularof Laishלַיִשׁ֒H3919Noun - proper - feminine singularsaidוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositiontheir brothersאֲחֵיהֶ֔םH251Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralDid you knowהַיְדַעְתֶּ֗םH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine pluralthatכִּ֠יH3588Conjunctionone of theseהָאֵ֙לֶּה֙H428Article | Pronoun - common pluralhousesבַּבָּתִּ֤יםH1004Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralhasיֵ֣שׁH3426Adverban ephodאֵפ֣וֹדH646Noun - masculine singularhousehold godsוּתְרָפִ֔יםH8655Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plurala graven imageוּפֶ֖סֶלH6459Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularand a molten idolוּמַסֵּכָ֑הH4541Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularNowוְעַתָּ֖הH6258Conjunctive waw | Adverbthink aboutדְּע֥וּH3045Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralwhatמַֽה־H4100Interrogativeyou should doתַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃H6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Verse 15

Original words

So they turnedוַיָּס֣וּרוּH5493Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralaside thereשָׁ֔מָּהH8033Adverb | third person feminine singularand wentוַיָּבֹ֛אוּH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe homeבֵּֽית־H1004Noun - masculine singular constructof the youngהַנַּ֥עַרH5288Article | Noun - masculine singularLeviteהַלֵּוִ֖יH3881Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularthe houseבֵּ֣יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Micahמִיכָ֑הH4318Noun - proper - masculine singularand greeted himוַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ־H7592Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .ל֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singular. . .לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃H7965Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

The sixוְשֵׁשׁ־H8337Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singularhundredמֵא֣וֹתH3967Number - feminine pluralDanitesמִבְּנֵי־H1121Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct. . .דָֽן׃H1835Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .אִ֗ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularstoodנִצָּבִ֖יםH5324Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralat the entranceפֶּ֣תַחH6607Noun - masculine singular constructof the gateהַשָּׁ֑עַרH8179Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֖רH834Pronoun - relativearmedחֲגוּרִים֙H2296Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralwith their weaponsכְּלֵ֣יH3627Noun - masculine plural constructof warמִלְחַמְתָּ֔םH4421Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

-וַֽיַּעֲל֞וּH5927Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralAnd the fiveחֲמֵ֣שֶׁתH2568Number - masculine singular constructmenהָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםH582Article | Noun - masculine pluralwho had goneהַהֹלְכִים֮H1980Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralto spy outלְרַגֵּ֣לH7270Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe landהָאָרֶץ֒H776Article | Noun - feminine singularwent insideבָּ֣אוּH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural. . .שָׁ֔מָּהH8033Adverb | third person feminine singularand tookלָקְח֗וּH3947Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe graven imageהַפֶּ֙סֶל֙H6459Article | Noun - masculine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerthe ephodהָ֣אֵפ֔וֹדH646Article | Noun - masculine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerthe household idolsהַתְּרָפִ֖יםH8655Article | Noun - masculine pluralandוְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerthe molten idolהַמַּסֵּכָ֑הH4541Article | Noun - feminine singularwhile the priestוְהַכֹּהֵ֗ןH3548Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singularstoodנִצָּב֙H5324Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularat the entranceפֶּ֣תַחH6607Noun - masculine singular constructof the gateהַשַּׁ֔עַרH8179Article | Noun - masculine singularwith the sixוְשֵׁשׁ־H8337Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular constructhundredמֵא֣וֹתH3967Number - feminine pluralarmedהֶחָג֖וּרH2296Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular-כְּלֵ֥יH3627Noun - masculine plural construct-הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃H4421Article | Noun - feminine singularmenהָאִ֔ישׁH376Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

When theyוְאֵ֗לֶּהH428Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common pluralenteredבָּ֚אוּH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralMicah’sמִיכָ֔הH4318Noun - proper - masculine singularhouseבֵּ֣יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructand tookוַיִּקְחוּ֙H3947Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralאֶת־אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe graven imageפֶּ֣סֶלH6459Noun - masculine singular constructthe ephodהָאֵפ֔וֹדH646Article | Noun - masculine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerthe household idolsהַתְּרָפִ֖יםH8655Article | Noun - masculine pluralandוְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerthe molten idolהַמַּסֵּכָ֑הH4541Article | Noun - feminine singularthe priestהַכֹּהֵ֔ןH3548Article | Noun - masculine singularsaidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto themאֲלֵיהֶם֙H413Preposition | third person masculine pluralWhatמָ֥הH4100Interrogativeare youאַתֶּ֖םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluraldoingעֹשִֽׂים׃H6213Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

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