Berean Standard Bible
Judges 18:30
30The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses,1 and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Judges 18:30 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
- New International Version (NIV)There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Context of Judges 18:30
28There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there. 29They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish. The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
Read all of Judges 18Judges 18:30 word by word
וַיָּקִ֧ימוּ לָהֶ֛ם בְּנֵי־דָ֖ן אֶת־הַפָּ֑סֶל וִ֠יהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה ה֣וּא וּבָנָ֗יו הָי֤וּ כֹהֲנִים֙ לְשֵׁ֣בֶט הַדָּנִ֔י עַד־י֖וֹם גְּל֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
- The Danitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- The Danitesדָּןdân · DanH1835
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- set upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- idolsפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- and Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
- son ofבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- Gershomגֵּרְשֹׁםgêreshôm · GershomH1647
- of Mosesמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · MosesH4519
- of Mosesהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- wereהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- for the tribeשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- of Danדָּנִיdânîy · DaniteH1839
- untilעַד‛ad · tillH5704
- the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of the captivityגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: removeH1540
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Judges 18:30
- Exodus 20:4You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
- Leviticus 26:1“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 17:2If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Deuteronomy 31:16And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.
- Psalms 105:44He gave them the lands of the nations, that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor,
- Judges 13:1Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
- 1 Samuel 4:2The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.
- Psalms 78:60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.
Commentaries on Judges 18:30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30The children of Dan set up the graven image - They erected a chapel, or temple, among themselves, as Micah had done before; having the same implements and the same priest. And Jonathan the son of Gershom - Either this was the name of the young Levite; or they had turned him off, and got this Jonathan in his place. The son Manasseh - Who this Manasseh was, none can tell; nor does the reading appear to be genuine. He could not be Manasseh the son of Joseph…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 30In the Hebrew text the name here rendered Manasseh is written MN)- SH. Without the “N” (nun) suspended over the line, the word may be read: Moses, whose son was Gershom Exodus 2:22, whose son or descendant Jonathan clearly was. The Masoretes, probably grieved that a descendant of Moses should have been implicated in idolatrous worship, adopted this expedient for disguising the fact without absolutely falsifying the text. The Vulgate has “Moses”, the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 30The wandering Levite is now called Jonathan. He was a descendant of Moses through Gershom (Exodus 2:21–22). The exile traditionally began with the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BC. Considering the reference to Shiloh (Judges 18:31), the exile of the Ark from Shiloh (1 Samuel 4–6) might be relevant.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3130-31. the children of Dan set up the graven image--Their distance secluded them from the rest of the Israelites, and doubtless this, which was their apology for not going to Shiloh, was the cause of perpetuating idolatry among them for many generations.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 18:30
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Judges 18:30 Some Hebrew and LXX manuscripts and Vulgate; other Hebrew and LXX manuscripts the son of Manasseh ↩
Commentaries on Judges 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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