Judges 18:2

Judges 18:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
• New International Version (NIV)So the Danites sent five of their leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, “Go, explore the land.” So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, “Go, search the land.” So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

Context of Judges 18:2

1In those days, there was no king in Israel, and the Danite tribe was looking for territory to occupy. Up to that time no territory had been captured by them among the tribes of Israel. So the Danites sent out five brave men from all their clans, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout out the land and explore it. They told them, “Go and explore the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim as far as the home of Micah and spent the night there. 3While they were near Micah’s home, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is keeping you here?” 4He told them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me, and I became his priest.”

Judges 18:2 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵי־דָ֣ן׀ מִֽמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ֡ם חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֣ים מִקְצוֹתָם֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים בְּנֵי־חַ֜יִל מִצָּרְעָ֣ה וּמֵֽאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֗ל לְרַגֵּ֤ל אֶת־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וּלְחָקְרָ֔הּ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֖וּ חִקְר֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ הַר־אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ עַד־בֵּ֣ית מִיכָ֔ה וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Danדָּןdân · DanH1835
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• of their familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
• fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• from their coastsקָצָהqâtsâh · endH7098
• of valourחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• from Zorahצׇרְעָהtsor‛âh · ZorahH6881
• and from Eshtaolאֶשְׁתָּאוֹל'eshtâ'ôl 'eshtâ'ôl · EshtaolH847
• to spyרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
• out the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and to searchחָקַרchâqar · to searchH2713
• it; and they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• who when they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to mountהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
• Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• of Micahמִיכָהmîykâh · MicahH4318
• they lodgedלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885

Cross-references for Judges 18:2

• Judges 18:8When the men went back to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find out?”
• Judges 13:2There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children.
• Judges 16:31Then his brothers and his father’s whole family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. So he judged Israel twenty years.
• Genesis 42:9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.”
• Joshua 19:41The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,
• Numbers 13:17When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up this way to the Negev, then go up into the hill country.
• Joshua 2:1Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.
• Proverbs 20:18Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.
• Luke 14:31“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
• Judges 17:1There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah.
• Judges 19:1In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.
• Joshua 17:15“If you have so many people,” Joshua replied to them, “go to the forest and clear an area for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, because Ephraim’s hill country is too small for you.”

Commentaries on Judges 18:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Five men - men of valor - The Hebrew word חיל chayil has been applied to personal prowess, to mental energy, and to earthly possessions. They sent those in whose courage, judgment, and prudence, they could safely confide.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2This identity of locality with the scene of Samson‘s birth and death indicates that both narratives are drawn from the same source, probably the annals of the tribe of Dan.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Zorah and Eshtaol: Scouts came from the area where the Spirit of the Lord first moved Samson (Judges 13:25). The mention of these two towns reminds us that Samson's mission was unfinished, either by his tribe, Dan, or their powerful neighbor, Judah. Instead of fighting the Lord’s battles, these skilled warriors bullied fellow Israelites (Judges 18:24–25) and attacked a defenseless city (18:27; compare Genesis 49:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-261-6. In those days ... the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in--The Danites had a territory assigned them as well as the other tribes. But either through indolence, or a lack of energy, they did not acquire the full possession of their allotment, but suffered a considerable portion of it to be wrested out of their hands by the encroachments of their powerful neighbors, the Philistines. In consequence, being straitened for room, a considerable…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 18:2

• Armies
• Eshtaol
• Jonathan
• Reconnoissance

In the dictionaries

• Dan
• Ephraim
• Micah
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Mount Ephraim
• Ask
• Eshtaol
• Quiet
• Teraphim
• Zorah

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