Judges 18:1

Judges 18:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.

Context of Judges 18:1

At that time, Israel had no king to rule over them. The people of Dan's tribe were looking for some land where they could live. They had not yet taken the land that would be their home among Israel's tribes. 2So the men of Dan sent five soldiers from the clans of their tribe to explore the land. The leaders sent them out from Zorah and Eshtaol. They told them, ‘Go and find some land for us.’ The five men went into the hill country of Ephraim. They came to Micah's house and they stayed there for a night. 3While they were at Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they went in and they asked him, ‘Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?’

Judges 18:1 word by word

בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבַיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם שֵׁ֣בֶט הַדָּנִ֞י מְבַקֶּשׁ־ל֤וֹ נַֽחֲלָה֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת כִּי֩ לֹֽא־נָ֨פְלָה לּ֜וֹ עַד־הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֛וּא בְּתוֹךְ־שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּנַחֲלָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In those daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• no kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• in Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• the tribeשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of the Danitesדָּנִיdânîy · DaniteH1839
• soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• them an inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• to dwell inיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• had not fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: allotH5307
• unto them amongתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432

Cross-references for Judges 18:1

• Deuteronomy 33:5When the leaders of the people and all the tribes met together, the Lord became king of Israel.
• Judges 17:6At that time, Israel had no king to rule over them. Everyone did what they thought was right.
• Judges 19:1At that time, Israel had no king to rule over them. There was a Levite who was living in the hill country of Ephraim, far away from any towns. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his slave wife.
• Judges 21:25At that time, Israel had no king to rule over them. Everyone did what they thought was right.
• Joshua 19:40The seventh part of the land was for Dan's tribe, clan by clan.
• Judges 1:34The Amorites were too strong for the men of Dan's tribe. So Dan's people had to live in the hill country. The Amorites would not let them live in the low land.

Commentaries on Judges 18:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1There was no king in Israel - See Judges 17:6; (note). The circumstances related here show that this must have happened about the time of the preceding transactions. The tribe of the Danites - That is, a part of this tribe; some families of it. All their inheritance - That is, they had not got an extent of country sufficient for them. Some families were still unprovided for, or had not sufficient territory; for we find from Joshua 19:40, etc., that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Danites seek to enlarge their inheritance, and rob Micah. --The Danites determined to take Micah's gods with them. Oh the folly of these Danites! How could they imagine those gods should protect them, that could not keep themselves from being stolen! To take them for their own use, was a double crime; it showed they neither feared God, nor regarded man, but were lost both to godliness and honesty. What a folly was it for Micah to call those his gods…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-31The migration of the Danites (compare Joshua 19:40–48) shows the tribe's failure to follow God's covenant and reflects Israel's decline. Micah's personal heresy (Judges 17:4–5) grew into the apostasy of the entire tribe (18:30–31). The initial covenant failure (Judges 17:19–36) led to social breakdown during the time of Jephthah and Samson (Judges 11–16). Eventually, law and order gave way to banditry and pillaging (Judges 18:27–28).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 18:1

• Jonathan

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• That Day
• Ask
• Micah
• Quiet
• Teraphim
• Dan (1); Dan, Tribe of
• Dan (2)
• Intercession
• Israel, History of

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