Judges 18:7

Judges 18:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
• New International Version (NIV)So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone.

Context of Judges 18:7

5They said to him, “Please find out from God if our journey will be successful.” 6The priest told them, “Go in peace. The Lord approves of your journey.” The five men left there and came to the city of Laish. They saw that the people there lived without a care. These people were like the people of Sidon. They were peaceful and secure. There was no one around who threatened to take away their property by force. They were far from the people of Sidon and totally independent. 8The men went back to their relatives in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What did you find?” 9They replied, “Get up, let’s attack Laish. We saw the land. It’s very good! “Don’t just sit there! Go at once and take the land.

Judges 18:7 word by word

וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לָ֑יְשָׁה וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת־לָ֠בֶטַח כְּמִשְׁפַּ֨ט צִדֹנִ֜ים שֹׁקֵ֣ט׀ וּבֹטֵ֗חַ וְאֵין־מַכְלִ֨ים דָּבָ֤ר בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ יוֹרֵ֣שׁ עֶ֔צֶר וּרְחֹקִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ מִצִּ֣דֹנִ֔ים וְדָבָ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם עִם־אָדָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then the fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to Laishלַ֫יִשׁlayish · LaishH3919
• and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• thereinקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• how they dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• carelessבֶּ֫טַחbeţach · securityH983
• after the mannerמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: customH4941
• of the Zidoniansצִידֹנִיtsîydônîy tsidônîy · SidonianH6722
• quietשָׁקַטshâqaţ · to quietH8252
• and secureבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• no magistrateעֶ֫צֶר‛etser · magistrateH6114
• no magistrateיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: possessH3423
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• to shameכָּלַםkâlam · be humiliatedH3637
• thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• farרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
• manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120

Cross-references for Judges 18:7

• Joshua 19:47The border of Dan extended beyond them. Dan’s descendants went up and attacked Leshem, captured it, and killed everyone there. They took it, settled there, and renamed the city Dan after their ancestor Dan.
• Judges 18:27The people of Dan took what Micah had made and the man who had become his priest and went to the city of Laish. They attacked a peaceful and secure people, killed them all with swords, and burned their city.
• Revelation 18:7She gave herself glory and luxury. Now give her just as much torture and misery. She says to herself, ‘I’m a queen on a throne, not a widow. I’ll never be miserable.’
• 1 Samuel 3:13I told him that I would hand down a permanent judgment against his household because he knew about his sons’ sin—that they were cursing God —but he didn’t try to stop them.
• 1 Kings 1:6His father had never confronted him by asking why he was doing this.
• Romans 13:3People who do what is right don’t have to be afraid of the government. But people who do what is wrong should be afraid of it. Would you like to live without being afraid of the government? Do what is right, and it will praise you.
• 1 Peter 2:14Also obey governors. They are people the emperor has sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

Commentaries on Judges 18:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7After the manner of the Zidonians - Probably the people of Laish or Leshem were originally a colony of the Sidonians, who, it appears, were an opulent people; and, being in possession of a strong city, lived in a state of security, not being afraid of their neighbors. In this the Leshemites imitated them, though the sequel proves they had not the same reason for their confidence. They were far from the Zidonians - Being, as above supposed, a Sidonian…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Laish - Afterward called “Dan” Judges 18:29. The exact site has not been identified, but it was the northern extremity of Israel, near the sources of the Jordan, and about four miles from Panium, or Caesarea-Philippi. It is thought to have stood where the village Tell-el-Kadi now stands. After the manner of the Zidonians - The genius of the Zidonians being mechanical and commercial, not military, their colonists were apt to neglect fortifications and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Laish has been thoroughly excavated and was an impressive city at that time. The description of Laish and its connection to the port of Sidon is not entirely clear in the text or historical records. The people of Laish, as Phoenicians, might have expected to be exempt from Israel's attack on the Canaanites. This language is largely repeated in Judges 18:28.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-107-10. the five men departed, and came to Laish--or, "Leshem" (Jos 19:47), supposed to have been peopled by a colony of Zidonians. The place was very secluded--the soil rich in the abundance and variety of its produce, and the inhabitants, following the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, lived in their fertile and sequestered valley, according to the Zidonian style of ease and security, happy among themselves, and maintaining little or no communication with…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 18:7

• Armies
• Jonathan
• Magistrate
• Phenicia
• Reconnoissance
• Sidon

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Laish
• Magistrate
• Micah
• Quiet
• Teraphim
• Business
• Careless; Carelessly
• Dan (1); Dan, Tribe of
• Dan (2)

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