New Living Translation
Judges 18:2
2So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there.
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
1Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there. 3While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” 4He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.
Read all of Judges 18Judges 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 returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”
- Judges 13:2In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.
- Judges 16:31Later his brothers and other relatives went down to get his body. They took him back home and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, where his father, Manoah, was buried. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.
- Genesis 42:9And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”
- Joshua 19:41The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,
- Numbers 13:17Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go north through the Negev into the hill country.
- Joshua 2:1Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.
- Proverbs 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.
- Luke 14:31“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?
- Judges 17:1There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Judges 19:1Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.
- Joshua 17:15Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”
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
In the dictionaries
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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