Judges 18:3

Judges 18:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
• New International Version (NIV)When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”

Context of Judges 18:3

1In 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. 2And 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. When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

Judges 18:3 word by word

הֵ֚מָּה עִם־בֵּ֣ית מִיכָ֔ה וְהֵ֣מָּה הִכִּ֔ירוּ אֶת־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר הַלֵּוִ֑י וַיָּס֣וּרוּ שָׁ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ מִֽי־הֱבִיאֲךָ֣ הֲלֹ֔ם וּמָֽה־אַתָּ֥ה עֹשֶׂ֛ה בָּזֶ֖ה וּמַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹֽה׃Read the interlinear

• by the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• of Micahמִיכָהmîykâh · MicahH4318
• they knewנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of the young manנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• the Leviteלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• and they turned inסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• thither, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Who broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• thee hitherהֲלֹםhălôm · hereH1988
• and what makestעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Judges 18:3

• Judges 12:6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
• Genesis 27:22And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
• Matthew 26:73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.
• Isaiah 22:16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

Commentaries on Judges 18:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They knew the voice of the young man - They knew, by his dialect or mode of pronunciation, that he was not an Ephraimite. We have already seen ( Judges 12:6; (note)) that the Ephraimites could not pronounce certain letters.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3It does not follow that they had known him before, and recognized his voice, though it may be so. But the Hebrew equally bears the sense that they heard the voice of the Levite; and, attracted by it, went into the chapel Judges 18:18 where Jonathan was. They were probably just starting on their journey, but were still within the court or precincts of Micah‘s house. Micah had evidently not told them of his house of God, and his Levite. Their questions…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The Danites either recognized the young Levite's accent (voice), which was from the region of Judah (Judges 17:7), or they knew him personally. Their questions were not just about his credentials; they also sought some divine guidance (Judges 18:5). His reply (Judges 18:6) showed he was willing to be a mercenary priest.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 18:3

• Armies
• Jonathan
• Reconnoissance

In the dictionaries

• Levite
• Micah
• Ask
• Quiet
• Teraphim
• Dan (1); Dan, Tribe of
• Dan (2)
• Intercession
• Israel, History of
• Jebus; Jebusi; Jebusite

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