Rashi on TanakhJudges 18
Rashi
Read Judges 18 in the BibleJudges 18:3
Who brought you here. There are numerous questions here. Are you not descended from our teacher Moshe, to whom it was said, "Do not come close here,"4Shemos, 3:5.הֲלוֹם, “here”, in our passage corresponds with הֲלוֹם, “here”, in the statement to Moshe. "Who provided mankind with the mouth?"5Ibid, 4:11. פֶז in our passage coresponds with פֶה “mouth”, there. and "What is this in your hand?"6Ibid, 4:2. מָה…בָּזֶה corresponds with מַה זֶה there.
Judges 18:5
Please inquire of God through the figurines, which communicate by sorcery.
Judges 18:6
The route you will follow is before Adonoy It is revealed before the Holy One, blessed is He, but these [figurines] are worthless.
Judges 18:7
With nothing to put them to shame. No one ever needed anothers' help, who might have rebuffed him empty handedly, thus humiliating him, as stated below, "Nothing is lacking."7Below v.10. So I have heard.
There is a dearth of heirs. There are few heirs, so that if they should be killed, no other claimants will wage war against those who occupy the territory.
They were distant. From the support of the Tzidonians.
And they were not allied with anyone. They had not entered into any treaty requiring others to come to their assistance in times of need.
Judges 18:8
What is your response? As if to say, "what is your response?" What have you found, in the territory apportioned to us? Are the people strong or weak?'
Judges 18:9
You are apathetic Lazy.
Judges 18:21
The bulky cargo. The loads. Anything which moved ponderously, thus making it impossible to move quickly should the local inhabitants pursue them.
The bulky cargo. "Pezantume" in old French.
Judges 18:23
They turned their faces. The sons of Don turned towards those who shouted at them.
Judges 18:24
What else do I have. What else remains for me?
Judges 18:25
Bitter tempered men. There are angry men in our company.
Judges 18:27
Laish. The city's name. The book of Yehoshua entitles it "Leshem,"8Yehoshua 19:47. because they discovered, there, a precious gem called "leshem." This was inlaid in the Choshen plate,9The sacred Urim Vetumim oracles, which spelled out the Divine message for those inquirii of Adonoy. (Yoma, 73:b). and symbolized the tribe of Don, whose name was inscribed on it. Thus, they were certain that this was actually their ancestral property.
Judges 18:30
Ben Menasheh. In deference to Moshe, the letter "nun" was included, thus altering the name. It is scripturally suspended to indicate that he was actually not Menasheh, but Moshe.10Bava Basra 109b.
Until the day of the exile from the land. During the time of Sancheriv, at the first exile.
Rashi on Tanakh — Rashi. Metsudah Publications / Judaica Press · CC BY
Judges 18:1