Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

Judges 18

Judges 18:1

JUDGES CHAPTER 18 Those of the tribe of Dan, having not sufficient inheritance, send forth five men to spy out a place; they come to the house of Micah, and desire the Levite to ask counsel of God touching their journey, JUDGES 18:1. He encouraging them, they spy out the city Laish; and at their ret... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:2

OF THEIR FAMILY; which shows that it was but one, though a large family, which was engaged in this expedition. _Eshtaol_; of which see JOSHUA 19:41 JUDGES 13:2,25. THEY LODGED THERE; not in the same house, but near it, as appears from the next verse, in a neighbouring place.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:3

THEY KNEW THE VOICE OF THE YOUNG MAN; either, 1. By his manner of pronunciation, which was differing and distinguishable in several tribes, as appears from JUDGES 12:6 MARK 14:70. Or, 2. By the celebration of some part of his office, which they, then lodging in the neighbourhood, might be invited... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:5

ASK COUNSEL, WE PRAY THEE, OF GOD, to wit, by thine ephod, or teraphim, or images, which they knew he had, JUDGES 18:14.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:6

YOUR WAY, i.e. your journey or design, is under the eye of God, i.e. under his care, and protection, and direction, which _the eye of God being upon a person_ commonly notes in Scripture, as PSALMS 32:8, PSALMS 34:15. Compare JEREMIAH 39:12, JEREMIAH 40:4. So the phrase is here taken in a restrained... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:7

LAISH, called also _Leshem_, JOSHUA 19:47. AFTER THE MANNER OF THE ZIDONIANS, who living in a very strong place, and abounding in wealth, and understanding that they were not a part of that land which God gave to his people, and perceiving that the Israelites never attempted any thing against them,... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:9

ARE YE STILL, Heb. _silent_ ? _Silence_ is oft put for _stillness_ or _cessation from action or motion_, as EXODUS 14:14 ISAIAH 62:1 LAMENTATIONS 2:18. For they do not accuse them for want of speaking, for that they did; but for want of doing, and putting their words and resolves into execution.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:10

GOD HATH GIVEN IT INTO YOUR HANDS: this they gather partly from God's word or promise, which they supposed they had from the Levite's mouth; and partly from his providence, which hath so disposed them, that they will be an easy prey to you.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:12

KIRJATH-JEARIM, called _Kirjath-baal_, JOSHUA 15:60; a city lying in the northern parts of Judah, in the road to Laish; yet not in the city, but in the fields belonging to it, as the following words evince. BEHIND KIRJATH-JEARIM, i.e. westward from it, as the western sea is called the hindermost sea... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:14

THEN ANSWERED, i.e. spake, the word _answering_ being oft used in Scripture of the first speaker, as 1 KINGS 1:28, 1 KINGS 13:6 EZRA 10:2 ISAIAH 14:10. IN THOSE HOUSES, i.e. in one of these houses, the plural number for the singular, as JUDGES 12:7. CONSIDER WHAT YE HAVE TO DO, i.e. whether it be no... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:17

COME IN THITHER, to wit, into the house, and that part of it where those things were. IN THE ENTERING OF THE GATE; whither they had drawn him forth that they might without noise or hinderance take them away.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:18

THESE, to wit, the five mentioned JUDGES 18:17. WHAT DO YE? what do you mean to do? I hope you will not do so impious and injurious an action.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:19

LAY THY HAND UPON THY MOUTH, i.e. be silent, as this phrase is used, JOB 21:5, JOB 29:9 40:4 PROVERBS 30:32. The same thing repeated in other words. A FATHER AND A PRIEST: SEE POOLE ON "JUDGES 17:10". A FAMILY IN ISRAEL, to wit, a tribe that is (and being oft put for that is) a family. For it is cer... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:20

THE PRIEST'S HEART WAS GLAD; being wholly governed by his own interest, and making all his obligations of justice and gratitude give place to it. But it is not strange, if he who was before perfidious to God, should prove so to men. IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE, i.e. among the people; or properly in t... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:24

So far was he besotted with superstition and idolatry, that he esteemed those gods which were man's work. But he could not be so stupid as to think these were indeed the great Jehovah that made heaven and earth; but only a lower sort of gods, by whom, as mediators, he offered up his worship unto the... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:25

THY VOICE; thy complaints and reproaches. ANGRY FELLOWS; the soldiers, who are in themselves sharp and fierce, and will soon be inflamed by thy provoking words. AND THOU LOSE THY LIFE; which, notwithstanding all thy pretences, thou dost value more than thy images, as indeed appeared from his followi... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:27

Not wholly, but in great measure, to strike the greater terror into the inhabitants, and to make their conquest of the place more easy.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:29

AFTER THE NAME OF DAN THEIR FATHER; that it might be manifest that they belonged to the tribe of Dan, though they were seated at a great distance from them, even in the most northerly part of the land; whereas the lot of their tribe was in the southern part of Canaan.... [ Continue Reading ]

Judges 18:30

Having succeeded in their expedition according to the prediction which, as they supposed, they had from this image, they had a great veneration for it. UNTIL THE DAY OF THE CAPTIVITY OF THE LAND; either, 1. When the ark and the Israelites were taken captives by the Philistines, 1 SAMUEL 4:10,11; th... [ Continue Reading ]

Continues after advertising