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Judges 18:1

in Judges 18

In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

In 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 their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

KJV

In 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.

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This verse in Judges 18

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

There was no king in Israel - See Jdg 17:6 (note). The circumstances related here show that this must have happened about the time of the preceding transactions. The tribe of the Danites - That is, a part of this tribe; some families of it. All their inheritance - That is, they had not got an extent of country sufficient for them.

This site's exposition

the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory

on Judges 18:1-2

Here, as at 19:1, the book says “there was no king in Israel” without the clause about everyone doing what was right in his own eyes. Dan already had an allotment at Joshua 19:40-46, but the Amorites forced it into the hills at Judges 1:34. The five men go out “from Zorah and Eshtaol”, Samson's country at 13:2 and 16:31.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

In those days there was no king in Israel,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It lay a great way off, separate from the rest of their tribe; it was entirely in the enemy's hand, and therefore they would sponge upon their brethren rather than go far to provide for themselves.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Recognizing his priest as one of their former acquaintances, or perhaps by his provincial dialect, they eagerly enlisted his services in ascertaining the result of their present expedition. His answer, though apparently promising, was delusive, and really as ambiguous as those of the heathen oracles.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

As there had not fallen to their lot. A suitable inheritance for them in the conquered territory, as it is said in Yehoshua, "The boundry of Bnei Don extended from them." 1 Yehoshua,:47. See Rashi there. 2 When the apportioning of the land among the tribes was completed.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Judges 18:1:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

24 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • בַּיָּמִ֣יםin the days

    baiyamimH3117 →2304 times

  • הָהֵ֔ם<the> those

    hahemH1992 →553 times

  • אֵ֥יןthere not

    ʾeinH369 →789 times

  • מֶ֖לֶךְ[was] a king

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לin Israel

    beyisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • וּבַיָּמִ֣יםand in the days

    uvaiyamimH3117 →2304 times

  • הָהֵ֗ם<the> those

    hahemH1992 →553 times

  • שֵׁ֣בֶט[the] tribe of

    shevetH7626 →190 times

  • הַדָּנִ֞יthe Danite[s]

    hadaniH1839 →5 times

  • מְבַקֶּשׁ־[was] seeking

    mevakesh-H1245 →225 times

  • ל֤וֹfor <the> itself

    lo

  • נַֽחֲלָה֙an inheritance

    nachalahH5159 →222 times

  • לָשֶׁ֔בֶתto dwell in

    lashevetH3427 →1079 times

  • כִּי֩for

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • נָ֨פְלָהit had fallen

    nafelahH5307 →435 times

  • לּ֜וֹto <the> it

    lo

  • עַד־until

    ʾad-H5704 →1261 times

  • הַיּ֥וֹםthe day

    haiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • הַה֛וּא<the> that

    hahu'H1931 →1879 times

  • בְּתוֹךְ־in among

    betokh-H8432 →418 times

  • שִׁבְטֵ֥י[the] tribes of

    shivteiH7626 →190 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • בְּנַחֲלָֽה׃ ס<in> an inheritance

    benachalahH5159 →222 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Judges 17:6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.7 worksJudges 1:34The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.7 worksJudges 19:1Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.6 worksJoshua 19:40–48The seventh lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Dan:5 worksJudges 21:25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.5 worksJudges 18:28There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Judges 21:25

    In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 12:8

      You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Proverbs 3:5

      Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

    • Judges 17:6

      In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

    • Ecclesiastes 11:9

      Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes,…

  • Through

    Judges 17:6

    In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 14:12

      There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Judges 21:25

      In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Proverbs 12:15

      The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

    • Proverbs 16:2

      All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.

About Judges

Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 18 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 18 →