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Judges 18:17

in Judges 18

And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

KJV

And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

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This verse in Judges 18

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
The five went back to Micah’s chapel (Micah’s house, Jdg 18:18) and took the ephod, teraphim, etc., and brought them to the gate where the priest was talking to the 600 men.

This site's exposition

the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish

on Judges 18:14-17

The four objects are the ones made at 17:3-5, a graven image and a molten idol from the mother's silver, with an ephod and household idols. The Hebrew word for these idols names the ones Rachel stole at Genesis 31:19, where the King James renders it images. The scouts carry them out while “six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate”, one walled compound in Barnes's reading.

This site's exposition

the five men who had gone to spy out the land

The list of four objects is given three times, at verses 14, 17 and 18, and verse 20 names only three of them as the priest takes them. Barnes has the priest talking with the six hundred at the gate while the five work inside. The shrine emptied without a fight.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And the five men that went out to spy the land went up and came thither,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It is mentioned as the reproach of idols that they themselves had gone into captivity, Isa. xlvi. O the sottishness of these Danites! How could they imagine those gods should protect them that could not keep themselves from being stolen?

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Their journey led them through the territory of Judah, and their first halting place was "behind," that is, on the west of Kirjath-jearim, on a spot called afterwards "the camp of Dan." Prosecuting the northern route, they skirted the base of the Ephraimite hills.

The words behind it

28 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.

  • וַֽיַּעֲל֞וּand they went up

    vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times

  • חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת[the] five

    chameshetH2568 →343 times

  • הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםthe men

    haanashimH582 →566 times

  • הַהֹלְכִים֮who had gone

    haholekhimH1980 →1546 times

  • לְרַגֵּ֣לto spy out

    leragelH7270 →25 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָאָרֶץ֒the land

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • בָּ֣אוּthey went

    bauH935 →2568 times

  • שָׁ֔מָּהthere <towards>

    shamahH8033 →834 times

  • לָקְח֗וּthey took

    lakechuH3947 →966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙the carved image

    hapeselH6459 →31 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הָ֣אֵפ֔וֹדthe ephod

    haefodH646 →49 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַתְּרָפִ֖יםthe teraphim

    haterafimH8655 →15 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַמַּסֵּכָ֑הthe molten image

    hamasekhahH4541 →28 times

  • וְהַכֹּהֵ֗ןand the priest

    vehakohenH3548 →750 times

  • נִצָּב֙[was] standing

    nitzavH5324 →75 times

  • פֶּ֣תַח[the] entrance of

    petachH6607 →164 times

  • הַשַּׁ֔עַרthe gate

    hashaarH8179 →374 times

  • וְשֵׁשׁ־and six

    veshesh-H8337 →216 times

  • מֵא֣וֹתhundred<s>

    meotH3967 →581 times

  • הָאִ֔ישׁthe man

    haishH376 →1663 times

  • הֶחָג֖וּר<the> girded

    hechagurH2296 →44 times

  • כְּלֵ֥י[the] weapons of

    keleiH3627 →325 times

  • הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃<the> war

    hamilchamahH4421 →320 times

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

Related verses

15 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 18:14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”4 worksJudges 8:27From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.4 worksJudges 18:2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.3 worksJudges 17:4–5So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.3 works1 Samuel 19:13Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.3 works2 Kings 19:18–19They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.2 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
Isaiah 46:7They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.2 works1 Samuel 6:2–9the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place.”2 worksMicah 5:13I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.2 worksJudges 6:31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”2 works1 Samuel 4:11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.2 worksGenesis 31:19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.2 worksIsaiah 46:1–2Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.2 worksExodus 32:20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.2 worksJoshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.1 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

    Isaiah 46:7

    They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 45:20

      Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

    • Jeremiah 10:5

      Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any…

    • 1 Samuel 5:3

      When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

    • Isaiah 46:1

      Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.

  • Through

    Judges 18:14

    Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image,…

    it leads to

    • Judges 17:5

      Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

  • Through

    Judges 18:2

    So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The…

    it leads to

    • Judges 13:25

      And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

    • Joshua 2:1

      Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

    • Judges 18:11

      So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

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 Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; 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 →