CHAPTER XVIII.

ANALYSIS.

The emigration of the Danites to Laish which eventually is called Dan. They rob Micah of his priest and idols.

NOTES.

V. 1. "All their inheritance." In chapter i., 34, we have a reason for their not occupying the territory allotted to them among the tribe of Judah.

"And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley."

V. 2. "Zorah and Eshtaol." See notes on chap. xi., xvi.

"Mount Ephraim." See note, chap. xvii., 8.

V. 3. "By the house." Rather, "In the house."

"They know the voice" i.e., "Heard his voice," and perceived from his dialect that he was not a native of the hill country of Ephraim.

V. 7. "Laish" (= a lion). Called "Leshem" in Joshua xix., 47, and Dan, after the conquest by the Danites. It was situated in the extreme north of Israel, near the source of the Jordan. Modern name is Tell el Kadi. Notice the phrase, "Dan to Beersheba."

"Zidonians." The inhabitants of Zidon (=fishing), an ancient and wealthy city of Phoenicia, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, twenty miles north of Tyre. They were a powerful people, yet more commercial than military, hence the epithets "quiet and secure."

V. 12. "Kirjah-jearim" (= city of forests). Called also "Kirjah-Baal" (city of Baal), and “Baalah.” (Josh. xv., 60; xviii., 14; 2 Sam. vi., 2.) Situated in the tribe of Judah, near to Gibeon.

"Mahaneh-Dan" (=camp of Dan). It was here that Samson began to show his strength.

V. 14. "Now therefore consider what ye have to do,” i.e., do not let us lose this opportunity of providing for our own worship, in our new settlement.

"The carriage"-(rather "the valuables"). This word which now signifies "that which carries" (e.g., a cart or vehicle), in the times of the translation of the Ancient Version of the Bible, signified "that which was carried" (such as luggage, baggage, &c). See also the use of this word in Acts xxi., 15, "We took up our carriages and went up to Jerusalem."

V. 28. "Because it was far from Zidon." Zidon even now was powerful. This phrase shows that there was some kinship between Laish and Zidon.

"Beth-rehob" (rehob = breadth). In Num. xii., 21, Beth-rehob is described as the northern extremity of Palestine, and its position is defined with reference to the "entering in of Hamath."

V. 30. "The son of Manasseh" should be "The son of Moses." The mistake has arisen from a mistaken view of the Hebrew text, and the desire to avoid Moses, the great lawgiver, in this idolatrous worship. Jonathan, therefore, was thus Moses' grandson, and this Jonathan could hardly be any other than the Levite whom the Danites had carried with them, and to whom they had promised the priesthood. Verses 19 and 21.

This

"Until the day of the captivity of the land." has been taken to refer to the carrying away of the ten tribes by Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser (1 Chr. v., 22; 2 Kings xv., 29; xvii., 6). Hence it has been urged that the book was written after that captivity, probably by Ezra. For this supposition there is not much ground, even if it does refer to the above captivity, as the passage may have, like many others, been written by Ezra or some other person. Another interpretation suggested, is that of "captivity of the land," we are simply to undertstand, "until the time when the presence of Jehovah, as their leader, was gone." Without His presence, the soil, though physically the same, would be as a foreign land. It was His presence that made Canaan "the glory of all lands." (Ezekiel xx., 6.) Both views are well supported.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS.

1. What connection had the Danites with Micah's priest?

2. After leaving Micah's house, where did the five spies go?

3. On the second visit of the five Danite spies to the house of Micah, what took place?

4. What was the threat that caused Micah to give up all hope of recovering his idols? Do you know of another instance in the Bible of household gods being taken away?

5. From what famous family did Jonathan, the priest of the Danites, descend?

6. What success attended the Danite expedition?

7. How long did the priesthood at Dan last?

8. Give the geographical position of Kirjath-jearim, Mahaneh-dan, Laish, Zidon, and explain the phrase from "Dan to Beersheba."

9. Explain the allusions.

(i.) Far from the Zidonians.

(ii.) Until the day of the captivity of the land.

(iii.) And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
(iv.) What aileth thee?

(v.) Be to us a father and a priest.

CHAPTER XIX.

ANALYSIS.

The abominable outrage at Gibeah. The Levite divides his wife into twelve pieces, and sends them to the twelve tribes.

NOTES.

V. 10. "Jebus." This is the ancient name of Jerusalem (= secret foundation).

V. 12. "City of a stranger." This phrase shows how completely the Jebusites had driven out the tribe of Judah and Benjamin from this city.

This is the same as "Gibeah

"Gibeah" (=hill town). of Saul" (Josh. xv., 57), four miles east of Mizpeh, and rather more than four miles north of Jerusalem. Supposed also to be the same as the "Hill of God" mentioned in 1 Samuel x., 5.

V. 13. “Ramah" (=hill). This was situated about five miles from Jerusalem. We have several places of this name mentioned in the Bible.

V. 18. "The house of the Lord," i.e., Shiloh. The Levite being one of those who ministered at the Tabernacle.

V. 22. "Sons of Belial." As Belial means worthlessness, therefore sons of Belial must mean "worthless men."

Notice what Hosea says of this crime :

"O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah; there they stood; the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them. (Hosea x., 9.)

CHAPTER XX.

ANALYSIS.

The war with Benjamin on the part of all the other tribes. All the Benjamites being destroyed except six hundred.

NOTES.

V. 1. “From Dan to Beersheba." A proverbial expression for "From one end of the land to the other."

"The land of Gilead." The two and a half tribes on the east of Jordan.

Mizpeh." Not the one mentioned in chapter x., but Mizpeh in Benjamin, situated four miles from Gibeah, on the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood.

V. 18. This is the only passage in the book in which express mention is made of the tabernacle, ark, priest, and sacrifices.

"To the house of God," ie., Bethel.

V. 32. "Let us flee, and draw them from the city." The narrative of the ambush cannot but remind us of Joshua's stratagem before Ai. The Israelites were anxious to draw out the Benjamites from Gibeah along two roads, one towards Bethel and the other towards Gibeah in the field (an outlying dependency). In this attempt they were successful.

V. 33. "Baal-tamar" (= master of the palm tree). It was probably a grove of palm trees near Gibeah where Baal was worshipped.