18:27 Now the Danites 28 took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city. 29
1 tn Heb “filled the hand of.”
2 tn Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.”
3 tn Heb “He said to them, ‘Such and such Micah has done for me.’” Though the statement is introduced and presented, at least in part, as a direct quotation (note especially “for me”), the phrase “such and such” appears to be the narrator’s condensed version of what the Levite really said.
4 tn Heb “turned aside.”
5 tn Heb “Micah’s house.”
6 tn Heb “they asked him concerning peace.”
5 tn Heb “house of God.”
6 sn Here an ephod probably refers to a priestly garment (cf. Exod 28:4-6).
7 tn Heb “and he filled the hand of one of his sons and he became his priest.”
6 tn Heb “He came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, making his way.”
7 tn Heb “And I am going to reside in a place I can find.”
8 tn Heb “do good for me.”
9 tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”
10 tn Heb “saw.”
11 tn Heb “they were stronger than he.”
11 tn Heb “they set up for themselves.”
12 tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”
13 tn Heb “the house of God.”
12 tn Heb “father.” “Father” is here a title of honor that suggests the priest will give advice and protect the interests of the family, primarily by divining God’s will in matters, perhaps through the use of the ephod. (See R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 257; also Gen 45:8, where Joseph, who was a diviner and interpreter of dreams, is called Pharaoh’s “father,” and 2 Kgs 6:21; 13:14, where a prophet is referred to as a “father.” Note also 2 Kgs 8:9, where a king identifies himself as a prophet’s “son.” One of a prophet’s main functions was to communicate divine oracles. Cf. 2 Kgs 8:9ff.; 13:14-19).
13 tn The Hebrew text expands with the phrase: “and the Levite went.” This only makes sense if taken with “to live” in the next verse. Apparently “the Levite went” and “the Levite agreed” are alternative readings which have been juxtaposed in the text.
13 tn Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.”
14 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
15 tn Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.”
14 tn Or “When they were near.”
15 tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263).
16 tn Heb “turned aside.”
17 tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”
15 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.