Judges 18:27 After they had taken Micah's idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

◄ Judges 18:27 ►

New International Version
Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city.

New Living Translation
Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground.

English Standard Version
But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

Berean Standard Bible
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

King James Bible
And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

New King James Version
So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

New American Standard Bible
Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

NASB 1995
Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

NASB 1977
Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.

Amplified Bible
They took the [idolatrous] things that Micah had made, and his priest, and they came to Laish, to a people who were quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

Christian Standard Bible
After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They killed them with their swords and burned the city.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They killed them with their swords and burned down the city.

American Standard Version
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

English Revised Version
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people of Dan took what Micah had made and the man who had become his priest and went to the city of Laish. They attacked a peaceful and secure people, killed them all with swords, and burned their city.

International Standard Version
But the descendants of Dan took what Micah had made, along with the priest who had worked for him, and went to Laish, to a quiet and carefree people, and killed them with swords. Then they set fire to the city.

Majority Standard Bible
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

NET Bible
Now the Danites 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.

New Heart English Bible
They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

World English Bible
They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burned the city with fire.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And they have taken that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and come in against Laish, against a people quiet and confident, and strike them by the mouth of the sword, and have burned the city with fire,

Young's Literal Translation
And they have taken that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and come in against Laish, against a people quiet and confident, and smite them by the mouth of the sword, and the city have burnt with fire,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they took what Micah made, and the priest which was to him, and they will go to Laish, upon a people quiet and confiding: and they will strike them with the mouth of the sword, and they will burn the city with fire.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we spoke of before, and came to Lais to a people that was quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword: and the city was burnt with fire,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.

New American Bible
Having taken what Micah had made and his priest, they marched against Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed the city by fire.

New Revised Standard Version
The Danites, having taken what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, put them to the sword, and burned down the city.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they took the things which Micah had made and the priest that he had, and came to Laish against the people who were rich and quiet; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And those took the thing that Mikah made and they took the Priest who was his, and they entered Lish against the rich and quiet people and they struck them with the mouth of the sword, and the city they burned in fire

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Dan took what Michaias had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laisa, to a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Danites Take Micah's Idols
…26So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him. 27After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city. 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.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Joshua 19:47
(Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and put it to the sword. So they took possession of Leshem, settled there, and renamed it after their father Dan.)

Judges 1:34
The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Deuteronomy 12:8
You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

1 Kings 12:28-30
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” / One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. / And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

2 Kings 17:29-33
Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places. / The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, / the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. ...

Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets.

Hosea 4:9
And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 24:11
and many false prophets will arise and deceive many.

John 10:12
The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.

Acts 20:29
I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Treasury of Scripture

And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

Laish

Judges 18:7,10
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man…

they smote

Deuteronomy 33:22
And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

Joshua 19:47
And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

burnt

Joshua 11:11
And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.

Jump to Previous

Attacked Belonged Burned Burnt City Confident Danger Danites Edge Laish Mercy Micah Mouth Peaceful Priest Quiet Quietly Secure Smite Smote Struck Sword Thought Unsuspecting

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Attacked Belonged Burned Burnt City Confident Danger Danites Edge Laish Mercy Micah Mouth Peaceful Priest Quiet Quietly Secure Smite Smote Struck Sword Thought Unsuspecting

Judges 18

1. The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance
3. At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged
7. They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope
11. Six hundred men are sent to surprise it
16. In their way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things
27. They win Laish, and call it Dan
30. They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inherits the priesthood.

Berean Study Bible

After they had taken the gods Micah had made
This phrase highlights the idolatry that had infiltrated Israel during the time of the Judges. The Hebrew word for "gods" here is "elohim," which can refer to deities or idols. Micah's creation of these idols reflects a period of spiritual decline and syncretism, where the Israelites mixed the worship of Yahweh with pagan practices. This act of taking the idols signifies a further departure from the covenant relationship with God, as the Danites prioritize material and false gods over the true God of Israel.

and the priest who belonged to him
The priest mentioned here is a Levite who had been serving Micah. This reflects the compromised state of the Levitical priesthood at the time, as priests were meant to serve God and His people, not individual households or idols. The Hebrew term for "belonged" suggests possession, indicating that the priest was more of a personal chaplain than a true servant of God. This situation underscores the lack of spiritual leadership and the ease with which religious roles were manipulated for personal gain.

they went to Laish
Laish was a city located in the northern part of Canaan. Archaeological evidence suggests that it was a prosperous and peaceful city, isolated from the political turmoil of the region. The Danites' journey to Laish represents their quest for a new homeland, as they were unable to secure their allotted territory. This move, however, was not sanctioned by God, highlighting the tribe's reliance on their own understanding rather than seeking divine guidance.

to a people quiet and unsuspecting
The description of the people of Laish as "quiet and unsuspecting" paints a picture of innocence and vulnerability. The Hebrew word for "quiet" can also mean secure or at ease, indicating that the inhabitants lived without fear of attack. This phrase emphasizes the moral implications of the Danites' actions, as they took advantage of a peaceful community, violating principles of justice and righteousness that were meant to govern the Israelites' conduct.

They struck them with the sword
This phrase conveys the violence and aggression of the Danites' conquest. The use of the sword symbolizes warfare and destruction, actions that were not commanded by God in this instance. The Hebrew root for "struck" implies a decisive and forceful action, reflecting the Danites' determination to claim the land for themselves, regardless of the ethical considerations or the will of God.

and burned down the city
The burning of Laish signifies total destruction and the erasure of the existing culture and community. Fire in the Bible often represents judgment or purification, but in this context, it highlights the complete annihilation of a peaceful people. This act of destruction contrasts sharply with God's instructions for the Israelites to be a light to the nations, showcasing the depth of the moral and spiritual decline during the period of the Judges.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Burnt the city with fire.--This was unusual, for we are told that Hazor was the only city which Joshua burnt (Joshua 11:13). Perhaps they had devoted the city by a ban, as Jericho was devoted (Joshua 6:24); or the burning may have been due to policy or to accident. Probably the notion that such conduct was cruel and unjustifiable never occurred to them; nor must we judge them by the standard of Christian times. But Dan was no gainer. His name disappears from the records of 1Chronicles 4:1, and he is not mentioned among the elected tribes in Revelation 7. Blunt (Undesigned Coincidences, pt. 2, 4) conjectures, from 2Chronicles 2:14, that the cause of their disappearance from Israelite records--the latest mention of them as a tribe being in 1Chronicles 27:22--was due to their intermarriages with the Ph?nicians.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 27. - And they. In the Hebrew the they is emphatic. It would be better expressed in English by repeating The children of Dan. The repetition of the epithets quiet and secure, as applied to the people of Laish, rather seems to indicate the writer's reprobation of the deed as cruel, like that of Simeon and Levi in slaying Hamor and Shechem. They smote them with the edge of the sword - a phrase denoting an exterminating slaughter (Exodus 34:26; Joshua 19:47; 1 Samuel 15:8, etc.). And they burnt the city, etc. Perhaps they had made the people and city a cherem, a devoted thing, and therefore slew the one and burnt the other (cf. Numbers 21:3; Joshua 8:19; Joshua 11:11, etc.); or the burning of the city may have been one of the means by which they destroyed the people.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

After they
וְהֵ֨מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

had taken
לָקְח֜וּ (lā·qə·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3947: To take

Micah's
מִיכָ֗ה (mî·ḵāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4318: Micah -- the name of several Israelites

[idols]
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

and his priest,
הַכֹּהֵן֮ (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

they went
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Laish,
לַ֗יִשׁ (la·yiš)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3919: Laish -- 'lion', a city and region in northern Canaan

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

a tranquil
שֹׁקֵ֣ט (šō·qêṭ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8252: To be quiet or undisturbed

and unsuspecting
וּבֹטֵ֔חַ (ū·ḇō·ṭê·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 982: To trust, be confident, sure

people,
עַם֙ (‘am)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and they struck
וַיַּכּ֥וּ (way·yak·kū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

them
אוֹתָ֖ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with their swords
חָ֑רֶב (ḥā·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

and burned down
שָׂרְפ֥וּ (śā·rə·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

the city.
הָעִ֖יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

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OT History: Judges 18:27 They took that which Micah had made (Jd Judg. Jdg)