Judges 18:11
So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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These aren't just six hundred warriors setting out; they are "appointed" or "girded" for war, signifying a dedicated and equipped contingent for a significant migration. This detail highlights that while it's a military expedition, it's also the beginning of a whole section of the tribe seeking a new home, not just a fleeting raid.
After scouting a fertile but undefended territory, a large group from the tribe of Dan, seeking a new home, begins its migration. This armed contingent of six hundred men, along with their families and possessions, embarks on a journey northward from their current locations in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their expedition is driven by the tribe's failure to secure a proper inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.
Imagine leaving everything behind – your home, your familiar surroundings – to start fresh. This wasn't just a small group; it was a significant portion of a tribe.
The book of Judges paints a picture of a nation in disarray, where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." In this context, the tribe of Dan faced a unique challenge: their allotted inheritance was not fully secured.
These weren't just soldiers on a mission; they were families migrating together. What does this tell us about their intentions and the gravity of their decision?
While verse 11 focuses on the "six hundred men armed with weapons of war," the larger narrative reveals a more comprehensive migration. This detail is crucial for understanding the scope and emotional weight of their journey.
Understand the original words
shebet · Hebrew Noun
The covenant community of Israel, often referring to the descendants of Jacob/Israel, organized into twelve distinct groups. Each tribe had its own inheritance, identity, and role within the nation.
This migration wasn't just a relocation; it was a desperate move by a tribe struggling for land, leading them to a morally compromised conquest and the establishment of a rogue religious center that would plague Israel for centuries.
c. 1400-1300 BC
Israelites Settle Canaan
Following their conquest of Canaan, the Israelite tribes begin to establish themselves in their allotted territories. The tribe of Dan struggles to secure its assigned land, facing pressure from Amorites and Philistines.
c. 1350-1300 BC
Danites Seek New Inheritance
Due to ongoing territorial disputes and lack of sufficient land, a significant portion of the Danite tribe, based in Zorah and Eshtaol, begins to seek a new home.
c. 1350-1300 BC
Danite Spies Explore North
Five Danite men are sent north to scout for a suitable territory. They travel as far as the region of Laish, observing its fertile land and vulnerable inhabitants.
c. 1350-1300 BC— this verse
Danite Migration Begins
Encouraged by the spies' report of a desirable and undefended city, six hundred armed men from Zorah and Eshtaol, accompanied by their families, embark on a migration north.
This passage lists the descendants of Jacob, including Dan, highlighting how entire families and tribes moved and established themselves in new lands, much like the Danites in Judges 18.
Numbers 26:43This census provides the full number of the tribe of Dan, giving context to the 'six hundred men' mentioned in Judges 18:11 as a significant portion, but not the entirety, of the tribe.
Joshua 19:40-48This describes the inheritance allotted to the tribe of Dan, explaining their later struggle to find a permanent home and the impetus for their migration described in Judges 18.
Deuteronomy 18:15This verse speaks of God raising up a prophet like Moses, providing a contrast to the spiritual confusion and idolatry seen in Judges 18 where the Danites sought guidance from stolen idols and a hired Levite.
clarkeJudges 18:11: "And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war."
Six hundred men - These were not the whole, for we find they had children, etc., Judges 18:21 ; but these appear to have been six hundred armed men.
pulpitJudges 18:11: "And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war."
Verse 11. - The family - meaning the tribe (see Judges 13:2, note, and cf. Joshua 7:17). Possibly a reason for the use of the word family here and in ver. 2, as applied to Dan, may be that there was only one family in the tribe of Dan, that of the Shuhamites (Numbers 26:42). Six hundred men. With their wives and sisters and children (see ver. 2…
These aren't just six hundred warriors setting out; they are "appointed" or "girded" for war, signifying a dedicated and equipped contingent for a significant migration. This detail highlights that while it's a military expedition, it's also the beginning of a whole section of the tribe seeking a new home, not just a fleeting raid.
After scouting a fertile but undefended territory, a large group from the tribe of Dan, seeking a new home, begins its migration. This armed contingent of six hundred men, along with their families and possessions, embarks on a journey northward from their current locations in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their expedition is driven by the tribe's failure to secure a proper inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.
After scouting a fertile but undefended territory, a large group from the tribe of Dan, seeking a new home, begins its migration. This armed contingent of six hundred men, along with their families and possessions, embarks on a journey northward from their current locations in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their expedition is driven by the tribe's failure to secure a proper inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.
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c. 1350-1300 BC
Theft of Micah's Idols
On their journey, the migrating Danites steal religious artifacts, including an ephod and idols, from a shrine belonging to a man named Micah. They also recruit his Levite priest.
c. 1350-1300 BC
Danites Conquer Laish
The Danite contingent attacks and conquers the city of Laish, slaughtering its inhabitants and renaming it Dan. They establish their new tribal territory there.
c. 1350-1300 BC
Establishment of Danite Idolatry
The Danites set up the stolen idols and their hired Levite priest in their new city of Dan, creating a religious center that deviates from the established worship practices of Israel.
"So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol," — These aren't just six hundred warriors setting out; they are "appointed" or "girded" for war, signifying a dedicated and equipped contingent for a significant migration. This detail highlights that w…
