And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The most striking detail here is the identity of the priest: Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses. This detail is so startling – a grandson of Israel’s great lawgiver serving in an idolatrous shrine – that many ancient Jewish scribes subtly altered the text to make him "son of Manasseh," a name easily confused with Moses in Hebrew. Their attempt to soften this painful truth reveals the stark reality of how quickly even a sacred lineage could fall into spiritual decline.
And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having successfully raided Micah's home, the tribe of Dan establishes a shrine with the stolen idols in their newly conquered territory. They appoint Jonathan, a Levite (and a descendant of Moses, though the text struggles to name him accurately due to the shame of his idolatry), and his descendants as their priests. This idolatrous worship, centered around the carved image, continues until the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel.
The Danites established a forbidden worship, complete with a graven image and a priest. But for how long did this shadow linger over them?
The text tells us that Jonathan, and his sons after him, served as priests to the tribe of Dan.
A Persistent Priesthood
This priestly line continued "until the day of the captivity of the land." This phrase has led to much discussion among scholars. Some believe it refers to the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:6), which would mean this idolatrous system persisted for centuries.
A More Immediate 'Captivity'
Others argue for a much shorter timeframe, suggesting it refers to the captivity of the Ark by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). This interpretation is supported by the connection in the preceding verse, which states Micah's religious articles remained with the Danites "all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh." When the Ark left Shiloh, this period of their unauthorized worship, tied to that specific location, would have ended.
Either way, the verse highlights a deep-seated, generations-long departure from faithful worship, even after the initial act of idolatry.
A key figure in this idolatrous setup is identified in a way that troubled ancient scribes. What's the story behind his name?
The identity of the priest Jonathan is deliberately obscured, revealing a painful truth about lineage and faithfulness.
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A Name Changed by Tradition
Jonathan is identified as the son of Gershom, son of Manasseh. However, many ancient Jewish scholars and translators recognized that the original text likely intended to name Gershom's father as Moses. The Hebrew letters for 'Moses' and 'Manasseh' are very similar, differing by just one letter.
A Suspended Letter
To resolve this apparent contradiction – a grandson of Moses serving an idol – the Masoretes (ancient Jewish scribes) controversially suspended a letter 'N' over the word 'Manasseh' in the Hebrew text. This was a way to acknowledge the original text might have read 'Moses' but to emphasize, through this visual cue, that Gershom's son, Jonathan, acted more like the notoriously idolatrous King Manasseh than the faithful lawgiver Moses.
The Weight of Legacy
This detail is a stark reminder that even the descendants of the most godly individuals can fall into sin. It also shows the lengths to which tradition would go to protect the honor of revered figures, even if it meant subtly altering the text.
Understand the original words
pesel · Hebrew Noun
An object fashioned by human hands to represent a deity; the Bible strictly forbids the making of such objects, as they represent an attempt to contain or control the divine and inevitably lead to idolatry, which is a violation of the First and Second Commandments.
Mosheh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The foundational prophet and lawgiver of Israel, through whom God gave the Torah at Sinai. As the mediator of the Old Covenant, he set the standard for the priesthood and faithful worship, making his grandson's apostasy particularly scandalous.
galut · Hebrew Noun
A period of forced displacement or removal from the land, often interpreted in the Bible as a divine judgment for covenant infidelity, national sin, and persistent idolatry.
The verse indicates that the lineage of Jonathan, a descendant of Moses, served as priests for the Danites' idolatrous worship until the Assyrian conquest. This prolonged period of apostasy highlights a deep spiritual decay within Israel, even among Levites, and suggests that the 'captivity of the land' most likely refers to the final Assyrian deportation of the northern tribes.
c. 1100 BC
Levite takes idolatrous images from Micah
A Levite leaves his home and becomes the priest for the tribe of Dan, taking with him Micah's carved image, ephod, and teraphim. This marks the establishment of a localized, unauthorized worship center.
c. 1100 BC— this verse
Danites establish city and idol worship
The tribe of Dan conquers the city of Laish and renames it Dan. They set up the stolen idols from Micah's house, with the Levite Jonathan and his descendants serving as priests.
c. 1080 BC
Ark captured by Philistines
The Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines at the battle of Aphek, and the sanctuary at Shiloh is abandoned. This event marks a significant disruption to Israelite religious life.
c. 1000 BC - 930 BC
Reigns of David and Solomon
The united monarchy under David and Solomon promotes centralized worship at Jerusalem. While the text doesn't explicitly mention the idol at Dan being destroyed, strong centralized religious authority likely suppressed such practices.
c. 930 BC
Kingdom divides, Jeroboam sets up calves
After Solomon's death, the kingdom splits into Israel (North) and Judah (South). Jeroboam I, king of Israel, sets up golden calf idols at Bethel and Dan to prevent his people from worshipping in Jerusalem.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian conquest of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, including the territory of Dan, deporting many inhabitants. This marks the beginning of the 'captivity of the land'.
c. 722 BC
Samaria falls to Assyria
Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, falls to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V, completing the deportation of the ten tribes. This is often referred to as the major 'captivity of the land'.
This passage describes the Israelites creating and worshipping a golden calf, paralleling the Danites setting up their own graven image and appointing a priest, showing an early and recurring pattern of idolatry in Israel.
1 Samuel 4:1-22This account of the Ark of the Covenant being captured by the Philistines is a likely interpretation of 'the captivity of the land' mentioned in Judges 18:30, signifying a major religious and national crisis.
1 Kings 12:28-30Jeroboam's establishment of golden calves in Dan and Bethel directly echoes the idolatrous practices initiated by the tribe of Dan, suggesting a continuity of false worship in that region.
Romans 1:21-25Paul's description of people exchanging the truth about God for a lie and worshipping created things resonates with the Danites' actions, illustrating the spiritual downward spiral when God is not honored.
1 Chronicles 23:15-16This passage, possibly intentionally omitting Jonathan's name due to his idolatry, contrasts with the Judges account and highlights the hidden or obscured lineage of Moses' descendants who strayed from God.
bensonJudges 18:30: "And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."
Jdg 18:30 . The children of Dan set up the graven image — Having succeeded in their expedition, according to the prediction they supposed they had through the image, they had a great veneration for it. And as soon as they had completed their city, they set it up, and chose a minister t…
clarkeJudges 18:30: "And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."
The children of Dan set up the graven image - They erected a chapel, or temple, among themselves, as Micah had done before; having the same implements and the same priest. And Jonathan the son of Gershom - Either this was the name of the young Levite; or they had turned him off, and go…
The most striking detail here is the identity of the priest: Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses. This detail is so startling – a grandson of Israel’s great lawgiver serving in an idolatrous shrine – that many ancient Jewish scribes subtly altered the text to make him "son of Manasseh," a name easily confused with Moses in Hebrew. Their attempt to soften this painful truth reveals the stark reality of how quickly even a sacred lineage could fall into spiritual decline.
Having successfully raided Micah's home, the tribe of Dan establishes a shrine with the stolen idols in their newly conquered territory. They appoint Jonathan, a Levite (and a descendant of Moses, though the text struggles to name him accurately due to the shame of his idolatry), and his descendants as their priests. This idolatrous worship, centered around the carved image, continues until the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Having successfully raided Micah's home, the tribe of Dan establishes a shrine with the stolen idols in their newly conquered territory. They appoint Jonathan, a Levite (and a descendant of Moses, though the text struggles to name him accurately due to the shame of his idolatry), and his descendants as their priests. This idolatrous worship, centered around the carved image, continues until the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel.
"And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land." — The most striking detail here is the identity of the priest: Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses. This detail is so startling – a grandson of Israel’s great lawgiver serving in an idolatrous shrin…
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Last reviewed October 2026