Judges 18:1-6

Judges 18:1

In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

Since there was no king in Israel, each tribe was determining what was good for themselves.  In this chapter the tribe of Dan was looking to expand its territory.  They did receive an inheritance in the land but before their portion was doled out to them, it was much smaller than what they were supposed to receive.  The tribe of Judah helped them out by giving them some of their most northern cities such as Zorah, Eshtaol, and Beth-Shemesh which at a later time were given to the Levites.  Ephraim had also given Dan some of their southern towns.

Judges 18:2

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

The tribe of Dan was in a dangerous situation having the Philistines on one side and the Amorites on the other.  So they decided to send out five brave men to spy out the land just as Moses did.  They came from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol which was the home town of Samson.  Some of the men came from the extreme fringes of their borders.  They went to search the land and had come to Mount Ephraim where they lodged close by the house of Micah.  They probably stayed in an inn or some public house.

Judges 18:3

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

They had travelled by the house of Micah and they heard the Levite speaking and knew his voice.  It could be they knew his dialect or they were familiar with the sound of his voice.  Then they went into the house of Micah and had asked him some questions.  They knew that he was from Bethlehem-Judah and they wanted to know how he came to be there.  They were cognizant of the fact that a Levite should be ministering in the Tabernacle so they wanted to know what he was doing here and how he made his living.  They wanted to know what he had here maybe in terms of what was keeping him in this place and the essence of his ministry.

Judges 18:4

And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

He explains to them that he is a personal priest to the house of Micah because Micah had hired him for that purpose to minister among the false gods and to mix them with the worship of the true God.

Judges 18:5

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

When they found out that he was a Levite, they immediately asked him if he would ask counsel of God to see if their journey for finding places to live for Dan would be successful.

Judges 18:6

And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.