Verse 27:[1] And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and (Judg. 18:7, 10; Deut. 33:22) came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: (Josh. 19:47) and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
[And they came unto Laish, עַל־לַיִשׁ] Upon Laish (Malvenda). Or עַל/upon in the place of אֶל/unto. Thus עַל־עַם, unto a people, secure and quiet (Drusius).
[They delivered the city to flame] Question: Why was this done by them, when they had decided to inhabit it? Responses: 1. They were advancing by sword and flame together, as it was done in war (Malvenda). 2. So that they (because they were fewer) might more advantageously overwhelm their enemies, occupied as they were with extinguishing the flames (Junius, similarly Munster). So that, with the citizens agitated both with danger and evil, no opportunity of counsel, or of defense, or even of flight, might remain (Montanus’ Commentary). 3. So that they might instill fear in the neighboring inhabitants (Munster). The Danites were wont to conduct their affairs by cunning, rather than by open war, and so they are compared with the Asp by Moses[2] (Bochart’s Sacred Catalogue of Animals 2:3:12:420).
And burnt the city with fire: Not wholly, but in great measure, to strike the greater terror into the inhabitants, and to make their conquest of the place more easy.
Verse 28:[3] And there was no deliverer, because it was (Judg. 18:7) far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by (Num. 13:21; 2 Sam. 10:6) Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
[Now, the city was situated in the region of Rehob, אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־רְח֑וֹב] Which was adjacent to the region of Rehob (Junius and Tremellius). Whether בֵּית/house denotes a region, is to be questioned (Drusius). Which was in the region of Beth-rehob (Vatablus). Of Rehob we spoke on Numbers 13:21 (Malvenda). It was a part of Syria of Trachonitis,[4] concerning which 2 Samuel 10:6, 8 (Junius). The city of Rehob is ascribed to the Tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:28, which nevertheless they did not possess, Judges 1:31: granting that it was to be given to the Levites, Joshua 21:31; 1 Chronicles 6:75 (Bonfrerius).
Beth-rehob; a place near Libanus and Hamath; of which see Numbers 13:21; Joshua 19:28; 21:31; Judges 1:31.
[1] Hebrew: וְהֵ֙מָּה לָקְח֜וּ אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מִיכָ֗ה וְֽאֶת־הַכֹּהֵן֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָה־לוֹ֒ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ עַל־לַ֗יִשׁ עַל־עַם֙ שֹׁקֵ֣ט וּבֹטֵ֔חַ וַיַּכּ֥וּ אוֹתָ֖ם לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וְאֶת־הָעִ֖יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃
[2] Genesis 49:17.
[3] Hebrew: וְאֵ֙ין מַצִּ֜יל כִּ֧י רְֽחוֹקָה־הִ֣יא מִצִּיד֗וֹן וְדָבָ֤ר אֵין־לָהֶם֙ עִם־אָדָ֔ם וְהִ֕יא בָּעֵ֖מֶק אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־רְח֑וֹב וַיִּבְנ֥וּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ בָֽהּ׃
[4] Trachonitis was a region in south-eastern Syria.
Thomas Boston's "The Sin of Sinners Finding Them Out": 'Consider your sin will find you out. Careless, untender living often betrays sinners into some foul mires, the mud of which they can never wipe off while they live. How many have been set up as beacons. How many, that have dashed themselves to pieces upon the rock of security, have there been set up as beacons to others. Ask David what betrayed him into his adultery, and he will tell you that it was his careless walking. And I believe there are few, if any, gross and scandalous outbreakings among them that profess the name of Christ, but they will be found to be the just judgment of God upo…
Matthew Henry: 'Here is...Laish conquered by the Danites. They proceeded on their march, and, because they met with no disaster, perhaps concluded they had not done amiss in robbing Micah. Many justify themselves in their impiety by their prosperity. Observe, 1. What posture they found the people of Laish in, both those of the city and those of the country about. They were quiet and secure, not jealous of the five spies that had been among them to search out the land, nor had they any intelligence of the approach of this enemy, which made them a very easy prey to this little handful of men that came upon them, Judges 18:27. Note, Many are brought to destruction by thei…
Hebrew Highlights: Can בֵּית/house denote a region? Is it flexible enough?