Judges 18:5 kjv
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.
Judges 18:5 nkjv
So they said to him, "Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous."
Judges 18:5 niv
Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful."
Judges 18:5 esv
And they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed."
Judges 18:5 nlt
Then they said, "Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful."
Judges 18 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 27:21 | And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him... by the judgment of the Urim. | Proper inquiry of God's will through authorized priesthood (Urim & Thummim). |
| Deut 18:9-12 | You shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations... or one who inquires of the dead. | Prohibition against illegitimate divination and seeking guidance from non-Godly sources. |
| Josh 9:14 | So the men took some of their provisions. They did not ask counsel from the Lord. | Example of seeking human counsel without divine inquiry, leading to error. |
| 1 Sam 23:2 | Therefore David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" | David consistently inquired of the Lord for military guidance through authorized means. |
| 1 Sam 30:8 | And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue after this band?... "And he answered him, "Pursue." | Example of seeking and receiving clear divine direction for a military campaign. |
| 2 Sam 5:19 | And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up against the Philistines?" | Another instance of David's proper method of seeking divine will before battle. |
| Judg 17:4-5 | his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith... so he made an ephod and household gods. | Context of Micah's unauthorized cult with images and priestly attire. |
| Judg 17:6 | In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | Underlying chaos and lack of central authority characteristic of the Judges period. |
| Judg 21:25 | In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | Reinforcement of the moral and spiritual decline during the time of Judges. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law... that you may have good success. | God promises prosperity based on obedience to His word, not illicit inquiry. |
| Ps 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. | True prosperity comes to those who delight in and meditate on God's law. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart... In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. | Seeking God's guidance requires trust and acknowledgement, not superstitious inquiry. |
| Jer 10:23 | I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself... It is not in man who walks to direct his steps. | Highlights the human need for divine direction because humans cannot truly direct their own steps. |
| Jer 42:20 | For you dealt falsely with yourselves when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord...' | Warnings against those who ask God for guidance but have deceitful intentions. |
| Eze 14:1-11 | Then some of the elders of Israel came to me... O son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts... | God's refusal to be inquired of by those who harbor idols in their hearts. |
| Deut 12:1-14 | But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose... there you shall offer your burnt offerings. | Command for centralized worship and proper procedures, contrasted with Micah's cult. |
| Exod 20:4-5 | You shall not make for yourself a carved image... | Direct prohibition against idol-making, a practice seen in Micah's household cult. |
| 1 Sam 4:3-11 | The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated... For they said, "Let us bring the ark of the covenant..." | Seeking God's presence or power for worldly success without repentance is futile. |
| Josh 19:40-46 | The sixth lot came out for the people of Dan according to their clans... | Dan's assigned territory, which they failed to fully conquer, leading to this migration. |
| Judg 1:34 | The Amorites pressed the people of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the plain. | Dan's inability to fully dispossess their enemies, leading to their search for new land. |
| Jas 4:13-16 | Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there..." | Teaches against making plans without acknowledging God's will and sovereignty. |
Judges 18 verses
Judges 18 5 Meaning
Judges 18:5 recounts the encounter between five Danite spies and a Levite priest serving in Micah's unauthorized shrine. The spies, embarking on a reconnaissance mission to find new territory, sought an oracle from this priest, asking him to inquire of God concerning the success of their journey. This verse highlights the spiritual confusion and decentralized worship prevalent in Israel during the period of the Judges, where individuals pursued religious practices outside the Mosaic law for personal gain.
Judges 18 5 Context
Judges 18 occurs within a bleak period in Israel's history, where there was "no king in Israel" and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 17:6, 21:25). The preceding chapter details the story of Micah, who created a private shrine with a carved idol, an ephod, and household gods, then hired a wandering Levite to serve as his personal priest, contrary to God's law regarding a centralized sanctuary. Chapter 18 picks up with the tribe of Dan, who, despite being allotted a significant inheritance (Josh 19:40-46), had failed to dispossess the Philistines and Amorites (Judg 1:34). Faced with inadequate territory, five Danite spies were dispatched from Zorah and Eshtaol to find a new land. Their encounter with the young Levite priest at Micah's house is purely coincidental, yet it reveals the prevailing religious and moral laxity. The spies, driven by their pragmatic needs, immediately seek a divine 'stamp of approval' for their expedition from a self-appointed, non-legitimate priestly source, illustrating the spiritual confusion of the era.
Judges 18 5 Word analysis
- And they said to him: Refers to the five Danite spies addressing the young Levite priest hired by Micah (identified in the preceding verses). This immediately establishes a human interaction, a plea for guidance.
- Inquire, please, of God (שְׁאַל-נָא בֵאלֹהִים - sha'al-na be'lohim):
- Inquire (sha'al): This verb means "to ask, to request, to consult." In a religious context, it implies seeking an oracle or divine revelation. It's often used for legitimate consultation of the Lord through a prophet, priest, or the Urim and Thummim.
- Please (na): This is a particle indicating entreaty or polite request. It highlights the earnestness of their plea.
- of God (be'lohim): The preposition be- here can mean "by," "through," or "in." While Elohim is a general term for God or gods, in the context of a Levite and the wider narrative, it implicitly refers to Yahweh. However, the legitimacy of this inquiry is undermined by the unauthorized setting (Micah's personal shrine) and the idolatrous items present. This request demonstrates the Danites' syncretistic mindset – they desired divine validation but were willing to use illegitimate means to get it. They did not travel to the central sanctuary at Shiloh as Mosaic law prescribed.
- that we may know (וְנֵדְעָה - vəned'ah): "And we may know." This is a purposeful statement. Their primary goal is not spiritual alignment or obedience, but to gain certain knowledge about the future success of their physical journey. They want practical, immediate results, indicating a transactional view of the divine.
- whether our journey (הַתַּצְלִיחַ דַּרְכֵּנוּ - habbatstliaḥ darkeinu):
- will be prosperous (hattatsliaḥ, from tsalach): This verb means "to prosper," "to succeed," "to thrive," "to have good fortune." It indicates their desire for material and logistical success in their venture to find a new homeland. It’s a pragmatic request, devoid of ethical or theological considerations regarding why they needed to leave their assigned inheritance in the first place.
- our journey (darkeinu): "Our way" or "our path." This explicitly refers to the exploratory mission undertaken by the spies.
- on which we are going: Clarifies that the inquiry pertains to the expedition they are currently undertaking.
Words-Group Analysis
- Inquire... of God that we may know whether... will be prosperous: This phrase encapsulates the pragmatism and misplaced religious efforts of the Danites. They are seeking divine approval for a venture already underway, using an illicit means (Micah's priest and idols), and their motivation is solely practical success ("prosperous"), not obedience to God or His Law. This contrasts sharply with righteous inquiries of the Lord found elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., David's inquiries), where obedience and dependence are paramount.
- The legitimacy of the "God" inquired of: While the Levite served Elohim, the context implies a perversion of Yahweh worship. The very setting, with a graven image and ephod created by Micah (Judg 17:4-5), violates fundamental Mosaic commands (Exod 20:4-5, Deut 4:15-19). The Danites' acceptance of this corrupted worship reflects the widespread apostasy where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 17:6).
Judges 18 5 Bonus section
The prompt request from the Danite spies, "Inquire... of God that we may know whether our journey... will be prosperous," is notably specific to their worldly venture. They aren't seeking moral guidance, a revelation of God's will for Israel, or a deeper understanding of His character. Their narrow focus on "prosperity" in a military and territorial sense underscores a common human tendency to instrumentalize faith – to seek God not for who He is, but for what He can do for us, particularly in validating our own pre-determined plans. This transactional approach to deity, even one nominally associated with Yahweh, stands in stark contrast to the relational theology of the covenant. Furthermore, the fact that a positive response is given (Judges 18:6) through this illicit medium raises a complex theological point: Was this truly a divine affirmation, or merely the opportunistic utterance of a priest validating a request that seemed reasonable, with God allowing events to unfold without directly endorsing the corrupt practice? The narrative suggests the latter, portraying the prosperity of their journey (the conquest of Laish) as a consequence within God's permissive will, rather than an endorsement of the Danites' methods or the priest's corrupted oracle.
Judges 18 5 Commentary
Judges 18:5 lays bare the spiritual disarray of the period of the Judges. The Danite spies, despite belonging to one of Israel's tribes, approached a highly irregular religious setup, one rooted in idolatry and self-ordained worship, to inquire of God. This inquiry was not driven by a desire for repentance, obedience to divine command, or for God's glory, but purely for assurance regarding their own ambitious, pragmatic journey—a search for more fertile land because they had failed to fully possess their inheritance. The ease with which they sought an oracle from Micah’s Levite, rather than journeying to the tabernacle at Shiloh to consult a legitimate priest, exemplifies the breakdown of centralized worship and adherence to the Law. The verse tragically highlights Israel's slide into syncretism, where outward forms of religiosity were maintained for personal utility while the essence of true covenant relationship with God was ignored. It paints a picture of people doing "what was right in their own eyes," even in matters pertaining to God.