Judges 18:6 kjv
And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
Judges 18:6 nkjv
And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The presence of the LORD be with you on your way."
Judges 18:6 niv
The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval."
Judges 18:6 esv
And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD."
Judges 18:6 nlt
"Go in peace," the priest replied. "For the LORD is watching over your journey."
Judges 18 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 24:7 | The LORD, the God of heaven... will send his angel... | God's genuine guidance for a journey. |
| Num 22:38 | I must speak only what God puts in my mouth. | Contrast: True prophet's message vs. corrupted one. |
| Deut 4:28 | ...you will serve gods, the work of men's hands... | Consequences of serving idols instead of true God. |
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you... | Warning against false prophets and seeking signs outside God's command. |
| Deut 18:20-22 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name.. | Criterion for identifying a false prophet: if their prophecy does not come true. |
| Judg 17:6 | In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did.. | The overarching spiritual anarchy of Judges, context for false guidance. |
| 1 Sam 15:22-23 | Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings...? | Obedience is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice (false rituals). |
| 1 Kgs 22:5-7 | Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the.. | Kings seeking "the word of the Lord" but from many false prophets. |
| 2 Kgs 1:3-4 | Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are.. | Seeking counsel from false deities/sources shows a lack of faith in true God. |
| 2 Chron 18:4-6 | Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not yet a prophet of the.. | Multiple false prophets consulted by Ahab. |
| Pss 1:6 | For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way.. | God's knowledge and approval of true paths vs. way of the wicked. |
| Pss 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. | God's Word as true guidance, contrasting with corrupted oracles. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean.. | Relying on God's true wisdom for direction, not human/idolatrous methods. |
| Isa 44:20 | He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray. | Describes the deception of those who rely on idols. |
| Jer 14:13-14 | Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say.. | Warning against prophets who speak lies in God's name, promising false peace. |
| Ezek 13:3-8 | Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets.. | Condemnation of false prophets who follow their own spirit and speak lies. |
| Mic 3:11 | Her heads give judgment for a bribe; her priests teach.. | Corrupt religious leaders for gain, leading people astray. |
| Matt 7:22-23 | On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we.. | Performing religious acts (even seemingly good) without true submission to Christ. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.. | Discerning God's good, acceptable, and perfect will (true discernment). |
| Eph 5:10 | and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. | Christians are to carefully determine what truly pleases the Lord. |
| Col 1:10 | so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully.. | Living a life that is truly pleasing to God through good works and knowledge. |
| Heb 13:16 | Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have.. | God is pleased with genuine sacrifice and good works. |
| Jas 4:13-15 | Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go... | Dependence on God's will for future plans ("If the Lord wills"). |
Judges 18 verses
Judges 18 6 Meaning
Judges 18:6 captures a pivotal moment where Danite spies, seeking divine affirmation for their journey to find an inheritance, receive a seemingly positive "oracle" from an opportunistic Levite priest hired by Micah. The priest assures them that their path is "pleasing to the Lord," giving them a false sense of divine sanction for actions that will ultimately lead to idolatry and violence, reflecting the deep spiritual declension of Israel where genuine divine guidance was replaced by human-devised, syncretistic practices.
Judges 18 6 Context
Judges chapter 18, along with chapter 17, illustrates the spiritual and moral decline of Israel during the period of the judges, famously summarized by "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 17:6; 21:25). Chapters 17 and 18 narrate the story of Micah, who makes an idol, a cast image, and sets up a household shrine (a beth elohim). He hires a wandering Levite, Jonathan, to be his personal priest, further demonstrating the breakdown of Mosaic law concerning the priesthood and worship. In this context, five Danite men are dispatched from their assigned inheritance in the west (cf. Josh 19:40-48), as they had failed to dispossess the Amorites and now sought new territory. These spies, stumbling upon Micah's shrine and recognizing the Levite priest, inquire of him about the success of their mission. This scene exemplifies Israel's syncretistic worship: they acknowledged Yahweh but through forbidden, human-created means, blurring the lines between true worship and idolatry, thereby seeking an oracle not from the legitimate priesthood and Ark, but from an unauthorized priest serving an idolatrous setup.
Judges 18 6 Word analysis
- And the priest: Referring to the Levite hired by Micah (Judg 17:7-13). He is not a priest sanctioned by the Lord for all Israel, but a mercenary priest, a symbol of the spiritual corruption where priestly office was sought for personal gain and status, not service to God or His people. This highlights the breakdown of Mosaic law and the established priestly system.
- said to them: This oral pronouncement served as an "oracle" or divination, which the Danites trusted due to the Levite's priestly status, even though his authority was self-appointed and connected to an idolatrous shrine.
- Go in peace: (Hebrew:
Lēḵūləšālōm, לְכוּ לְשָׁלוֹם). A common Hebrew farewell expressing wishes for well-being and safety. However, in this context, it functions as a pseudo-blessing or false assurance. It creates a façade of divine approval for their venture, masking the illegitimate source and the violent, idolatrous actions that will follow. True peaceshalomis from the Lord's presence and blessing (Num 6:26), not from corrupt means. - The journey on which you go: This refers to the Danites' mission to scout new territory, highlighting their desperation and wandering, a stark contrast to Israel's intended dwelling in their appointed inheritance. This phrase underlines their lack of faith in possessing their original God-given land.
- is pleasing to the Lord: (Hebrew:
NōḵaḥYHWH, נֹכַח יְהוָה, literally "before Yahweh" or "in front of Yahweh," implying in His sight or favorable to Him). This is the crucial deception. The Levite claims divine approval (using the divine nameYHWH), but the approval is sought through an idolatrous and unauthorized medium (ephod and teraphim within Micah's shrine). This phrase, while seemingly devout, exposes the profound syncretism of the era – an attempt to blend worship of Yahweh with pagan practices. It also serves as an indictment: something undertaken through illicit means (false priesthood, idols) cannot truly be pleasing to the Almighty. The very notion of Yahweh blessing such a corrupt path is a theological lie. - Words-group Analysis: "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is pleasing to the Lord." This full statement carries immense ironic and tragic weight. It's a statement of false security rooted in misdirected spiritual seeking. It empowers the Danites to pursue a course of action—taking other people's land (Laish), and eventually stealing idols—which is contrary to Yahweh's character and commands. It speaks to the dangers of confirmation bias and seeking prophecies that affirm one's own desires rather than truly submitting to God's will revealed in His law. The spiritual void left by a lack of genuine leadership (
no king in Israel) is filled by self-serving religious figures offering convenient "truth."
Judges 18 6 Bonus section
The phrase "is pleasing to the Lord" (Nōḵaḥ YHWH) implies a seeking of Yahweh's favor, but the method employed (via an ephod and teraphim within Micah's idolatrous house of God) inherently contradicts the pure worship of Yahweh. This subtle use of Yahweh's name in an idolatrous context highlights the severity of the syncretism present in Israel at this time. They weren't fully abandoning Yahweh for Baal; rather, they were trying to integrate Yahweh worship with pagan objects and practices, mistakenly believing this blend would secure divine favor. This is precisely what God forbids, calling it "spiritual adultery" (Exod 34:15-16, Lev 20:6, Deut 7:4). The tragedy is that this deceptive prophecy leads directly to the successful, albeit violent and impious, conquest of Laish and the establishment of a lasting idolatrous center for the tribe of Dan. This further illustrates how misplaced spiritual assurance can embolden sinful actions.
Judges 18 6 Commentary
Judges 18:6 succinctly captures the spiritual depravity of Israel in an era defined by chaos and idolatry. The seemingly benign words, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is pleasing to the Lord," offered by an unauthorized priest serving an idolatrous shrine, represent a counterfeit peace and a false divine stamp of approval. This demonstrates Israel's deep spiritual blindness; they desired the blessing of the true God (Yahweh) but sought it through means explicitly forbidden by Him. The Levite's divination, whether a calculated lie or genuine misguidance based on his faulty practices, ultimately provided a convenient spiritual justification for the Danites' upcoming acts of violence and theft. This verse serves as a sober warning: true guidance and peace come only from the Lord, through His established Word and ways, not from human inventions or syncretistic practices, no matter how comforting they may sound. It underscores that God's approval is tied to obedience and His character, not to rituals performed outside His prescribed will.