Judges 18:14

Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Five Danite spies address their fellow tribesmen after visiting Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. They pause their journey to Laish to report the religious artifacts they discovered before deciding their next move.

The words — חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת (cha.Me.shet) specifies the exact number of scouts, while לְ/רַגֵּל (le./ra.Gel) literally means to measure or spy out the terrain. These terms frame the event as a deliberate reconnaissance operation rather than a casual detour.

The thread — The ephod and molten idols mentioned here directly echo the illicit shrine established by Micah in Judges 17:5. The spies’ discovery parallels the earlier encounter in Judges 18:3 where the same group recognized the young Levite’s voice near that same household.

Why it lands — The text records a factual report of pagan artifacts before the spies command their brothers to deliberate their response. It demands the reader observe how religious corruption in one household becomes the catalyst for a tribe’s strategic planning.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַֽיַּעֲנ֞וּva/i.ya.'a.Nuand/ they answered חֲמֵ֣שֶׁתcha.Me.shet[the] five הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men הַהֹלְכִים֮ha./ho.le.Khimwho/ had gone לְרַגֵּל֮le./ra.Gelto/ spy out אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאָ֣רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land לַיִשׁ֒la.YishLaish וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙va/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said אֶל־'el-to אֲחֵיהֶ֔ם'a.chei./Hembrothers/ their הַיְדַעְתֶּ֗םha/y.da'.Tem¿/ do you know כִּ֠יkithat יֵ֣שׁyeshthere בַּבָּתִּ֤יםba./ba.Timin the/ houses הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ha./'E.leh<the>/ these אֵפ֣וֹד'e.Fod[are] an ephod וּתְרָפִ֔יםu./te.ra.Fimand/ teraphim וּפֶ֖סֶלu./Fe.seland/ a carved image וּמַסֵּכָ֑הu./ma.se.Khahand/ a molten image וְעַתָּ֖הve./'a.Tahand/ therefore דְּע֥וּde.'Uconsider מַֽה־mah-what?תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ta.'a.Suwill you do

King James Version

Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

Cross-references

Judges 17:5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
Judges 18:3 And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
Proverbs 19:27 If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
1 Samuel 14:28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”
Isaiah 8:19 When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Places named

Laish