Judges 18:9

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Behold, it is very good.—Comp. Numbers 14:7; Joshua 2:23-24. The beauty of the site well bears out the description—“the rich and beautiful seclusion of that loveliest of the scenes of Palestine” (Stanley). It was by a similar statement that Anaxilaus of Rhegium persuaded the Messenians to seize Zankle (Pausan. 4:23, quoted by Cassel).

Are ye still?—1Kings 22:3; 2Kings 7:9.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Laish - Afterward called "Dan" Judges 18:29. The exact site has not been identified, but it was the northern extremity of Israel, near the sources of the Jordan, and about four miles from Panium, or Caesarea-Philippi. It is thought to have stood where the village Tell-el-Kadi now stands.

After the manner of the Zidonians - The genius of the Zidonians being mechanical and commercial, not military, their colonists were apt to neglect fortifications and similar warlike precautions. In Solomon's time the Zidonians were especially skillful in hewing timber 1 Kings 5:6; 1 Chronicles 22:4, and it is highly probable, from their proximity to Lebanon, that such was the occupation of the men of Laish.

Quiet and secure ... - This is a very obscure and difficult passage. Translate thus: "Quiet and secure, and none of them doing any injury in the land, possessing wealth," or "dominion."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-10. the five men departed, and came to Laish—or, "Leshem" (Jos 19:47), supposed to have been peopled by a colony of Zidonians. The place was very secluded—the soil rich in the abundance and variety of its produce, and the inhabitants, following the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, lived in their fertile and sequestered valley, according to the Zidonian style of ease and security, happy among themselves, and maintaining little or no communication with the rest of the world. The discovery of this northern paradise seemed, to the delight of the Danite spies, an accomplishment of the priest's prediction. They hastened back to inform their brethren in the south both of the value of their prize, and how easily it could be made their prey.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Are ye still, Heb. silent? Silence is oft put for stillness or cessation from action or motion, as Exodus 14:14 Isaiah 62:1 Lamentations 2:18. For they do not accuse them for want of speaking, for that they did; but for want of doing, and putting their words and resolves into execution.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they said, arise, that me may go up against them,.... That is, prepare for war, and go up in an hostile manner against the present possessors of the land, not doubting of being masters of it easily:

for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good. Adrichomius (x) says it was very good pasture land, and fertile, abounding with fruits of all kinds; and the same is attested by Josephus (y):

and are ye still? can ye sit still, and be easy, and not bestir yourselves to go up and possess so good a country, of which an easy conquest may be made? or, affirmatively, "ye are still or silent" (z); ye make no answer to what we say, and seem careless and indifferent about the matter; or by way of exhortation, "be silent", either that the people may remain in their quiet, easy, careless state, and lest, on hearing designs against them, should prepare for their defence; or, as Abarbinel, lest any of the other tribes of Israel should hear of it, and go take it before them:

be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land; they suggest that there was scarce anything more to be done than to go and take possession, and that it would be altogether owing to their sloth and indolence if they did not.

(x) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 1.) (y) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 1.) (z) "vos autem desidetis", Tigurine version; "et vos quiescitis", Munster.

Geneva Study Bible

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and {e} are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

(e) Would you lose this good opportunity because of your laziness?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9, 10. The reply of the spies is overcharged, and the sentences out of logical order, probably owing to the combination of the two narratives. Moore thus separates the two: (a) Arise, and let us go up against them: for when ye come, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large, for it is a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth; (b) And they said, We have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land; God hath given it into your hand. A different arrangement is proposed by Budde, who further points out that we should expect the spies to mention the name of the place which they discovered and urged their clan to seize; accordingly he reads to Laish for against them in (a), and supplies the omission in (b). He distinguishes the sources as follows: (a) And they said, Arise and let us go up [to Laish]; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth; (b) And they said, [Why] are ye still? be not slothful to go [to Laish] to possess the land, for [Jehovah] hath given it into your hand. When ye come, ye shall come … is large. Of the two, Budde’s arrangement seems preferable; but it is impossible to reconstruct the sources with any certainty.

and are ye still?] Cf. 1 Kings 22:3. Budde’s correction, why for and, is an improvement.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - To go, and to enter. The exact meaning is, Be not slothful to go (i.e. to go on your way from hence), so as to enter in and possess the land. This would be expressed by leaving out to before enter - to go and enter. Judges 18:9

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

On their return, the spies said to their fellow-citizens, in reply to the question אתּם מה, "What have you accomplished?" "Up, let us go up against them (the inhabitants of Laish), for the land is very good, and ye are silent," i.e., standing inactive (1 Kings 22:3; 2 Kings 7:9). "Be not slothful to go (to proceed thither), to come and take possession of the land!"