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Friday, July 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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Myles Coverdale Bible

Judges 18:30

And the children of Dan set vp the ymage for them, and Ionathan ye sonne of Gerson the sonne of Manasse, & his sonnes were prestes amoge the trybe of ye Danites, vnto the tyme yt they were led awaye captyue out of the londe.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gershom;   Jonathan;   Manasseh;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dan;   Jonathan;   Tribe;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dan, the Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dan;   Idol, Idolatry;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gershom;   Jonathan;   Manasseh;   Solomon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Captivity;   Dan (1);   Gershom;   Jonathan;   Judges, the Book of;   Manasseh (2);   Urim and Thummim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Archaeology and Biblical Study;   Gershom;   Jehonathan;   Transportation and Travel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dan;   Gershom;   Israel;   Jonathan;   Manasseh;   Micah, Micaiah;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Day and Night;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dan;   Gershom ;   Jonathan ;   Manasseh ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dan;   Idolatry;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jon'athan,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dan (2);   Jonathan (1);   Judges, Period of;   Manasseh (1);   Micah (1);   Text of the Old Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dan;   Eliezer;   Gershom;   Jonathan, Jehonathan;   Levites (Temple Servants);   Masorah;   Midrashim, Smaller;   Moses;   Palṭiya (Pelaṭya) of Naweh;   Priest;   Suspended Letters;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land.
Hebrew Names Version
The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image: and Yonatan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moshe, he and his sons were Kohanim to the tribe of the Dani until the day of the captivity of the land.
King James Version
And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Lexham English Bible
And the descendants of Dan set up for themselves the carved divine image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land.
English Standard Version
And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
New Century Version
The people of Dan set up the idols in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses' son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the land was captured.
New English Translation
The Danites worshiped the carved image. Jonathan, descendant of Gershom, son of Moses, and his descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile.
Amplified Bible
The [tribe of] the sons of Dan set up the image [of silver-plated wood] for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity and exile from the land.
New American Standard Bible
The sons of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the children of Dan set them vp the grauen image: and Ionathan the sonne of Gershom, the sonne of Manasseh and his sonnes were the Priestes in the tribe of the Danites vntil the day of the captiuitie of the lande.
Legacy Standard Bible
En die kinders van Dan het vir hulle die gesnede beeld opgerig; en Jnatan, die seun van Gersom, die seun van Moses, hy en sy seuns was priesters vir die stam van die Daniete tot op die dag van die ontvolking van die land.
Contemporary English Version
Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.
Complete Jewish Bible
The people of Dan set up the image for themselves. Y'honatan the son of Gershom, the son of M'nasheh, and his sons were cohanim for the tribe of the people of Dan until the day of the exile from the land.
Darby Translation
And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jehonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses; he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Easy-to-Read Version
The people of the tribe of Dan set up the idol in the city of Dan. They made Jonathan son of Gershom their priest. Gershom was the son of Moses. Jonathan and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time when the Israelites were taken into captivity.
George Lamsa Translation
And the Danites set up the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Good News Translation
The Danites set up the idol to be worshiped, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, served as a priest for the Danites, and his descendants served as their priests until the people were taken away into exile.
Literal Translation
And the sons of Dan raised up for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
American Standard Version
And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
Bible in Basic English
(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the chyldren of Dan set them vp the grauen image: And Ionathan the sonne of Gersom, the sonne of Manasses, and his sonnes, were the priestes in the tribe of Dan, vntyl the day of the captiuitie of the lande.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
King James Version (1611)
And the children of Dan set vp the grauen image: and Ionathan the sonne of Gershom, the sonne of Manasseh, hee and his sonnes, were Priests to the tribe of Dan, vntill the day of the captiuitie of the land.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gerson son of Manasse, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.
English Revised Version
And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
Berean Standard Bible
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And `thei settiden there the grauun ymage, and Jonathas, sone of Jerson, sone of Moises, and `Jonathas sones, preestis, in the lynage of Dan, til in to the dai of her caitifte.
Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Dan raise up for themselves the graven image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, he and his sons have been priests to the tribe of the Danite, till the day of the removal of [the people] of the land.
Update Bible Version
And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
World English Bible
The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
New King James Version
Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, [fn] and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
New Living Translation
Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile.
New Life Bible
The people of Dan set up for themselves the object made to look like a god. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were religious leaders to the family of Dan until the day their land was taken.
New Revised Standard
Then the Danites set up the idol for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, - and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the son of Gersam, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests in the tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity.
Revised Standard Version
And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
THE MESSAGE
The Danites set up the god-figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his descendants were priests to the tribe of Dan down to the time of the land's captivity. All during the time that there was a sanctuary of God in Shiloh, they kept for their private use the god-figure that Micah had made.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

Contextual Overview

27 But they toke that Micha had made, & the prest whom he had, & came vnto Lais, to a quyete carelesse people, and slewe them with the edge of the swerde, and burnt the cite with fyre, 28 and there was no man to delyuer them: for they laye farre fro Sidon, and had to do with no man. And they laye in the valley, which is besyde Beth Rehob. Then buylded they the cite, & dwelt therin, 29 & called it Dan, after name of their father Dan, whom Israel begat. And ye cite was called Lais afore tyme. 30 And the children of Dan set vp the ymage for them, and Ionathan ye sonne of Gerson the sonne of Manasse, & his sonnes were prestes amoge the trybe of ye Danites, vnto the tyme yt they were led awaye captyue out of the londe. 31 And thus they set amonge the the ymage of Micha, which he had made, as loge as ye house of God was at Silo.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

set up: Exodus 20:4, Leviticus 26:1, Deuteronomy 17:2-7, Deuteronomy 27:15, Deuteronomy 31:16, Deuteronomy 31:29, Joshua 19:40-48, Psalms 78:58-61, God had graciously performed his promise, in putting these Danites in possession of that which fell to their lot, obliging them thereby to be faithful to him who had been so to them; they inherited the labour of the people, that they might observe his statues. Psalms 105:44, Psalms 105:45. But the first thing they do after they are settled is to break his laws, by setting up the graven image, attributing their success to that idol, which, if God had not been infinitely patient, would have been their ruin. Thus a prosperous idolater goes on to offend, imputing this his power unto his God. Instead of Manasseh, some would read Moses; as it is found in some manuscripts, in the Vulgate and in the concessions of the most intelligent Jews. But Bp. Patrick takes this to be an idle conceit of the Rabbins, and supposes this Jonathan to be of some other family of the Levites. Yet Kimchi acknowledges, that the Jews, deeply concerned for the honour of their lawgiver, to whom they thought it would be a great dishonour to have a grandson who was an idolater, suspended the letter, נ, noon, over the word מש [Strong's H4872], [Strong's H4873], Moses, thus מנשה [Strong's H4519], as it is found in the Hebrew Bibles; which, by means of the points, they have changed into Manasseh.

until: Judges 13:1; 1 Samuel 4:2-3, 1 Samuel 4:10-11; Psalms 78:60-62

the land: Houbigant contends, that, instead of haaretz, "the land," we should read haaron, "the ark;" for the ו, wav, and ן, noon final, might easily be mistaken for ץ, tzadday final; which is the only difference between the two words. This conjecture is the more likely, as the next verse tells us, that Micah's graven image continued at Dan "all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh;" which was till the ark was taken by the Philistines.

Reciprocal: Judges 17:12 - his priest Psalms 78:61 - his strength

Cross-References

Genesis 18:8
And he toke butter and mylke and of the calfe that he had prepared, and set it before the, stode him self by them vnder the tre, & they ate.
Genesis 18:9
Then saide they vnto him: where is Sara thy wyfe? He answered: within in ye tent.
Genesis 18:11
And Abraham and Sara were both olde, & well stryken in age: so that it wente nomore with Sara after ye maner of wemen:
Genesis 18:16
Then the men stode vp from thence, and turned them towarde Sodome: and Abraham wente with them, to brynge them on their waye.
Genesis 18:28
Peraduenture there maye be fyue lesse then fiftie righteous therin: Wilt thou then destroye the whole cite because of those fyue? He sayde: yf I fynde fyue and fourtie therin, I will not destroye them?
Genesis 18:29
And he proceded further to speake vnto him, and sayde: Peraduenture there might be fourtie founde therin. And he sayde: I wil do nothinge vnto them for those fourtyes sake.
Genesis 44:18
The stepte Iuda vnto him, and sayde: My lorde, let thy seruaunt speake one worde in thine eares my lorde, be not displesed at yi seruaunt also, for thou art eue as Pharao.
Judges 6:39
And Gedeon sayde vnto God Be not wroth at me, that I speake yet this one tyme. I wyl proue yet but once with the flese, let it be drye onely vpon the flese, and dew vpon all the grounde.
Job 40:4
Beholde, I am to vyle a personne, to answere the, therfore will I laye my hande vpon my mouth.
Psalms 9:12
And why? he maketh inquysicion for their bloude, and remembreth them: he forgetteth not the complaynte of the poore.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Dan set up the graven image,.... In their new city Dan, and very probably had a house built for it, peculiar to it, in the same place where Jeroboam, in later times, set up one of his golden calves. The Danites having succeeded, according to the oracle in Micah's house, they had a very great veneration for the images they brought away with them from thence, and set them up for religious worship in a proper place; for though only mention is made of the graven image, yet no doubt the molten image, and the teraphim, with the ephod, were all placed together for devotion and consultation:

and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan: not to the whole tribe, but to that part of it which resided in this city, called Dan; and this Jonathan seems to be no other than the Levite Micah took into his house, and made a priest of; and whom the Danites took with them to Laish, to be their priest, who is said to be the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh: now Gershom was the son of Moses, and this man is thought by some to be a grandson of his; and with this agrees the time in which he lived, for as Phinehas the grandson of Aaron was now living, Judges 20:28 so might a grandson of Moses; and though he is called a young man, he might be a younger son of Gershom's; nor is his being a Levite any objection, since it is a clear case that Moses made no provision for his family, so disinterested was he, which may be observed against the deists: and it is remarkable that the "nun", or "N" in Manasseh, is suspended over the other letters in our printed copies of the Hebrew Bible, and so without it may be read, Moses; and the Jews c have a notion, that this was done for the honour of Moses, and to observe that he was more like a son of Manasseh than of Moses; though rather this being the first letter of נשה, "to forget", may suggest, as Alting d observes, that he had forgot the virtues of his grandfather; and the Vulgate Latin version reads, the son of Moses; and some e are of opinion that this is the true reading of the text; though it may be that another Gershom than the son of Moses, and another Manasseh we know nothing of, are here intended, so Marcus Marinus f: however, this man, and his sons in succession after him, were priests in Dan,

until the day of the captivity of the land; not till the captivity of Sennacherib or Salmaneser, when Dan, with the rest of the ten tribes, were carried captives, as Jarchi; for this idolatry, and these idolatrous priests, can hardly be thought to be continued here through the times of Samuel, David, and Solomon: nor is it to be understood of the captivity of Israel by Jabin king of Canaan, as Ben Gersom; for as the other is too long a time, this is too short, since it is clear, by the next verse, that this idolatry continued all the time the house of God was at Shiloh; and which directs us to the captivity here spoken of, when the ark was carried captive by the Philistines, and the house of Shiloh was forsaken; which is the sense of Kimchi, R. Isaiah, and Abarbinel; and may be illustrated and confirmed by some passages in

Psalms 78:58.

c T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 109. 2. d Shiloh, l. 4. c. 28. p. 334. e See Dr. Kennicott's Dissertation 2. p. 51, &c. f Apud Glassium in Philolog. Sacr. l. 1. tract. 1. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the Hebrew text the name here rendered Manasseh is written MN)- SH. Without the “N” (nun) suspended over the line, the word may be read: Moses, whose son was Gershom Exodus 2:22, whose son or descendant Jonathan clearly was. The Masoretes, probably grieved that a descendant of Moses should have been implicated in idolatrous worship, adopted this expedient for disguising the fact without absolutely falsifying the text. The Vulgate has “Moses”, the Septuagint “Manasses”.

These verses seem to tell us that Jonathan’s descendants were priests to the tribe of Dan until the captivity 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:6; and that the graven image was in their custody until David’s time, by whose order, perhaps, it was destroyed, though the idolatrous worship continued, or was revived, at Dan.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 18:30. The children of Dan set up the graven image — They erected a chapel, or temple, among themselves, as Micah had done before; having the same implements and the same priest.

And Jonathan the son of Gershom — Either this was the name of the young Levite; or they had turned him off, and got this Jonathan in his place.

The son Manasseh — Who this Manasseh was, none can tell; nor does the reading appear to be genuine. He could not be Manasseh the son of Joseph, for he had no son called Gershom nor could it be Manasseh king of Israel, for he lived eight hundred years afterwards.

Instead of מנשה Manasseh, the word should be read משה Mosheh, MOSES, as it is found in some MSS., in the Vulgate, and in the concessions of the most intelligent Jews. The Jews, as R. D. Kimchi acknowledges, have suspended the letter: נ nun, over the word משה, thus,

נ

משה

- which, by the addition of the points, they have changed into MANASSEH, because they think it would be a great reproach to their legislator to have had a grandson who was an idolater. That Gershom the son of Moses is here intended, is very probable. See the arguments urged by Dr. Kennicott, Dissertation I., p. 55, c. and see the Var. Lect. of De Rossi on this place.

Until the day of the captivity of the land. — Calmet observes, "The posterity of this Jonathan executed the office of priest in the city of Dan, all the time that the idol of Micah (the teraphim, ephod, c.) was there. But this was only while the house of the Lord was at Shiloh and, consequently, the sons of Jonathan were priests at Dan only till the time in which the ark was taken by the Philistines, which was the last year of Eli, the high priest; for after that the ark no more returned to Shiloh." This is evident; and on this very ground Houbigant contends that, instead of הארץ haarets, the LAND, we should read הארן haaron, the ARK; for nothing is easier than the ו vau and ן final nun to be mistaken for the ץ final tsade, which is the only difference between the captivity of the LAND and the captivity of the ARK. And this conjecture is the more likely, because the next verse tells us that Micah's graven image, c., continued at Dan all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh which was, till the ark was taken by the Philistines. Those who wish to see more on this subject may consult Calmet, and the writers in Pool's Synopsis. This chapter is an important supplement to the conclusion of the 19th chapter of Joshua, on which it casts considerable light.

THE Danites were properly the first dissenters from the public established worship of the Jews; but they seem to have departed as little as possible from the Jewish forms, their worship being conducted in the same way, but not in the same place. Surely it was better to have had this, allowing it to be unconstitutional worship, than to have been wholly destitute of the ordinances of God.

I think we have not sufficient ground from the text to call these persons idolaters; I believe they worshipped the true God according to their light and circumstances, from a conviction that they could not prosper without his approbation, and that they could not expect that approbation if they did not offer to him a religious worship. They endeavoured to please him, though the means they adopted were not the most proper.


 
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