And they cried vnto the children of Dan: and they turned their faces, and said vnto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou commest with such a company? Judges 18:23 (KJV)
The book of Judges records Israel’s era after Joshua’s death, a time when the nation lacked a central government and was led intermittently by judges raised in response to crises. Judges 18 occurs toward the close of this book and centers on the tribe of Dan, which had been allotted a portion of the promised inheritance but could not fully occupy it because the Amorites still dwelt in the region. Frustrated, the Danites sent five men to scout the land (Judges 18:1‑2).
During their reconnaissance the scouts came upon the house of Micah, a man who had erected a private shrine containing idols and an ephod. A Levite was serving as Micah’s priest, and the Danite men consulted him for guidance. The Levite assured them of God’s favor and promised success for their mission (Judges 18:3‑6). Encouraged, the scouts continued to the distant city of Laish, where they found a peaceful, unsuspecting people living securely far from other nations. Seeing Laish as a potential new home, they returned to report their findings (Judges 18:7‑10).
The Danites then persuaded a contingent of six hundred armed men from their tribe to join them in seizing Laish (Judges 18:11‑12). As they passed Micah’s house, the armed group coveted the idols and ephod in the shrine and, with the Levite’s accompaniment, stole them (Judges 18:17‑21). When Micah realized that his sacred objects and his priest had been taken, he gathered his household and pursued the Danites.
Verse 23 records the confrontation: Micah’s household cried out to the Danites, and the Danites turned their faces, asking, “What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?” This verse captures the tension surrounding the Danites’ actions.
The narrative continues with the Danites responding defiantly, warning Micah not to pursue them further, and then conquering Laish, renaming the city Dan, and establishing their new territory (Judges 18:24‑31). The episode serves as a sobering illustration of the spiritual decline and rampant idolatry of the period. Micah’s private shrine, the Levite’s complicity, and the Danites’ theft and adoption of foreign idols reveal a profound disregard for God’s law and proper worship. The account underscores the need for a central authority and the importance of true worship centered on the Lord, themes that resonate throughout the book of Judges.
