The Meaning of Judges 18:7 Explained

Judges 18:7

KJV: Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

YLT: And the five men go, and come in to Laish, and see the people which is in its midst, dwelling confidently, according to the custom of Zidonians, quiet and confident; and there is none putting to shame in the land in any thing, possessing restraint, and they are far off from the Zidonians, and have no word with any man.

Darby: Then the five men departed, and came to La'ish, and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sido'nians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth, and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sido'nians and had no dealings with any one.

ASV: Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then the five  men  departed,  and came  to Laish,  and saw  the people  that [were] therein,  how they dwelt  careless,  after the manner  of the Zidonians,  quiet  and secure;  and [there was] no magistrate  in the land,  that might put [them] to shame  in [any] thing;  and they [were] far  from the Zidonians,  and had no business  with [any] man. 

What does Judges 18:7 Mean?

Study Notes

Laish
called Leshem. Joshua 19:47 .

Chapter Summary: Judges 18

1  The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance
3  At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged
7  They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope
11  Six hundred men are sent to surprise it
16  In their way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things
27  They win Laish, and call it Dan
30  They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inherits the priesthood

What do the individual words in Judges 18:7 mean?

So departed five the men and went to Laish and they saw - the people who [were] there how they dwelt safely in the manner of the Sidonians quiet and secure and [There were] no who might put [them] to shame for anything in the land magistrate rulers and far they [were] from the Sidonians and ties [there were] no with - anyone
וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לָ֑יְשָׁה וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶת־ הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־ בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת־ לָ֠בֶטַח כְּמִשְׁפַּ֨ט צִדֹנִ֜ים שֹׁקֵ֣ט ׀ וּבֹטֵ֗חַ וְאֵין־ מַכְלִ֨ים דָּבָ֤ר בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ יוֹרֵ֣שׁ עֶ֔צֶר וּרְחֹקִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ מִצִּ֣דֹנִ֔ים וְדָבָ֥ר אֵין־ לָהֶ֖ם עִם־ אָדָֽם

וַיֵּלְכוּ֙  So  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת  five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לָ֑יְשָׁה  to  Laish 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: לָוִשׁ 
Sense: father of Phaltiel, the man to whom king Saul gave his daughter Michal in marriage even though she was already married to David.
וַיִּרְא֣וּ  and  they  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעָ֣ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת־  how  they  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
לָ֠בֶטַח  safely 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּטַח  
Sense: security, safety adv.
כְּמִשְׁפַּ֨ט  in  the  manner 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
צִדֹנִ֜ים  of  the  Sidonians 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִידֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Sidon.
שֹׁקֵ֣ט ׀  quiet 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁקַט  
Sense: to be quiet, be tranquil, be at peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed.
וּבֹטֵ֗חַ  and  secure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
וְאֵין־  and  [There  were]  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַכְלִ֨ים  who  might  put  [them]  to  shame 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: כָּלַם  
Sense: to insult, shame, humiliate, blush, be ashamed, be put to shame, be reproached, be put to confusion, be humiliated.
דָּבָ֤ר  for  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יוֹרֵ֣שׁ  magistrate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
עֶ֔צֶר  rulers 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶצֶר  
Sense: restraint, oppression.
וּרְחֹקִ֥ים  and  far 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
הֵ֙מָּה֙  they  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
מִצִּ֣דֹנִ֔ים  from  the  Sidonians 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִידֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Sidon.
וְדָבָ֥ר  and  ties 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אֵין־  [there  were]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
עִם־  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
אָדָֽם  anyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.