Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 18:21
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
21 . If there were little ones there must have been women to look after them. Budde would supply the omission, but unnecessarily.
the goods ] In the Hebr. a fem. sing., the wealthy, cf. Gen 31:1 RVm., Isa 10:3 (translated glory). The LXX. cod. B takes the word in its primary sense ‘the heavy baggage.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And put the little ones, etc., before them – They expected a pursuit from Micahs people, and arranged their order of march accordingly.
The carriage – Rather, the valuables. Some interpret it the heavy baggage.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. The little ones and the cattle, c.] These men were so confident of success that they removed their whole families, household goods, cattle, and all.
And the carriage] kebudah, their substance, precious things, or valuables omne quod erat pretiosum, VULGATE: or rather the luggage or baggage; what Caesar calls in his commentaries impedimenta; and what the Septuagint here translate , weight or baggage. We are not to suppose that any wheel carriage is meant.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For their greater security, if Micah should pursue them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So they turned and departed,…. Turned from the gate of the city where Micah dwelt, and marched forward to Laish:
and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the carriage, before them; partly for safety from Micah, and his friends and neighbours, and partly that they might not be overdriven: their wives, who doubtless were with them, though not mentioned, and their children, and also their flocks and herds, they brought with them from Zorah and Eshtaol, as never intending to return again thither, and being fully assured they should take Laish, and the country about, and settle there; and also all their wealth and substance, as the Targum renders the word for “carriage”, whatever they were possessed of that was movable; their vessels, silver and gold, and other movables, as Kimchi interprets it, whatever was weighty, valuable and glorious, as the word signifies, or that was of any importance and worth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The 600 Danites then set out upon their road again and went away; and they put the children, the cattle, and the valuable possessions in front, because they were afraid of being attacked by Micah and his people from behind. , “the little ones,” includes both women and children, as the members of the family who were in need of protection (see at Exo 12:37). is literally an adjective, signifying splendid; but here it is a neuter substantive: the valuables, not the heavy baggage. The 600 men had emigrated with their families and possessions.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(21) The little ones and the cattle.It is only in this incidental way that the fact of this being a regular migration is brought out. (Comp. Exo. 12:37.) The women are, of course, included, though not mentioned (Gen. 34:29; 2Ch. 20:13).
And the carriagei.e., the baggage. (Comp. Act. 21:15.) The word is hakkebodah, which the LXX. (Cod. A) render their glorious possession, and the Vulg. everything which was precious, i.e., the valuables. But as cabd means to be heavy, the rendering of the Vatican MS. of the LXX.the weight, i.e., the heavy baggage (impedimenta)may be right. The word has no connection with that similarly rendered in 1Sa. 17:22.
Before them.Because they expected pursuit.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Little ones They had taken their families with them. See note on Jdg 18:11.
The carriage The baggage, consisting of their valuables. This sense of the English word carriage has become obsolete.
Before them They anticipated pursuit and trouble from Micah, whom they had so lawlessly robbed, and therefore set their families, cattle, and other possessions in front.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods before them.’
They put the vulnerable ones in front of them because they anticipated that any danger would be from behind, from any forces that Micah could gather. The wives are not mentioned but can be assumed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
It is impossible to pity the deluded Micah, whose heart was so set upon idols. He confesses he had lost all in losing them. But alas! what loss could there be in them. Think Reader! what contemptible idols must those be, that could not protect themselves. And what a wretched resource must that man ‘ s be, which is thus capable of being lost. And yet even under the purest of all religions, even under the dispensation of mercy in Jesus, if any man lays stress upon anything of his own, his frames, his feelings, his supposed attainments, as all these pray be taken away, wherein doth this man differ from Micah? Precious Jesus! thou only art the one thing needful, the everlasting good, the Father’s irrevocable gift, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Heb 13:8 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
Ver. 21. And the cattle and the carriage before them. ] For they feared Micah’s pursuit more than any other enemy that was before them. For “carriage” some render preciosa, the precious things, and interpret it of household stuff, according to that of Solomon, “Thy house shall be full of all precious and pleasant riches.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
carriage = goods. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct) for things carried.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
and put: These men were so confident of success, that they removed their whole families, household goods, cattle, and all.
the carriage: Kevoodah, from kavad, to be heavy, denotes the luggage or baggage. Jdg 18:21
Reciprocal: Jos 21:31 – Rehob
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage {i} before them.
(i) Suspecting them that pursued them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Micah’s attempt to recover his losses 18:21-26
Micah gathered some of his neighbors and pursued the Danites, hoping to force them to return what they had taken from him. However the Danites proved stronger than he anticipated, and he had to withdraw without a fight (cf. Genesis 14). Here is another example of the Israelites fighting among themselves rather than uniting to combat their common foe.
It is comical to read Micah’s sniveling complaint that the Danite soldiers had taken his gods "which I made" (Jdg 18:24). Obviously they had no power to protect him from his enemies. The fact that he had made them should have made this clear to him. His pathetic question, "What do I have besides?" reflects the emptiness of idolatry.
"His failure is in marked contrast to the stunning victory gained by Abraham and his small army when they overtook the coalition of kings who had captured Lot and the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 14:10-16). The God of Abraham proved stronger than the idol deities fashioned by Micah. Like the gods of Babylon, Micah’s gods were taken captive, unable to effect their own escape (cf. Jdg 6:31; Isa 46:1-2)." [Note: Ibid., p. 487.]
Likewise Micah’s priest, whom he had treated as a son, turned against him. None of the characters in this story shows any integrity.