Judges 18:25

And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) Lest angry fellows run upon thee.—Literally, lest men bitter of soul fall upon thee. (Comp. Judges 8:21; Judges 15:12; 2Samuel 17:8, “chafed in their minds.”)

Thou lose thy life.—Literally, thou gather thy life, as in Psalm 26:9.

Benson Commentary

Jdg 18:25. Let not thy voice be heard — Thy complaints and reproaches. Lest angry fellows run upon thee — The soldiers, who are sharp and fierce and will soon be inflamed by thy provoking words. And thou lose thy life — Which, notwithstanding all thy pretences, thou valuest more than thy image, teraphim, and ephod.

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

Were gathered together - literally, "were called together." The men, who were all Micah's workmen, were probably in the fields with their master at the time of the robbery. When the women saw what was done they gave the alarm, and Micah called the men together as quickly as possible, and pursued the Danites and overtook them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22-26. the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together—The robbers of the chapel being soon detected, a hot pursuit was forthwith commenced by Micah, at the head of a considerable body of followers. The readiness with which they joined in the attempt to recover the stolen articles affords a presumption that the advantages of the chapel had been open to all in the neighborhood; and the importance which Micah, like Laban, attached to his teraphim, is seen by the urgency with which he pursued the thieves, and the risk of his life in attempting to procure their restoration. Finding his party, however, not a match for the Danites, he thought it prudent to desist, well knowing the rule which was then prevalent in the land, that

"They should take who had the power,

And they should keep who could."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Thy voice; thy complaints and reproaches.

Angry fellows; the soldiers, who are in themselves sharp and fierce, and will soon be inflamed by thy provoking words.

And thou lose thy life; which, notwithstanding all thy pretences, thou dost value more than thy images, as indeed appeared from his following practice.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the children of Dan said unto him, let not thy voice be heard among us,.... Complaining of us as having done an unjust thing, charging and reproaching us with theft and sacrilege, insisting upon a restoration of the things taken, and abusing with odious names and characters:

lest angry fellows run upon thee: lest men of bitter and passionate spirits, provoked by ill language given them, should draw their swords and fall upon thee:

and thou lose thy life, and the life of thy household; the life of himself, his family, servants, tenants, and neighbours with him, which ought to have been more precious and valuable than his gods; of which there was great danger in demanding his gods, which by this they let him know they would not part with.

Geneva Study Bible

And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. angry fellows] See marg.; fierce-tempered as in 2 Samuel 17:8; cf. also 1 Samuel 22:2. The rough humour and insolence of the robbers are admirably described. The writer hardly disguises his relish of the scene.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - Run upon thee. Rather, run, or fall, upon you; it is the plural pronoun, comprehending the whole party. The argument of the Danites was the argument of the stronger. Judges 18:25

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And when he replied, "Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have departed; what is there still to me (what have I left)? and how can ye say to me, What is to thee?" they ordered him to be silent, lest he should forfeit his life: "Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest men of savage disposition (נפשׁ מרי as in 2 Samuel 17:8) should fall upon thee (vid., Judges 15:12; Judges 8:21, etc.), and thou shouldst not save thy life and that of thy household," i.e., shouldst bring death upon thyself and thy family. ואספתּה is also dependent upon פּן.