Ep. 64. Judges 17-18 | Idolatry and The Tribe of Dan

EPISODE 64

IDOLATRY AND THE TRIBE OF DAN: JUDGES 17-18

If we are going to try to understand the timeline of Judges, we have to look carefully and critically at the texts. Just because the chapters are arranged for us 1-21 doesn't mean that's the order they happen in. Sometimes, this realization will really throw people for a loop, but it shouldn't. The first two chapters of Judges recap for us the end of the book of Joshua, and then, as far as the timeline is concerned, we need to jump to Judges 17. It is important to remember that the book of Judges covers about 350 years after the conquest of Canaan by Joshua.

In chapters 17 and 18, we encounter a Levite priest serving the household of Micah. In the course of the story, the Danites, who are still seeking their inheritance, meet this priest and seek his counsel as they search out a place for their inheritance. It isn't that Joshua failed to give them an inheritance; rather, they lost it. We read in Joshua 19:40-48 that, though the Danites had been given land, they were unable to keep it, so they sought out a new place. That story is highlighted here for us in much greater detail.

The Danites recruited, under some threats of violence, the priest to come and serve them since it was better to be a priest to a tribe in Israel rather than a single household. The Levite takes the household idols and becomes part of the tribe of Dan, leading them to idolatry. "The people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses (or Manasseh), and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites."

As I pointed out in the video, there is debate about whether or not Jonathan is the grandson of Moses or Manasseh. The only people in the Bible named Gershom come from the line of Levi. Levi had three sons, one of whom was Gershom, but that particular Gershom has long since died. Moses had a son named Gershom, which follows the biblical pattern of men naming their children after family names. Gershom, the son of Moses, is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 23, where we are told he had a son named Shebue, "the chief." Moses' other son, Eliezer, only had one son. No such thing is mentioned for Gershom, the son of Moses. Maybe Jonathan is removed from the lineage because of his idolatrous ways. It is interesting to note that no one seems to believe that "Manasseh" here refers to the tribe of Manasseh but rather to the wicked wayward king Manasseh. Of course, he will not reign for centuries. It seems to make the most sense, then, that this should read "Moses," and in so reading it that way, we arrive at a timeline very near to the death of Joshua. We know that Moses died, leaving the Hebrews in the capable hands of Joshua. We know that Eliezer took Moses' spot as a prophet to the people, but Gershom is not mentioned. But if this is Gershom's son, then clearly, he broke off from his father's family and has turned from the Lord to idolatry. In that this priest is the grandson of Moses, we must put this story at the beginning of the 350-year account of Judges.

ADDITIONAL READING: Judges 19:40-48; 1 Chronicles 23: 15-17; 1 Chronicles 26: 23-25; Genesis 49:17; Revelation 7:4-8