Judges 18:3
New International Version
When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

New Living Translation
While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

English Standard Version
When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”

Berean Standard Bible
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

King James Bible
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

New King James Version
While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”

New American Standard Bible
When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”

NASB 1995
When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”

NASB 1977
When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there, and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”

Legacy Standard Bible
They were near the house of Micah, and they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. So they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”

Amplified Bible
When they passed near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”

Christian Standard Bible
While they were near Micah’s home, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is keeping you here? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
While they were near Micah’s home, they recognized the speech of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is keeping you here?”

American Standard Version
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Those were in the house of Mikah and recognized the voice of the young man, Levi, and they turned aside to him there, and they said to him: “Why have you come here and what are you doing here?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
in the house of Michaias, and they recognised the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in thither; and said to him, Who brought thee in hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

Contemporary English Version
because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and lodging with him, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? what dost thou here? why wouldst thou come hither?

English Revised Version
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
While they were at Micah's house, they recognized the young Levite's voice. So they stopped to ask him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

Good News Translation
While they were there, they recognized the accent of the young Levite, so they went up to him and asked, "What are you doing here? Who brought you here?"

International Standard Version
As they approached Micah's home, they recognized the voice of the young male descendant of Levi. They turned aside from there and spoke to him, asking him, "Who brought you here? What work are you doing here? And what's your business here?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside thither, and said unto him: 'Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?'

Literal Standard Version
They [are] with the household of Micah, and they have discerned the voice of the young man, the Levite, and turn aside there, and say to him, “Who has brought you here? And what are you doing in this [place]? And why are you here?”

Majority Standard Bible
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

New American Bible
While they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, so they turned aside. They asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What is your interest here?”

NET Bible
As they approached Micah's house, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they stopped there and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?"

New Revised Standard Version
While they were at Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”

New Heart English Bible
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in that direction, and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? And what is your business here?"

Webster's Bible Translation
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

World English Bible
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have here?”

Young's Literal Translation
They are with the household of Micah, and they have discerned the voice of the young man, the Levite, and turn aside there, and say to him, 'Who hath brought thee hither? and what art thou doing in this place? and what to thee here?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Danites Settle in Laish
2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. 3And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” 4“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”…

Cross References
Judges 18:2
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. "Go and explore the land," they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

Judges 18:4
"Micah has done this and that for me," he replied, "and he has hired me to be his priest."


Treasury of Scripture

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought you here? and what make you in this place? and what have you here?

they knew.

Judges 12:6
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

Genesis 27:22
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

Matthew 26:73
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

and what hast

Isaiah 22:16
What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

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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.














(3) By the house of Micah.--Literally, with--i.e., lodging in it, as in Genesis 27:43.

They knew the voice of the young man the Levite.--Again the narrative is too much compressed to enable us to fill up its details with any certainty. The youthful Jonathan had lived in Bethlehem. The grandson of Moses could not be wholly unknown. and at this time there was close intercourse between the tribes of Dan and Judah. Possibly, therefore they were personally acquainted with him; nor do they ask (as Micah had done), "Whence cometh thou? They recognised his voice, possibly by some dialectic peculiarity, but more probably by hearing him performing in the upper room his service before the pesel. Cassel renders "voice" by "sound," and refers it to the bells on the priestly dress, as in Exodus 28:35. We notice that Micah had been reticent about the ephod, &c., perhaps out of suspicion as to their intentions.

Turned in thither.--Not necessarily into the house, but into the room--the oratory (aedicula), or Beth-Elohim (Judges 17:5). It seems to have been a kind of spurious Shiloh.

What makest thou in this place?--The accent of extreme surprise in their queries shows that they knew Jonathan, and did not expect to find a Judaean Levite in Ephraim.

Verse 3. - When. Rather, while. By the house. Rather, in or at the house. They knew the voice, having, as some think, known him before he left Bethlehem, or perceiving a southern accent. But it may merely mean that they discerned his voice as he was singing or reciting prayers in the house of God. Micah's house seems to have been a collection of houses (vers. 14, 22), approached by one gateway (ver. 16), in one of which the Levite dwelt. They turned in thither. This seems to have been next morning, when they were starting on their journey. Hearing the Levite's voice, they turned aside into his house. What makest thou, etc. Rather, What doest thou in this place? and what is thy business here?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And while they
הֵ֚מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

were near
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Micah’s
מִיכָ֔ה (mî·ḵāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4318: Micah -- the name of several Israelites

house,
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

they
וְהֵ֣מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

recognized
הִכִּ֔ירוּ (hik·kî·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize

the voice
ק֥וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the young
הַנַּ֖עַר (han·na·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

Levite;
הַלֵּוִ֑י (hal·lê·wî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

so they went over
וַיָּס֣וּרוּ (way·yā·sū·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

and asked
וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

him,
לוֹ֙ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

“Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

brought
הֱבִיאֲךָ֣ (hĕ·ḇî·’ă·ḵā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

you here?
הֲלֹ֔ם (hă·lōm)
Adverb
Strong's 1988: Hith-er

What
וּמָֽה־ (ū·māh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

are you
אַתָּ֥ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

doing
עֹשֶׂ֛ה (‘ō·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

in this [place]?
בָּזֶ֖ה (bā·zeh)
Preposition-b | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

Why
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

are you
לְּךָ֥ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

here?�
פֹֽה׃ (p̄ōh)
Adverb
Strong's 6311: This place, here


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OT History: Judges 18:3 When they were by the house (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 18:2
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