The Meaning of Judges 18:2 Explained

Judges 18:2

KJV: And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

YLT: And the sons of Dan send, out of their family, five men of them, men, sons of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to traverse the land, and to search it, and they say unto them, 'Go, search the land;' and they come into the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodge there.

Darby: So the Danites sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Esh'ta-ol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of E'phraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

ASV: And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Dan  sent  of their family  five  men  from their coasts,  men  of valour,  from Zorah,  and from Eshtaol,  to spy  out the land,  and to search  it; and they said  unto them, Go,  search  the land:  who when they came  to mount  Ephraim,  to the house  of Micah,  they lodged  there. 

What does Judges 18:2 Mean?

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 18:2 mean?

So sent the sons of Dan of their family five men from their territory of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out - the land and search it and they said to them go search the land So they went to the mountains of Ephraim to the house of Micah and lodged there
וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵי־ דָ֣ן ׀ מִֽמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ֡ם חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֣ים מִקְצוֹתָם֩ בְּנֵי־ חַ֜יִל מִצָּרְעָ֣ה וּמֵֽאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֗ל לְרַגֵּ֤ל אֶת־ הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וּלְחָקְרָ֔הּ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֖וּ חִקְר֣וּ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ הַר־ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ עַד־ בֵּ֣ית מִיכָ֔ה וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ שָֽׁם

וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ  So  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בְנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
דָ֣ן ׀  of  Dan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
מִֽמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ֡ם  of  their  family 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה  five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
אֲנָשִׁ֣ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִקְצוֹתָם֩  from  their  territory 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קָצָה 
Sense: end, extremity.
חַ֜יִל  valor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
מִצָּרְעָ֣ה  from  Zorah 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרְעָה  
Sense: a town in Dan, residence of Manoah and the home town of Samson.
וּמֵֽאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֗ל  and  Eshtaol 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶשְׁתָּאֹול  
Sense: a Danite city located within Judah.
לְרַגֵּ֤ל  to  spy  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: רָגַל  
Sense: to go on foot, spy out, foot it, go about, walk along, move the feet.
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.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּלְחָקְרָ֔הּ  and  search  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חָקַר  
Sense: to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate.
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  and  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לְכ֖וּ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
חִקְר֣וּ  search 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: חָקַר  
Sense: to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ  So  they  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַר־  to  the  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
מִיכָ֔ה  of  Micah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִיכָה  
Sense: the 6th in order of the minor prophets; a native of Moresheth, he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and was contemporary with the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah.
וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ  and  lodged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.