The Meaning of Judges 18:30 Explained

Judges 18:30

KJV: And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

YLT: And the sons of Dan raise up for themselves the graven image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, he and his sons have been priests to the tribe of the Danite, till the day of the removal of the people of the land.

Darby: And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

ASV: And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Dan  set up  the graven image:  and Jonathan,  the son  of Gershom,  the son  of Manasseh,  he and his sons  were priests  to the tribe  of Dan  until the day  of the captivity  of the land. 

What does Judges 18:30 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 18:30 mean?

And set up for themselves the sons of Dan - the carved image and Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Manasseh he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land
וַיָּקִ֧ימוּ לָהֶ֛ם בְּנֵי־ דָ֖ן אֶת־ הַפָּ֑סֶל וִ֠יהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־ גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם בֶּן־ מְנַ‪‬שֶּׁ֜ה ה֣וּא וּבָנָ֗יו הָי֤וּ כֹהֲנִים֙ לְשֵׁ֣בֶט הַדָּנִ֔י עַד־ י֖וֹם גְּל֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ

וַיָּקִ֧ימוּ  And  set  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לָהֶ֛ם  for  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
דָ֖ן  of  Dan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
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.
הַפָּ֑סֶל  the  carved  image 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
וִ֠יהוֹנָתָן  and  Jonathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
בֶּן־  the  son  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם  Gershom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּרְשֹׁם  
Sense: firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מְנַ‪‬שֶּׁ֜ה  of  Manasseh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַשֶּׁה  
Sense: the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh.
וּבָנָ֗יו  and  his  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
כֹהֲנִים֙  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לְשֵׁ֣בֶט  to  the  tribe 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
הַדָּנִ֔י  of  the  Danites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִי  
Sense: descendants of Dan, son of Jacob.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
י֖וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
גְּל֥וֹת  of  the  captivity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.