Judges 18:5

Translations

King James Version (KJV)

And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

American King James Version (AKJV)

And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

American Standard Version (ASV)

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

Basic English Translation (BBE)

Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.

Webster's Revision

And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

World English Bible

They said to him, "Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."

English Revised Version (ERV)

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

Clarke's Judges 18:5 Bible Commentary

Ask counsel - of God - As the Danites use the word אלהים Elohim here for God, we are necessarily led to believe that they meant the true God; especially as the Levite answers, Judges 18:6, Before the Lord (יהוה Yehovah) is your way. Though the former word may be sometimes applied to idols, whom their votaries clothed with the attributes of God; yet the latter is never applied but to the true God alone. As the Danites succeeded according to the oracle delivered by the Levite, it is a strong presumption that the worship established by Micah was not of an idolatrous kind. It is really begging the question to assert, as many commentators have done, that the answer was either a trick of the Levite, or suggested by the devil; and that the success of the Danites was merely accidental. This is taking the thing by the worst handle, to support an hypothesis, and to serve a system. See the end of the preceding chapter, Judges 17:13 (note).

Barnes's Judges 18:5 Bible Commentary

The sight of the ephod and teraphim suggested the notion of inquiring of God.

Wesley's Judges 18:5 Bible Commentary

18:5 Ask - By thine Ephod, and Teraphim, or images, which they knew he had, ver. 14 .