This verse demonstrates that the Danites, upon finding a fruitful land, pressed their community to move quickly to claim it.
The Danite spies challenged their fellow tribesmen with the words, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.” (v.9) This statement reveals that, upon scouting the northern territory, the Danites became convinced that the land of Laish (later called Dan) was prosperous and worth the effort to claim. Their invitation, “Do not delay to go,” underscores their sense of urgency and confidence that God had opened a way for them to expand their inheritance, though it also foreshadows the moral ambiguity of overtaking a peaceful population (Judges 18:27-29).
In the broader historical timeline of the Judges (circa 1370-1050 BC), the tribe of Dan originally dwelled in the southwestern region by the Philistine coast. Because they struggled to fully drive out the inhabitants of that area, the Danites sought greener, less fortified pastures to the far north. They spied out Laish, saw it was fertile and unguarded, and declared it “very good”—an echo of Israel’s yearning for secure land. The territory of Dan would later become notorious for idolatry, as they set up false worship practices in their new home (Judges 18:30-31), illustrating how greed for new territory could lead to spiritual compromise.
Throughout this passage, the Danites’ rallying cry—“Arise … do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land”—shows both their determination and a presumption that what they observed was theirs for the taking. Rather than rely on God’s guidance concerning the distribution of territories, they acted on ambition and perceived opportunity. Even so, the verse highlights the human tendency to seize promising prospects without fully weighing the consequences of displacing others or departing from the LORD’s original plan.
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Judges 18:9 meaning
The Danite spies challenged their fellow tribesmen with the words, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.” (v.9) This statement reveals that, upon scouting the northern territory, the Danites became convinced that the land of Laish (later called Dan) was prosperous and worth the effort to claim. Their invitation, “Do not delay to go,” underscores their sense of urgency and confidence that God had opened a way for them to expand their inheritance, though it also foreshadows the moral ambiguity of overtaking a peaceful population (Judges 18:27-29).
In the broader historical timeline of the Judges (circa 1370-1050 BC), the tribe of Dan originally dwelled in the southwestern region by the Philistine coast. Because they struggled to fully drive out the inhabitants of that area, the Danites sought greener, less fortified pastures to the far north. They spied out Laish, saw it was fertile and unguarded, and declared it “very good”—an echo of Israel’s yearning for secure land. The territory of Dan would later become notorious for idolatry, as they set up false worship practices in their new home (Judges 18:30-31), illustrating how greed for new territory could lead to spiritual compromise.
Throughout this passage, the Danites’ rallying cry—“Arise … do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land”—shows both their determination and a presumption that what they observed was theirs for the taking. Rather than rely on God’s guidance concerning the distribution of territories, they acted on ambition and perceived opportunity. Even so, the verse highlights the human tendency to seize promising prospects without fully weighing the consequences of displacing others or departing from the LORD’s original plan.