New American Standard Bible 1995

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Judges

Note Journal Prayer

18

:

14

“

Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do."

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then the five five Noun H2568 חֲמֵ֣שֶׁת cha·me·shet
Analysis:

Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

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men man H376    
who went to go, come, walk Verb H1980 הַהֹלְכִים֮ ha·ho·le·chim
to spy to go about on foot Verb H7270 לְרַגֵּל֮ le·rag·gel
out the country earth, land Noun H776 הָאָ֣רֶץ ha·'a·retz
of Laish "lion," a city and region in N. Canaan Noun H3919 לַיִשׁ֒ la·yish
Analysis:
Read more about: Laish
said to utter, say Verb H559 וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ vai·yo·me·ru
to their kinsmen, a brother Noun H251 אֲחֵיהֶ֔ם a·chei·hem,
"Do you know to know Verb H3045 הַיְדַעְתֶּ֗ם hay·da'·tem
that there being, substance, existence, is sub H3426 יֵ֣שׁ yesh
are in these these Pronoun H428 הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ ha·'el·leh
houses a house Noun H1004 בַּבָּתִּ֤ים bab·bat·tim
an ephod an ephod Noun H646 אֵפֹ֣וד e·fo·vd
and household idols (a kind of idol) perhaps household idol Noun H8655 וּתְרָפִ֔ים u·te·ra·fim,
and a graven image an idol, image Noun H6459 וּפֶ֖סֶל u·fe·sel
and a molten image? a libation, molten metal or image Noun H4541 וּמַסֵּכָ֑ה u·mas·se·chah;
Now now Adverb H6258 וְעַתָּ֖ה ve·'at·tah
therefore, consider to know Verb H3045 דְּע֥וּ de·'u
what what? how? anything Pronoun H4100 מַֽה־ mah-
you should do." do, make Verb H6213 תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ ta·'a·su.

Locations

Laish

LAISHla'-ish (layish):(1) A city in the upper Jordan valley, apparently colonized by the Sidonians, which was captured by the Danites and called DAN (which see) (Judges 18:7, etc.; Isaiah 10:30 the King James Version). In Joshua 19:47 the name appears as "Leshem."(2) A Benjamite, father of Palti or Paltiel, to whom Michal, David's wife, was given by Saul (1... View Details

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do."
King James Bible Then answered the five men who that went to spy out the country of Laish Laish, and said to unto their kinsmen, "Do you brethren, Do ye know that there are is in these houses an ephod ephod, and household idols teraphim, and a graven image image, and a molten image? Now therefore, now therefore consider what you should ye have to do."
Hebrew Greek English Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do."