Judges 18:12 Meaning and Explanation
“And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →On the way the Danites camp near Kirjath-jearim in Judah, and the site is named Mahaneh-dan after them.
What Does Judges 18:12 Mean?
The marching column camps near Kirjath-jearim in the territory of Judah, and the place keeps the memory of their passing in its name, Mahaneh-dan, meaning the camp of Dan. The narrator notes the location as still known in his own day.
Such place-names are the footprints a people leave in the land, markers of where they paused on a chosen road. This camp memorializes not a victory of faith but a journey away from the inheritance God had assigned. Scripture preserves these small details so that the whole movement of a wandering tribe can be traced, and so that later readers might learn from the way they went.
Judges 18:12 in the Original Language
machaneh (מַחֲנֶה), 'camp' -- an encampment of travelers or an army, preserved here in the place-name Mahaneh-dan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 18:12
What does Judges 18:12 mean?
On the way the Danites camp near Kirjath-jearim in Judah, and the site is named Mahaneh-dan after them.