Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 18:1

"In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel." — Judges 18:1 (ASV)

In those days ... —The repetition of the phrase does not necessarily prove the use of different documents. It may only emphasize the reason for the occurrence of such disorders and irregularities.

The tribe. — Shebet sometimes means a whole tribe, and sometimes apparently the division of a tribe (Judges 20:12).

The tribe of the Danites. —There seems to be a difference between “tribe of Dan” (Shebet Dan) and “tribesmen of the Danites” (Shebet had-Dani). In Judges 18:11 they are called Mishpecath had-Dani; but the distinctions between Mishpecath (“family”) and Shebet (“tribe”) do not seem to be accurately kept. (See Notes on Judges 18:19 and Judges 20:12.)

Sought them an inheritance. —See Judges 1:34; Joshua 19:47–48.

Unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them. —Their inheritance is described in Joshua 19:40-46. The inheritance had been assigned to them; but they had not been able to conquer it, owing to the opposition of the Philistines and the Amorates.

The English Version interpolates the words “all their” before “inheritance,” apparently to avoid difficulties. But these glosses, however well meant, are almost always a violation of the primary duty of translation, which is to be rigidly faithful to the original.

The failure of the Danites to conquer their allotment, and the low condition to which they dwindled, are the more remarkable because in the wilderness they were the strongest of all the tribes, numbering 62,700, and because they received the smallest assignment of land of all the tribes.