Judges — Chapter 18

The spies of Dan observe Laish: a peaceful and unsuspecting people. Lapide: this city of Laish later became Dan/Caesarea Philippi — where Christ said to Peter, \"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church\" (Matt. 16:18). Thus a city that was once the seat of Jeroboam's golden calf became the throne-city of Christ's confession of faith.

Jonathan son of Gershom \"son of Moses\" served as priest to the tribe of Dan for the idol. The Masoretes inserted a nun into \"Moses\" to read \"Manasseh,\" to spare the honour of Moses from having an idolatrous grandson. Lapide: the correction is textual, not historical — the true reading is \"son of Moses.\" Even the holy can have degenerate descendants; the glory of the parent does not exempt the child.