What Does Judges 18:8 Mean in the King James?
And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew asks, compactly, “What, you?”, leaving the returning scouts’ whole report to fill in the question.
THE MEANING
The people waiting for you ask what you bring back from the journey. What you have seen becomes part of a shared life when you speak it among those connected to you.
THE ROOT
אֲחֵיהֶם
aḥêhem
GROWS FROM
אח
brother, kin
“brethren” in this verse is aḥêhem. The verse names “their brothers” before and after the question, framing the exchange with kinship. The report meets an existing bond, not an anonymous audience.
ALSO GROWS
aḥot: sister
אָחוֹת
The same kinship family names another sibling relationship.
aḥvah: kinship, brotherhood
אַחְוָה
This branch names the bond that holds the question and report together.
בָּאוּ
ba’u
GROWS FROM
בוא
come, enter, arrive
“came” in this verse is ba’u. This root can describe both coming and entering. The travelers arrive among their kin, where their journey’s findings can enter a conversation.
ALSO GROWS
bi’ah: coming, arrival
בִּיאָה
This form names the arrival that opens the exchange.
mavo: entrance, entryway
מָבוֹא
This branch carries the sense of entering, linking the travelers’ return with their entry into a shared space.
THE PATTERN
What is discovered on a journey becomes shared knowledge when it is brought back and spoken among others.
And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?THE THREAD
And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.The question in verse 8 opens space for the travelers’ answer. Here they turn what they have seen into a recommendation to go, showing how a shared inquiry leads into shared direction.
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