Joshua 19 · a question people ask
Dan had a list of cities. Why did it go and take Leshem?
Joshua 19 gives Dan's cities (19:41-46) and then says, "The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it" (19:47). Joshua doesn't say why. Judges tells two more things. "The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley" (Judges 1:34); and "the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel" (Judges 18:1). Some of the cities Dan was given are named there as places where the Amorites stayed: "the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim" (Judges 1:35; compare "Shaalabbin, Aijalon", Joshua 19:42). The Bible sets these down side by side and doesn't say how they fit in time.
The verses
“The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border opposite Joppa. The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather.”
“The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.”
“In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.”