שופטים, פרק י״ח, פסוק ל׳

The establishment of an alternative worship center by the tribe of Dan marks a tragic historical milestone, cementing idolatry within their new territory for generations. Upon arriving at their new home, the Danites erected an idol to worship and honor [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Initially, they set up only the idol itself to draw down spiritual influence. Only later did they add the rest of the cultic items they had taken, such as the ephod and household gods, deliberately establishing them as a counterweight to the official Tabernacle in Shiloh [מלבי״ם].

At this pivotal moment, the true identity of the young Levite who has served as the priest throughout these events is finally revealed as Jonathan, son of Gershom [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Although he is listed as the grandson of Manasseh, commentators agree that he was actually the grandson of Moses. In the traditional Hebrew text, an extra letter is suspended within the name to alter it from Moses to Manasseh. This change was made to protect the honor of Moses, ensuring he would not be directly associated with a grandson who practiced idolatry [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Because Jonathan engaged in wicked actions reminiscent of the later sinful King Manasseh, the text attaches this altered name to him [מנחת שי].

The period during which this idolatrous center operated is described as lasting until the exile of the land, a timeframe that generates differing perspectives. One approach suggests this refers to the physical banishment of the Israelites centuries later by the Assyrian king Sennacherib [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This raises a question regarding how righteous leaders like David and Solomon could have permitted an idol to remain in their kingdom. To resolve this, it is explained that the worship was indeed temporarily halted during the era of Samuel the Prophet, at which point Jonathan repented. Generations later, however, when King Jeroboam erected a golden calf in Dan, Jonathan's descendants resumed their roles as idolatrous priests, continuing until the Assyrian exile [מלבי״ם].

A contrasting perspective argues that the exile mentioned does not refer to the banishment of the Israelites, but rather to the capture of the Ark of the Covenant during the time of Eli the Priest. This view is supported by the logical assumption that David and Solomon would never have tolerated such idolatry, as well as the historical alignment between the idol's existence and the days of the Tabernacle in Shiloh. According to this interpretation, Samuel the Prophet was the one who ultimately eradicated the idol. He had initially hesitated to destroy it out of respect for Eli, who had been passive in addressing the problem. Following Eli's death and the capture of the Ark, Samuel decisively abolished the idolatrous worship in Dan [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].