Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people who were therein, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.
Encouraged by the Levite’s report these spies persuaded their fellow Danites to believe that God would give them this new "promised land." Its advantages were three (Judges 18:7). It was a "quiet and secure" site (cf. Judges 18:27). There was no dominating ruler under whom the Danites would have to submit; they could continue to do as they pleased. Third, it enjoyed an isolated location that also suggested no interference from people who might object to the Danites’ practices. Obviously the Danites wanted to continue to live as they chose rather than submitting to God’s will for His people. The name "Dan" is similar to the Hebrew word that means "justice." How ironic it was that the tribe that was to judge Israel (Genesis 49:16) should participate is such a miscarriage of justice.