Judges 17:12

12 So Micah consecrated * the Levite, and the young man ¹became his priest and lived in the house of Micah.

Judges 17:12 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 17:12

And Micah consecrated the Levite
Installed him into, and invested him with the priestly office; in like manner he had consecrated his son before, by filling his hand with sacrifices; see ( Judges 17:5 )

and the young man became his priest;
and did the work and office of one; this was a very daring piece of presumption in them both; in Micah, to take upon him to consecrate a priest, who was himself of the tribe of Ephraim; and in the young man, to suffer himself to be put into such an office, which did not belong to him, for though every priest was a Levite, or of the tribe of Levi, yet every Levite had not a right to be a priest, only those who were of the family of Aaron:

and was in the house of Micah;
and continued there.

Judges 17:12 In-Context

10 Micah then said to him, "Dwell with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your maintenance." So the Levite went in.

11 The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons.

12 So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah.

13 Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, seeing I have a Levite as priest."

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 16:10; Numbers 18:1-7

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "filled the hand of"
• [b]. Lit "was"