Judges 18:17

17 Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took 1the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

Judges 18:17 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:17

And the five men that went out to spy the land went up and
came thither
They first came to Micah's house, and saluted the young man, and after that salutation told him there was such a number of their brethren at the gate of the city, very probably, who would be glad to see him; and the young man being desirous also of seeing them, and paying his respects to them, went with them thither, and after they had introduced him, left him discoursing with them, and then returned to his apartment:

and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the
molten image;
and brought them away with them; and from hence it appears plainly that there were two images, the one graven, and the other molten, since they are so manifestly distinguished, and the ephod and teraphim are spoken of between them:

and the priest stood in the entering of the gate, with the six hundred
men that were appointed with the weapons of war;
who kept him in talk, while the five men went and stole the above things.

Judges 18:17 In-Context

15 They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
16 The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17 Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18 When these went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"
19 They said to him, "Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"

Cross References 1

  • 1. Genesis 31:19, 30; Isaiah 41:29; Micah 5:13

Footnotes 1

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