Giudici 17:5

5 E quest’uomo, Mica, ebbe una casa di Dio; e fece un efod e degl’idoli, e consacrò uno de’ suoi figliuoli, che gli servì da sacerdote.

Giudici 17:5 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 17:5

And the man Micah had an house of gods
Having two images in it, besides teraphim, which were a sort of idols; and the Targum is, an house of images, or idols; though it may be rendered "an house of God"; a temple, a place for religious worship:

and made an ephod;
a priestly garment, a linen one very probably, not so rich an one with a breastplate to it as the high priest had, which was very costly. Ben Melech interprets it a girdle, and there was a curious girdle of the ephod, with which it was girt; this may be here put for the rest of the priestly garments which Micah provided:

and teraphim;
which were a sort of household gods, like the Lares and Penates of the Romans, and by which consultations were made; (See Gill on Hosea 3:3) (See Gill on Hosea 3:4) (See Gill on Zechariah 10:2) Micah proposed to have an oracle in his house, whereby he might consult the Lord about future things, and not be at the trouble of going to the tabernacle, and consult there by Urim and Thummim; and the same some take the teraphim to be:

and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest;
or, "filled the hand" ^F11 of one of them; that is, with offerings, as Ben Melech interprets it; in which way priests were initiated, and consecrated to their office; see ( Exodus 28:41 ) ( Exodus 29:9 Exodus 29:24 ) or, as Kimchi expresses it, he offered his offerings by the hand of one of his sons, and appointed him to be a priest, very probably his eldest son.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (dy ta almyw) "et implevit manum", Montanus, V. L.

Giudici 17:5 In-Context

3 Egli restituì a sua madre i mille cento sicli d’argento, e sua madre disse: "Io consacro di mano mia quest’argento a pro del mio figliuolo, per farne un’immagine scolpita e un’immagine di getto; or dunque te lo rendo".

4 E quand’egli ebbe restituito l’argento a sua madre, questa prese dugento sicli e li diede al fonditore, il quale ne fece un’immagine scolpita e un’immagine di getto, che furon messe in casa di Mica.

5 E quest’uomo, Mica, ebbe una casa di Dio; e fece un efod e degl’idoli, e consacrò uno de’ suoi figliuoli, che gli servì da sacerdote.

6 In quel tempo non v’era re in Israele; ognuno faceva quel che gli pareva meglio.

7 Or v’era un giovine di Bethlehem di Giuda, della famiglia di Giuda, il quale era un Levita, e abitava quivi.