Judges 17:4

4 Therefore he yielded to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of (the) silver, and gave those to a workman of silver, that he should make of those a graven image and (a) molten (image), that was (to be put) in the house of Micah. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of the silver, and gave them to a craftsman of silver, so that he could make them into a carved idol, and a cast image; and they were put in Micah's house.)

Judges 17:4 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 17:4

Yet he restored the money unto his mother
Gave it to her a second tithe, not as disapproving her idolatrous intention, as the sequel shows, but being desirous to be entirely free of it, and not have his mind disturbed with it as it had been, and that she might do with it as she thought fit:

and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the
founder, who made thereof a graven image, and a molten image;
the other nine hundred pieces she kept to herself, repenting of her vow, and being unwilling to part with so much money for such an use; or else they were laid out in an ephod, and teraphim, and what else were thought necessary for the idolatrous worship they were about to set up; though Kimchi is of opinion, that the two hundred shekels were what she gave the founder for making the images, and of the nine hundred the images were made; and indeed the images must be very small ones, if made out of two hundred shekels of silver only; some have thought there was but one image, called both molten and graven; because after the silver was melted, and cast into a mould, it was fashioned with a graving tool, as the golden calf was by Aaron; but they are manifestly distinguished and represented as two, ( Judges 18:17 Judges 18:18 ) and they were in the house of Micah; in an apartment in his house, peculiar for them, as appears by the next verse; here they were put and continued.

Judges 17:4 In-Context

2 And he said to his mother, Lo! I have a thousand and an hundred pieces of silver, which thou separatedest to thee, and on which thou cursedest, while I heard; and those be with me. To whom she answered, Blessed be my son of the Lord. (And he said to his mother, Thou haddest a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, and I heard thou curse him who robbed thee; lo! I was the one who took them. And she quickly said, May the Lord bless my son!)

3 Therefore he yielded those to his mother; and she said to him, I hallowed and avowed this silver to the Lord, that my son receive (it out) of mine hand, and make (with it) a graven image and a molten image; and now I give it to thee. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she said, I now hallow and vow this silver to the Lord, to protect my son from the curse, and I ask that ye, my son, have a carved idol, and a cast image, made from it; and now I give it to thee.)

4 Therefore he yielded to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of (the) silver, and gave those to a workman of silver, that he should make of those a graven image and (a) molten (image), that was (to be put) in the house of Micah. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of the silver, and gave them to a craftsman of silver, so that he could make them into a carved idol, and a cast image; and they were put in Micah's house.)

5 And Micah also separated a little house, or an oratory, therein to God; and made (an) ephod, and teraphim, that is, a priest's cloak, and idols; and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he was made a priest to him (and he consecrated, or dedicated, one of his sons, and he became his priest).

6 In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)