Judges 17

1 In that time was a man, that was called Micah, of the hill of Ephraim. (At that time there was a man, who was called Micah, of the hill country of Ephraim.)
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.)
7 Also another young waxing man was of Bethlehem of Judah, of the kindred of Judah, and he was a deacon, and dwelled there. (And there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the tribe of Judah, and he was a Levite, and lived there.)
8 And he went out of the city of Bethlehem, and would be a pilgrim, wherever he found (it) profitable to himself. And when he made journey, and had come into the hill of Ephraim, and had bowed [down] a little into the house of Micah, (And he went out of the city of Bethlehem, and would be a visitor, wherever he found it profitable for himself. And when he had made a journey, and had come to the hill country of Ephraim, and had rested a little at Micah's house,)
9 Micah asked him, From whence comest thou? Which answered, I am a deacon of Bethlehem of Judah, and I go, that I dwell where I may, and where I see that it is profitable to me. (Micah asked him, Where comest thou from? And he answered, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go, so that I can live where I may, and where I see that it is profitable for me.)
10 And Micah said, Dwell thou with me, and be thou to me a father and priest; and I shall give to thee by each year ten pieces of silver, and a double clothing, and those things that be necessary to lifelode. [And] He assented, (And Micah said, Stay thou with me, and be thou a father and a priest to me; and each year I shall give thee ten pieces of silver, and thy clothes, and thy food, or sustenance. And he agreed,)
11 and dwelled with that man; and he was to that man as one of his sons. (and lived with that man; and he was like one of his sons to that man.)
12 And Micah filled his hand (And Micah consecrated, or dedicated, him), and he had the young man (become his) priest, (and abide) with him,
13 and he said, Now I know, that God shall do well to me, having a priest of the kin of Levi. (and he said, Now I know that God shall make things go well for me, for I have my own priest of the tribe of Levi.)

Judges 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

The beginning of idolatry in Israel, Micah and his mother. (1-6) Micah hires a Levite to be his priest. (7-13)

Verses 1-6 What is related in this, and the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua: see chap. ( Judges 20:28 ) . That it might appear how happy the nation was under the Judges, here is showed how unhappy they were when there was no Judge. The love of money made Micah so undutiful to his mother as to rob her, and made her so unkind to her son, as to curse him. Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses. This woman's silver was her god, before it was made into a graven or a molten image. Micah and his mother agreed to turn their money into a god, and set up idol worship in their family. See the cause of this corruption. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes, and then they soon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Verses 7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 17

This chapter relates the first rise of idolatry in Israel after the death of Joshua, which began in Mount Ephraim, occasioned by a sum of money stolen by a man from his mother, which being restored, part was converted to an idolatrous use; two images were made of it, Jud 17:1-5 and there being no king in Israel to take cognizance of it, the idolatry took place and continued, and afterwards spread, Jud 17:6, and this idolater not only made one of his sons a priest, but took a Levite for another, whom he hired by the year to serve him, Jud 17:7-13.

Judges 17 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.