Judges 18:17

17 And ¹the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took ²the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 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 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare.

16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

18 And when these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

19 And they said to him, "Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?"

Cross References

• 1. ver. 2, 14
• 2. ver. 14; Judges 17:4, 5