Judges 17:5

5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.

Judges 17:5 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
English Standard Version (ESV)
5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.
The Message Bible (MSG)
5 This man, Micah, had a private chapel. He had made an ephod and some teraphim-idols and had ordained one of his sons to be his priest.
American Standard Version (ASV)
5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
5 Micah owned a shrine. He also made an ephod and household idols. He ordained one of his sons to be his priest.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
5 This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols, and installed one of his sons to be his priest.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
5 That same Micah had a small temple. He made a sacred linen apron and some statues of gods. He prepared one of his sons to serve as his priest.

Judges 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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Judges 17:5 In-Context

3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
4 So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.
5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.
6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah,

Cross References 5

  • 1. Isaiah 44:13; Ezekiel 8:10
  • 2. S Judges 8:27
  • 3. S Genesis 31:19; Judges 18:14
  • 4. S Numbers 16:10
  • 5. S Exodus 29:9; Judges 18:24
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