Judges 17:6-11

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,

8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way^[a] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”

10 Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels^[b] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.”

11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.

Judges 17:6-11 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 18:1; Judges 19:1; Judges 21:25
• 2. S Deuteronomy 12:8
• 3. Judges 18:3
• 4. S Genesis 35:19; Judges 19:1; Ruth 1:1-2; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1
• 5. Ruth 1:1
• 6. S Genesis 45:8
• 7. Judges 18:19

Footnotes

• [a] Or "To carry on his profession"
• [b] That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams