Judges 18:19

19 They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us. Be our father and priest. You can serve a whole tribe and family group in Israel as our priest. Isn't that better than serving just one man's family?"

Judges 18:19 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:19

And they said unto him, hold thy peace
Be silent, make no disturbance, be quiet and easy:

lay thy hand upon thy mouth;
as a token of silence; so the Egyptians used to paint Harpocrates, the god of silence, with his fingers pressing his lips:

and go with us;
for they wanted him as well as his gods, not knowing well how to make use of them without him:

and be to us a father and a priest;
to direct them, instruct them, perform acts of devotion for them, and ask counsel on their account; it seems as if it was common in those days to call a priest a father, see ( Judges 17:10 )

is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that
thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
suggesting, that it must be much more honourable for him, and more to his advantage, to officiate as a priest to a body of people, that might be called a tribe, or to a family consisting of various houses, than in the house of a private person; this they left him to consider and judge of.

Judges 18:19 In-Context

17 The five men who had looked over the land went inside. They took the two statues. They also took the family gods and the linen apron. During that time, the priest stood at the entrance of the gate. The 600 men stood there with him. They were prepared for battle.

18 When those men went into Micah's house and took all of those things, the priest spoke to them. He asked, "What are you doing?"

19 They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us. Be our father and priest. You can serve a whole tribe and family group in Israel as our priest. Isn't that better than serving just one man's family?"

20 The priest was glad. He took the linen apron and the family gods. He also took the statue of a god that was made out of wood or stone. Then he left with the people.

21 They put their little children and their livestock in front of them. They also put everything else they owned in front of them. And they turned and went on their way.