Shofetim 17:3

3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred pieces of kesef to his em, his em said, I had wholly set apart as kodesh the kesef unto Hashem from my hand for beni (my son), to make a pesel (carved image, idol [See Ex 20:4]) and a masekhah (an image cast from a mold [See Ex 32:4]); now therefore I will return it unto thee.

Shofetim 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 17:3

And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver
to his mother
The whole sum, having embezzled none of it:

his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from
my hand, for my son to make a graven image and a molten image;
this she had done either before it was stolen, and it troubled her the more, and caused her the rather to curse the man that had taken it; or after it was stolen, that if it should be recovered again she would appropriate it to such an use; so Abarbinel; and by the Lord, or Jehovah, she doubtless meant the true God; for she had no intention to forsake him, but to worship him in and by these images, and which she designed for the use of her son and his family, that they might not go so far as Shiloh to worship at the tabernacle there:

therefore I will restore it unto thee;
for that use, and so gave him the money again, to be laid out in images, or to make images of it.

Shofetim 17:3 In-Context

1 7 And there was an ish from har Ephrayim, whose shem was Mikhay’hu.
2 And he said unto his em, The eleven hundred pieces of kesef that were taken from thee, about which thou did utter a curse, and spoke of also in mine ears, Hinei, the kesef is with me; I took it. And his em said, Baruch beni LaHashem.
3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred pieces of kesef to his em, his em said, I had wholly set apart as kodesh the kesef unto Hashem from my hand for beni (my son), to make a pesel (carved image, idol [See Ex 20:4]) and a masekhah (an image cast from a mold [See Ex 32:4]); now therefore I will return it unto thee.
4 So he restored the kesef unto his em; and his em took two hundred pieces of kesef and gave them to the tzoref (goldsmith), who made thereof a pesel and a masekhah; and they were in the bais Mikhay’hu.
5 And the ish Mikhay’hu had a bais elohim, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and ordained one of his banim, who became his kohen.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.