Judges 17:5-13

5 This man Mikhah owned a house of God; so he made a ritual vest and household gods and consecrated one of his sons, who became his cohen.

6 At that time there was no king in Isra'el; a man simply did whatever he thought was right.

7 There was a young man from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, from the family of Y'hudah, who was a Levi. He had been staying

8 in Beit-Lechem, but he left there to find another place to live and came to the hills of Efrayim, where eventually he made his way to the house of Mikhah.

9 Mikhah asked him, "Where are you coming from?" He answered, "I am a Levi from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, and I'm looking for a place to live."

10 Mikhah replied, "Stay with me, and be a father and cohen for me; I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, in addition to your clothing and food." So the Levi went in

11 and agreed to stay with the man; the young man became like one of his sons.

12 After Mikhah consecrated the Levi, the young man became his cohen and stayed there in Mikhah's house.

13 Mikhah said, "Now I know that ADONAI will treat me well, because I have a Levi for a cohen.

Judges 17:5-13 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.