Judges 17:5

5 And Micah also separated a little house, or an oratory, therein to God; and made (an) ephod, and teraphim, that is, a priest's cloak, and idols; and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he was made a priest to him (and he consecrated, or dedicated, one of his sons, and he became 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Judges 17:5 In-Context

3 Therefore he yielded those to his mother; and she said to him, I hallowed and avowed this silver to the Lord, that my son receive (it out) of mine hand, and make (with it) a graven image and a molten image; and now I give it to thee. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she said, I now hallow and vow this silver to the Lord, to protect my son from the curse, and I ask that ye, my son, have a carved idol, and a cast image, made from it; and now I give it to thee.)

4 Therefore he yielded to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of (the) silver, and gave those to a workman of silver, that he should make of those a graven image and (a) molten (image), that was (to be put) in the house of Micah. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of the silver, and gave them to a craftsman of silver, so that he could make them into a carved idol, and a cast image; and they were put in Micah's house.)

5 And Micah also separated a little house, or an oratory, therein to God; and made (an) ephod, and teraphim, that is, a priest's cloak, and idols; and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he was made a priest to him (and he consecrated, or dedicated, one of his sons, and he became his priest).

6 In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)

7 Also another young waxing man was of Bethlehem of Judah, of the kindred of Judah, and he was a deacon, and dwelled there. (And there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the tribe of Judah, and he was a Levite, and lived there.)