Judges 18:19

19 To whom they answered, Be thou still, and put thy finger on thy mouth, and come with us, that we have thee (for a) father and (a) priest. What is better to thee, that thou be priest in the house of one man, either (a priest) in a lineage and (a) family of Israel? (What is better for thee, that thou be a priest in the house of one man, or a priest in a tribe and a family of Israel?)

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 And they, that entered into the house of the young man, enforced to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood before the door, while six hundred full strong (armed) men abode not far (from) thence. (And they, who had entered into the young man's home, that is, into Micah's house, endeavoured to take away the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the cast image; and the priest stood outside the door, with the six hundred very strong armed men, who waited not far from there.)

18 Therefore they that entered took the graven image, ephod, and idols, and the molten image; to whom the priest said, What do ye? (And so they who entered took the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, or the other idols, and the cast image; and the priest said to them, What be ye doing?)

19 To whom they answered, Be thou still, and put thy finger on thy mouth, and come with us, that we have thee (for a) father and (a) priest. What is better to thee, that thou be priest in the house of one man, either (a priest) in a lineage and (a) family of Israel? (What is better for thee, that thou be a priest in the house of one man, or a priest in a tribe and a family of Israel?)

20 And when he had heard this, he assented to their words, and he took the ephod, and idols, and the graven image, and went forth with them. (And when he had heard this, he agreed with what they said, and he himself took hold of the ephod, and the carved idol, and the teraphim, and the cast image, and went away with them.)

21 And when they went forth, and had made their little children, and their work beasts, and all thing that was precious, to go before them; (And so they all went forth, and made their little children, and their work beasts, and all the things that were precious to them, to go before them;)