Judges Chapter 17

From The Open Bible Project

17:1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

• (a) Some think this history was in the time of Othniel, or as Josephus writes, immediately after Joshua.

17:2 He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred [pieces] of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." His mother said, "Blessed be my son of Yahweh."

17:3 He restored the eleven hundred [pieces] of silver to his mother; and his mother said, "I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you."

• (b) Contrary to the commandment of God and true religion practised under Joshua, they forsook the Lord and fell into idolatry.

17:4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred [pieces] of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it an engraved image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah.

17:5 The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

• (c) He would serve both God and idols.
• (d) By Teraphim some understand certain idols, having the likeness of a man, but others understand by it all manner of things and instruments belonging to those who sought an answer at God’s hands, as in (Judges 18:5,6).

17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

• (e) For where there is no Magistrate fearing God, there can be no true religion or order.

17:7 There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.

• (f) Which Bethlehem was in the tribe of Judah.

17:8 The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he traveled.

17:9 Micah said to him, "Where did you come from?" He said to him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live."

• (g) For in those days the service of God was corrupt in all estates and the Levites were not looked to.

17:10 Micah said to him, "Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten [pieces] of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food." So the Levite went in.

17:11 The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

• (h) Not considering that he forsook the true worship of God to maintain his own belly.

17:12 Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

17:13 Then said Micah, "Now know I that Yahweh will do good to me, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

• (i) Thus the idolaters persuade themselves of God’s favour, when indeed he detests them.