Jdg 17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
And there was a man of Mount Ephraim - This and the other narratives that follow form a miscellaneous collection, or appendix to the Book of Judges. It belongs to a period when the Hebrew nation was in a greatly disordered and corrupt state. This episode of Micah is connected with Jdg_1:34. It relates to his foundation of a small sanctuary of his own--a miniature representation of the Shiloh tabernacle--which he stocked with images modeled probably in imitation of the ark and cherubim. Micah and his mother were sincere in their intention to honor God. But their faith was blended with a sad amount of ignorance and delusion. The divisive course they pursued, as well as the will-worship they practiced, subjected the perpetrators to the penalty of death.
And there was a man of Mount Ephraim - This and the four following chapters contain an history of facts, which were done not after the death of Samson, as some have thought, but long before his time, and indeed before any of the judges in Israel, when there was no king, judge, or supreme governor among them, between the death of Joshua and the elders, and the first judge of Israel, Othniel; so Josephus places them in his history. The connection of them is with Jdg_2:10 and so accounts for the rise of idolatry in Israel , how it got into the tribe of Dan, and spread itself over all the tribes of Israel , Jdg_2:11 which brought on their servitude to Cushanrishathaim. This part contrasts how Samson was sold for 1100 pieces of silver by each of the 5 lords of the Philistines, with Micah and his mother who started the idolatry with 1100 pieces of silver. The love of money made Micah so undutiful to his mother as to rob her, and made her so unkind to her son, as to curse him. Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses. This woman's silver was her god, before it was made into a graven or a molten image. Micah and his mother agreed to turn their money into a god, and set up idol worship in their family. See the cause of this corruption. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes, and then they soon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
Jdg 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
About which thou cursedst - It is likely that when the mother of Micah missed the money, she poured imprecations on the thief; and that Micah, who had secreted it, hearing this, was alarmed, and restored the money lest the curses should fall on him.
And he said unto his mother - Who seems to have been a widow, and an ancient woman since Micah had sons, and one of them at age to become a priest:
and his mother said, blessed be thou of the Lord - she reversed the curse, and pronounced a blessing on him, or wished one to him, and that without reproving him for his sin, rejoicing to hear of her money again.
Jdg 17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, 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: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
I had wholly dedicated - The mother intimates that the consecration of the silver was for the benefit of her son and his house, not for her own selfish advantage: and that she adheres to her original design of consecrating this silver for her son’s benefit.
The Lord - In the Hebrew it is, Jehovah, the incommunicable name of God. Whereby it is apparent, that neither she, nor her son, intended to forsake the true God; as appears from his rejoicing when he had got a priest of the Lord's appointment, but only to worship God by an image; which also both the Israelites, Exo_32:1, &c. and Jeroboam afterwards, designed to do.
For my son - For the benefit of thyself and family; that you need not be continually going to Shiloh to worship, but may do it at home.
a graven image and a molten image--The one carved from a block of wood or stone, to be plated over with silver; the other, a figure formed of the solid metal cast into a mould. Probably the expense of making two such figures of silver, with their appurtenances (pedestals, bases, &c.), might easily be a sum not adequate to the formation of large statues.
Jdg 17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
his mother took two hundred shekels of silver - the other nine hundred pieces she kept to herself, repenting of her vow, and being unwilling to part with so much money for such an use; or else they were laid out in an ephod, and teraphim, and what else were thought necessary for the idolatrous worship they were about to set up; though Kimchi is of opinion, that the two hundred shekels were what she gave the founder for making the images, and of the nine hundred the images were made
Jdg 17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
The man Micah had a house of gods - Perhaps the whole of this case may be stated thus: Micah built a house of God - a chapel in imitation of the sanctuary; he made a graven image representing the ark, a molten image to represent the mercy-seat, teraphim to represent the cherubim above the mercy-seat, and an ephod in imitation of the sacerdotal garments; and he consecrated one of his sons to be priest. 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.
Who became his priest - This was not a case of idolatry, and that the true God was worshipped here, is evident from the word Jehovah being used, Jdg_17:4, and oracular answers being given at this house, as we see from Jdg_18:6, etc.
consecrated one of his sons who became his priest--The assumption of the priestly office by any one out of the family of Aaron was a direct violation of the divine law (Num_3:10; Num_16:17; Deu_21:5; Heb_5:4).
teraphim--tutelary gods of the household The teraphim were images of household gods, penates, who were worshipped as the givers of earthly prosperity, and as oracles (see at Gen_31:19).
Made an ephod - The ephod was an imitation of the high priest's shoulder-dress (see at Jdg_8:27).
Jdg 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
In those days - This phrase, indicating distinctly that the writer lived after the establishment of the kingly government in Israel , is unique to the author of these last five chapters.
Every man did that which was right in his own eyes - That is, not what pleased God, but what best suited his own fancy. He was his own governor, and what he did he said was right; and, by his cunning and strength, defended his conduct. When a man’s own will, passions, and caprice, are to be made the rule of law, society is in a most perilous and ruinous state.
there was no king in Israel - That is, no supreme magistrate, judge, or ruler, Joshua being dead and Caleb also, and the elders contemporary with them.
there was no king in Israel - No judge to govern and control them. The word king being used largely for a supreme magistrate. God raised up judges to rule and deliver the people, when he saw fit; and at other times for their sins he suffered them to be without them, and such a time this was; and therefore they ran into that idolatry, from which the judges usually kept them; as appears by that solemn and oft - repeated passage in this book, that after the death of such or such a judge, the people forsook the Lord, and turned to idols.
Jdg 17:7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
Of the family of Judah - of the tribe of Judah by his mother, and of the tribe of Levi by his father, for he is called here a Levite; and it is probable that he might have officiated at Shiloh , in the Levitical office. A Levite might marry into any other tribe, providing the woman was not an heiress. He might be so called because he had lived chiefly in the tribe of Judah . It was not a Levitical city.
Of the family of Judah - That is, of or belonging to the tribe of Judah ; not by birth, for he was a Levite; but by his habitation and ministration. For the Levites were dispersed among all the tribes; and this man's lot fell into the tribe of Judah .
out of Bethlehemjudah - As there were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe of Zebulun, Jos_19:15 and another in the tribe of Judah , the place here designed, Judah is added to it, to distinguish it from the other:
Sojourned - So he expresseth it, because this was not the proper place of his abode, this being no Levitical city.
Micah thought it was a sign of God's favor to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.
Jdg 17:8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
To sojourn where he could find - He went about the country seeking for some employment, for the Levites had no inheritance. Without a supreme magistrate, to take care that the Levites had their due maintenance, for which there was a sufficient provision made by law; and the people being negligent of paying their tithes, there being none to oblige them to it, and they indifferent to the true worship of God, and prone to idolatry; this man was obliged to go abroad, and seek for a livelihood where he could get it.
To sojourn - For employment and a livelihood; for the tithes and offerings, which were their maintenance, not being brought into the house of God, the Levites and priests were reduced to straights.
Jdg 17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
Jdg 17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
Be unto me a father and a priest - Thou shalt be master of my house, as if thou wert my father; and, as priest, thou shalt appear in the presence of God for me. The term father is often used to express honor and reverence. A father to instruct him in the knowledge of divine things; so prophets were called fathers, and their disciples their sons; and a priest to offer sacrifices for him, and to consult before him by his teraphim upon occasion:
Micah said unto him, dwell with me - Hearing that he was a Levite, he thought him a fit man for his purpose, and would give some credit to, and put a better face upon his new form of worship, and therefore, without further inquiry after him and his character, invites him to make his abode with him:
Jdg 17:11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
The Levite was content to live – He was content to live in this situation, despite the idolatry in the household.
Jdg 17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
Micah consecrated the Levite - Installed him into, and invested him with the priestly office; in like manner he had consecrated his son before, by filling his hand with sacrifices; see Jdg_17:5. To be a priest, for which he thought a consecration necessary, as knowing the Levites were no less excluded from the priest's office than the people.
Micah consecrated the Levite--Hebrew, "filled his hand." This act of consecration was not less unlawful for Micah to perform than for this Levite to receive (see on Jdg_18:30).
the young man became his priest - and did the work and office of one; this was a very daring piece of presumption in them both; in Micah, to take upon him to consecrate a priest, who was himself of the tribe of Ephraim; and in the young man, to suffer himself to be put into such an office, which did not belong to him, for though every priest was a Levite, or of the tribe of Levi, yet every Levite had not a right to be a priest, only those who were of the family of Aaron:
Jdg 17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Now know I that the Lord will do me good - This shows the ignorance as well as the superstition of the age, and gives a picture of the lawlessness of the times.
now know I that the Lord will do me good - So blind and grossly partial he was in his judgment, to think that one right circumstance would answer for all his substantial errors, in making and worshipping images against God's express command, in worshipping God in a forbidden place, by a priest illegally appointed.
Now know I that the Lord will do me good - As he had already provided an epitome of the tabernacle, a model of the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubim; and had got proper sacerdotal vestments, and a Levite to officiate; he took for granted that all was right, and that he should now have the benediction of God. Some think that he expected great gain from the concourse of the people to his temple; but of this there is no evidence in the text. Micah appears to have been perfectly sincere in all that he did.
now know I that the Lord will do me good - by this it appears, that notwithstanding the idolatry he had fallen into, he had not utterly forsaken the Lord, but worshipped him in and by his images; there was a mixture of the worship of God, and of the worship of images:
Now know I that the Lord will do me good--The removal of his son, followed by the installation of this Levite into the priestly office, seems to have satisfied his conscience, that by what he deemed the orderly ministrations of religion he would prosper. This expression of his hope evinces the united influence of ignorance and superstition.
