Judges 17: Micah's images, and a Levite becomes his priest
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Micah, a man of the hill country of Ephraim, gives back to his mother eleven hundred pieces of silver he had taken from her. She says she dedicates the silver to Yahweh to make a carved image and a molten image, and a silversmith makes them from two hundred pieces. Micah has a house of gods (or: of God), makes an ephod and teraphim, and makes one of his sons his priest. A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah comes by, and Micah hires him as his priest, saying that now Yahweh will do good to him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold. Micah and his mother speak in verses 2 and 3. Micah and the Levite speak in verses 9 and 10, and Micah speaks again in verse 13. Verse 6 is the narrator's own comment. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
In plain English: There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.
The Hebrew word: In verses 1 and 4 the Hebrew spells the man's name in a longer form, Mikayehu. From verse 5 on it is the short form, Micah. This Bible writes "Micah" all through.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2He 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, “May Yahweh bless my son!”
In plain English: He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse, and also said it in my hearing (literally: in my ears): look, the silver is with me. I took it." His mother said, "May Yahweh bless my son!"
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”
In plain English: He gave the eleven hundred pieces of silver back to his mother, and his mother said, "I fully dedicate (literally: I certainly consecrate) the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image (an image cast from metal). So now I will give it back to you."
Good to know: The mother gives the silver "to Yahweh" to make a carved image and a molten image. says, "You shall not make for yourselves an idol", and says, "Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image". The text tells what she and Micah did, and does not comment on it here.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.
In plain English: So he gave the money back to his mother. His mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image from it. It was in Micah's house.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
In plain English: This man Micah had a house of gods (or: a house of God). He made an ephod and teraphim, and he consecrated (literally: filled the hand of) one of his sons, who became his priest.
The Hebrew words: "Ephod" is ephod, which the dictionary gives as "a girdle; specifically the ephod or highpriest's shoulder-piece; also generally, an image". "Teraphim" is teraphim, which the dictionary gives as "a family idol"; Rachel stole her father's teraphim in . "A house of gods" is beit elohim, the same two words as "God's house" in ; the old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) says "the house of God" here.
What changes: Read as a garment, the ephod is something worn, like the high priest's ephod in . Read as "an image", it is an object set up in the house, like Gideon's ephod in . The text does not describe Micah's ephod. Read as "a house of gods", Micah's house holds more than one god; read as "a house of God", he means it for the God of Israel.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
In plain English: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Good to know: This is the narrator's comment. The words "there was no king in Israel" come four times in Judges: here, , and . The whole sentence comes again in 21:25, the last verse of the book. Moses had said, "You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes" (). Readers differ on whether the narrator means it as praise, as blame, or as a plain remark about the times. The text does not say.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.
In plain English: There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan (this Bible: family) of Judah. He was a Levite, and he was living there (or: staying there as a stranger).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled.
In plain English: The man left the town, Bethlehem in Judah, to live (or: to stay as a stranger) wherever he could find a place. As he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to Micah's house.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9Micah 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.”
In plain English: Micah asked him, "Where have you come from?" He answered, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to live wherever I can find a place."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10Micah 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.
In plain English: Micah said to him, "Live with me, and be a father and a priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your food." So the Levite went in.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.
In plain English: The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
In plain English: Micah consecrated (literally: filled the hand of) the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in Micah's house.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”
In plain English: Then Micah said, "Now I know that Yahweh will do good to me, because I have a Levite as my priest."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.