Judges 17

AND there was a man The things mentioned here, and in the following Chapters, did not happen in the order in which they are put; but much sooner, even presently after the Death of the Elders that over-lived Ioshua, Iudg. 2. 7. as appears by divers passages; as First, because the place called Mahaneh-Dan, or the camp of Dan, Iudg. 13. 25. was so called from that which was done, Iudg. 18. 12. Secondly, Because the Danites had not yet got all their Inheritance, Iudg. 18. 1. which is not credible of them, above 300 Years after Ioshuah's Death. Thirdly, because Phinehas the son of Eleazar was Priest at this time, Iudg. 20. 28. who must have been about 350 years old, if this had been done after Sampson's Death, which is more than improbable. of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst i. e. Didst Curse the Person who had taken them away, and that in my hearing, as it follows., and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me, I took it The fear of thy Curse makes me acknowledge mine Offence, and beg thy Pardon.. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD I willingly consent to, and beg from God the removal of the Curse, and a Blessing instead of it. Be thou free from my Curse, because thou hast so honestly restored it., my son.

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 In the Hebrew it is, Iehovah, the incommunicable name of God. Whereby it is apparent, that neither she, nor her Son; intended to forsake the true God or his Worship; as appears from his rejoycing when he had got a Priest of the Lords appointment, of the Tribe of Levi, Iudg. 17. 13. but only to Worship God by an Image; which also it is apparent, that both the Israelites, Exod. 32. 1, &c. and Ieroboam afterwards, designed to do., from my hand, for my son Either, First, for the honour and benefit of thy self, and Family; that you need not be continually going to Shiloh to Worship, but may do it as well at home by these Images. Or, Secondly, that thou mayest cause these things to be made; to which end, she restored all the Money to him, as it here follows. to make a graven image, and a molten image Many think this was but one Image, partly Graven, and partly Molten. But it seems more probable, that they were two distinct Images, because they are so plainly distinguished, Iudg. 18. 17, 18. where also some other words come between them. It is true, the graven image alone is mentioned, Iudg. 18. 20, 30, 31. not exclusively to the other, as appears from what is said just before; but by a common Synecdoche, whereby one is put for all; especially, where that one is esteemed the chief.: now therefore I will restore it unto thee To dispose of, as I say..

Yet he restored the money unto his mother Though his Mother allowed him to keep it, yet he persisted in his resolution to restore it, that she might dispose of it as she pleased; and did actually restore it, as was said before; and now confirms the former Restitution, and therefore is twice said to restore it., and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver Reserving 900 Shekels either for the Ephod and Teraphim, or for other things relating to this Worship: or for her own private use; being, it seems, cooled in her first Zeal, and willing to have as cheap a Religion as she could, as also her Son Micah was, Iudg. 17. 10., and gave them to the founder, who made there of Made them, either, First, of that Matter: Or, Secondly, for that money. a graven image, and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah.

And the man Micah had an house of gods i. e. An House or Place Consecrated for the Service of God in this manner., and made an ‡ ephod An eminent part of the Priestly Garments, Exod. 28. 4. which, some think, is here put for all of them. and teraphim Some sort of Images so called, of which see Gen. 31. 19. Hos. 3. 4. and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest Because the Levites in that corrupt Estate of the Church, neglected the Exercise of their Office, and therefore were neglected by the People, and others put into their Employment. But this kind of Priesthood was condemned, Numb. 16. 40. and 18. 2, 7..

In those days there was no King i. e. No Judge to Govern and Controul them. The word King being here used largely for a Supreme Magistrate; as Gen. 36. 31. Deut. 33. 5. 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. in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes i. e. Not what pleased God, but what best suited his own fancy or lusts..

¶ And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah Or, of Bethlehem-Iudah, so called here, as Matt. 2. 1, 5. to difference it from Bethlehem in Zebulun, Iosh. 19. 15. There he was born and bred., of the family of Judah i. e. Of, or belonging to the Tribe of Iudah; not by Birth, for he was a Levite; nor by his Mother, for though that might be true, the Mothers-side is not regarded in Genealogies; but by his Habitation and Ministration. For the Levites, especially in times of Confusion and Irreligion, were dispersed among all the Tribes; and this mans Lot fell into the Tribe of Iudah: which seems to be here noted by way of reflection upon that Tribe, and as an evidence of the general defection, that a Levite could not find entertainment in that great and famous Tribe which God had put so much honour upon, Gen. 49. 8, 9, 10, 11. and therefore was forced to wander and seek for subsistence elsewhere., who was a Levite, and he sojourned there So he expresseth it, because this was not the proper, nor usual place of his abode, this being no Levitical City..

And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place For employment and a lively-hood; for the Tithes and Offerings, which were their maintenance, not being brought in to the house of God, the Levites and Priests must needs be reduced to great streights., and he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah as he journeyed.

And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? and he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest For, a Father, that is, a Priest, a Spiritual Father, a Teacher or Instructor, for such are called Fathers; see 2 King. 6. 21. and 8. 9. and 13. 14. Isa. 22. 21. He pretends Reverence and Submission to him; and what is wanting in his Wages, he pays him in empty Titles., 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.

And the Levite was content Being constrained by necessity, and infected with the common contagion of the Superstition and Idolatry of the times. to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one of his sons i. e. Treated with the same degree of kindness and affection..

And Micah consecrated the Levite To be a Priest, for which he thought a Consecration necessary, as knowing that the Levites were no less excluded from the Priests office than the people., and the young man became his priest Instead of his Son, whom he had Consecrated for want of a... itter, v. 6. but now seems to restrain him from the exercise of that Office, and to devolve it wholly upon the Levite, who was nearer akin to it., and was in the house of Micah.

Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good I am assured God will Bless me. So blind and grosly 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 Gods express Command, in worshipping God in a forbidden place; and in that he being an Ephraimite presumed to make a Priest, &c., seeing I have a Levite to my priest.