Focused Passage

Judges 17:1-4

Micah's Shrine: Private Religion in a Leaderless Israel

Judges 17 begins the book's double epilogue by showing covenant disorder at the household level: Micah returns stolen silver, his mother dedicates it to the LORD while commissioning images, Micah builds a private shrine and priesthood, and a wandering Levite is hired to give the arrangement a veneer of legitimacy.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

2said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

3And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

1 Samuel 1:1Classic cross-references Joshua 15:9Classic cross-references Joshua 17:14Classic cross-references Judges 10:1Classic cross-references Judges 18:2Classic cross-references

Original words

Nowוַֽיְהִי־H1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulara manאִ֥ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularnamedוּשְׁמ֥וֹH8034Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularMicahמִיכָֽיְהוּ׃H4321Noun - proper - masculine singularfrom the hill countryמֵֽהַר־H2022Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructof Ephraimאֶפְרָ֖יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 2

Cross-references

Nehemiah 13:25Classic cross-references Proverbs 28:24Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 15:13Classic cross-references Ruth 3:10Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 23:21Classic cross-references

Original words

saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto his motherלְאִמּ֡וֹH517Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularThe elevenאֶלֶף֩H505Number - masculine singularhundred [shekels]וּמֵאָ֨הH3967Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singularof silverהַכֶּ֜סֶףH3701Article | Noun - masculine singularthatאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativewere takenלֻֽקַּֽח־H3947Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singularfrom youלָ֗ךְPreposition | second person feminine singularandוְגַם֙H1571Conjunctionabout which I heardבְּאָזְנַ֔יH241Preposition-b | Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singularyouוְאַתִּיH859Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person feminine singularutterאָמַ֣רְתְּH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singulara curseאָלִית֙H422Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singularI haveהִנֵּֽה־H2009Interjectionthe silver {here}הַכֶּ֥סֶףH3701Article | Noun - masculine singularwith meאִתִּ֖יH854Preposition | first person common singularIאֲנִ֣יH589Pronoun - first person common singulartook itלְקַחְתִּ֑יוH3947Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularThen his motherאִמּ֔וֹH517Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularsaidוַתֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularBlessed beבָּר֥וּךְH1288Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularmy sonבְּנִ֖יH1121Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularby the LORDלַיהוָֽה׃H3068Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

1,100 shekels is approximately 27.6 pounds or 12.5 kilograms of silver; also in verse 3.

Verse 3

Cross-references

Exodus 20:4Classic cross-references Isaiah 30:22Classic cross-references Leviticus 19:4Classic cross-references Exodus 20:23Classic cross-references Judges 18:30Classic cross-references

Original words

And when he had returnedוַיָּ֛שֶׁבH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe elevenאֶֽלֶף־H505Number - masculine singularhundredוּמֵאָ֥הH3967Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular[shekels] of silverהַכֶּ֖סֶףH3701Article | Noun - masculine singularto his motherלְאִמּ֑וֹH517Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular[she]אִמּ֡וֹH517Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularsaidוַתֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularI wholly dedicateהַקְדֵּ֣שׁH6942Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute. . .הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּיH6942Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe silverהַכֶּסֶף֩H3701Article | Noun - masculine singularto the LORDלַיהוָ֨הH3068Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .מִיָּדִ֜יH3027Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularfor my son’s benefitלִבְנִ֗יH1121Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularto makeלַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙H6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructa graven imageפֶּ֣סֶלH6459Noun - masculine singularand a molten idolוּמַסֵּכָ֔הH4541Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularTherefore I will nowוְעַתָּ֖הH6258Conjunctive waw | Adverbreturn itאֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּH7725Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularto youלָֽךְ׃Preposition | second person feminine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

Isaiah 44:13Classic cross-references Genesis 31:19Classic cross-references 2 Chronicles 22:3Classic cross-references Isaiah 40:19Classic cross-references Isaiah 46:6Classic cross-references

Original words

So he returnedוַיָּ֥שֶׁבH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe silverהַכֶּ֖סֶףH3701Article | Noun - masculine singularto his motherלְאִמּ֑וֹH517Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularand sheאִמּוֹ֩H517Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singulartookוַתִּקַּ֣חH3947Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singulartwo hundred [shekels]מָאתַ֨יִםH3967Number - fdof silverכֶּ֜סֶףH3701Noun - masculine singularand gave themוַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singularto a silversmithלַצּוֹרֵ֗ףH6884Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularwho made themוַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙H6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singularinto a graven imageפֶּ֣סֶלH6459Noun - masculine singularand a molten idolוּמַסֵּכָ֔הH4541Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularAnd they were placedוַיְהִ֖יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularin the houseבְּבֵ֥יתH1004Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof Micahמִיכָֽיְהוּ׃H4321Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

200 shekels is approximately 5 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of silver.

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