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Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Judges 17:1-13

The Story of Micah

This story, which is continued in the following c, is undoubtedly a very old one. In striking contrast to many other narrative portions of the Old Testament, there is in the body of this narrative no condemnation of the image-worship to which the Danites attached such importance, nor of their mode of securing it. We can but wonder the more at the heights, which the religion of Israel was to climb from such beginnings as this. Cp. Joshua 19:47.

1-6. Micab's idols.

1 Ephraim] see on Judges 3:27.

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See also Judges 17:1-13 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER XVII _Micah, an Ephraimite, restores to his mother_ eleven hundred _shekels of silver, which he had taken from her_, 1, 2. _She dedicates this to God; and out of a part of it makes a_ _gra...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    See the introduction to the Book of Judges. The only point of contact with the preceding history of Samson is, that we are still concerned with the tribe of Dan. See Judges 18:1, note. Josephus combin...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    III. THE APPENDIX: ISRAEL'S INTERNAL CORRUPTION 1. Micah's and Dan's Idolatry and Its Punishment CHAPTER 17 The Images Made and the Hired Priest _ 1. The stolen money restored and the images (Judge...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JUDGES 17-18. This section is the first of two supplements. It explains the origin of the famous shrine at Dan, and the _naî veté_ of its moral and religious ideas proves how ancient it is. In not a f...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    MICAH'S GRAVEN IMAGE. The dread of a curse, uttered by an indignant mother against the unknown thief of her money, made the culprit, her own son, confess his guilt. At a certain stage of religious dev...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MOUNT. hill country of Ephraim, where Joshua dwelt and was buried (Joshua 24:30)....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the hill country of Ephraim_ See on Judges 3:27. In view of its subsequent connexion with the sanctuary at Dan, some think that Micah's house was at Beth-el. The narrative, however, leaves the situat...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _MICAH, AN EPHRAIMITE, RESTORES THE MONEY WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM HIS MOTHER; FROM WHICH SHE COMMANDS A GRAVEN IMAGE TO BE MADE; MICAH HIRES A LEVITE TO BE HIS PRIEST._ _Before Christ 1426._ _JUDGES...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    DOUBLE APPENDIX Judges 17:1 to Judges 21:25 The Idolatry of Dan Judges 17:1 to Judges 18:31 Micah's Images...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THERE WAS A MAN OF MOUNT EPHRAIM, WHOSE NAME WAS MICAH._ A man of mount Ephraim - i:e., the mountainous parts of Ephraim. This and the other narratives that follow form a miscellaneous collectio...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 17 V1 There was a man called Micah from the hilly country where Ephraim’s *tribe lived. V2 He said to his mother, ‘Someone stole the 1100 pieces of...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THERE WAS. — The Vulg. has, “there was _at that time”_ which is an error, for these events happened before the days of Samson. A MAN OF MOUNT EPHRAIM. — The hill-district of Ephraim, as in Judges 2:9....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַֽ יְהִי ־אִ֥ישׁ מֵֽ הַר ־אֶפְרָ֖יִם וּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE STOLEN GODS Judges 17:1, Judges 18:1 THE portion of the Book of Judges which begins with the seventeenth chapter and extends to the close is not in immediate connection with that which has gone b...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here begins the final section of the Book of Judges which is of the nature of an appendix. The events here recorded must have taken place closely following the death of Joshua. They give us a picture...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And there (a) was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name [was] Micah. (a) Some think this history was in the time of Othniel, or as Josephus writes, immediately after Joshua....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    At that time, is not in the Hebrew or Septuagint. It only means that the event which is recorded took place at some time, which the sacred writer does not determine. We should conclude, that the histo...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The subject of this, and all that remains in the book of the Judges, puts on a different complection from what went before. The Reader will recollect the title it bears: the transactions here...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Observe how, out of the same mouth, when there is no grace in the heart, come cursings or blessings. It seems very plain that money was the idol of both. Hence the son robbed the mother, and the mothe...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 17 THROUGH 21. The Chapter s that follow (17-21) are not comprised in the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to disclose some incidents of the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THERE WAS A MAN OF MOUNT EPHRAIM,.... This and the four following Chapter s contain an history of facts, which were done not after the death of Samson, as some have thought, and as they may seem a...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name [was] Micah. Ver. 1. _And there was a man._] The Vulgate hath it, And at that time there was a man, &c. And some Rabbins say that this fell out soon a...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Here begins what may be called a supplement to the book of Judges; which gives an account of several memorable transactions, in or about the time of the judges: whose history the author would not inte...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Of the money that Micah first stole, then restored, his mother maketh Images, 5 and hee ornaments for them. 6 He hireth a Leuite to be his Priest. 1 AND there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose na...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah. The fine meaning of this man's name, "who is like Jehovah," does not change the fact that the evils of the period were growing, that the deca...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE MAKING OF THE IMAGE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    BOLD IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL (vv. 1-13) Samson was the last judge in Israel. The last five Chapter s of Judges -- 17 to 21 -- deal with conditions during the time of the Judges, so do not necessarily tak...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 What is related in this, and the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua: see chap. Judges 20:28. That it might appear how happy the nation was under...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    JUDGES CHAPTER 17 Micah stealeth money of his mother; then confesseth and restoreth it. She dedicates it to the Lord; maketh images: he sets them up in the house of his gods; and consecrates one of hi...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 17:1 man H376 mountains H2022 Ephraim H669 name H8034 Micah H4321 there was - Judges 17:6 mount -...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    Judges 17 . MICAH AND THE LEVITE. This chapter illustrates the rise of idolatry and disobedience to Yahweh in Israel after the death of Joshua. It is illustrated from an incident which occurred in the...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Micah's worship in self will. CHARACTERS: Micah, his mother, a Levite. CONCLUSION: The love of money makes much mischief; destroys the duty and comfort of every relation and frequently lea...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 17:1. _A man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah._ This was soon after the death of Joshua, says Josephus, and before the civil war with Benjamin. Judges 17:2. _About which thou cursedst._...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Micah._ MICAH’S MOTHER In the second verse of this chapter Micah makes a clean confession of a great wrong which he had done to his mother. “It seems,” says Matthew Henry, “that this old woman, with...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 17:1 The Depths of Israel’s Unfaithfulness. Whereas chs. Judges 2:1 describe external threats to Israel, chs....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    IDOLATRY IN ITS INCIPIENT STAGE—BY IMAGE-WORSHIP (Judges 17:1.) _HOMILETICS_ I. IDOLATRY BEGINS WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT UPRIGHT IN MORAL CONDUCT. Judges 17:1. Micah himself is first heard of as stea...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 17:1 We here light upon quite a different kind of history from that which has preceded. We no longer have to do with judges and their mighty deeds in delivering Israel from his oppr...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    At this point the book of Judges, as far as its history, ends. What remains in the book of Judges is not now in chronological order. This is an appendix to the book of Judges as we get into chapter se...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Joshua 15:9; Joshua 17:14; Judges 10:1...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    There was, &c. — 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 —...

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