King James Version
What Does Judges 17:1 Mean?
“And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.”
Context
1
And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
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.
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.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(1) **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. The Talmud (*Sanhedr. *103, *b*) says that he lived at Garab, not far from Shiloh, but the name (“a blotch”) is probably a term of scorn (Deuteronomy 28:27). Similarly, we find in *Perachim, *117, *a, *that he lived at *Bochi. *(See Judges 2:1-5.) Most of the idolatrous violations of the second commandment occurred in the northern kingdom (Gideon, Judges 8:27; Micah, Judges 17; Jeroboam, 1 Kings 12, 13). These apostasies were not a worship of other gods, but a worship of the true God under unauthorised conditions, and with forbidden images.
**Whose name was Micah.**—Scripture does not deem it necessary to say anything more about him. His very name—here *Micayehû, *“Who is like Jehovah “—seems to show that he had been trained by pious parents. The contraction Micah is adopted throughout the rest of the story.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Judges 17:1 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Judges 17:1
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge