King James Version

What Does Judges 17:2 Mean?

Judges 17:2 in the King James Version says “And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, ...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 17 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Judges 17:2 · King James Version

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.

4

Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.

Read Judges 17 full chapter

Commentaries2 scholars

KJV Study CommentaryPublic Domain
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. This verse reveals profound spiritual confusion. Micah confesses theft from his own mother—violating the eighth and fifth commandments. The mother had pronounced a curse (alah, אָלָה) on the thief, yet her response—"Blessed be thou of the LORD"—epitomizes theological perversion. She invokes Yahweh's name to bless a confessed thief while planning to use the silver for idol-making (verse 3).

This reflects the syncretistic worldview where Yahweh becomes a manipulable deity rather than the sovereign, holy God who demands exclusive worship. Her "blessing" uses the covenant name LORD (Yahweh, יְהוָה), yet completely contradicts His revealed character. As Reformed theology emphasizes, true knowledge of God comes through His self-revelation in Scripture, not human imagination. This verse illustrates total depravity—even family relationships and religious language become corrupted by sin. Paul warns that "having a form of godliness" while "denying the power thereof" characterizes false religion (2 Timothy 3:5).

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

The eleven hundred shekels of silver (approximately 28 pounds) represent massive wealth—over 36 times the price of a slave (Exodus 20:32). That Micah's family possessed such wealth suggests they were among the landed elite, yet this economic privilege did not translate into spiritual faithfulness. The practice of cursing thieves was widespread in the ancient Near East, with curses believed to have inherent power. However, Micah's mother perverts this by invoking Yahweh's name for both curse and blessing in service of idolatry, violating the third commandment.

This incident reveals the breakdown of family catechism and covenant education. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 commanded parents to teach God's law diligently to children, yet Micah's mother teaches the opposite. The generational apostasy prophesied in Judges 2:10-12 manifests here: a family that knows covenant vocabulary but not covenant theology.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do we invoke God's name to bless what He explicitly condemns, revealing our syncretistic worldview?
  2. What areas of life reflect the inconsistency of religious language paired with disobedient practice?
  3. How does this passage warn against presuming God's blessing while living in unrepented sin?

Compare 2 commentaries from different scholars and time periods for a richer understanding.

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 23 words
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר1 of 23

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אִמּ֔וֹ2 of 23

“it And his mother”

H517

a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])

אֶלֶף֩3 of 23

“The eleven hundred”

H505

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

וּמֵאָ֨ה4 of 23
H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

הַכֶּ֥סֶף5 of 23

“behold the silver”

H3701

silver (from its pale color); by implication, money

אֲשֶׁ֣ר6 of 23
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

לְקַחְתִּ֑יו7 of 23

“is with me I took”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

לָ֗ךְ8 of 23
H0
וְאַ֤תְּי9 of 23
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

אָלִית֙10 of 23

“from thee about which thou cursedst”

H422

properly, to adjure, i.e., (usually in a bad sense) imprecate

וְגַם֙11 of 23
H1571

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר12 of 23

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

בְּאָזְנַ֔י13 of 23

“of also in mine ears”

H241

broadness. i.e., (concrete) the ear (from its form in man)

הִנֵּֽה14 of 23
H2009

lo!

הַכֶּ֥סֶף15 of 23

“behold the silver”

H3701

silver (from its pale color); by implication, money

אִתִּ֖י16 of 23
H854

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc

אֲנִ֣י17 of 23
H589

i

לְקַחְתִּ֑יו18 of 23

“is with me I took”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר19 of 23

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אִמּ֔וֹ20 of 23

“it And his mother”

H517

a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])

בָּר֥וּךְ21 of 23

“Blessed”

H1288

to kneel; by implication to bless god (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (god or the king, as

בְּנִ֖י22 of 23

“my son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

לַֽיהוָֽה׃23 of 23

“be thou of the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

Study Guide

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 17:2 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 17:2 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Nehemiah 13:25Ruth 3:101 Samuel 23:211 Samuel 14:24Deuteronomy 27:16Exodus 20:7

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