King James Version

What Does Judges 18:20 Mean?

“And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.”

Context

And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20) **The priest’s heart was glad.**—Judges 19:6; Judges 19:9; Ruth 3:7. The disgraceful alacrity with which he sanctions the theft, and abandons for self-interest the cause of Micah, is very unworthy of a grandson of Moses. Dean Stanley appositely compares the bribe offered in 1176 to the monk Roger of Canterbury:—“Give us the portion of St. Thomas’s skull which is in thy custody, and thou shalt cease to be a simple monk; thou shalt be Abbot of St. Augustine’s.” **In the midst of the people.**—That they might guard his person. It is not necessarily implied that he carried *all *these sacred objects himself; he *may *have done so, for the molten image, which was perhaps the heaviest object, is not here mentioned.

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 18:20 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.