Micah's Idols and Shrine
Study note
Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, had stolen eleven hundred pieces of silver from his mother. When she cursed the thief, he confessed and returned the money. His mother dedicated the silver to the Lord but then used it to make a carved idol and a cast idol, directly violating the Ten Commandments. Micah set up a shrine, made a priestly ephod and household gods, and appointed one of his own sons as priest. The narrator comments, 'In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.'
1 In the hill country of Ephraim, there was a man named Micah. And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 He said to his mother, "Remember those eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you? You even spoke a curse about it. Well, I am the one who took that money. I have it right here." His mother replied, "The Lord bless you, my son!" 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 After he handed the eleven hundred silver pieces back to his mother, she said, "I am going to dedicate this silver to the Lord. I will have it turned into a carved idol and a metal image for my son." 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 When he returned the silver, his mother took two hundred pieces and brought them to a silversmith. The craftsman shaped them into a carved idol and a metal image, and these were set up in Micah's house. 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.
5 Micah built a small shrine in his home. He made a priestly vest called an ephod and some household idols, and he chose one of his own sons to serve as his personal priest. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 Back in those days, there was no king ruling over Israel. Everybody did whatever they felt was right. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Micah Hires a Levite Priest
Study note
A young Levite from Bethlehem was traveling and looking for a place to settle. He came to Micah's house in Ephraim. Micah offered him a job as his personal priest, paying him ten pieces of silver per year plus clothing and food. The Levite agreed and became like one of Micah's sons. Micah believed having a genuine Levite as his priest would bring him God's blessing, even though his whole worship system was completely unauthorized and full of idols.
7 A young man who was a Levite had been living in Bethlehem, in the territory of Judah. And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 He left Bethlehem to look for a new place to settle down. While he was traveling, he happened to come to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" The man said, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am traveling around, trying to find somewhere to live." And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 Micah offered him a deal: "Stay here with me. Be my personal priest and spiritual adviser, and I will pay you ten pieces of silver each year. I will also provide your clothes and your meals." The Levite agreed to the offer. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
11 The Levite settled in happily. He lived with Micah, and the young man was treated just like one of Micah's own sons. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 Micah officially made the Levite his priest, and the young man carried out his duties there in Micah's house. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Micah said to himself, "Now things are truly going to go well for me, because I have a real Levite as my priest." Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.