Apologetics Bible
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Judges describes the repeated cycle of Israel's apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance through Spirit-empowered judges. The book is unrelentingly honest about human failure — a mark of authentic historiography rather than theological propaganda.
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Connected primary witness
- Connected ID:
Judges_17
- Primary Witness Text: And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 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. 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. 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. 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. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And there was a young man out of Beth–lehem–judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 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. 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. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a fat...
Connected dataset overlay
- Connected ID:
Judges_17
- Chapter Blob Preview: And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 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. And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to h...
Chapter frameStart here before opening notes.
Chapter frame
Judges describes the repeated cycle of Israel's apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance through Spirit-empowered judges. The book is unrelentingly honest about human failure — a mark of authentic historiography rather than theological propaganda.
The book's apologetics contribution is its candor: Scripture does not sanitize its heroes. Samson, Gideon, and Jephthah are delivered-through-faith despite massive moral failure (Heb 11:32). The final chapters of Judges (17-21) are the bleakest in the OT, deliberately framed to demand a king and ultimately a divine King who can actually transform human nature.
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Judges 17:1
Hebrew
וַֽיְהִי־אִישׁ מֵֽהַר־אֶפְרָיִם וּשְׁמוֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃vayehiy-'iysh-mehar-'eferayim-vshemvo-miykhayehv
KJV: And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
AKJV: And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
ASV: And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
YLT: And there is a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name is Micah,
Exposition: Judges 17:1 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:2
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר לְאִמּוֹ אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר לֻֽקַּֽח־לָךְ ואתי וְאַתְּ אָלִית וְגַם אָמַרְתְּ בְּאָזְנַי הִנֵּֽה־הַכֶּסֶף אִתִּי אֲנִי לְקַחְתִּיו וַתֹּאמֶר אִמּוֹ בָּרוּךְ בְּנִי לַיהוָֽה׃vayo'mer-le'imvo-'elef-vme'ah-hakhesef-'asher-luqach-lakhe-v'ty-ve'ate-'aliyt-vegam-'amarete-ve'azenay-hineh-hakhesef-'itiy-'aniy-leqachetiyv-vato'mer-'imvo-varvkhe-veniy-layhvah
KJV: 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.
AKJV: And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you of the LORD, my son.
ASV: And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah.
YLT: and he saith to his mother, The eleven hundred silverlings which have been taken of thine, and of which thou hast sworn, and also spoken in mine ears; lo, the silver is with me, I have taken it;' and his mother saith, Blessed is my son of Jehovah.'
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:2Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:2
Verse 2 About which thou cursedst - Houbigant and others understand this of putting the young man to his oath. It is likely that when the mother of Micah missed the money, she poured imprecations on the thief; and that Micah, who had secreted it, hearing this, was alarmed, and restored the money lest the curses should fall on him.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:2
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Micah
Exposition: Judges 17:2 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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,...'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:3
Hebrew
וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־אֶֽלֶף־וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף לְאִמּוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר אִמּוֹ הַקְדֵּשׁ הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף לַיהוָה מִיָּדִי לִבְנִי לַֽעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה וְעַתָּה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ לָֽךְ׃vayashev-'et-'elef-vme'ah-hakhesef-le'imvo-vato'mer-'imvo-haqedesh-hiqedashetiy-'et-hakhesef-layhvah-miyadiy-liveniy-la'ashvot-fesel-vmasekhah-ve'atah-'ashiyvenv-lakhe
KJV: 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.
AKJV: And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you.
ASV: And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I verily dedicate the silver unto Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
YLT: And he giveth back the eleven hundred silverlings to his mother, and his mother saith, `I had certainly sanctified the silver to Jehovah, from my hand, for my son, to make a graven image, and a molten image; and now, I give it back to thee.'
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:3Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:3
Verse 3 I had wholly dedicated - From this it appears that Micah's mother, though she made a superstitious use of the money, had no idolatrous design, for she expressly says she had dedicated it ליהוה layhovah, to Jehovah; and this appears to have been the reason why she poured imprecations on him who had taken it.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:3
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Jehovah
Exposition: Judges 17:3 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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 the...'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:4
Hebrew
וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף לְאִמּוֹ וַתִּקַּח אִמּוֹ מָאתַיִם כֶּסֶף וַתִּתְּנֵהוּ לַצּוֹרֵף וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה וַיְהִי בְּבֵית מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃vayashev-'et-hakhesef-le'imvo-vatiqach-'imvo-ma'tayim-khesef-vatitenehv-latzvoref-vaya'ashehv-fesel-vmasekhah-vayehiy-veveyt-miykhayehv
KJV: 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.
AKJV: Yet he restored the money to 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.
ASV: And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah.
YLT: And he giveth back the money to his mother, and his mother taketh two hundred silverlings, and giveth them to a refiner, and he maketh them a graven image, and a molten image, and it is in the house of Micah.
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:4Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:4
Verse 4 A graven image and a molten image - What these images were, we cannot positively say; they were most probably some resemblance of matters belonging to the tabernacle. See below.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:4
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Judges 17:4 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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 in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:5
Hebrew
וְהָאִישׁ מִיכָה לוֹ בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וַיַּעַשׂ אֵפוֹד וּתְרָפִים וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת־יַד אַחַד מִבָּנָיו וַיְהִי־לוֹ לְכֹהֵֽן׃veha'iysh-miykhah-lvo-veyt-'elohiym-vaya'ash-'efvod-vterafiym-vayemale'-'et-yad-'achad-mivanayv-vayehiy-lvo-lekhohen
KJV: 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.
AKJV: 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.
ASV: And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
YLT: As to the man Micah, he hath a house of gods, and he maketh an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrateth the hand of one of his sons, and he is to him for a priest;
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:5Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:5
Verse 5 The man Micah had a house of gods - בית אלהים beith Elohim should, I think, be translated house or temple of God; for it is very likely that both the mother and the son intended no more than a private or domestic chapel, in which they proposed to set up the worship of the true God. Made an ephod - Perhaps the whole of this case may be stated thus: Micah built a house of God - a chapel in imitation of the sanctuary; he made a graven image representing the ark, a molten image to represent the mercy-seat, teraphim to represent the cherubim above the mercy-seat, and an ephod in imitation of the sacerdotal garments; and he consecrated one of his sons to be priest. Thus gross idolatry was not the crime of Micah; he only set up in his own house an epitome of the Divine worship as performed at Shiloh. What the teraphim were, see the note on Gen 31:19; for the ephod, see the note on Exo 25:7; and for the sacerdotal vestments in general, see the note on Exo 28:4, etc. Who became his priest - כהן cohen, which the Targum translates chumera. The word כהן cohen is the common name in Hebrew for a priest of the true God; but sometimes it is applied to idolatrous priests. When it is to be understood in the former sense, the Targum renders it cahen; when in the latter, it uses the word כומרא chumera, by which it always understands an idolatrous priest. But that this was not a case of idolatry, and that the true God was worshipped here, is evident from the word Jehovah being used, Jdg 17:4, and oracular answers being given at this house, as we see from Jdg 18:6, etc.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:5
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Gen 31:19
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Targum
- Micah
- Shiloh
Exposition: Judges 17:5 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:6
Hebrew
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃vayamiym-hahem-'eyn-melekhe-veyishera'el-'iysh-hayashar-ve'eynayv-ya'asheh
KJV: In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
AKJV: In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. ¶
ASV: In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
YLT: in those days there is no king in Israel, each that which is right in his own eyes doth.
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:6Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:6
Verse 6 There was no king in Israel - The word מלך melech, which generally means king, is sometimes taken for a supreme governor, judge, magistrate, or ruler of any kind; (see Gen 36:31, and Deu 33:5); and it is likely it should be so understood here. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes - He was his own governor, and what he did he said was right; and, by his cunning and strength, defended his conduct. When a man's own will, passions, and caprice, are to be made the rule of law, society is in a most perilous and ruinous state. Civil government is of God; and without it the earth must soon be desolated. There was a time when there was no king in England; and that was, in general, a time of scandal to religion, and oppression to men.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:6
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Gen 36:31
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- England
Exposition: Judges 17:6 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:7
Hebrew
וַיְהִי־נַעַר מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְהוּא לֵוִי וְהוּא גָֽר־שָֽׁם׃vayehiy-na'ar-miveyt-lechem-yehvdah-mimishefachat-yehvdah-vehv'-leviy-vehv'-gar-sham
KJV: And there was a young man out of Beth–lehem–judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
AKJV: And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
ASV: And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.
YLT: And there is a young man of Beth-Lehem-Judah, of the family of Judah, and he is a Levite, and he is a sojourner there.
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:7Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:7
Verse 7 Of the family of Judah - The word family may be taken here for tribe; or the young man might have been of the tribe of Judah by his mother, and of the tribe of Levi by his father, for he is called here a Levite; and it is probable that he might have officiated at Shiloh, in the Levitical office. A Levite might marry into any other tribe, providing the woman was not an heiress.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:7
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ovid
- Levite
- Shiloh
Exposition: Judges 17:7 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And there was a young man out of Beth–lehem–judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:8
Hebrew
וַיֵּלֶךְ הָאִישׁ מֵהָעִיר מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא וַיָּבֹא הַר־אֶפְרַיִם עַד־בֵּית מִיכָה לַעֲשׂוֹת דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃vayelekhe-ha'iysh-meha'iyr-miveyt-lechem-yehvdah-lagvr-va'asher-yimetza'-vayavo'-har-'eferayim-'ad-veyt-miykhah-la'ashvot-darekhvo
KJV: 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.
AKJV: And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
ASV: And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place, and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
YLT: And the man goeth out of the city, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah, to sojourn where he doth find, and cometh to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, to work his way.
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:8Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:8
Verse 8 To sojourn where he could find - He went about the country seeking for some employment, for the Levites had no inheritance: besides, no secure residence could be found where there was no civil government.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:8
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Judges 17:8 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:9
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר־לוֹ מִיכָה מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֵוִי אָנֹכִי מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וְאָנֹכִי הֹלֵךְ לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָֽא׃vayo'mer-lvo-miykhah-me'ayin-tavvo'-vayo'mer-'elayv-leviy-'anokhiy-miveyt-lechem-yehvdah-ve'anokhiy-holekhe-lagvr-va'asher-'emetza'
KJV: 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.
AKJV: And Micah said to him, From where come you? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
ASV: 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.
YLT: And Micah saith to him, Whence comest thou?' and he saith unto him, A Levite am I, of Beth-Lehem-Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I do find.'
Commentary Witness (Generated)Judges 17:9Generated editorial synthesis
Commentary Witness (Generated)
Judges 17:9
Judges 17:9 advances the immediate literary flow of the chapter and should be interpreted in its canonical context, not as an isolated proof text. In the present translation it reads: '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.'. A close Hebrew reading supports attention to key lexical choices, clause movement, and redemptive-historical placement so doctrinal conclusions remain textually grounded.
Provenance. Rendered as an editorial synthesis tied to the canonical verse context and current chapter source.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:9
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Judges 17:9
Exposition: Judges 17:9 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:10
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מִיכָה שְׁבָה עִמָּדִי וֶֽהְיֵה־לִי לְאָב וּלְכֹהֵן וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ עֲשֶׂרֶת כֶּסֶף לַיָּמִים וְעֵרֶךְ בְּגָדִים וּמִחְיָתֶךָ וַיֵּלֶךְ הַלֵּוִֽי׃vayo'mer-lvo-miykhah-shevah-'imadiy-veheyeh-liy-le'av-vlekhohen-ve'anokhiy-'eten-lekha-'asheret-khesef-layamiym-ve'erekhe-vegadiym-vmicheyatekha-vayelekhe-haleviy
KJV: 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.
AKJV: And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So the Levite went in.
ASV: And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
YLT: And Micah saith to him, `Dwell with me, and be to me for a father and for a priest, and I give to thee ten silverlings for the days, and a suit of garments, and thy sustenance;' and the Levite goeth in .
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:10Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:10
Verse 10 Be unto me a father and a priest - Thou shalt be master of my house, as if thou wert my father; and, as priest, thou shalt appear in the presence of God for me. The term father is often used to express honor and reverence. Ten shekels of silver - About thirty shillings per annum, with board, lodging, and clothes. Very good wages in those early times.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:10
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Exposition: Judges 17:10 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: '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.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:11
Hebrew
וַיּוֹאֶל הַלֵּוִי לָשֶׁבֶת אֶת־הָאִישׁ וַיְהִי הַנַּעַר לוֹ כְּאַחַד מִבָּנָֽיו׃vayvo'el-haleviy-lashevet-'et-ha'iysh-vayehiy-hana'ar-lvo-khe'achad-mivanayv
KJV: And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
AKJV: And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.
ASV: And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
YLT: And the Levite is willing to dwell with the man, and the young man is to him as one of his sons.
Commentary Witness (Generated)Judges 17:11Generated editorial synthesis
Commentary Witness (Generated)
Judges 17:11
Judges 17:11 advances the immediate literary flow of the chapter and should be interpreted in its canonical context, not as an isolated proof text. In the present translation it reads: 'And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.'. A close Hebrew reading supports attention to key lexical choices, clause movement, and redemptive-historical placement so doctrinal conclusions remain textually grounded.
Provenance. Rendered as an editorial synthesis tied to the canonical verse context and current chapter source.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:11
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Biblical cross-references named in the witness
- Judges 17:11
Exposition: Judges 17:11 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:12
Hebrew
וַיְמַלֵּא מִיכָה אֶת־יַד הַלֵּוִי וַיְהִי־לוֹ הַנַּעַר לְכֹהֵן וַיְהִי בְּבֵית מִיכָֽה׃vayemale'-miykhah-'et-yad-haleviy-vayehiy-lvo-hana'ar-lekhohen-vayehiy-veveyt-miykhah
KJV: And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
AKJV: And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
ASV: And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
YLT: And Micah consecrateth the hand of the Levite, and the young man is to him for a priest, and he is in the house of Micah,
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:12Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:12
Verse 12 Micah consecrated the Levite - וימלא את יד vayemalle eth yad, he filled his hands, i.e., he gave him an offering to present before the Lord, that he might be accepted by him. He appointed him to be priest; God was to accept and consecrate him; and for this purpose he filled his hand; i.e., furnished him with the proper offering which he was to present on his inauguration.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:12
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Lord
Exposition: Judges 17:12 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Judges 17:13
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָה עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּֽי־יֵיטִיב יְהוָה לִי כִּי הָיָה־לִי הַלֵּוִי לְכֹהֵֽן׃vayo'mer-miykhah-'atah-yada'etiy-khiy-yeytiyv-yehvah-liy-khiy-hayah-liy-haleviy-lekhohen
KJV: Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
AKJV: Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
ASV: Then said Micah, Now know I that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
YLT: and Micah saith, `Now I have known that Jehovah doth good to me, for the Levite hath been to me for a priest.'
Commentary WitnessJudges 17:13Quoted commentary witness
Commentary Witness
Judges 17:13
Verse 13 Now know I that the Lord will do me good - As he had already provided an epitome of the tabernacle, a model of the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubim; and had got proper sacerdotal vestments, and a Levite to officiate; he took for granted that all was right, and that he should now have the benediction of God. Some think that he expected great gain from the concourse of the people to his temple; but of this there is no evidence in the text. Micah appears to have been perfectly sincere in all that he did. I Have already remarked that there is no positive evidence that Micah or his mother intended to establish any idolatrous worship. Though they acted without any Divine command in what they did; yet they appear, not only to have been perfectly sincere, but also perfectly disinterested. They put themselves to considerable expense to erect this place of worship, and to maintain, at their own proper charges, a priest to officiate there; and without this the place, in all probability, would have been destitute of the worship and knowledge of the true God. His sincerity, disinterestedness, and attachment to the worship of the God of his fathers, are farther seen in the joy which he expressed on finding a Levite who might legally officiate in his house. It is true, he had not a Divine warrant for what he did; but the state of the land, the profligacy of his countrymen, his distance from Shiloh, etc., considered, he appears to deserve more praise than blame, though of the latter he has received a most liberal share from every quarter. This proceeds from that often-noticed propensity in man to take every thing which concerns the character of another by the worst handle. It cannot be considered any particular crime, should these notes be found at any time leaning to the other side.
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:13
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness
- Ovid
- Shiloh
Exposition: Judges 17:13 emphasizes a key movement in the chapter's argument. In KJV form, the text reads: 'Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.'. Read in canonical context, the verse supports the coherence of biblical revelation by linking doctrine, narrative, and covenantal meaning.
Apologetics Notes
- Scientific Correlation: This verse is suitable for cumulative-case reasoning in apologetics: historical context, textual stability, and worldview coherence are evaluated together rather than in isolation.
- Hebrew Grammar: A close Hebrew reading should attend lexical range, clause flow, and discourse function in context; these controls reduce over-reading and preserve authorial intent.
- Historical Evidence: Historically, this verse is interpreted within the received canonical tradition, where manuscript continuity and early community usage support stable transmission and meaning.
Citation trailOpen the commentary counts, references, and named sources.
Scholarly apparatus
Commentary citation index
This chapter now surfaces commentary as quoted witness material with an explicit citation trail. The index below gathers the canonical references and named authorities detected inside the commentary layer for faster academic review.
Direct commentary witnesses
11
Generated editorial witnesses
2
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Canonical references surfaced in commentary
- Judges 17:1
- Judges 17:2
- Judges 17:3
- Judges 17:4
- Gen 31:19
- Judges 17:5
- Gen 36:31
- Judges 17:6
- Judges 17:7
- Judges 17:8
- Judges 17:9
- Judges 17:10
- Judges 17:11
- Judges 17:12
- Judges 17:13
Named authorities or texts surfaced in commentary
- Micah
- Ephraimite
- Levite
- Joshua
- Israel
- Judges
- Jehovah
- Targum
- Shiloh
- England
- Ovid
- Lord
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Commentary Witness
Judges 17:1
Provenance. Rendered as a quoted commentary witness with explicit reference extraction from the source prose.
Canonical locus
Judges 17:1
Source lane
Apologetics Bible source bundle
Named authorities or texts detected in the witness