Judges Chapter 17    

“a carved image and a cast metal image.” The scholars are divided as to whether there were two images (idols), or whether the text is a form of hendiadys (two nouns meaning one thing) and there was just one idol that was made of metal and cast and then shaped, but Judges 18:18 seems to clearly indicate there were two idols.

[See figure of speech “hendiadys.”]

“A house of God.” That is, a temple. The Hebrew could read “a house of gods,” but it is very unlikely that Micah thought of himself as an idolater, worshiping pagan gods even if his temple had more than one god. The context indicates that he thought he was worshiping Yahweh.

“teraphim.” The word teraphim is plural and refers to household gods. The number, identity, size, and purpose of the household gods varied from person to person and from region to region, although the Bible shows that at least sometimes they were involved in divination and thus determining the will of God (or the gods). We have no knowledge of the number of teraphim that Micah had (see commentary on Gen. 31:19).

“In those days there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes.” This sentence occurs in Judges 17:6 and 21:25, thus near the beginning and also the very last sentence of Judges, thus setting apart the last five chapters from the rest of Judges. Also, the statement that there was no king in Israel occurs in Judges 18:1 and 19:1, and thus that fourfold repetition of the fact that there was no king placed at the end of the book of Judges (but not the end chronologically) is a portent of the fact that very soon the people will demand and get a king.

“Who was a Levite.” Bethlehem was not a Levitical city, so why the Levite was there is not described.

“father.” Here used as “mentor” and “guide.”

[For more information on the uses of “father” in the Bible, see commentary on Genesis 4:20. For information on the disciples of a Rabbi being called his “sons,” see commentary on Matthew 12:27. For information on the disciples of a Rabbi being called “orphans” if the Rabbi died or left the area, see commentary on John 14:18, “orphans.”]

“In the house of Micah.” That is, he became part of Micah’s extended household.