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Matthew Henry |
J U D G E S
CHAP. XVII.
All agree that what is related in this and the rest of the chapters to
the end of this book was not done, as the narrative occurs, after
Samson, but long before, even soon after the death of Joshua, in the
days of Phinehas the son of Eleazar,
But it is cast here into the latter part of the book that it might not
interrupt the history of the Judges. That it might appear how happy the
nation was in the judges it is here shown how unhappy they were when
there was none.
I. Then idolatry began in the family of Micah,
II. Then it spread itself into the tribe of Dan,
III. Then villany was committed in Gibeah of Benjamin,
IV. Then that whole tribe was destroyed for countenancing it,
V. Then strange expedients were adopted to keep up that tribe,
Therefore blessed be God for the government we are under! In this
chapter we are told how Micah an Ephraimite furnished himself,
1. With an image for his god,
2. With a Levite, such a one as he was, for his priest,
| Micah and His Gods. | B. C. 1406. |
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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.
5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod,
and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his
priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man
did that which was right in his own eyes.
Here we have,
I. Micah and his mother quarrelling.
1. The son robs the mother. The old woman had hoarded, with long
scraping and saving, a great sum of money, 1100 pieces of silver. It is
likely she intended, when she died, to leave it to her son: in the mean
time it did her good to look upon it, and to count it over. The young
man had a family of children grown up, for he had one of age to be a
priest,
v. 5.
He knows where to find his mother’s cash, thinks he has more need of it
than she has, cannot stay till she dies, and so takes it away privately
for his own use. Though it is a fault in parents to withhold from their
children that which is meet, and lead them into temptation to wish them
in their graves, yet even this will by no means excuse the wickedness
of those children that steal from their parents, and think all their
own that they can get from them, though by the most indirect methods.
2. The mother curses the son, or whoever had taken her money. It should
seem she suspected her son; for, when she cursed, she spoke in his cars
so loud, and with so much passion and vehemence, as made both his ears
to tingle. See what mischief the love of money makes, how it destroys
the duty and comfort of every relation. It was the love of money that
made Micah so undutiful to his mother as to rob her, and made her so
unkind and void of natural affection to her son as to curse him if he
had it and concealed it. Outward losses drive good people to their
prayers, but bad people to their curses. This woman’s silver was her
god before it was made thither into a graven or a molten image, else
the loss of it would not have put her into such a passion as caused her
quite to forget and break through all the laws of decency and piety. It
is a very foolish thing for those that are provoked to throw their
curses about as a madman that casteth fire-brands, arrows, and
death, since they know not but they may light upon those that are
most dear to them.
II. Micah and his mother reconciled.
1. The son was so terrified with his mother’s curses that he restored
the money. Though he had so little grace as to take it, he had so much
left as not to dare to keep it when his mother had sent a curse after
it. He cannot believe his mother’s money will do him any good without
his mother’s blessing, nor dares he deny the theft when he is charged
with it, nor retain the money when it is demanded by the right owner.
It is best not to do evil, but it is next best, when it is done, to
undo it again by repentance, confession, and restitution. Let children
be afraid of having the prayers of their parents against them; for,
though the curse causeless shall not come, yet that which is justly
deserved may be justly feared, even though it was passionately and
indecently uttered.
2. The mother was so pleased with her son’s repentance that she
recalled her curses, and turned them into prayers for her son’s
welfare: Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. When those that
have been guilty of a fault appear to be free and ingenuous in owning
it they ought to be commended for their repentance, rather than still
be condemned and upbraided for their fault.
III. Micah and his mother agreeing to turn their money into a god, and
set up idolatry in their family; and this seems to have been the first
instance of the revolt of any Israelite from God and his instituted
worship after the death of Joshua and the elders that out-lived him,
and is therefore thus particularly related. And though this was only
the worship of the true God by an image, against the second
commandment, yet this opened the door to the worship of other gods,
Baalim and the groves, against the first and great commandment.
Observe,
1. The mother’s contrivance of this matter. When the silver was
restored she pretended she had dedicated it to the Lord
(v. 3),
either before it was stolen, and then she would have this thought to be
the reason why she was so much grieved at the loss of it and imprecated
evil on him that had taken it, because it was a dedicated and therefore
an accursed thing, or after it was stolen she had made a vow that, if
she could retrieve it, she would dedicate it to God, and then she would
have the providence that had so far favoured her as to bring it back to
her hands to be an owning of her vow. “Come,” said she to her son, “the
money is mine, but thou hast a mind to it; let it be neither mine nor
thine, but let us both agree to make it into an image for a religious
use.” Had she put it to a use that was indeed for the service and
honour of God, this would have been a good way of accommodating the
matter between them; but, as it was, the project was wicked. Probably
this old woman was one of those that came out of Egypt, and would have
such images made as she had seen there; now that she began to dote she
called to remembrance the follies of her youth, and perhaps told her
son that this way of worshipping God by images was, to her knowledge,
the old religion.
2. The son’s compliance with her. It should seem, when she first
proposed the thing he stumbled at it, knowing what the second
commandment was; for, when she said
(v. 3)
she designed it for her son to make an image of, yet he restored it to
his mother (being loth to have a hand in making the image), and she
gave it to the founder and had the thing done, blaming him perhaps for
scrupling at it,
v. 4.
But, when the images were made, Micah, by his mother’s persuasion, was
not only well reconciled to them, but greatly pleased and in love with
them; so strangely bewitching was idolatry, and so much supported by
traditions received from their parents,
1 Pet. i. 18; Jer. xliv. 17.
But observe how the old woman’s covetousness prevailed, in part, above
her superstition. She had wholly dedicated the silver to make the
graven and molten images
(v. 3),
all the 1100 pieces; but, when it came to be done, she made less than a
fifth part serve, even 200 shekels,
v. 4.
She thought that enough, and indeed it was too much to give for an
image that is a teacher of lies. Had it been devoted truly to the
honour of God, he would not thus have been put off with part of the
price, but would have signified his resentment of the affront, as he
did in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Now observe,
(1.) What was the corruption here introduced,
v. 5.
The man Micah had a house of gods, a house of God, so the LXX.,
for so he thought it, as good as that at Shiloh, and better, because
his own, of his own inventing and at his own disposal; for people love
to have their religion under their girdle, to manage it as they please.
A house of error, so the Chaldee, for really it was so, a
deviation from the way of truth and an inlet to all deceit. Idolatry is
a great cheat, and one of the worst of errors. That which he aimed at
in the progress of his idolatry, whether he designed it at first or no,
was to mimic and rival both God’s oracles and his ordinances.
[1.] His oracles; for he made teraphim, little images which he
might advise with as there was occasion, and receive informations,
directions, and predictions from. What the urim and
thummim were to the prince and people these teraphim
should be to his family; yet he could not think that the true God would
own them, or give answers by them, and therefore depended upon such
demons as the heathen worshipped to inspire them and make them
serviceable to him. Thus, while the honour of Jehovah was pretended
(v. 3),
yet, his institution being relinquished, these Israelites unavoidably
lapsed into downright idolatry and demon-worship.
[2.] His ordinances. Some room or apartment in the house of Micah was
appointed for the temple or house of God; an ephod, or holy garment,
was provided for his priest to officiate in, in imitation of those used
at the tabernacle of God, and one of his sons he consecrated, probably
the eldest, to be his priest. And, when he had set up a graven or
molten image to represent the object of his worship, no marvel if a
priest of his own getting and his own making served to be the manager
of it. Here is no mention of any altar, sacrifice, or incense, in
honour of these silver gods, but, having a priest, it is probable he
had all these, unless we suppose that, at first, his gods were intended
only to be advised with, not to be adored, like Laban’s teraphim; but
the beginning of idolatry, as of other sins, is like the letting
forth of water: break the dam, and you bring a deluge. Here
idolatry began, and it spread like a fretting leprosy. Dr. Lightfoot
would have us observe that as 1100 pieces of silver were here devoted
to the making of an idol, which ruined religion, especially in the
tribe of Dan (as we shall presently find), which was Samson’s tribe, so
1100 pieces of silver were given by each Philistine lord for the ruin
of Samson.
(2.) What was the cause of this corruption
(v. 6):
There was no king in Israel, no judge or sovereign prince to
take cognizance of the setting up of these images (which, doubtless,
the country about soon resorted to), and to give orders for the
destroying of them, none to convince Micah of his error and to restrain
and punish him, to take this disease in time, by which the spreading of
the infection might have been happily prevented. Every man did that
which was right in his own eyes, and then they soon did that
which was evil in the sight of the Lord. When they were without
a king to keep good order among them, God’s house was forsaken, his
priests were neglected, and all went to ruin among them. See what a
mercy government is, and what reason there is that not only prayers
and intercessions, but giving of thanks, should be made for
kings and all in authority,
1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.
Nothing contributes more, under God, to the support of religion in the
world, than the due administration of those two great ordinances,
magistracy and ministry.
7 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 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 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 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 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the
young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became
his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
We have here an account of Micah’s furnishing himself with a Levite for
his chaplain, either thinking his son, because the heir of his estate,
too good to officiate, or rather, because not of God’s tribe, not good
enough. Observe,
I. What brought this Levite to Micah. By his mother’s side he was of
the family of Judah, and lived at Bethlehem among his mother’s
relations (for that was not a Levites’ city), or, upon some other
account, as a stranger or inmate, sojourned there,
v. 7.
Thence he went to sojourn where he could find a place, and in
his travels came to the house of Micah in Mount Ephraim,
v. 8.
Now,
1. Some think it was his unhappiness that he was under a necessity of
removing, either because he was persecuted and abused, or rather
neglected and starved, at Bethlehem. God had made plentiful provision
for the Levites, but the people withheld their dues, and did not help
them into the possession of the cities assigned to them; so that they
were reduced to straits, and no care was taken for their relief.
Israel’s forsaking God began with forsaking the Levites, which
therefore they are warned against,
It is a sign religion is going to decay when good ministers are
neglected and at a loss for a livelihood. But,
2. It seems rather to have been his fault and folly, that he loved to
wander, threw himself out where he was, and forfeited the respect of
his friends, and, having a roving head, would go to seek his fortune,
as we say. We cannot conceive that things had yet come to such a pass
among them that a Levite should be poor, unless it was his own fault.
As those are fit to be pitied that would fix but may not, so those are
fit to be punished that might fix but will not. Unsettledness being,
one would think, a constant uneasiness, it is strange that any
Israelite, especially any Levite, should affect it.
II. What bargain Micah made with him. Had he not been well enough
content with his son for his priest, he would have gone or sent abroad
to enquire out a Levite, but now he only takes hold of one that drops
into his hands, which showed that he had no great zeal in the matter.
It is probable that this rambling Levite had heard, in the country, of
Micah’s house of gods, his graven and molten image, which, if he
had had any thing of the spirit of a Levite in him, would have brought
him thither to reprove Micah for his idolatry, to tell how directly
contrary it was to the law of God, and how it would bring the judgments
of God upon him; but instead of this, like a base and degenerate branch
of that sacred tribe, thither he goes to offer his service, with,
Have you any work for a Levite? for I am out of business, and
go to sojourn where I may find a place; all he aimed at was to
get bread, not to do good,
v. 9.
Micah courts him into his family
(v. 10),
and promises him,
1. Good preferment: Be unto me a father and a priest. Though a
young man, and taken up at the door, yet, if he take him for a priest,
he will respect him as a father, so far is he from setting him among
his servants. He asks not for his credentials, takes no time to enquire
how he behaved in the place of his last settlement, considers not
whether, though he was a Levite, yet he might not be of such a bad
character as to be a plague and scandal to his family, but thinks,
though he should be ever so great a rake, he might serve for a priest
to a graven image, like Jeroboam’s priest of the lowest of the
people,
1 Kings xii. 31.
No marvel if those who can make any thing serve for a god can also make
any thing serve for a priest.
2. A tolerable maintenance. He will allow him meat, and drink, and
clothes, a double suit, so the word is in the margin, a
better and a worse, one for every day’s wear and one for holy days, and
ten shekels, about twenty-five shillings, a year for spending money–a
poor salary in comparison of what God provided for the Levites that
behaved well; but those that forsake God’s service will never better
themselves, nor find a better master. The ministry is the best calling
but the worst trade in the world.
III. The Levite’s settlement with him
(v. 11):
He was content to dwell with the man; though his work was
superstitious and his wages were scandalous, he objected against
neither, but thought himself happy that he had lighted on so good a
house. Micah, thinking himself holier than any of his neighbours,
presumed to consecrate this Levite,
As if his building, furnishing, and endowing this chapel authorized
him, not only to appoint the person that should officiate there, but to
confer those orders upon him which he had no right to give nor the
other to receive. And now he shows him respect as a father and
tenderness as a son, and is willing thus to make up the deficiency of
the coin he gave him.
IV. Micah’s satisfaction in this
(v. 13):
Now know I that the Lord will do me good (that is, he hoped that
his new establishment would gain reputation among his neighbours, which
would turn to his advantage, for he would share in the profit of his
altar; or, rather, he hoped that God would countenance and bless him in
all he put his hand unto) because I have a Levite to be my
priest.
1. He thought it was a sign of God’s favour to him and his images that
he had so opportunely sent a Levite to his door. Thus those who please
themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring
any thing to their hands that furthers them in their evil way, are too
apt to infer thence that God is pleased with them.
2. He thought now that the error of his priesthood was amended all was
well, though he still retained his graven and molten image. Note, Many
deceive themselves into a good opinion of their state by a partial
reformation. They think they are as good as they should be, because,
in some one particular instance, they are not so bad as they have been,
as if the correcting of one fault would atone for their persisting in
all the rest.
3. He thought the making of a Levite into a priest was a very
meritorious act, which really was a presumptuous usurpation, and every
provoking to God. Men’s pride, and ignorance, and self-flattery, will
undertake, not only to justify, but magnify and sanctify, the most
daring impieties and invasions upon the divine prerogatives. With much
reason might Micah have said, “Now may I fear that God will curse me,
because I have debauched one of his own tribe, and drawn him into the
worship of a graven image;” yet for this he hopes God will do him good.
4. He thought that having a Levite in the house with him would of
course entitle him to the divine favour. Carnal hearts are apt to build
too much upon their external privileges, and to conclude that God will
certainly do them good because they are born of godly parents, dwell in
praying families, are linked in society with those that are very good,
and sit under a lively ministry; whereas all this is but like having a
Levite to be their priest, which amounts to no security at all that God
will do them good, unless they be good themselves, and make a good use
of these advantages.
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