📖 Judges — Chapter 17 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Judges 17:1 And there was a man of Rmount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
Judges 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou Rcursedst, 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.
Judges 17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, RI 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.
Judges 17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took Rtwo 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.
Judges 17:5 And the man Micah had Ran house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and Tconsecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
Judges 17:6 In those days there was Rno king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
Judges 17:8 And the man Rdeparted 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, Tas he journeyed.
Judges 17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
Judges 17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me Ra father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and Ta suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
Judges 17:11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
Judges 17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became Rhis priest, and was in the house of Micah.
Judges 17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 17:1–4 — Stolen silver becomes images
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Micah returns stolen silver to his mother. She speaks of dedicating it to the LORD, yet pays for graven and molten images. The language of devotion does not make image-making consistent with the LORD's commandments.
Key Truth: Religious language does not settle whether an action agrees with God's word.
Check What You Remember
1. What was the man's name? (Judges 17:1)
Find it in Judges 17:1 (KJV).
2. How many shekels had been taken? (Judges 17:2)
Find it in Judges 17:2 (KJV).
3. How many shekels were given to the founder? (Judges 17:4)
Find it in Judges 17:4 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 17:5–6 — A private shrine and self-chosen standards
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Micah makes an ephod and teraphim and appoints a son as priest. The narrator then states that each person did what was right in his own eyes. This framing exposes the disorder of self-directed worship rather than endorsing it.
Key Truth: What seems right to an individual is not the same as obedience to the LORD.
Check What You Remember
1. Which family member did Micah first consecrate as priest? (Judges 17:5)
Find it in Judges 17:5 (KJV).
2. What office did that son hold? (Judges 17:5)
Find it in Judges 17:5 (KJV).
3. In whose eyes did everyone do what was right? (Judges 17:6)
Find it in Judges 17:6 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Judges 17:7–13 — A hired Levite and misplaced confidence
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
A traveling Levite agrees to become Micah's priest for silver, clothing, and food. Micah assumes a Levite's presence guarantees the LORD will do him good. His conclusion is his own claim, not a promise made by God in the chapter.
Key Truth: A religious credential cannot guarantee blessing for disobedient worship.
Check What You Remember
1. From which town did the Levite come? (Judges 17:7)
Find it in Judges 17:7 (KJV).
2. How much silver did Micah offer per year? (Judges 17:10)
Find it in Judges 17:10 (KJV).
3. Whom did Micah consecrate as his new priest? (Judges 17:12)
Find it in Judges 17:12 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Exodus 20:4 — The command about graven images provides a standard for evaluating Micah's shrine.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
Which statements in this chapter belong to Micah and his mother, and which belong to the narrator? Use that distinction when evaluating their worship.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. What contradiction lies in the mother’s stated dedication and its use?
2. How does the amount given to the founder compare with the restored silver?
3. What provision does Micah offer the Levite?
4. How does the Levite’s arrival change Micah’s priestly arrangement?
5. What is Micah’s stated reason for expecting the LORD to do him good?
Notes
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