Judges 17:4
in Judges 17So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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.
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.
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This verse in Judges 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseRestored - Though his mother allowed him to keep it, yet he persisted in his resolution to restore it, that she might dispose of it as she pleased. Two hundred - Reserving nine hundred shekels, either for the ephod or teraphim, or for other things relating to this worship.
This site's exposition
had wholly dedicated the silver
on Judges 17:3-4
She dedicates the money unto the LORD and names in the same breath what it is for, a graven image and a molten image. Deuteronomy 27:15 lays a curse on that exact pair of words, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, and a curse is what set this story going at verse 2. Two hundred of the eleven hundred shekels reach the founder and the text says nothing about where the other nine hundred went. Founder occurs five times in Scripture and the other four are in Jeremiah, where 10:14 reads that every founder is confounded by the graven image.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Yet he restored the money unto his mother,....
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.
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,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
He returned the eleven hundred silver pieces to his mother. He verbalized his intent to return it to her, hence, wherever it was, it reverted to her possession.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֥שֶׁב | vaiyashev | and he brought back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכֶּ֖סֶף | hakesef | the silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| לְאִמּ֑וֹ | leimo | to mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| וַתִּקַּ֣ח | vatikach | and she took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אִמּוֹ֩ | ʾimo | mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| מָאתַ֨יִם | matayim | two hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| כֶּ֜סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ | vatitenehu | and she gave it | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף | latzoref | to the silversmith | H6884 → | |
| וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ | vaiyaasehu | and he made it | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| פֶּ֣סֶל | pesel | a carved image | H6459 → | 31 times |
| וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה | umasekhah | and a molten image | H4541 → | 28 times |
| וַיְהִ֖י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּבֵ֥ית | beveit | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ | mikhayehu | Micaiah | H4321 → |
וַיָּ֥שֶׁבand he brought back
vaiyashevH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַכֶּ֖סֶףthe silver
hakesefH3701 →403 times
לְאִמּ֑וֹto mother his
leimoH517 →220 times
וַתִּקַּ֣חand she took
vatikachH3947 →966 times
אִמּוֹ֩mother his
ʾimoH517 →220 times
מָאתַ֨יִםtwo hundred
matayimH3967 →581 times
כֶּ֜סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּand she gave it
vatitenehuH5414 →2011 times
לַצּוֹרֵ֗ףto the silversmith
latzorefH6884 →
וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙and he made it
vaiyaasehuH6213 →2628 times
פֶּ֣סֶלa carved image
peselH6459 →31 times
וּמַסֵּכָ֔הand a molten image
umasekhahH4541 →28 times
וַיְהִ֖יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בְּבֵ֥יתin [the] house of
beveitH1004 →2046 times
מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃Micaiah
mikhayehuH4321 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.