the house of Micah Judges 17-18

Judges Part 1

Judges: overview  [a] after the death of Joshua (1:1–2:10)  [b] the LORD raised up judges (2:11–16:31)  [c] right in his own eyes (17:1–21:25) ‘he judged Israel x years’ (10:2,3; 12:7,9,11,14; 15:20; 16:31) ‘the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD’ (3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1) ‘there was no king in Israel...’ (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) ‘the children of Israel cried unto the LORD’ (3:9,15; 6:6,7,34; 10:10) ‘did not drive out’ (1:19,20,21,27,28,29,30,31,32,33; 2:6,21,23) ‘the dwell among them’ (1:21,27,29,30,32,33)

Judges 17-21: right in his own eyes  [Judges 17-21]  Judges  the idolatry of Micah and the Danites move north  Judges  the Levites concubine and a civil war  No key phrases shared with Judges 2-16: ‘he judged Israel x years’ (10:2,3; 12:7,9,11,14; 15:20; 16:31) ‘the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD’ (3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1) ‘the children of Israel cried unto the LORD’ (3:9,15; 6:6,7,34; 10:10) ‘did not drive out’ (1:19,20,21,27,28,29,30,31,32,33; 2:6,21,23)

Judges Q: why are these (strange) incidents included at the end of the book of judges? Q: are they chronologically at the end of the judges period? Q: what ties the incidents together?

Judges 17-21: right in his own eyes Judges 17 – 18Judges 19 – 21 Bethlehem-Judah ‘young man out of Bethlehem-Judah’ (17:8) ‘a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah’ (19:1) Mount Ephraim ‘a man of mount Ephraim’ (17:1) ‘sojourning...mount Ephraim’ (19:1) A Levite sojourning ‘a Levite...he sojourned there’ (17:7) ‘a certain Levite sojourning’ (19:1) Asking counsel of God ‘ask counsel we pray of God...’Go in peace’’ (18:5) ‘asked counsel of God...’Go’’ (20:18) No king – every man doing what was right in his own eyes ‘In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes’ (17:6, also cp. 18:1) ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes’ (21:25 cp. 19:1)

Judges 17-21: right in his own eyes  [Timing]  Judges  Phinehas cousin is involved (Judges 18:30)  Dan moves north (Judges 18:29)  Judges  Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron is involved (Judges 20:28)  Dan referred to in the north (Judges 20:1) incidents dated from early in 450 years of judges

Judges 17-21: right in his own eyes ‘in those days...’‘but every man...’ 17:6in those days there was no king in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes 18:1in those days there was no king in Israel 19:1in those days when there was no king in Israel 21:25in those days there was no king in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Prov 12:15

the house of Micah Part 2

Judges 17:3-4: graven...molten  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...his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image (Jud 17:3-4)  And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. (Deut 27:14-15)

Judges 17-18: house of Micah  ‘graven...molten image...they were in the house of Micah’ (17:4)  ‘the man Micah had a house of gods’ (17:5)  ‘to the house of Micah as he journeyed’ (17:8)  ‘became his priest, and was in the house of Micah’ (17:12)  ‘when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there’ (18:2)  ‘when they were by the house of Micah...turned in thither’ (18:3)  ‘came unto the house of Micah’ (18:13)  ‘in these houses an ephod, a teraphim, graven image and a molten image’ (18:14)  ‘the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah’ (18:15)  ‘went into Micah’s house and fetched the carved image...’ (18:18)  ‘a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together’ (18:22)  ‘Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house’ (18:26)

Judges 17:6: right is his own eyes Deuteronomy 12Judges ‘ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods’ (12:3) ‘How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise’ (12:30) ‘graven image...the man Micah had an house of gods’ (17:5) ‘hew down the graven images...ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God’ (12:3-4) ‘wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD...to make a graven image’ (17:3- 4) ‘unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose to put his name there’ (12:5) ‘Micah had an house of gods’ (17:5) ‘all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh’ (18:31) ‘go ye now unto my place Shiloh, where I set my name at the first’ (Jer 7:12) ‘every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes’ (12:8) ‘every man did that which was right in his own eyes’ (17:6)

REUBEN GAD ½ MANASSEH EPHRAIM DAN JUDAH SIMEON BENJAMIN ASHER NAPHTALI ZEBULUN ISSACHAR Levites Aaron’s sons (13 cities) Kohathites (10 cities) Gershonites (13 cities) Merarites (12 cities) Bethlehem-Judah Mt. Ephraim

Bethlehem-Judah Mt. Ephraim Shiloh

Judges 18:1: Dan sought an inheritance  Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him. Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot...(Num 26:52-55)  And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh... (Josh 19:40-46)

Judges 18:27 ‘burned the city with fire’ Judges 18:27-29 came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire...And they built a city, and dwelt therein. And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father...howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. Joshua 19:46 And the coast of the children of Dan went out for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

Judges 18:27 ‘burned the city with fire’ Deut 13:12-16Judges 18 ‘if thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities...’ (13:12) ‘came to Laish...no business with any man’ (18:7) ‘let us go and serve other gods’ (13:13) ‘they [Dan] set up Micah’s graven image’ (18:31) ‘thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently’ (13:14) ‘the children of Dan sent...five men to spy out the land, and to search it’ (18:2) ‘smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword...with the edge of the sword’ (13:15) ‘and they smote them with the edge of the sword’ (18:27) ‘shalt burn with fire the city’ (13:16) ‘and burnt the city with fire’ (18:27) ‘it shall not be built again’ (13:16) ‘and they built a city, and dwelt therein’ (18:28) ‘to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD’ (13:18) ‘every man did that which was right in his own eyes’ (17:6)

Judges 18:30: Dan...graven image...priest  Jereboam made two calves of gold...and he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. (1 Kings 12:28-31)  They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again. (Amos 8:14)

Judges 18:30: Manasseh?  Manasseh or Moses?  KJV: ‘Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Manasseh’  ESV/NASB/NET/RV/RSV: ‘Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses’  Reasons for Moses:  Original text likely had ‘Moses’ and was changed to ‘Manasseh’ (addition of an ‘n’) – protect Moses’ reputation?  J0nathan introduced by two generations (rare in Judges) – cf. 20:28  Gershom was the son of Moses (1 Chron 23:15)  Delayed reveal of Jonathan’s name and ancestry Moses’ own grandson!

Judges Further Questions  Q: why does Judges use the phrase ‘no king in Israel’? What is it about a king that would have corrected the problem?  Q: why is Micah’s mother unnamed?  Q: what does it mean to be a ‘father and a priest’ (17:10,18:19)?  Q: how do Jereboam’s priests fit in?