Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Judges 17:5 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Jdg 17:1-6 -- Micah Makes His Own Religion
Bible Dictionary
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Teraphim
[ebd] givers of prosperity, idols in human shape, large or small, analogous to the images of ancestors which were revered by the Romans. In order to deceive the guards sent by Saul to seize David, Michal his wife prepared one of t...
[smith] This word occurs only in the plural, and denotes images connected with magical rites. The derivation of the name is obscure. In one case -- (1Â Samuel 19:13,16) --a single statue seems to be intended by the plural. The tera...
[nave] TERAPHIM, household idols. Used by Laban, stolen by Rachel, Gen. 31:19, 30-35; by Micah, stolen by the Danites, Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 17-20. Condemned and disposed of by Jacob, Gen. 35:2-4, with Gen. 31:35-39. Destroyed by Jos...
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MICAH
[ebd] a shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah? (1.) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Judg. 17, apparently for the purpose of leading to an account of the settlement of the tribe of Dan in Nort...
[smith] (who is like God?), the same name as Micaiah. [MICAIAH] An Israelite whose familiar story is preserved in the 17th and 18th chapters of Judges. Micah is evidently a devout believers in Jehovah, and yet so completely ignorant...
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MICAH (1)
[isbe] MICAH (1) - mi'-ka (mikhah, contracted from mikhayahu, "who is like Yah?"; Codex Vaticanus, Meichaias; Codex Alexandrinus, Micha; sometimes in the King James Version spelled Michah): (1) The chief character of an episode gi...
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JUDGES, PERIOD OF
[isbe] JUDGES, PERIOD OF - || I. SOURCES II. CHRONOLOGY III. GENERAL POLITICAL SITUATION 1. The Canaanites 2. Foes Without IV. MAIN EVENTS 1. Struggles of Individual Tribes 2. Civil Strife 3. The Six Invasions 4. Need of Central Go...
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JONATHAN (1)
[isbe] JONATHAN (1) - jon'-a-than (yehonathan, yonathan, "Yahweh has given"; Ionathan; compare JEHONATHAN): (1) (Hebrew yehonathan): The young "Levite" of Judges 17; 18 referred to by name in 18:30, where he is called "the son of G...
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NAMES, PROPER
[isbe] NAMES, PROPER - I. THE FORM OF HEBREW NAMES 1. Various Types 2. Vocalization 3. Transposition of Parts 4. Methods of Abbreviation II. THE RANGE OF PROPER NAMES 1. Personal Names (1) Not Exclusively Descriptive (2) Drawn from...
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Ephod
[nave] EPHOD 1. A sacred vestment worn by the high priest. Described, Ex. 28:6-14, 31-35; 25:7. Making of, Ex. 39:2-26. Breastplate attached to, Ex. 28:22-29. Worn by Aaron, Ex. 39:5. Used as an oracle, 1 Sam. 23:9, 12; 30:7, 8...
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Polytheism
[nave] POLYTHEISM, Gen. 31:19; 35:2, 4; Josh. 24:2, 23; Judg. 2:13; 3:7; 10:16; 17:5; Jer. 2:28; 11:13; Dan. 4:8; 1 Cor. 8:5. See: Theism
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ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, 2
[isbe] ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, 2 - 3. The Religion of Israel before the 8th Century BC: (1) Decay of Religion in Canaan. Upon the intense religious feeling produced by the exodus from Egypt and the events at Mt. Sinai, there followed ...
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PRIESTS AND LEVITES
[isbe] PRIESTS AND LEVITES - (kohen, "priest"; nothing is definitely known as to the origin of the word; Lewi, "Levite," on which see LEVI): I. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE HISTORY 1. The Old View 2. The Graf-Wellhausen View 3. Mediating...
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IMAGES
[isbe] IMAGES - im'-aj-iz (tselem; eikon): 1. Definition 2. Origin 3. Historical Beginnings and Early Developments 4. Bible References and Palestinian Customs 5. Most Important Technical Terms (1) Matstsebhah ("pillar") (2) 'Ashera...
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CONSECRATE; CONSECRATION
[isbe] CONSECRATE; CONSECRATION - kon'-se-krat, kon-se-kra'-shun. 1. In the Old Testament: In the Old Testament for several Hebrew words of different meanings: (1) charam: "I will consecrate (the Revised Version (British and Americ...
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BETHLEHEM
[isbe] BETHLEHEM - beth'-le-hem (bethlechem; Baithleem, or Bethleem, "house of David," or possibly "the house of Lakhmu," an Assyrian deity): I. Bethlehem Judah: Bethlehem Judah, or EPHRATH or EPHRATHAH (which see) is now Beit Lahm...
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Thummim
[ebd] perfection (LXX., "truth;" Vulg., "veritas"), Ex. 28:30; Deut. 33:8; Judg. 1:1; 20:18; 1 Sam. 14:3,18; 23:9; 2 Sam. 21:1. What the "Urim and Thummim" were cannot be determined with any certainty. All we certainly know is tha...
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EPHOD (1)
[isbe] EPHOD (1) - ef'-od ('ephowdh (28 times), 'ephodh (20 times), 'ephodh; Septuagint epomis, ephoth, ephod, ephoud, stole exallos, stole bussine): (1) A sacred vestment originally designed for the high priest (Ex 28:4 ff; 39:2 f...
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EZEKIEL, 2
[isbe] EZEKIEL, 2 - II. Significance of Ezekiel in Israel's Religious History. Under the first head we will consider the formal characteristics and significance of the book; and the examination of its contents will form the subject...
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Idol
[ebd] (1.) Heb. aven, "nothingness;" "vanity" (Isa. 66:3; 41:29; Deut. 32:21; 1 Kings 16:13; Ps. 31:6; Jer. 8:19, etc.). (2.) 'Elil, "a thing of naught" (Ps. 97:7; Isa. 19:3); a word of contempt, used of the gods of Noph (Ezek. 30...
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GODS
[isbe] GODS - ('elohim; theoi): I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1. Superhuman Beings (God and Angels) 2. Judges, Rulers 3. Gods of the Nations 4. Superiority of Yahweh to Other Gods 5. Regulations Regarding the Gods of the Nations 6. Israe...
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ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 2
[isbe] ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 2 - III. Period of the Judges. 1. General Character of Period: In such a period of weakened national and religious life, it could easily happen that Israel would again lose the supremacy that it had won b...
Arts
Questions
- It seems to me that the key to the answer to your question is to understand the unique role of the Book of Judges. The statement that is repeated in this book is, "there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in ...
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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Having completed the major addresses to the Israelites recorded to this point in Deuteronomy, Moses needed only to make a few final arrangements before Israel was ready to enter the land. The record of these events concludes ...
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Dan received territory primarily in the Shephelah and Coastal Plain west of Benjamin that was between Judah and Ephraim. Its land was extremely fruitful."The Amorites, who settled portions of the Philistine plain (Judg. 1:34)...
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The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
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Joshua reveals that victory, success, and progress result when God's people trust and obey Him consistently. Judges shows that defeat, failure, and retrogression follow when they fail to trust and obey consistently. In this r...
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I. The reason for Israel's apostasy 1:1-3:6A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites after Joshua's death 1:1-2:51. Initial successes and failures ch. 12. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5B. Israel's c...
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The first major section in the book (1:1-3:6) explains very clearly why the period of the judges was a dark chapter in Israel's history. God revealed the reasons for Israel's apostasy and consequent national problems in terms...
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1:22-26 The writer described Ephraim and Manasseh together as "the house of Joseph"(vv. 22-29). First, he narrated Ephraim's activity (vv. 22-26). The Ephraimites' treatment of the man of Bethel who gave them information viol...
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The writer of Judges structured this book so the story of Gideon would be its focal center."Within the main body of the book, seven major narrative blocks can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between th...
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The supernatural victory God had given His people elevated Gideon into national recognition. Some of the men of Israel invited Gideon to be their king and to begin a dynasty of rulers (v. 22). Perhaps they were from the north...
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"From chapters 13 to 18, the author concentrates on the tribe of Dan, which had been one of the largest and most prominent tribes during the wilderness march (Num 2:25-31). In the period of the judges, however, Dan seemed hel...
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The following two extended incidents (ch. 17-21) differ from the records of the judges just completed (chs. 3-16). They are not accounts of the activities of any of Israel's judges. They are the record of events that took pla...
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The story of Micah (ch. 17) introduces the account of the setting up of image worship in the North (ch. 18).
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The writer told us nothing about Micah's background except that he originally lived in the Hill Country of Ephraim with or near his mother (vv. 1-2). Micah's name means "Who is like Yahweh."As is true of so many details in th...
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Verses 1-6 stress the sin of self-styled worship. Verses 7-13 emphasize the folly of self-determined service.The writer did not call the young Levite who came to live with Micah a priest. He was evidently not a descendant of ...
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The Danites' defeat of the inhabitants of Laish appears cruel and unjustified (cf. 9:45-49). The town that seemed so desirable to the spies was really vulnerable and isolated. Its advantages proved to be weaknesses. Since God...
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Chapter 19 records an event that provoked civil war in Israel. The account of that war follows in chapter 20. Then the consequences of the war unfold in chapter 21. This section of the book is the climactic and supreme demons...
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The Book of Joshua recorded Israel's victory over her enemies through trust in and obedience to God. The Book of Judges shows the defeat of the nation by its enemies from without and within due to refusal to trust and obey Go...
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Aharoni, Yohanan. Land of the Bible. Phildelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The...
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God had promised the Israelites that if they departed from Him He would discipline them by sending famine on the Promised Land (Deut. 28:17, 23, 38-40, 42).16The famine on Israel at this time indicates God's judgment for unfa...
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The last major section of the Book of Samuel (2 Sam. 21-24) consists of six separate pericopes that together constitute a conclusion to the whole book (cf. Judg. 17-21). Each pericope emphasizes the theological message of the...
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During its history the Northern Kingdom had three capitals: first Shechem (v. 25), then Tirzah (14:17; 15:33), and finally Samaria (16:23-24). Perhaps the king strengthened Penuel in west-central Gilead as a Transjordanian pr...
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The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...