Judges 18:17
Judges 18:17 in Multiple Translations
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.
The five men went inside and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver. The priest was standing by the gate with the six hundred armed men.
Then the fiue men that went to spie out the land, went in thither, and tooke the grauen image and the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: and the Priest stoode in the entring of the gate with the sixe hundreth men, that were appointed with weapons of warre,
yea, the five men, those going to traverse the land, go up — they have come in thither — they have taken the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image — and the priest is standing at the opening of the gate, and the six hundred men who are girded with weapons of war —
The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
And the five men that went to explore the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred valiant men waiting not far off.
The five men who had explored the land went into Micah’s house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the 600 men stood outside the gate, talking with the priest.
Berean Amplified Bible — Judges 18:17
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Judges 18:17 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Hebrew Word Reference — Judges 18:17
Study Notes — Judges 18:17
- Context
- Cross References
- Judges 18:17 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Judges 18:17
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 18:17
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Judges 18:17
- Trapp's Commentary on Judges 18:17
- Ellicott's Commentary on Judges 18:17
- Cambridge Bible on Judges 18:17
- Barnes' Notes on Judges 18:17
- Whedon's Commentary on Judges 18:17
- Sermons on Judges 18:17
Context — The Danites Take Micah’s Idols
17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 18:14 | Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.” |
| 2 | Judges 17:4–5 | So 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. Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest. |
| 3 | Judges 18:2 | So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. |
| 4 | Genesis 31:19 | Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. |
| 5 | Isaiah 46:7 | They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles. |
| 6 | Micah 5:13 | I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands. |
| 7 | Isaiah 46:1–2 | Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal. The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity. |
| 8 | 1 Samuel 6:2–9 | the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place.” They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.” “What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land. Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people on their way as they departed? Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way, but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.” |
| 9 | 1 Samuel 4:11 | The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. |
| 10 | Judges 6:31 | But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.” |
Judges 18:17 Summary
This verse, Judges 18:17, tells us about a group of men who went into someone's house and took some idols, which were objects used for worship, similar to the golden calf in Exodus 32:4. The priest was standing outside with a group of armed men, and this event shows how the Israelites were struggling to remain faithful to God's commands, as seen in Deuteronomy 13:6-10. We can learn from this story by being careful not to let our own desires and ambitions lead us away from God, and instead prioritizing our relationship with Him, as encouraged in Psalm 37:4. By doing so, we can avoid the temptation to worship 'idols' and stay focused on our devotion to God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the five men looking for when they went inside Micah's house?
The five men were looking for the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, which were idols used for worship, as seen in Judges 18:17, and this act is reminiscent of the warnings against idolatry in Deuteronomy 12:3.
Why were the six hundred armed men standing at the entrance of the gate?
The six hundred armed men were standing at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war, as seen in Judges 18:16, to provide protection and support for the five men who went inside to take the idols, similar to how God provided protection for the Israelites in Exodus 14:13-14.
What can we learn from the priest's actions in this verse?
The priest's actions in this verse, standing at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men, suggest that he may have been complicit in the Danites' plan to take the idols, which highlights the importance of spiritual leaders being faithful to God's commands, as seen in Malachi 2:7.
How does this event relate to the larger story of the Israelites?
This event in Judges 18:17 is part of the larger story of the Israelites' conquest of Canaan, and their struggle to remain faithful to God's commands, as seen in Joshua 1:7-8 and Judges 2:10-11.
Reflection Questions
- What are some modern-day 'idols' that can distract us from our devotion to God, and how can we avoid them, as warned against in 1 John 5:21?
- How can we, like the Danites, be tempted to take matters into our own hands and disregard God's commands, and what are the consequences of such actions, as seen in Proverbs 14:12?
- What role should spiritual leaders play in guiding us towards faithfulness to God, and how can we support them in their ministry, as seen in Hebrews 13:17?
- In what ways can we prioritize our relationship with God above our own desires and ambitions, as encouraged in Matthew 6:33?
Gill's Exposition on Judges 18:17
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 18:17
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Judges 18:17
Trapp's Commentary on Judges 18:17
Ellicott's Commentary on Judges 18:17
Cambridge Bible on Judges 18:17
Barnes' Notes on Judges 18:17
Whedon's Commentary on Judges 18:17
Sermons on Judges 18:17
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Idolatry by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot, in his sermon 'The History of an Idol, its Rise, Reign and Progress,' delves into the deep-rooted sin of idolatry in the human heart, tracing its prevalence from anci |
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The History of an Idol, Its Rise, Reign and Progress by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot delivers a powerful sermon on idolatry, highlighting how it is deeply rooted in the human heart and can manifest in various forms, even among Christians. He emphasizes |
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(Genesis) Genesis 31:32-36 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Jacob and Laban from the book of Genesis. Jacob confronts Laban, questioning why he is pursuing him so aggressively. Jacob is c |
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Worship and Witness by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the parable of the sower from the eighth chapter of the gospel of Luke. He emphasizes the contrast between those who receive the word of God |
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Anatomy of a Prophetic Word by David Ravenhill | David Ravenhill discusses the importance of understanding the prophetic word, emphasizing the need for a balance between the Word of God and the Spirit of God. He highlights the co |
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Rev. 3:8. the Church's Little Strength, and the Lord's Great Love by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes the tender love and gracious character of Christ as depicted in Revelation 3:8, where He acknowledges the Church's little strength while offering an open |
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Isaiah 46:1 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith emphasizes the contrast between supporting false gods and being supported by the true and living God. He illustrates how many people are burdened by the idols they crea |






