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17:1 Micah is the short form of a name that means “Who is like the Lord?” The name highlights the contrast between the Lord and a carved image or cast idol. • The hill country of Ephraim was a natural gathering place in central Israel (17:7-8; 18:2, 13; 19:1, 16).
17:1–21:25 These two epilogues (chs 17–18 and chs 19–21) attest that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot endure. During the relentless march toward social disintegration and civil war, the refrain, “In those days Israel had no king,” occurs four times, and “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” is added twice (17:6; 18:1; 19:1;...
17:1–21:25 These two epilogues (chs 17–18 and chs 19–21) attest that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot endure. During the relentless march toward social disintegration and civil war, the refrain, “In those days Israel had no king,” occurs four times, and “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” is added twice (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership spiraled downward and culminated in chaos. Something was clearly missing.
17:13 The contract priest, in Micah’s view, conferred some additional legitimacy on the shrine, though his expectation that the Lord would bless him was based on superstition rather than obedience to the Lord. Micah’s abandonment of God’s covenant would bring a curse on him that no unemployed Levite could ward off. Micah was not the last Israelite to seek ou...
17:13 The contract priest, in Micah’s view, conferred some additional legitimacy on the shrine, though his expectation that the Lord would bless him was based on superstition rather than obedience to the Lord. Micah’s abandonment of God’s covenant would bring a curse on him that no unemployed Levite could ward off. Micah was not the last Israelite to seek out a priest or Levite in an attempt to legitimize irregular religious practices (cp. 1 Kgs 12:28-31; 2 Kgs 16:10-18).
17:2-3 Micah’s mother was indulgent and idolatrous, yet she invoked the Lord’s name in both cursing and blessing. • I heard you place a curse: The words uttered in curses and blessings were understood to have power, particularly if the speaker had the authority to utter such pronouncements (cp. Gen 27; Isa 55:11). • 1,100 pieces: This same large number was g...
17:2-3 Micah’s mother was indulgent and idolatrous, yet she invoked the Lord’s name in both cursing and blessing. • I heard you place a curse: The words uttered in curses and blessings were understood to have power, particularly if the speaker had the authority to utter such pronouncements (cp. Gen 27; Isa 55:11). • 1,100 pieces: This same large number was given to Delilah (Judg 16:5). It was probably Micah’s mother’s life savings or dowry. • The Lord bless you: Micah’s mother was hoping that the blessing would effectively neutralize her earlier curse.
genesis 27:1-46
genesis 31:19-32
genesis 49:5-7
exodus 2:21-22
exodus 28:1-37
exodus 30:30-33
exodus 40:12-15
numbers 3:1-49
Social Chaos in Judges
Social Chaos in Judges While the book of Judges celebrates divine rescue through heroes, it also chronicles the inadequacy of the status quo. A decline in individual piety throughout the period was accompanied by a rise in social dysfunction, powerfully expressed in chapter 5 (e.g., 5:6-8). Three features of the times stand out: First, the tribes had little ability to function in unison, even when faced by a common enemy (see, e.g., the Gideon and Jephthah stories; chs 8, 12). The civil strife within and between tribes reflects covenant disobedience. Second, the breakdown of civil society is also evidenced throughout the book. Abimelech’s murder of Gideon’s sons, Jephthah’s apparent sacrifice of his daughter, and Samson’s acts of revenge toward the Philistines highlight the depravity and lack of civility that characterized this period. Third, religious apostasy was widespread in those days. The “evil in the Lord’s sight” committed by the Israelites was repeatedly connected to idolatry (Judg 2:11-13; 3:7; 10:6). The altar to Baal and the Asherah pole in Gideon’s town of Ophrah (6:25-30) indicate flagrant abandonment of the Lord, as do the worship of the golden ephod made by...