God’s Word Translation
Judges 17:12
12Micah ordained the Levite. So the young man became his priest and a part of his family.
Judges 17:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah.
Context of Judges 17:12
10Micah told him, “Stay with me! Be a father and a priest to me. I’ll give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your room and board.” The Levite accepted the offer 11and agreed to live with Micah. The young man became like one of Micah’s sons. Micah ordained the Levite. So the young man became his priest and a part of his family. 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me. I have a Levite for my priest.”
Read all of Judges 17Judges 17:12 word by word
וַיְמַלֵּ֤א מִיכָה֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד הַלֵּוִ֔י וַיְהִי־ל֥וֹ הַנַּ֖עַר לְכֹהֵ֑ן וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Judges 17:12
- Judges 17:5Micah owned a shrine. He also made an ephod and household idols. He ordained one of his sons to be his priest.
- Judges 18:30The people of Dan set up the carved idol for themselves. Jonathan (son of Gershom and grandson of Moses) and his descendants were priests for Dan’s tribe until the people living in that land were taken captive.
- Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him, who is holy, and who it is that he will allow to come near him. Only the person the Lord chooses will be allowed to come near him.
- 1 Kings 12:31Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests.
- 1 Kings 13:33Even after this, Jeroboam didn’t change his evil ways, but he once again made some men priests for the illegal worship sites. He took all who were willing and appointed them to be priests at the worship sites.
Commentaries on Judges 17:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Micah consecrated the Levite - יד את וימלא vayemalle eth yad, he filled his hands, i.e., he gave him an offering to present before the Lord, that he might be accepted by him. He appointed him to be priest; God was to accept and consecrate him; and for this purpose he filled his hand; i.e., furnished him with the proper offering which he was to present on his inauguration.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Micah consecrated the Levite--Hebrew, "filled his hand." This act of consecration was not less unlawful for Micah to perform than for this Levite to receive (see on Jud 18:30).Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 17:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries