God’s Word Translation
Judges 17:4
4When Micah returned the silver to his mother, she took 200 pieces of the silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made a carved idol and a metal idol. Both were placed in Micah’s home.
Judges 17:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
- New International Version (NIV)So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah.
Context of Judges 17:4
2He told his mother, “You were upset about the 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you. I even heard you put a curse on them. Here’s the silver. I took it!” His mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son!” 3So Micah gave the 1,100 pieces of silver back to his mother. Then his mother said, “I dedicate this silver to the Lord for my son’s benefit. I want to make a carved idol and a metal idol. So now I’m giving the silver back to you.” When Micah returned the silver to his mother, she took 200 pieces of the silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made a carved idol and a metal idol. Both were placed in Micah’s home. 5Micah owned a shrine. He also made an ephod and household idols. He ordained one of his sons to be his priest. 6In those days Israel didn’t have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right.
Read all of Judges 17Judges 17:4 word by word
וַיָּ֥שֶׁב אֶת־הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתִּקַּ֣ח אִמּוֹ֩ מָאתַ֨יִם כֶּ֜סֶף וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yet he restoredשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
- the moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- unto his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- two hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- and gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- them to the founderצָרַףtsâraph · to refineH6884
- who madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- thereof a graven imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- and a molten imageמַסֵּכָהmassêkâh · molten metalH4541
- and they were in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of Micahמִיכָֽיְהוּmîykâyehû mikâyehû · MicahH4321
Cross-references for Judges 17:4
- Isaiah 46:6People pour gold out of their bags and weigh silver on scales. They hire a goldsmith. He makes it into a god. They bow down and worship it.
- Jeremiah 10:9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. Craftsmen and goldsmiths shape these metals. The clothing for the idols is blue and purple, all made by skilled workers.
Commentaries on Judges 17:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A graven image and a molten image - What these images were, we cannot positively say; they were most probably some resemblance of matters belonging to the tabernacle. See below.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4See Judges 8:27, note; Genesis 31:19, note.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5We do not know what Micah’s mother did with the other 900 shekels. Perhaps she used them to pay for the shrine (literally house of gods).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-41. a man of mount Ephraim--that is, the mountainous parts of Ephraim. This and the other narratives that follow form a miscellaneous collection, or appendix to the Book of Judges. It belongs to a period when the Hebrew nation was in a greatly disordered and corrupt state. This episode of Micah is connected with Jud 1:34. It relates to his foundation of a small sanctuary of his own--a miniature representation of the Shiloh tabernacle--which he stocked with…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 17:4
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