Judges 17:3

Judges 17:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
• New International Version (NIV)When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, "I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you."
• New Living Translation (NLT)He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”

Context of Judges 17:3

1Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!” So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.” 4Thus 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. 5The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

Judges 17:3 word by word

וַיָּ֛שֶׁב אֶת־אֶֽלֶף־וּמֵאָ֥ה הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִמּ֡וֹ הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף֩ לַיהוָ֨ה מִיָּדִ֜י לִבְנִ֗י לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when he had restoredשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• the eleven hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• the eleven hundredאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• to his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I had whollyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: dedicateH6942
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• from my handיָדyâd · handH3027
• for my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• to makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• a graven imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
• and a molten imageמַסֵּכָהmassêkâh · molten metalH4541

Cross-references for Judges 17:3

• Judges 17:13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”
• Judges 18:5So they said to him, “Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.”
• Isaiah 66:3“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
• Exodus 20:4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
• Leviticus 19:4‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.
• Deuteronomy 12:3And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
• Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
• Isaiah 40:18To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
• Isaiah 44:9Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
• Jeremiah 10:3For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
• Habakkuk 2:18“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols?
• John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Commentaries on Judges 17:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I had wholly dedicated - From this it appears that Micah's mother, though she made a superstitious use of the money, had no idolatrous design, for she expressly says she had dedicated it ליהוה layhovah, to Jehovah; and this appears to have been the reason why she poured imprecations on him who had taken it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Such a superstitious and unlawful mode of worshipping Yahweh is quite of a piece with Judges 8:27; Judges 11:31; 1 Kings 12:28, etc. It argues but slight acquaintance with the Ten Commandments, which, from the ignorance of reading and writing, were probably not familiar to the Israelites in those unsettled times. The mother intimates that the consecration of the silver was for the benefit of her son and his house, not for her own selfish advantage: and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Micah’s mother was indulgent and worshipped idols, yet she used the Lord’s name in both cursing and blessing. I heard you place a curse: People believed words in curses and blessings had power, especially if the speaker had authority (compare Genesis 27; Isaiah 55:11). eleven hundred shekels: This large amount was also given to Delilah (Judges 16:5). It was likely Micah’s mother’s life savings or dowry. Blessed be my son by the LORD!: Micah’s mother hoped…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. a graven image and a molten image--The one carved from a block of wood or stone, to be plated over with silver; the other, a figure formed of the solid metal cast into a mould. It is observable, however, that only two hundred shekels were given to the founder. Probably the expense of making two such figures of silver, with their appurtenances (pedestals, bases, &c.), might easily cost, in those days, two hundred shekels, which (at 2 shillings, 4 pence…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 17:3

• Shekel
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• Graven image
• Molten, Image
• Idol
• Micah
• Teraphim
• Bethlehem
• Ephod (1)
• Ezekiel
• Israel, History of
• Israel, Religion of

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