New King James Version
Judges 17:6
6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
- New International Version (NIV)In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
- New Living Translation (NLT)In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
Context of Judges 17:6
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. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. 8The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
Read all of Judges 17Judges 17:6 word by word
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
People and places in Judges 17:6
Cross-references for Judges 17:6
- Judges 18:1In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.
- Judges 19:1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
- Judges 21:3and said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”
- Genesis 36:31Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:
- Deuteronomy 33:5And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.
- Deuteronomy 12:8“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—
- Psalms 12:4Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”
- Proverbs 12:15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
- Proverbs 14:12There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
- Proverbs 16:2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.
- Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
- Jeremiah 44:16“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you!
Commentaries on Judges 17:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6There was no king in Israel - The word מלך melech, which generally means king, is sometimes taken for a supreme governor, judge, magistrate, or ruler of any kind; (see Genesis 36:31, and Deuteronomy 33:5;); and it is likely it should be so understood here. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes - He was his own governor, and what he did he said was right; and, by his cunning and strength, defended his conduct. When a man's own will, passions…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6In those days - This phrase, indicating distinctly that the writer lived after the establishment of the kingly government in Israel, is unique to the author of these last five chapters.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. 66. every man did that which was right in his own eyes--From want of a settled government, there was no one to call him to account. No punishment followed any crime.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 17:6
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries