Judges 18:17

15 So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

16 The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 “Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
KJV
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
WEB
The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
ASV
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
DARBY
And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, entered in thither, [and] took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war.
BLB
and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Having entered there, they took the carved image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate, and six hundred men girded with weapons of war.
ÅB
Og de fem menn som hadde draget avsted for å utspeide landet, steg opp og gikk inn og tok det utskårne bilde og livkjortelen og husgudene og det støpte fotstykke, mens presten sto ved inngangen til porten sammen med de seks hundre fullt væbnede menn.
OTB
De fem mennene som hadde speidet ut landet, gikk inn og tok det utskårne bildet, efoden, husgudene og det støpte metallbildet, mens presten og de seks hundre væpnede mennene sto ved inngangen til porten.
B1930
Og de fem menn som hadde draget avsted for å utspeide landet, steg op og gikk inn og tok det utskårne billede og livkjortelen og husgudene og det støpte fotstykke, mens presten stod ved inngangen til porten sammen med de seks hundre fullt væbnede menn.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Judges 18:14

    Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

    Read in context
  • Judges 18:2

    So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

    Read in context
  • Judges 17:4–5

    So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

    Read in context
  • Genesis 31:19

    Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

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  • Isaiah 46:1–2

    Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.

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  • Micah 5:13

    I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 4:11

    The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

    Read in context
  • Judges 6:31

    But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”

    Read in context