Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 17:10

And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten [shekels] of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

10. father ] A title of honour given to a priest Jdg 18:19, a counsellor Gen 45:8, cf. [Apocr.] Esther 16:11, 1Ma 11:32 , a prophet 2Ki 2:12; 2Ki 6:21, a master 2Ki 5:13, a king 1Sa 24:11.

ten pieces of silver victuals ] The Levite has to seek a home and maintenance; and he receives a payment of money for his services, cf. 1Sa 2:36. At the more important sanctuaries, however, or when the cultus was more developed, the priests derived their income from portions of the sacrifices and offerings, cf. 1Sa 2:13 ff., 1Sa 2:28. This was the rule in the Babylonian and Phoenician cults, and the Deuteronomic law reflects a similar custom: ‘no portion nor inheritance’ is allowed to the Levitical priests (Deu 10:9 etc., cf. Num 18:23 P); they are dependent upon firstfruits, sacrificial feasts, tithes; and their support is a moral charge on the community, Deu 12:18 f., Deu 14:25-29, Deu 16:11, Deu 18:1-8. In a supplementary law of the Priestly Code a change was introduced, and 48 cities were assigned to the Levites (Num 35:1-8, Jos 21:1-42), but there is no evidence that this regulation was ever carried out.

So the Levite went in ] Hebr. went away, departed, as in Jdg 17:8; but this gives a wrong sense. Moreover, no writer could have composed anything so clumsy as and the Levite departed, and the Levite was content (Jdg 17:11). The first phrase may be a stray fragment of one of the two narratives, or it is merely a doublet of the phrase which follows (Studer and others). The Vulgate omits and the L. departed; the LXX in Jdg 17:11 reads and he was content.

11b. and the young man was ] Continuing Jdg 17:7.

12a. consecrated ] installed, Jdg 17:5 n., continuing 11b: and was in the house of M. continues 11a.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ten shekels – About 25 shillings to 26 shillings (see Exo 38:24).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 10. Be unto me a father and a priest] Thou shalt be master of my house, as if thou wert my father; and, as priest, thou shalt appear in the presence of God for me. The term father is often used to express honour and reverence.

Ten shekels of silver] About thirty shillings per annum, with board, lodging, and clothes. Very good wages in those early times.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

A father and a priest; for, a father; that is, a priest; a spiritual father, a teacher or instructor, for such are called fathers: see 2Ki 6:21; 8:9; 13:14; Isa 22:21. He pretends reverence and submission to him; and what is wanting in his wages he pays him in empty titles.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

10. Micah said unto him, Dwell withme, and be unto me a fathera spiritual father, to conduct thereligious services of my establishment. He was to receive, inaddition to his board, a salary of ten shekels of silver, equal to 25shillings a year.

a suit of apparelnotonly dress for ordinary use, but vestments suitable for the dischargeof his priestly functions.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Micah said unto him, dwell with me,…. Hearing that he was a Levite, he thought him a fit man for his purpose, and would give some credit to, and put a better face upon his new form of worship, and therefore, without further inquiry after him and his character, invites him to make his abode with him:

and be unto me a father and a priest; a father to instruct him in the knowledge of divine things; so prophets were called fathers, and their disciples their sons; and a priest to offer sacrifices for him, and to consult before him by his teraphim upon occasion:

and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year; or yearly, which was but a small sum, a poor salary for a priest, at most amounting but to twenty five shillings, and scarce so much:

and a suit of apparel; or “an order of apparel” m; such as was fit for one of his rank and order as a priest to wear, so Jarchi and Abarbinel; or a couple of garments, as the Targum and Septuagint, a double suit of apparel, according to the order of the season, one for summer and another for winter, as Kimchi and Ben Melech:

and thy victuals; his meat and drink:

so thy Levite went in; into his house, and it looks as if the parley was made, and the bargain struck at the door, Micah being at it as the Levite passed by, or came to it upon his knocking at it; he went after his counsel and advice, as Jarchi, or to do his business, as Kimchi.

m “irdinem vestimentorum”, Pagninus, Montanus, Muuster, Vatablus; “demensum vestimentorum”, Tigurine version.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Micah made this proposal to the Levite: “ Dwell with me, and become my father and priest; I will give thee ten shekels of silver yearly, and fitting out with clothes and maintenance. ” , father, is an honourable title give to a priest as a paternal friend and spiritual adviser, and is also used with reference to prophets in 2Ki 6:21 and 2Ki 13:14, and applied to Joseph in Gen 45:8. , for the days, sc., for which a person was engaged, i.e., for the year (cf. 1Sa 27:7, and Lev 25:29). “ And the Levite went, ” i.e., went to Micah’s house. This meaning is evident from the context. The repetition of the subject, “the Levite,” precludes our connecting it with the following verb . – In Jdg 17:11-13 the result is summed up. The Levite resolved (see at Deu 1:5) to dwell with Micah, who treated him as one of his sons, and entrusted him with the priesthood at his house of God. And Micah rejoiced that he had got a Levite as priest, and said, “ Now I know that Jehovah will prosper me. ” This belief, or, to speak more correctly, superstition, for which Micah was very speedily to atone, proves that at that time the tribe of Levi held the position assigned it in the law of Moses; that is to say, that it was regarded as the tribe elected by God for the performance of divine worship.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(10) Be unto me a father and a priest.The title father is here ecclesiastical, like papa, pope, &c, and this title was given to spiritual directors, as we find in several other passages in the Bible (2Ki. 2:12; 2Ki. 5:13; 2Ki. 6:21; Isa. 22:21, &c.). Micah knew enough of the law to be aware of the extreme irregularity of his conduct in making one of his own sons his priest.

Ten shekels of silver.Thus the grandson of Moses became priest of an idolatrous worship at a salary of 25s. a year!

By the year.Literally, by days. (Comp. Lev. 25:29.)

A suit of apparel.The Vulgate renders these words a double robe. It seems to mean either an order of garments or the value of garments, i.e., your clothes.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

10. A father and a priest A spiritual counsellor as well as a priest. The word father is here a title of respect and reverence. Compare Gen 45:8; 2Ki 6:21.

Ten shekels of silver by the year A little more than six dollars. A small sum, indeed, but, with food and clothing, probably ample for his comfort in those simple times.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘ And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, and a suit of clothing, and your keep.” ’

This confirms that his religious aims were Yahwistic, and that he sought to conduct his worship in accordance with the Law as he saw it. Indeed he wanted further guidance from an expert who could direct him and guide him and fulfil priestly functions.

Ten pieces of silver, a suit of clothing and keep each year was probably a very satisfactory wage for such a position. Certainly the Levite thought so. The clothing may have been of a priestly nature, although such clothing may have been provided separately, along with the ephod, as belonging to his house of God. Strictly the Levite should have pointed out that he was not qualified to exercise priestly functions (unless of course he was of a priestly family) but he was not going to lose this opportunity over a mere trifle. His dishonesty and opportunism come out all the way through.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jdg 17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten [shekels] of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

Ver. 10. Be unto me a father and a priest, ] As a father he would respect him, though but a young man, because a priest. The Papists’ respect to their hedge priests, under the name of padres, fathers, will rise up in judgment against us.

And I will give thee ten shekels of silver, &c ] A poor slender salary. This man had eleven hundred pieces of silver to bestow upon his idols, but ten shekels is held wages enough for his priest. So Louis XI of France allowed his chaplains twenty shillings a month: but for his physician, a one John Cotiers, he allowed him ten thousand crowns a month. In Ireland formerly ministers had no more maintenance than the pasture of two milk cowes, &c. In the whole province of Connaught, the stipend of the incumbent was not above forty shillings, in some places but sixteen shillings. b Now, blessed be God, the matter is well amended there, and very good encouragement promised to preachers that shall go over, Stipendia honoraria, with an honourable respect.

So the Levite went in. ] Graeculus esuriens. Hunger will snap at anything, where there is not grace to restrain men.

a [Barber; Cottier, p. 348.]

b Heyl., Geog.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)