Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 18:20
And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
Verse 20. Went to the midst of the people.] He was glad to be employed by the Danites; and went into the crowd, that he might not be discovered by Micah or his family.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The priests heart was glad; being wholly governed by his own interest, and making all his obligations of justice and gratitude give place to it. But it is not strange, if he who was before perfidious to God, should prove so to men.
In the midst of the people, i.e. among the people; or properly in the midst, both for the greater security of such precious things, and that Micah might not be able to come at him, either to injure or upbraid him; and it may be, because that was the place where the ark used to be carried.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the priest’s heart was glad,…. He rejoiced that such an opportunity offered; it suited well with his covetous, ambitious, rambling, and unsettled disposition of mind:
and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image; and no doubt the molten image also, out of the hands of the five men into his own, agreeing to go with them, and officiate for them:
and went in the midst of the people; the six hundred armed men, either for the security of himself, if Micah should raise his servants, and his neighbours, to pursue after him, and fetch him back, with his images; or, as others think, in imitation of the priests bearing the ark, who in journeying marched in the middle of the camp.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Then was the priest’s heart glad (merry; cf. Jdg 19:6, Jdg 19:9; Rth 3:7), and he took the ephod, etc., and came amongst the people (the Danites). The first clause of this verse is attached to the supplementary statement in Jdg 18:18, Jdg 18:19, for the purpose of linking on the further progress of the affair, which is given in the second clause; for, according to Jdg 18:17, the priest could only receive the ephod, etc., into his charge from the hands of the Danites, since they had taken them out of Micah’s God’s house.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(20) The priests heart was glad.Jdg. 19:6; Jdg. 19:9; Rth. 3:7. The disgraceful alacrity with which he sanctions the theft, and abandons for self-interest the cause of Micah, is very unworthy of a grandson of Moses. Dean Stanley appositely compares the bribe offered in 1176 to the monk Roger of Canterbury:Give us the portion of St. Thomass skull which is in thy custody, and thou shalt cease to be a simple monk; thou shalt be Abbot of St. Augustines.
In the midst of the people.That they might guard his person. It is not necessarily implied that he carried all these sacred objects himself; he may have done so, for the molten image, which was perhaps the heaviest object, is not here mentioned.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. The priest’s heart was glad It was an honourable promotion, as they suggested, to be advanced from being a priest unto one man to that of a tribe in Israel, and he who had sold his service to Micah for little more than his food and clothes (Jdg 17:10) would surely be happy in the change.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image and went in the midst of the people.’
The priest did not go because he was forced or because he had no alternative. He was glad. These people got the priest that they deserved. And he picked up three of the stolen objects and carried them happily. He was a thief, and covetous, and an ingrate. Such were the morals of Israel, and such was the obedience to the covenant. Who carried the fourth, the molten image, we are not told. (But he only had two hands).
“He went in the midst of the people.” Probably as the representative of God among them! This may point to the graven image as representing the Ark, with him carrying it forward among them as they went forward to meet the enemy (Num 2:17; Num 10:33-34), wearing the ephod and also bearing the teraphim, in imitation of the Tabernacle of God among them. This was being represented as a new exodus.
As mentioned previously the fact that he did not carry the molten image instead of the teraphim demonstrates that the former was of the least importance, and therefore possibly a decorated base.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 18:20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
Ver. 20. And the priest’s heart was glad.] Every wind can raise a bubble: profit and preferment carry those any way that are worldly minded in the ministry. It was therefore excellent counsel Luther gave preachers, to see to it, that these three dogs did not follow them into the pulpit, – ambition, covetousness, and envy or contentiousness.
And went in the midst of the people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
heart: Jdg 17:10, Pro 30:15, Isa 56:11, Eze 13:19, Hos 4:3, Act 20:33, Phi 3:19, 2Pe 2:3, 2Pe 2:15, 2Pe 2:16
went: He was glad of his preferment among the Danites; and went into the crowd, that he might not be discovered by Micah or his family.
Reciprocal: Jdg 16:25 – their hearts Eze 21:21 – images Mat 26:15 – What 1Ti 6:10 – the love
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 18:20-21. The priests heart was glad As he was promised promotion, he not only consented to the fact, but assisted them in it, being wholly governed by a regard to his own secular interest. He went in the midst of the people Both for the greater security of such precious things, and that Micah might not be able to come near him to injure or upbraid him; and, perhaps, also, because that was the place where the ark used to be carried. They put the little ones, and the cattle, &c., before them For their greater security, if Micah should pursue them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the {h} people.
(h) With the six hundred men.