Judges 17:2

And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son.

Judges 17:2 (KJV)

Context

This verse appears in the closing chapters of Judges, a time when Israel often turned away from God. The man who speaks is named Micah in the next verse. He confesses to his mother that he took eleven hundred shekels of silver from her. That was a very large amount, showing the seriousness of the theft. His mother had missed the money and pronounced a curse on whoever took it. Micah heard the curse and became afraid, so he returned the silver and admitted what he had done.

Meaning

Micah’s confession is direct: “behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” He does not make excuses. His mother answers with a blessing: “Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.” She uses the covenant name of God, Yahweh, even though her son had stolen from her. Her words show that she valued the blessing more than punishment. Yet the blessing does not remove the wrong. The chapter soon shows that the mother uses part of the silver to make a graven image and a molten image, which God had forbidden. This reveals a deeper problem: the family wanted God’s favor but did not obey His commands.

Biblical connections

The account continues in Judges 17:3-6, where Micah sets up a shrine and appoints his own son as priest. The closing verse of the chapter says that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” That phrase summarizes the spiritual confusion of the time. The mother’s curse and blessing also reflect the ancient belief in the power of spoken words, but the Bible teaches that true blessing comes from obedience, not from words alone. Compare this with the command in Exodus 20:4 against making idols; the family’s actions directly disobey that command.

Application

This passage warns us about partial repentance. Micah returned the silver, but he did not turn from idolatry. Confession of one sin does not excuse other sins. We must examine our hearts and ask whether we truly obey God in all areas. The mother’s blessing shows that forgiveness is good, but it must lead to changed behavior. We should also be careful with our words, because both blessing and cursing carry weight. Speak words that build up and point others to God.

Reflection

Have you ever confessed a wrong but continued in another sin? God calls us to wholehearted obedience, not just outward confession. Let this verse encourage you to bring every hidden sin into the light and to seek God’s help in turning from it completely.