Judges 17:2
And he said vnto his mother, The eleuen hundred shekels of siluer, that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine eares, behold, the siluer is with mee, I tooke it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my sonne. Judges 17:2 (KJV)
Judges 17:2 presents a brief but striking scene that belongs to the larger historical setting of the Book of Judges, a period between the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the later establishment of the monarchy. In the opening verses of chapter 17 the man is identified as Micah, a name given to him by his mother. Micah confesses to his mother that he has taken the eleven hundred shekels of silver that had been taken from her, a sum she had previously cursed and spoken about within earshot of her son. He declares, “behold, the silver is with me; I took it,” and his mother responds, “Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.”
This exchange highlights several significant themes. First, it exposes dishonesty and theft within the family unit; Micah appropriates wealth that rightfully belongs to his mother without her knowledge. Second, the mother’s unexpected blessing, rather than rebuke, reveals a complex family dynamic that may suggest forgiveness, a desire for divine favor upon her son, or a cultural tendency to bless even in the face of wrongdoing. Third, the passage foreshadows the idolatrous practices that will develop later in the chapter: the mother is described as having fashioned a graven image, a molten image, and an ephod, and she set these objects up in their house. This act introduces the theme of private worship that runs contrary to the covenantal commands given to Israel.
Together, these elements set the stage for the broader narrative of Judges 17‑18, where Micah establishes his own shrine and appoints his son as priest, actions that illustrate the moral and religious challenges faced by Israel during the era of the judges. The passage therefore invites reflection on the consequences of personal sin, the power of familial blessing, and the dangers of deviating from God‑ordained worship.
