“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.”
Judges 18:17 is part of a narrative in the book of Judges that recounts events during the time when the Israelites did not have a king and were ruled by judges. It specifically describes a portion of the story of the tribe of Dan.
To understand the context of this verse, we need to go back to Judges 17. In Judges 17, we learn about a man named Micah who had stolen silver from his mother and returned it to her. In response, his mother decided to make an idol out of the silver and gave it to Micah. Micah then set up a shrine in his house with the idol, an ephod (a priestly garment), and some household gods known as teraphim.
In Judges 18, the tribe of Dan is looking for a new territory to settle in because they had not yet inherited their allotted portion of the Promised Land. Five men from the tribe of Dan were chosen to scout out the land and search for a suitable place for the tribe to dwell.
In Judges 18:17, the five scouts arrived at the house of Micah, where they discovered the graven image (idol), the ephod, and the teraphim. They decided to take these items with them. Additionally, they encountered the priest who served Micah’s idol, and he stood at the entrance of the gate along with six hundred armed men.
This verse highlights the theft committed by the men from the tribe of Dan. They not only took the graven image, which was an idol and thus contrary to the commandments of the Lord, but they also seized the ephod, which was a sacred garment worn by the high priest. The teraphim were household gods associated with divination and superstitious practices.
It is important to note that these actions were in direct violation of the laws given to the Israelites by God. The Ten Commandments strictly prohibited the worship of idols and the crafting of graven images. Moreover, the ephod was a sacred item reserved for the legitimate priesthood, which at that time resided with the descendants of Aaron.
The story of the tribe of Dan and their theft of Micah’s idols serves as a grim example of the moral and spiritual decline that characterized the period of the judges. It reveals the Israelites’ departure from the proper worship of Yahweh and their inclination towards idolatry and syncretism.
Overall, Judges 18:17 presents a snapshot of the moral and religious state of the Israelites during this time, highlighting their departure from the worship of the one true God and their adoption of pagan practices and false gods. It serves as a reminder of the consequences that can arise when God’s people stray from His commandments and indulge in idolatry.
