And the fiue men that went to spie out the land, went vp and came in thither, and tooke the grauen image, and the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: and the Priest stood in the entring of the gate, with the sixe hundreth men that were appointed with weapons of warre. Judges 18:17 (KJV)
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 (KJV)
Judges 18:17 is part of the narrative in the book of Judges that recounts events during the period when Israel had no king and was ruled by judges. The verse specifically relates to the tribe of Dan. To understand its background we must look back to Judges 17. In that chapter we learn of a man named Micah whose mother had taken a sum of silver that she had stolen from her husband and gave it to Micah. She instructed him to fashion an idol from the silver, and Micah set up a shrine in his house that contained the idol, an ephod (a priestly garment), and household gods known as teraphim.
In Judges 18 the tribe of Dan is seeking a new territory because they had not yet inherited their allotted portion of the Promised Land. Five men from Dan were chosen to scout the land and find a suitable place for settlement. When the five scouts arrived at Micah’s house they discovered the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, and they took these items with them. The priest who served Micah’s idol stood at the entrance of the gate, accompanied by six hundred men who were appointed with weapons of war.
The actions of the Danite scouts constitute a clear violation of the law of God. The Ten Commandments forbid the making and worship of graven images, and the ephod was a sacred garment reserved for the legitimate priesthood descended from Aaron. By seizing these holy objects the Danites not only embraced idolatry but also usurped items that belonged to the true priestly service.
This episode illustrates the moral and spiritual decline that characterized the era of the judges. It shows Israel’s departure from exclusive worship of Yahweh and its drift toward pagan practices and syncretism. The passage serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences that arise when God’s people stray from His commandments and indulge in idolatry.
