Judges 17:9

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

And Micah said unto him, whence comest thou?.... For as he might ask for a meal, or for a night's lodging, it was but natural to put such a question to him, as from whence he came, and what was his business in these parts? or whither he was going? and he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah; the tribe he was of was Levi, and so a Levite by tribe and office, and the place he came last from, and where he had sojourned awhile, was Bethlehem, a city in the tribe of Judah: and I go to sojourn where I may find a place; the most convenient to abide in, where he could get a livelihood.

8. the man departed … to sojourn where he could find a place—A competent provision being secured for every member of the Levitical order, his wandering about showed him to have been a person of a roving disposition or unsettled habits. In the course of his journeying he came to the house of Micah, who, on learning what he was, engaged his permanent services.

Appointment of a Levite as Priest. - Judges 17:7 . In the absence of a Levitical priest, Micah had first of all appointed one of his sons as priest at his sanctuary. He afterwards found a Levite for this service. A young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who, being a Levite, stayed (גּר) there (in Bethlehem) as a stranger, left this town to sojourn "at the place which he should find," sc., as a place that would afford him shelter and support, and came up to the mountains of Ephraim to Micah's house, "making his journey," i.e., upon his journey. (On the use of the inf. constr. with ל in the sense of the Latin gerund in do, see Ewald, 280, d.) Bethlehem was not a Levitical town. The young Levite from Bethlehem was neither born there nor made a citizen of the place, but simply "sojourned there," i.e., dwelt there temporarily as a stranger. The further statement as to his descent (mishpachath Judah) is not to be understood as signifying that he was a descendant of some family in the tribe of Judah, but simply that he belonged to the Levites who dwelt in the tribe of Judah, and were reckoned in all civil matters as belonging to that tribe. On the division of the land, it is true that it was only to the priests that dwelling-places were allotted in the inheritance of this tribe ( Joshua 21:9-19 ), whilst the rest of the Levites, even the non-priestly members of the family of Kohath, received their dwelling-places among the other tribes ( Joshua 21:20 .).

At the same time, as many of the towns which were allotted to the different tribes remained for a long time in the possession of the Canaanites, and the Israelites did not enter at once into the full and undisputed possession of their inheritance, it might easily so happen that different towns which were allotted to the Levites remained in possession of the Canaanites, and consequently that the Levites were compelled to seek a settlement in other places. It might also happen that individuals among the Levites themselves, who were disinclined to perform the service assigned them by the law, would remove from the Levitical towns and seek some other occupation elsewhere (see also at Judges 18:30 ). (Note: There is no reason, therefore, for pronouncing the words יהוּדה ממּשׁפּחת (of the family of Judah) a gloss, and erasing them from the text, as Houbigant proposes. The omission of them from the Cod. Vat. of the lxx, and from the Syriac, is not enough to warrant this, as they occur in the Cod. Al. of the lxx, and their absence from the authorities mentioned may easily be accounted for from the difficulty which was felt in explaining their meaning. On the other hand, it is impossible to imagine any reason for the interpolation of such a gloss into the text.)

[Reformed Biblical] wn, and retired to their strong hold. ## The top of the tower was flat and plain, after their manner of building. Judges 9:52 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 9:53 Such great stones no doubt they carried up with them, whereby they might defend themselves, or offend those who assaulted them. Here the justice of God is remarkable in suiting the punishment to his sin. He slew his brethren upon a stone, Jud_9:5, and he loseth his own life by a stone. Judges 9:54 A woman slew him; which was esteemed a matter of disgrace. Judges 9:55 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Judges 9:56 The wickedness which he did unto his father, in rooting out, as far as he could, the name, and memory, and remainders of his father. Judges 9:57 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Judges 10:1 JUDGES CHAPTER 10 ## Tola judgeth Israel; and Jair, whose thirty sons had thirty cities, Jud_10:1-5. The people’s idolatry, Jud_10:6. The Philistines and Ammonites oppress them, Jud_10:7-9. They cry to God, who sendeth them to their false gods; but upon their repentance pitieth them, Jud_10:10-11. The Ammonites and Israelites encamp against one another, Jud_10:17 ,18 . ## There arose; not of himself, but either chosen by the people; or rather, raised by God, as the other judges were.

[Reformed Biblical] ## He sojourned there; so he expresseth it, because this was not the proper nor usual place of his abode, this being no Levitical city. ## Judges 17:8 Where he could find a place, for employment and a livelihood; for the tithes and offerings, which were their maintenance, not being brought in to the house of God, the Levites and priests must needs be reduced to great straits. Judges 17:9 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Judges 17:10 A father and a priest; for, a father ; that is, a priest ; a spiritual father, a teacher or instructor, for such are called fathers: see 2Ki_6:21 8:9 13:14 Isa_22:21. He pretends reverence and submission to him; and what is wanting in his wages he pays him in empty titles. ## Judges 17:11 The Levite was content; being constrained by necessity, and infected with the common contagion of the superstition and idolatry of the times. ## Was unto him as one of his sons, i.e. treated with the same degree of kindness and affection. ## Judges 17:12 Consecrated the Levite, to be a priest, for which he thought a consecration necessary, as knowing that the Levites were no less excluded from the priest’s office than the people. ## Became his priest, instead of his son, whom he had consecrated for want of a fitter, Jud_17:5; but now seems to restrain him from the exercise of that office, and to devolve it wholly upon the Levite, who was nearer akin to it. ## Judges 17:13 I am assured God will bless me.

With more reason, Wordsworth cites 1 Samuel 15:30 , "Honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people." A feeling of gratitude may have prompted the invitation, while the king at the same time was very sensible of the advantages which would accrue to himself if it were accepted], and I will give thee a reward . [The services, especially of seers and prophets, were invariably requited in the East with presents, as are those of Judges, Kadis, Kaimakams, and other officers at the present day (see 1 Kings 14:3 ; Genesis 24:53 ; Genesis 33:11 ; Genesis 43:11 ; Numbers 22:17 ; Judges 3:17 ; Judges 6:18 ; Judges 13:15 ; 1 Samuel 9:7, 8 ; 1 Samuel 12:3 ; 2 Kings 5:5, 15 ; 2 Kings 8:8, 9 ).] 1 Kings 13:7