Judges 17, The Rich Man and the Levite

After the story of the dysfunctional Samson, the book of Judges tells of two more episodes across five final chapters.  It is not clear when these two episodes occur. These events do not involve judges but appear to happen during the chaotic time after Joshua but before there is a united kingdom (Both commentators Barry Webb and Herbert Wolf consider these two episodes as "appendices" to this book.)  Like the stories before, these events display the brokenness of the country during this time.

Judges 17: 1-4, Theft and idolatry

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse--I have that silver with me; I took it." 

Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!"

When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you."

So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house.

We have a strange story of theft, reconciliation and then an idol. The young man, Micah, a Hebrew in the tribe of Ephraim (in the central hill country) stole a significant amount of money (1100 pieces of silver) from his mother. Then, upon hearing her curse the thief, he confesses his theft and returns the silver. She sets aside 200 pieces to create a silver idol for Micah to use.

Judges 17: 5-9, A young Levite

Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.

A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.

Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" 

"I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay."

Micah, although of Ephraim, has absorbed the Canaanite culture of the day. He has an idol and worships there. He installs one of his sons as a "priest" to administer the worship.  But then a young Levite, traveling from Bethlehem, shows up at his door step, looking for a place to stay.  Now Micah sees an opportunity to have a real priest.

Judges 17: 10-13, A priest is hired

Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food."

So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."

Micah hires the young Levite as a priest, giving him room, board and a stipend. Presumably this priest administers worship for the family.  Micah seems to name YHWH as his god but if so, he has also set up an idol to worship YHWH in his home.  (This was probably a common occurrence -- ignoring the requirements to worship YHWH at the Tabernacle in a central location, people set up altars and idols in their own home and worshiped various gods, including YHWH.)