Keraia
Judges 18

Judges 18:24

The Danites Take Micah’s Idols · Judges 18:14–31
Read Judges 18

Translations

Modern
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
Traditional
And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
Literal
And he said, “My gods that I made you have taken, and the priest, and you have gone away. And what more is unto me? And what is this you say to me: ‘What ails you?’”
Latin
Qui respondit: Deos meos, quos mihi feci, tulistis, et sacerdotem, et omnia quæ habeo, et dicitis: Quid tibi est?

Original

Hebrew
English
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

Notes

Judges 18:24

Micah's final speech is sad and pitiful. He started by stealing from his mother and ended up losing everything to even worse thieves. The story is full of irony, especially when Micah loses the gods he created. His fate is like that of anyone who abandons the Lord's covenant: he is left with nothing!

Judges 18:14–26

This dishonest exchange reveals the lack of integrity in everyone involved.

Judges 18:1–31

The migration of the Danites (compare Joshua 19:40–48) shows the tribe's failure to follow God's covenant and reflects Israel's decline. Micah's personal heresy (Judges 17:4–5) grew into the apostasy of the entire tribe (18:30–31). The initial covenant failure (Judges 17:19–36) led to social breakdown during the time of Jephthah and Samson (Judges 11–16). Eventually, law and order gave way to banditry and pillaging (Judges 18:27–28).

Judges 17:1–21:25

These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.

Theme notes and profiles

Social Chaos in Judges

Glossary

Allotment of the Land Eshtaol Idols, Idolatry Jeroboam Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Laish (Place) Micah (Person) Priests and Levites Teraphim Travel Tribe of Dan

Topics

Jonathan: A Levite of Bethlehem, Who Becomes a Priest for Micah Theft and Thieves: The Spies of Laish