Of the money that Micah first stole, then restored, his mother makes images, 1-4; and the ornaments for them, 5, 6. He hires a Levite to be his priest, 7-13.
1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed are you of the LORD, my son." 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, "I had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore, I will restore it to you." 4 So he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder, who made from it an engraved image and a molten image. And they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place. And he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah and I go to sojourn where I may find a place." 10 And Micah said to him, "Dwell with me and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, a suit of apparel, and your food." So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Judges, Chapter 17[➚]