In a departure from the first sixteen chapters in the Book of Judges, the subject matter of the final five
chapters does not speak about Hebrew leaders. In fact, it is the lack of leadership that underlies the
religio-social catastrophes that get recorded in Judges. Societal collapse and a free-for-all are explicit: “In
those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
“Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.”
Providing chronological context, Abravanel asserts that the narratives comprising the last chapters of
Judges took place after Samson’s incarceration in Gaza. Timeline aside, let us shed light on this chapter’s
main characters: Micah and his mother.
“Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.” To be blunt, the man
was a scoundrel. “And he said unto his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken
from you, about which you did utter a curse, and did also speak it in my ears, behold, the silver is with
me. I took it.”
Readers will remember from the previous chapter that the number “eleven hundred” appeared. Delilah,
Samson’s avaricious lover, betrayed him to the Philistine chieftains, all of whom pledged eleven hundred
silver pieces for her perfidy. Returning to Micah, he “came clean”, confessing his crime to Mother and
paid back in full.
Abravanel explains that Micah desired to be a more dutiful son. He also couldn’t bear to hear any more
of his mother’s cursing, for the shrew had been quite vocal about the robber, hexing him incessantly in
earshot of her son. “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you did
utter a curse, and did also speak it in my ears…”
Micah, Abravanel learns, deduced from his mother’s constant mouthing off whenever she saw him, that
mom suspected Micah of the dirty deed. Dropping the charade, the son/thief “restored the eleven
hundred pieces of silver to his mother…”
What began as a weird, albeit thin, plot featuring an “inside job” thickens. “And his mother said: Blessed
be my son of the LORD…and his mother said: I verily dedicate the sliver unto the LORD…to make…a
molten image…” At this point, we’ve introduced a young man with sticky fingers and his foul-mouthed
mom with a penchant for paganism. Lining the dots, we neatly trace a Hebrew society gone awry
because “there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” A nation
adrift.
Things worsened, Abravanel notes. Although Micah’s mother pledged 1100 pieces of silver to forge a
molten image, she reneged. “His mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the
founder…who made thereof a graven image and a molten image…” What started as a vow to donate
eleven hundred silver pieces ended as gift of two hundred. Honest, mom wasn’t.
She was, however, interested in advancing her son’s (dubious) career as a pagan priest. The molten
image was located “in the house of Micah.” Micah set his sights higher for this, to be facetious, house of
worship. “And the man Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and
consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.” Quite the family affair.
Quite the chaos too. “In those days there was no king in Israel…” To elaborate and review, here’s what
Abravanel shares.
- Micah steals mom’s money
- Micah restores the money
- Mom receives the money, asks Micah to hire a silversmith
- Micah refuses and insists mom herself hires a silversmith
- Mom commissions a molten image
- Micah decks out his house of God with the molten image, ephod, and teraphim
Commentators differ as to Micah’s level of spirituality. Abravanel quotes one of them who believes that
Micah began as a soul searcher. For him, the phrase “And the man Micah had a house of God” implies a
spiritual retreat, a place where he could meditate and commune with his Creator. This quiet corner, to
be upfront, housed a molten image, but that wasn’t to pray to. Its purpose was to create the right
ambiance, so that a more intimate relationship with God could be established.
Be that as it may, this much cannot be denied. Though Micah’s mom furnished the house of worship
with the molten image, Micah embellished the temple by adding accoutrements like an ephod and
teraphim. Beefing up his operation, he also hired one of his sons to officiate as a priest.
Of course, readers will find this passage terribly odd. The upcoming verse gives perspective. “In those
days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Why hadn’t
someone spoken up at the insidious, idolatrous idiocy? Why hadn’t authorities arrested offenders? Was
there no outcry, let alone indignation?
To all those questions, one answer suffices. Anarchy reigned. In the absence of an authority, a judge, a
king, or an officer the Hebrews, pitifully, did whatever they darned pleased.