Chapter 17:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 17
Micah provides an image for his God, ver. 1-6. And a Levite
for his priest, ver. 7-13.
Verse 1. There was, &c. - The things mentioned here, and in the
following chapters, did not happen in the order in which they are
put; but much sooner, even presently after the death of the elders
that over-lived Joshua, as appears, because Phinehas the son of
Eleazar was priest at this time, chap. xx, 28, who must have been
about 350 years old, if this had been done after Samson's death.
Verse 2. Cursedst - That is, didst curse the person who had taken them
away. I took it - The fear of thy curse makes me acknowledge
mine offense, and beg thy pardon. Blessed - I willingly consent to,
and beg from God the removal of the curse, and a blessing instead
of it. Be thou free from my curse, because thou hast so honestly
restored it.
Verse 3. The Lord - In the Hebrew it is, Jehovah, the incommunicable
name of God. Whereby it is apparent, that neither she, nor her
son, intended to forsake the true God; as appears from his
rejoicing when he had got a priest of the Lord's appointment, but
only to worship God by an image; which also both the Israelites,
Exod. xxxii, 1, &c. and Jeroboam afterwards, designed to do. For
my son - For the benefit of thyself and family; that you need not
be continually going to Shiloh to worship, but may do it at home.
To thee - To dispose of, as I say.
Verse 4. Restored - Though his mother allowed him to keep it, yet he
persisted in his resolution to restore it, that she might dispose of it
as she pleased. Two hundred - Reserving nine hundred shekels,
either for the ephod or teraphim, or for other things relating to this
worship.
Verse 5. Of gods - That is, an house consecrated for the service of God
in this manner. Teraphim - A sort of images so called. One of his
sons - Because the Levites in that corrupt estate of the church,
neglected the exercise of their office, and therefore they were
neglected by the people, and others put into their employment.
Verse 6. No king - No judge to govern and control them. The word king
being used largely for a supreme magistrate. God raised up Judges
to rule and deliver the people, when he saw fit; and at other times
for their sins he suffered them to be without them, and such a time
this was; and therefore they ran into that idolatry, from which the
Judges usually kept them; as appears by that solemn and oft-
repeated passage in this book, that after the death of such or such
a judge, the people forsook the Lord, and turned to idols. His own
eyes - That is, not what pleased God, but what best suited his own
fancy.
Verse 7. Bethlehem-judah - So called here, as Matt. ii, 1, 5, to difference
it from Bethlehem in Zebulun. There he was born and bred. Of
Judah - That is, of or belonging to the tribe of Judah; not by birth,
for he was a Levite; but by his habitation and ministration. For the
Levites were dispersed among all the tribes; and this man's lot fell
into the tribe of Judah. Sojourned - So he expresseth it, because
this was not the proper place of his abode, this being no Levitical
city.
Verse 8. To sojourn - For employment and a livelihood; for the tithes
and offerings, which were their maintenance, not being brought
into the house of God, the Levites and priests were reduced to
straights.
Verse 10. A father - That is, a priest, a spiritual father, a teacher or
instructor. He pretends reverence and submission to him; and
what is wanting in his wages, he pays him in titles.
Verse 11. Content - Being infected with the common superstition and
idolatry of the times. His sons - That is, treated with the same
degree of kindness and affection.
Verse 12. Consecrated - To be a priest, for which he thought a
consecration necessary, as knowing the Levites were no less
excluded from the priest's office than the people. The young man -
Instead of his son, whom he had consecrated, 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.
Verse 13. Do me good - I am assured God will bless me. So blind and
grossly partial he was in his judgment, to think that one right
circumstance would answer for all his substantial errors, in
making and worshipping images against God's express command,
in worshipping God in a forbidden place, by a priest illegally
appointed.
Chapter 17:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
Genesis
Exodus
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Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
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1 Kings
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1 Chronicles
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Ezra
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Esther
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Revelation
