Judges 17:3 Meaning and Explanation
“And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The mother dedicates the returned silver to the LORD, intending to have it made into a carved and cast image for her son.
What Does Judges 17:3 Mean?
With the silver back in her hands, the mother announces that she had set it apart for the LORD all along. Her stated purpose, however, is to fund a graven and molten image, the very kind of object the law forbids. She frames a clear violation of God's commandment as an act of piety toward Him.
This is the heart of the chapter's tragedy: sincere intentions aimed in exactly the wrong direction. She means to honor God yet plans to make what God commanded His people never to make. It is a sobering reminder that zeal is not enough; worship must be shaped by what God has actually revealed, not by what seems devout to us. Good motives cannot sanctify a path God has closed.
Judges 17:3 in the Original Language
pesel (פֶּסֶל), 'graven image' -- a carved idol, the very thing forbidden in the commandments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 17:3
What does Judges 17:3 mean?
The mother dedicates the returned silver to the LORD, intending to have it made into a carved and cast image for her son.