Judges 17:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Micah assembles his own private shrine with an ephod and household idols and ordains his own son to serve as priest.
What Does Judges 17:5 Mean?
Micah now builds out a full apparatus of worship: a shrine, a priestly ephod, and teraphim, the small household figures associated with seeking guidance. He then sets apart one of his own sons to act as priest. Every piece of this belonged, in God's design, to the tabernacle and the appointed Levitical line, yet Micah replicates it all on his own authority.
The scene is a homemade religion, sincere yet self-invented. Micah gathers the forms of true worship while abandoning its center, fashioning a faith he can control under his own roof. It is a quiet warning that the Lord is not honored by religion shaped to our preferences. True worship submits to the One worshiped rather than crafting Him to fit the household.
Judges 17:5 in the Original Language
teraphim (תְּרָפִים), 'household idols' -- small figures kept for seeking guidance, here mingled with worship of the LORD.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 17:5
What does Judges 17:5 mean?
Micah assembles his own private shrine with an ephod and household idols and ordains his own son to serve as priest.