Bible Strands
Judges 17:5
Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports Micah’s establishment of a domestic sanctuary after his mother returned consecrated silver to him. This occurs during the era of tribal fragmentation before the monarchy.
The words — The text states Micah made an אֵפוֹד (ephod) and תְּרָפִים (teraphim) while filling the priestly office by ordaining his own son.
The thread — Teraphim appear when Rachel removes them from Laban’s estate (Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:30), and the ephod reappears when Gideon crafts one that becomes a snare to Israel (Judges 8:27).
Why it lands — The passage records the factual shift from centralized Levitical worship to localized, self-directed religious practice. It requires the reader to note how unregulated ritual innovation produces syncretism and self-appointed priesthood.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 31:19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
- Genesis 31:30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
- Judges 8:27 From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
- Judges 18:14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
- Judges 18:24 He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
- Hosea 3:4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.
- Exodus 28:15 You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.
- Exodus 29:9 Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.
- Hebrews 5:4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
- Exodus 24:5 Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.