Bible Strands
Judges 17:8
This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative tracks a young Levite departing Bethlehem in Judah and arriving at Micah’s residence in the hill country of Ephraim during the tribal period.
The words — וַיֵּלֶךְ (va/i.Ye.lekh) literally means “and he went,” while לָגוּר (la/Gur) denotes “to sojourn” or reside temporarily without permanent settlement.
The thread — The movement from Judah to Ephraim parallels the territorial allocations in Joshua 24:33 and leads directly to his employment in Judges 17:11, while Nehemiah 13:10 records the broader pattern of Levites abandoning their posts due to withheld provisions.
Why it lands — The text documents a displaced priest seeking private patronage instead of tribal assignment, requiring the reader to observe how administrative neglect directly displaces religious leadership.
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 departed out of the city from Beth–lehem–judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
Cross-references
- Joshua 24:33 Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Judges 17:11 and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.
- Nehemiah 13:10 I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.