John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. And he said unto his mother , etc.] Who seems to have been a widow, and an ancient woman since Micah had sons, and one of them at age to become a priest: the eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee : which were taken away by stealth from her, though it may be rendered “taken to thee” f371 ; which she had taken to herself out of the rest of her substance, and had separated and devoted it to religious uses; but Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it as we do, and which seems to be the best sense; of the value of this sum, (see Gill on “ Judges 16:5”) and because the like sum is there offered, and was given to Delilah, hence some have thought, as Jarchi relates, that this woman was Delilah; but, as he observes, it is a mistake; for this woman lived long before the times of Samson and Delilah: about which thou cursedst ; which when she perceived was stolen from her, she fell into a passion, and cursed and swore, cursed the thief that took it, whether of her own family or another; or adjured her son, that if he knew anything of it, that he would declare it, suspecting him of the robbery; some think this refers to the oath she had made, that she would devote the silver to a religious use: and spakest of also in mine ears ; of the sum how much it was, and of the use she had designed it for; or rather the curse was delivered in his hearing, and cut him to the heart, and wrought that conviction in him, that he could not retain the money any longer, not being able to bear his mother’s curse; though Abarbinel connects this with the following clause, “behold, the silver is with me”; as if the sense was, that she spake in his ears, and charged him with the theft to his face; saying, verily the silver is with thee, thou hast certainly taken it; upon which he confessed it, “I took it”; but the former sense seems best, that not being willing to lie under his mother’s curse, he owned that the money was in his hands, and he had taken it from her: and his mother said, blessed be thou of the Lord, my son ; she reversed the curse, and pronounced a blessing on him, or wished one to him, and that without reproving him for his sin, rejoicing to hear of her money again.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - What is related in this, and the rest of the chapters to the end of this book, was done soon after the death of Joshua: see chap. Ju 20:28. That it might appear how happy the nation was under the Judges here is showed how unhappy they were when there was no Judge. The love of money made Micah so undutiful to his mother as to rob her, and mad her so unkind to her son, as to curse him. Outward losses drive goo people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses. This woman' silver was her god, before it was made into a graven or a molten image Micah and his mother agreed to turn their money into a god, and set u idol worship in their family. See the cause of this corruption. Ever man did that which was right in his own eyes, and then they soon di that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 לאמו517 אלף505 ומאה3967 הכסף3701 אשׁר834 לקח3947 לך ואתי859 אלית422 וגם1571 אמרת559 באזני241 הנה2009 הכסף3701 אתי854 אני589 לקחתיו3947 ותאמר559 אמו517 ברוך1288 בני1121 ליהוה׃3068
