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והאישׁ376 מיכה4318 לו  בית1004  אלהים430  ויעשׂ6213  אפוד646  ותרפים8655 וימלא4390 את853 יד3027 אחד259 מבניו1121 ויהי1961 לו  לכהן׃3548  

Jud 8:27; 18:14 Ex 28:4,15 1Sa 23:6

Verse 5. The man Micah had a house of gods] µyhla tyb beith Elohim should, I think, be translated house or temple of God; for it is very likely that both the mother and the son intended no more than a private or domestic chapel, in which they proposed to set up the worship of the true God.

Made an ephod] Perhaps the whole of this case may be stated thus: Micah built a house of God-a chapel in imitation of the sanctuary; he made a graven image representing the ark, a molten image to represent the mercy-seat, teraphim to represent the cherubim above the mercy-seat, and an ephod in imitation of the sacerdotal garments; and he consecrated one of his sons to be priest. Thus gross idolatry was not the crime of Micah; he only set up in his own house an epitome of the Divine worship as performed at Shiloh. What the teraphim were, see the note on Gen. xxxi. 19; for the ephod, see the note on Exod. xxv. 7; and for the sacerdotal vestments in general, see the note on Exodus xxviii. 4, &c.

Who became his priest.] hk cohen, which the Targum translates chumera.

The word hk cohen is the common name in Hebrew for a priest of the true God; but sometimes it is applied to idolatrous priests. When it is to be understood in the former sense, the Targum renders it cahen; when in the latter, it uses the word armwk chumera, by which it always understands an idolatrous priest. But that this was not a case of idolatry, and that the true God was worshipped here, is evident from the word Jehovah being used, ver. 4, and oracular answers being given at this house, as we see from chap. xviii. 6 &c.

Ver. 5. And the man Micah had an house of gods , etc.] Having two images in it, besides teraphim, which were a sort of idols; and the Targum is, an house of images, or idols; though it may be rendered “an house of God”; a temple, a place for religious worship: and made an ephod ; a priestly garment, a linen one very probably, not so rich an one with a breastplate to it as the high priest had, which was very costly. Ben Melech interprets it a girdle, and there was a curious girdle of the ephod, with which it was girt; this may be here put for the rest of the priestly garments which Micah provided: and teraphim ; which were a sort of household gods, like the Lares and Penates of the Romans, and by which consultations were made; (see Gill on “ Hosea 3:3-4”) (see Gill on “ Zechariah 10:2”) Micah proposed to have an oracle in his house, whereby he might consult the Lord about future things, and not be at the trouble of going to the tabernacle, and consult there by Urim and Thummim; and the same some take the teraphim to be: and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest ; or, “filled the hand” of one of them; that is, with offerings, as Ben Melech interprets it; in which way priests were initiated, and consecrated to their office; (see Exodus 28:41 29:9,24) or, as Kimchi expresses it, he offered his offerings by the hand of one of his sons, and appointed him to be a priest, very probably his eldest son.

והאישׁ376 מיכה4318 לו  בית1004  אלהים430  ויעשׂ6213  אפוד646  ותרפים8655 וימלא4390 את853 יד3027 אחד259 מבניו1121 ויהי1961 לו  לכהן׃3548