And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I am become his priest.”
- BSB “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
- NKJV He said to them, “Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest.”
- NASB He said to them, “Micah has done this and that for me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest.”
- NLT He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Levite explains that Micah has hired him to serve as his priest. He openly admits his paid, unlawful role.
Overview
The Levite's matter-of-fact account reveals no shame over his bought priesthood. His words confirm that worship in Micah's house is a commercial arrangement rather than obedience to God. The Danites, hearing this, will see the priest and idols as assets to acquire, advancing the chapter's exposure of idolatry's spread.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Judg 17:12And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
- John 10:12–13But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
- Judg 17:10And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
- Ezek 13:19And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
- 1 Tim 3:3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
- Titus 1:11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
- Acts 8:18–21And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
- 2 Pet 2:14–15Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
- 2 Pet 2:3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
- Mal 1:10Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
- Acts 20:33I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.
- Isa 56:11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
- Hos 4:8–9They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
- Prov 28:21To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 18:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.