For, 4 Fathers that is, a Prieſt, a Spiritual Father, a Teacher or Inſtrufter, for ſuch are called Fathers; fee 2 Kings 6: 21. and 8: giand 13: 14. Iſa: 22: 21. He pretends Reverence and Submiſ- ſion to him; and what is wanting in his Wages, he pays him in empty Titles. :
ry; And the Letive was content s to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one Of his
ſons 4. :
z Being conſtrained by neceſſity, and infeed with the common Contagion of the Superſtition and Idolatry of the Times. 4 1+ &- Treated with the ſame degree of Kindreſs and Affe@ton,
1» And Micah conſecrated the 'Levite b, and the young man became his prieſt c, and was in the houſe of Micah.
b Tobe a Prieſt, for which ke thought a Conſecration neceſſary, as knowing that the Levites were no leſs excluded from the Prieſts Office than the People. « Inſtead of his Son, whom he had conſe- crated for want of a fitter, v: 6. bur now ſeems to reſtrain him from the exerciſe of that Otfice, and to devolve it wholly upon the Lewte, who was nearer akin to it.
13 Then faid Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good d, ſeing I have a Levite to my prieft;
d Tam aſſured God will bleſs me. So blind and groſly partial he was in his judgement,to think that one right Circumſtance would anſwer for all his ſubſtantial Errors,in making and worſhipping I- mages againſt GOD'S expreſs Command, in worſhipping GOD in a forbidden place ; and in that he being an Ephraimitepretumed to make
a Prieſt, &c. | C H A P. XVIIL
Thoſe the Tribe of Dan, harving not ſufficient inheritance, ſend forth frue men zo ſpy out a place : they come to the houſe of Micah, and deſire the Levite ask counſel of GOD touching their journey, 1 5. He encouraging em: zhey ſpy out the City Laiſh: and at their return infligate their Brethren to ſet wpn the City, G=nmmmio. 600 ge forth armed s in their march they. ſeize upon Micahs prieft and idols ; which he in vain demanatth a= gain, 11 ———25. They pull down Laiſh ; build it agains inhabit it * and call it Dan, 26—— 29+ Conſecrate their prieſt and [et up Micahs
images, JO, 3l- : ; N * thoſe days there wa no king in Iſrael #: and in thoſe days the * tribe of the Danites þ ſought them
7; 6 97 n inheritance to dwell in,for unto that day all cheir in-
2b; 25s * Joſh: I9: 47+
f Heb: ſme,
heritance had not fallen unto them c among the tribes of Iſrael-
a Not long after Jeſbua's death, of which ſee on Judges 192 6. b1.E. A part or branch of that Tribe,conſiſt:ng ovly of 600 Men of Warz v; 16. with their Families, v: 21. or, # Family »f the Danites ; for the
word. Schebet, which properly ſignifies a 7rr:bs, is ſomerimes taken :
for a Family, as Juage: 20312. «s elſewhere Family is put for a Tribez as Zech: 12: 13z c The Lot had fallen to them before this time, Joſh: 19: 4, &c. but not th: aQtual poſſefiion of their Lot, becauſe cherein the Philiſtines and Amorites oppoled them, not without ſuc- ceſs. Joſh; 19: 40. Judges 1: 34+ ; |
2 And the chiidren of Dan ſent of their family d five men from their coafts, F men of vailour,from Zo-
rah, and from Eſhtaol e, to ſpy out the larid, and to
ſearch it, and they ſaid unto them, Go,ſfearch che land : who when they came to mount Ephraim to the houſe of Micah, they lodged there f. |
a Which ſhews that it was but one, thovgh a krge Family,which was engaged in this Expedition. e Of whici ſee Joſh: 19: 41. Judges 13: 2, 25. f Not in the ſame Houſezbut near 1t,as appears from the next Verſe, in a neighbouring place. .
. 3 When they were by the houſe of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite g: and they eurned in thither, and ſaid unto him, Who brought thee thither ? and what makeſt chou in this place b? and what haft thou here 2?
g Either, r. By bis manner of pronounciation, which was differing and diſtinguiſhable io ſeveral Tribes, as appears from ?»dges 12: 6. Mark 14: 70, Or, 2. By the &&iebration of ſome part of his Office, which they then lodging in the ne!ghbourhood, might be invited to. Or rather, 3.By ſom< acquaintance which ſome of them former- ly had with him. which chey might have upon many occaſions. b This being not thy uſual Place, nor proper for tay Employment.
4 And he ſaid unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Mi- cah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his prieſt.
5 And they ſaid unto him, Ask counſel,we pray thee, of God z, that we may know whether our way which we £0 ſhall be proſperous. |
i To wit, by thine Ephoa, or Teraphim, or Images,which they knew he had, v: 14. ; :
6 And the prieſt {aid unto them, Go in peace: be- fore the LORD 3s your way k wherein ye go.
k i.e. Your Journey or Deſign is under the Eye of GOD; i. e. under his Care and ProteQtion, and Dire&iony which the Eye of GOD being »pon a perſon, commonly notes in Scripture, as Pſal: 32: 8. and 34: 15+ Compare Fer: 39: 12. and 403: 4. So the Paraſe is here taken in a reſtrained ſenſe, which is elſewhere taken more largely, as Prov? 5: 21. This Anſwer he either feigns to gratifie their Hu- mour; Or, did indeed receive from the Devil. who transformed him- ſelf into an Angel of Light, and in GOD'S Name gave them An: ſwers, and thoſe nor ſeldom very true.which GOD ſuffered for the trial of his People : See Deut: 13: 1, 2, 3. But it is obſervable,thac his Anſwer was,as the Devil's Oracle: uſually were, ambiguous, and ſuch as might have been interpreted either way as they had ſuccefs or diſappointment.
7 «4 Then the five men departed, and came to Laiſh Land ſaw the people that were therein, how rhey dwelt
careleſs, after the manner of the Zidonians m, quier,
0 EX
were far from the Zidonians o, and had no bufineſs with «ny man p.