And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

JUDGES 18:17KJV
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Judges 18:17 (KJV)

What does Judges 18:17 mean?

Judges 18:17 describes how five men from the tribe of Dan entered a house and took several religious objects, including a carved image, an ephod, household idols (teraphim), and a metal image, while a priest stood at the entrance with six hundred armed men. The verse highlights a moment when these Danite scouts seized religious items as part of their plan to establish their own place of worship.

This scene takes place during the Danites’ search for a new homeland. The five men had previously scouted the area and now returned with the main group. The religious objects they took were significant in Israelite worship at the time, and the presence of the priest and armed men shows the seriousness and force behind their actions. The verse sets up a confrontation about religious authority and ownership in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Judges 18:17

  • "Graven image" (פֶּסֶל, pesel) and "molten image" (מַסֵּכָה, masekah) are both terms for idols, but the first refers to something carved, while the second refers to something cast from metal. The use of both words emphasizes the variety and importance of the objects taken.
  • "Ephod" (אֵפוֹד, ephod) often refers to a priestly garment, but in this context, it likely means a ritual object used for seeking guidance, highlighting the Danites’ interest in controlling religious practices.
  • "Teraphim" (תְּרָפִים, teraphim) are household idols, often associated with divination or seeking answers from the divine. Their inclusion shows the mix of religious practices in this period.

Why Judges 18:17 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Danites were not just seeking land but also religious legitimacy, shown by their deliberate seizure of sacred objects and a priest.
  • The verse highlights the chaotic spiritual situation in Israel during the time of the Judges, where tribes acted independently and religious practices were often mixed or confused.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the later conflict in the chapter and the origins of an unauthorized shrine in Dan, which becomes significant in Israel’s later history.

Where else these words appear

“teraphim” Hebrew H8655 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 31:19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
  • Judges 18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
  • 1 Samuel 19:16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.

“out” Hebrew H7270 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
  • Numbers 21:32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
  • Judges 18:2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

“image” Hebrew H4541 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
  • Judges 17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
  • Psalms 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

“image” Hebrew H6459 · used in 31 verses

  • Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
  • Judges 18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
  • Isaiah 44:9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.