Micah's Idols and the Danites

Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim. He admitted to his mother that he had taken her silver, and he returned it. She said she was dedicating it to Yahweh for her son, yet two hundred pieces were given to a silversmith to make a carved image and a molten image. Micah kept these in his house of gods, made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons as priest.

The passage explains the trouble plainly: in those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Then a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah came by. Micah offered him silver each year, clothing, and food. The Levite stayed, Micah consecrated him as priest, and Micah thought this meant Yahweh would do him good.

Later, men from the tribe of Dan were looking for land of their own. Five spies came to Micah's house and recognised the young Levite. They asked about his place there, and he said Micah had hired him as priest. They asked him to seek God's guidance about their journey. Then they went on to Laish and saw a quiet, unsuspecting people living there.

After that, six hundred Danites armed for war travelled out from Zorah and Eshtaol and came to Micah's house. The five spies told the others about the ephod, teraphim, and images there. While the armed men stood at the entrance, the five went in and took the carved image, the molten image, the ephod, and the teraphim. They told the priest to be quiet and come with them instead.

The priest was glad to go with them, and he took the sacred objects along. The Danites moved on, placing their little ones, livestock, and goods in front. Micah and men from nearby houses caught up and protested, but the Danites warned him not to let his voice be heard among them. Seeing they were too strong, Micah turned back home.

Then the Danites went to Laish, struck its quiet and unsuspecting people, and burned the city. They rebuilt it and named it Dan. There they set up Micah's carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the captivity of the land, and Micah's image remained while God's house was in Shiloh.