Micah

Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, set up idolatrous worship in his house, which was later adopted by the Danites.

Micah is a man from the hill country of Ephraim who is featured in a narrative in the book of Judges (Jdg.17-18). He stole 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother but later returned them. His mother then dedicated 200 pieces of silver to the Lord for Micah to make a carved image and a metal idol (Jdg 17:1-4). Micah set up these idols in his house, along with an ephod and household gods, and installed one of his sons as his priest (Jdg 17:5). Later, a Levite from Bethlehem came to Micah's house, and Micah hired him to be his personal priest (Jdg 17:8-13). The Danites, who were seeking land to settle, sent spies who stayed at Micah's house. They later returned with 600 armed men, stole Micah's idols and his priest, and went on to conquer the city of Laish (Jdg 18:1-29). This narrative highlights the religious and moral decline in Israel during the time of the judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6; 21.25).

A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Judg. 17, apparently for the purpose of leading to an account of the settlement of the tribe of Dan in Northern Palestine, and for the purpose also of illustrating the lawlessness of the times in which he lived (Judg. 18; 19:1-29; 21:25).