## Rashi on Judges Chapter 17

###### Rashi on Judges 17:1:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:1:1)

**וַיְהִי אִישׁ מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּכְתְּבוּ שְׁתֵּי פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ בְּסוֹף הַסֵּפֶר, שֶׁל מִיכָה וְשֶׁל פִּלֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה, בִּתְחִלַּת הַשּׁוֹפְטִים הָיָה, בִּימֵי עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים יח:לא): ״וַיָּשִׂימוּ לָהֶם אֶת פֶּסֶל מִיכָה וְגוֹ׳ כָּל יְמֵי הֱיוֹת בֵּית אֱלֹהִים בְּשִׁילֹה״, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁכָּל יְמֵי שִׁילֹה הָיָה דְּמוּת שֶׁל מִיכָה, וּבְפִלֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה נֶאֱמַר עַל יְבוּס שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם (שופטים יט:יב): ״לֹא נָסוּר אֶל עִיר נָכְרִי״, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא כָּבְשׁוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**There was a man from Mount Ephraim.** Although both incidents are recorded at the conclusion of this book, the episodes of Michah and the concubine at Givoh took place at the beginning of the period of Judges, during the days of Asniel ben Kenaz,¹ as it is said, "They appointed, for themselves, the figure of Michah, etc., during the entire period of the *Mishkon* at Shiloh."² We learn that, throughout the period of Shiloh, the graven figure of Michah was in existence.³ Concerning the concubine at Givoh, it is said, about Yevus of Jerusalem, "Let us not turn to an alien city"⁴ we learn that Jerusalem had not yet been conquered.⁵⁶

footnotes:
¹ Asniel was the first of the judges.
³ Thus encompassing the period of Asniel, as his tenure began after the death of Yehoshua, when the Mishkon had already been established at Shiloh.
⁵ It was later conquered by the tribe of Judah (1:8), during the time of Asniel (there, v.13).
⁶ Seder Olam, 12.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:2:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:2:1)

**אֲשֶׁר לֻקַּח לָךְ.** אֲשֶׁר נִגְנַב מִמֵּךְ, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ דוֹמֶה (שמואל א כא:ו): ״כִּי אִשָּׁה עֲצוּרָה לָנוּ״, עֲצוּרָה מִמֶּנּוּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Stolen from you [lit. "to you"].** Stolen from you.⁷ Similarly,⁸ "For women were withheld 'to' us,"—'from' us.

footnotes:
⁷ לך, lit. “to you”, may also be interpreted as “from you”.
⁸ Shmuel 1, 21:6


###### Rashi on Judges 17:2:2
[Rashi on Judges 17:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:2:2)

**וְאַתְּ אָלִית.** קִלְלַת כָּל מִי שֶׁגְּנָבוֹ, וְגַם אָמַרְתְּ הַקְּלָלָה בְּאָזְנַי:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**When you cursed.** You cursed whoever stole it, and even uttered the curse in my ear.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:2:3
[Rashi on Judges 17:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:2:3)

**הִנֵּה הַכֶּסֶף.** אֲנִי מוֹדֶה לָךְ עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא בְּיָדִי שֶׁאֲנִי לְקַחְתִּיו:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Look, the silver.** I confess to you, concerning it, that it is in my possession, as I stole it.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:3:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:3:1)

**וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף לְאִמּוֹ.** אָמַר לְהַחֲזִירוֹ לָהּ, וּבַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהוּא שָׁם הֲרֵי הוּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵךְ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**He returned the eleven hundred silver pieces to his mother.** He verbalized his intent to return it to her, hence, wherever it was, it reverted to her possession.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:3:2
[Rashi on Judges 17:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:3:2)

**הַקְדֵּשׁ הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת הַכֶּסֶף מִיָּדִי לִבְנִי.** קִבַּלְתִּי עָלַי לְמָסְרוֹ מִיָּדִי לְיָדְךָ לְשֵׁם דְּמוּת וּמַסֵּכָה, תְּנֵהוּ לִי עַתָּה וּמִיָּדִי אֲנִי אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת הִיא דְּלִילָה, לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב (לעיל טז:ה): ״אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה כֶּסֶף״, וְטָעוּת הוּא בְּיָדָם, שֶׁהַרְבֵּה שָׁנִים קָדַם מִיכָה לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן, אַךְ הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת נִסְמְכוּ עַל הַכֶּסֶף הָרָע שֶׁשָּׁוֶה כָּאן וְכָאן, וְכֶסֶף שֶׁל פּוּרְעָנוּת הָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**I expressly consecrated the silver, from my hand to my son's.** I resolved to deliver it from my hand to yours for the purpose of making an image and a molten figure. Give it to me now, so that I may return it from my hand to you. Some say that this woman was Delilah, since Scripture specifies eleven hundred pieces of silver⁹. However, they are in error, as Michah preceded Shimshon by many years.¹⁰ But the episodes are juxtaposed because of the corrupt silver, which was of equal value in each of the incidents. The silver inflicted injury in both cases.

footnotes:
⁹ See above 16:5.
¹⁰ See Rashi, v.l.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:5:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:5:1)

**בֵּית אֱלֹהִים.** בֵּית עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְכֵן כָּל ׳אֱלֹהִים׳ הָאֲמוּרִים בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ חוֹל, חוּץ מִזֶּה (שופטים יח:לא): ״כָּל יְמֵי הֱיוֹת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים בְּשִׁילֹה״ (שבועות לה ב):

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**An idolatrous temple** [lit. "temple of Elohim"]. A temple of idol worship. Similarly, "god" throughout this chapter is profane, except for the following: "Throughout the time that the Sanctuary of God was at Shiloh."¹¹¹²

footnotes:
¹² Shevuos, 35:b.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:5:2
[Rashi on Judges 17:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:5:2)

**וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת יַד אַחַד.** חֲנָכוֹ לַעֲבוֹדַת הַדְּמוּת לִהְיוֹת כֹּהֵן לְפָנָיו, כָּל חִנּוּךְ דָּבָר שֶׁאָדָם נִכְנָס בּוֹ לְשֵׁם גְּדֻלָּה קָרוּי מִלּוּי יָדַיִם, רישוושטי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז; וּכְשֶׁנּוֹתְנִין פְּקִידוּת לְאָדָם, קוֹרִין לְמַתָּן רישוישטי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And inducted [lit. "filled the hands of"] one.** He inducted him into the service of the image, to serve as its priest. Any induction process which a person enters for the purpose of achieving a position of prominence is described as "filling the hands,"¹³ "revetir" in old French. When a person is charged with a position, it is described as "reveture" in old French.

footnotes:
¹³ See Shemos, 28:41.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:7:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:7:1)

**מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה.** וְהוּא לֵוִי מִן הָאֵם וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (בבא בתרא קט ב): לְפִי שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה מְנַשֶּׁה שֶׁבָּא מִיהוּדָה, קְרָאוֹ מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה, וְהוּא לֵוִי בֶּן גֵּרְשׁוֹם בֶּן מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ הָיָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בָּעִנְיָן (שופטים יח:ל): ״וִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן גֵּרְשׁוֹם וְגוֹ׳״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Of the clan of Yehudah.** He was a Leivi maternally.¹⁴ However, the Rabbis¹⁵ interpret that, because he behaved like Menasheh,¹⁶ who was descended from Yehudah, he is described as "of the clan of Yehudah." He was actually a Leivi, the son of Gershom, son of our master Moshe, as stated explicitly below, "Yehonasan, son of Gershom, etc."¹⁷

footnotes:
¹⁴ Paternally, he was descended from Yehudah. This explains why he was both “of the clan of Yehudah”, and a Levi.
¹⁵ Bava Basra, 109:b.
¹⁶ The king who instituted idol worship throughout Eretz Yisroel. (Melachim 2, 21).


###### Rashi on Judges 17:8:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:8:1)

**לַעֲשׂוֹת דַּרְכּוֹ.** דֶּרֶךְ הֲלִיכָתוֹ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**To make his way.** The way by which he would journey.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:9:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:9:1)

**בַּאֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָא.** פַּרְנָסָתִי לְהִשְׂתַּכֵּר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Anywhere I will find** a profitable livelihood.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:10:1
[Rashi on Judges 17:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:10:1)

**לַיָּמִים.** לְסוֹף שָׁנָה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Per year** At the year's end.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:10:2
[Rashi on Judges 17:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:10:2)

**וְעֵרֶךְ בְּגָדִים.** זוּג חֲלִיפַת בְּגָדִים שֶׁהֵם עֵרֶךְ וְסֵדֶר לְכָל בְּנֵי אָדָם כְּפִי הָרָאוּי לָהֶם לְשָׁנָה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**An appropriate wardrobe** A pair of outfits appropriate for everyone's yearly requirements.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:10:3
[Rashi on Judges 17:10:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:10:3)

**וְעֵרֶךְ בְּגָדִים.** אפרליימנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**An appropriate wardrobe.** "Appareillement" in old French.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:10:4
[Rashi on Judges 17:10:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:10:4)

**וּמִחְיָתֶךָ.** וּמְזוֹנוֹתֶיךָ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And your board** Your meals.


###### Rashi on Judges 17:10:5
[Rashi on Judges 17:10:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/17:10:5)

**וַיֵּלֶךְ הַלֵּוִי.** אַחַר עֲצָתוֹ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The Levi acquiesced [lit. went]** Followed his advice.