Judges 17:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Micah became a worshiper of false gods and employed a member of the Levitical line, appointing him to serve the idol and consecrating him to the work of idolatry.

The wrongdoing of this individual was significant. Initially, although God established the tabernacle at Shiloh, he chose to conduct worship elsewhere, which was against God’s commandments. Furthermore, he presented offerings to crafted idols, illustrated by the phrase, "He was made, and merged" (Judges 18:14). To compound his misdeeds, he committed yet another violation; the law expressly prohibited the Levites from functioning as priests and instructed that only the priests should undertake the sacred duties. Consequently, by assuming the role of a priest, he flouted this divine ordinance as well.