Might Trumps Right

As the Danite soldiers depart from Micah’s home with his image, ephod, household idols, and “priest,” they place their family members, livestock, and household goods in front of the army in order to protect them from any attack from behind. This proves to be a wise precaution. After some time, as word spreads of the Danites’ theft of the shrine’s objects, the men from Micah’s neighborhood gather to discuss what they should do. The shrine is obviously an important part of the community, for the men are willing to set out after the Danites with the intention of bringing Micah’s treasures back, by force if necessary.

Micah and his cohorts are able to move faster than the Danites, who are driving animals and transporting women and children, and they soon overtake them, calling to them to stop. But the Danites reply insolently, for it is apparent that Micah has far too few men to force the Danites to surrender his idols. “ ‘What ails you,’ ” they ask, “ ‘that you have gathered such a company?’ ” In other words, “What do you think you’re doing, coming after us with this pitiful little band?” All Micah can do is present his case and hope that the Danites will acknowledge their wrongdoing. ‘ “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have?’ ” How pathetic! He is devastated to lose his image, his pseudo priest, and (probably) the position of prominence he held in the community because of his shrine. But even worse, he may be devastated at losing objects to which he himself is devoted. Matthew Henry writes, “What a folly was it for him to call those his gods which he had made, when He only that made us is to be worshiped by us as a God! Folly indeed to set his heart upon such silly idle things, and to look upon himself as undone when he had lost them!”

He is not to get them back; the Danites are unmoved by his pleas and his personal sorrow. They simply tell him to drop the matter ‘ “lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life.’ ” The Danites then continue on their way, and Micah, seeing he cannot compel his foes to return his goods, turns for home. “He argues with them, and pleads his right, which he thought should prevail,” Henry writes, “but they, in answer, plead their might, which, it proved, did prevail.”