Judges 18:19
New International Version
They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?”

New Living Translation
“Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”

English Standard Version
And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?”

Berean Standard Bible
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

King James Bible
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

New King James Version
And they said to him, “Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

New American Standard Bible
And they said to him, “Be silent, put your hand over your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

NASB 1995
They said to him, “Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

NASB 1977
And they said to him, “Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, “Be silent; put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

Amplified Bible
They said to him, “Keep quiet, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?”

Christian Standard Bible
They told him, “Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut. Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They told him, “Be quiet. Keep your mouth shut. Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

American Standard Version
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They said to him: “Be quiet! Lay your hand on your mouth and come with us and be a Father and Priest to us! Which is better for you: that you would be a Priest for the house of one man or that you would be a Priest for a race and for a tribe of the house of Israel?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they said to him, Be silent, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?

Contemporary English Version
"Quiet!" the men said. "Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Hold thy peace and put thy finger on thy mouth and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a priest. Whether is better for thee, to be a priest in the house of one man, or in a tribe and family in Israel?

English Revised Version
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They told him, "Keep quiet! Don't say a word! Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man's house or for a tribe in Israel and its families?"

Good News Translation
They told him, "Keep quiet. Don't say a word. Come with us and be our priest and adviser. Wouldn't you rather be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for the family of one man?"

International Standard Version
They told him, "Shut up and keep quiet. Come with us and be our spiritual father and priest. It's better for you, isn't it, to be a priest to an entire tribe and family in Israel than to be priest to the home of one man?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said unto him: 'Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest; is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?'

Literal Standard Version
And they say to him, “Keep silent, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be for a father and for a priest to us: is it better your being a priest for the house of one man, or your being priest for a tribe and for a family in Israel?”

Majority Standard Bible
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

New American Bible
they said to him, “Be still! Put your hand over your mouth! Come with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?”

NET Bible
They said to him, "Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser and priest. Wouldn't it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man's family?"

New Revised Standard Version
They said to him, “Keep quiet! Put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one person, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?”

New Heart English Bible
They said to him, "Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: Is it better for thee to be a priest to the house of one man, or that thou shouldst be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

World English Bible
They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”

Young's Literal Translation
and they say to him, 'Keep silent, lay thy hand on thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us for a father and for a priest: is it better thy being a priest to the house of one man, or thy being priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Danites Take Micah's Idols
18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?” 20So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.…

Cross References
Judges 17:10
"Stay with me," Micah said to him, "and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions." So the Levite went in

Judges 18:18
When they entered Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

Judges 18:20
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

Job 21:5
Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.

Job 29:9
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

Job 40:4
"Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.


Treasury of Scripture

And they said to him, Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

lay thine.

Job 21:5
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

Job 29:9
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

Job 40:5,6
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further…

a father

Judges 17:10
And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

2 Kings 6:21
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

2 Kings 8:8,9
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? …

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Better Hand Hold House Israel Lay Mouth Peace Priest Quiet Shouldst Silent Tribe
Judges 18
1. The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance
3. At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged
7. They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope
11. Six hundred men are sent to surprise it
16. In their way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things
27. They win Laish, and call it Dan
30. They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inherits the priesthood.














(19) Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.--Comp. Job 21:5; Job 29:9; Proverbs 30:32. The laying of the finger on the lip is one of the most universal of gestures. It is the attitude of Horus, the Egyptian god of silence. (See Apul. Metamorph. 1: at ille digitum, a pollice proximum ori suo admovens . . . tace. tace, inquit.)

A father and a priest.--Judges 17:10.

Unto a tribe and a family.--Both to a shebet and a mishpecah. (See Note on Judges 18:1.) . . .

Verse 19. - Lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Cf. Job 21:5; Job 29:9; Job 40:4. A father and a priest. See Judges 17:10, note.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Be quiet,”
הַחֲרֵ֜שׁ (ha·ḥă·rêš)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2790: To cut in, engrave, plow, devise

they told him.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Put
שִֽׂים־ (śîm-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

your hand
יָדְךָ֤ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your mouth
פִּ֙יךָ֙ (pî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

and come
וְלֵ֣ךְ (wə·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

with us
עִמָּ֔נוּ (‘im·mā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

and be
וֶֽהְיֵה־ (weh·yêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a father
לְאָ֣ב (lə·’āḇ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

and a priest
וּלְכֹהֵ֑ן (ū·lə·ḵō·hên)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

to us.
לָ֖נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

Is it better
הֲט֣וֹב ׀ (hă·ṭō·wḇ)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

for you to be
הֱיוֹתְךָ֣ (hĕ·yō·wṯ·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a priest
כֹהֵ֗ן (ḵō·hên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

for the house
לְבֵית֙ (lə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of one
אֶחָ֔ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

person
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

or
א֚וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

a priest
כֹהֵ֔ן (ḵō·hên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

for a tribe
לְשֵׁ֥בֶט (lə·šê·ḇeṭ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

and family
וּלְמִשְׁפָּחָ֖ה (ū·lə·miš·pā·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

in Israel?”
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: Judges 18:19 They said to him Hold your peace (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 18:18
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