提要
從十七章開始直到本書末了所記載的事件不一定符合時間順序，而是士師記的附錄，旨在呈現當時以色列道德、社會、政治的脫序，和宗教上的腐敗。士師時代無法無天的光景是源於以色列人不順服上帝，沒有將迦南地的異教居民驅逐出境。如鑰節所述，以色列沒有一個中央政府，會幕的敬拜和其他宗教律法也遭漠視（如18：31），「各人任意而行」，而他們隨心所欲行出來的事在上帝眼中皆看為惡。這種可怕的情況與以色列在約書亞領導下的時代真有天壤之別（書24：23、31）。
很明顯的，許多祭司和利未人都沒有盡到他們教導律法的責任。以色列人不專心倚賴上帝，離棄對上帝真實的敬拜，而將之與異教徒的偶像祟拜及迷信混雜在一起。從米迦、他的利未祭司、和但族人的行為便可以清楚看見這種錯誤的宗教融合。由於迦南地的偶像祟拜沒有在一開始時被潔除，這股惡習就開始潛入以色列人的宗教生活中，對許多支派，如但族，造成有害的影響。
米迦的母親想將她的銀子完全奉獻給耶和華上帝，她的心願本來十分可敬，但她由於無知，竟使這筆錢作為鑄造偶像之用！米迦鑄造偶像、神龕，又聘請利未祭司（他將祭司視為自己的產業）的目的不只是敬拜上帝，主要是他迷信如此能使他得著從上帝來的物質祝福（17：13）。
那個猶大族的利未人也不在他該在的地方──利未人的城市。他似乎是出外尋找待遇更高的工作（17：8~10），即使要他在信仰和敬拜上妥協也在所不惜。當但族人提供他一份更好的工作，他就對他們的偷竊行為視而不見，而與但族人同行（18：19~20）。以色列人似乎沒有遵守有關什一奉獻和奉獻給利未人的律法。那個利未人作祭司也違背上帝的律法，因為只有亞倫家的人可以為祭司，並且沒有專屬個人的祭司，祭司只應在會幕（當時位於示羅，18：31）內事奉上帝。這個故事裡的所有人物都可怕的誤解、也悖逆了上帝，特別是破壞了摩西一再強調、警告他們的，十誡中禁拜偶像的誡命。
但族人因為不順服上帝，因此無法從猶大地以西，亞摩利人居住的地方得自己的地業（1：34）。所以有六百個但人帶著他們的家人和財產，朝北方約一百六十公里處去佔領位居加利利海北邊一群孤立的西頓人居住的拉億城。我們可以從他們在米迦家的行動看出，這些但人的信仰早已腐敗了。如同米迦一樣，他們敬拜上帝的動機是自私的，他們寄望於偶像和利未人的是物質的豐裕。當宗教成為個人得利的手段時，它的精神一定也隨之淪喪。
但族人成為以色列拜偶像最厲害的支派，並且，可能因為大規模與異族通婚的關係，不久之後，他們的名號就從以色列的記錄中消失。他們在但城（原先叫拉億）建立自己的偶像祟拜中心，置上帝在示羅真正的會幕於不顧。從但人身上我們可以看到，未予對付的罪會迅速散播，進而生根，造成毀滅。我們必須自我設防，不要讓罪從任何空隙進入我們生命中。
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Overview
The events recorded from chapter seventeen until the end of the book of Judges do not necessarily follow in chronological order, but are appendices which show the moral degradation, social and political disorder, and religious decay that was found in Israel. This lawless condition during the time of the judges stemmed from their disobedience to God in failing to drive out the heathen inhabitants of Canaan. As our key verse stated, there was no centralized government, because worship at the centralized Tabernacle and other religious laws were disregarded (e.g.18:31), and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” which was usually wrong in God’s eyes. This terrible situation was the very opposite of what it had been under the strong leadership of Joshua (Josh.24:23, 31).
It is evident that many priests and Levites failed in their responsibility to teach the Law of God. The Israelites abandoned their dependence upon God and true worship of Him to mix it with the idolatrous, superstitious ways of the heathen. Such syncretism is clearly evident in the actions of Micah and his Levite, as well as the people of Dan. Since the land was not purged of idolatry from the start, it began to creep into the religious life of the Israelites and spread to have a detrimental effect on whole tribes such as the Danites.
The desire of Micah’s mother to wholly dedicate her silver to the Lord (referring to the God of Israel) seems honorable, but she, out of ignorance, provided the material to make idols! Micah intended the idols, the shrine on his property, and the Levite/priest (which he also seemed to consider as his property) to be a means of not only worshipping God, but mainly as a superstitious means to receive God’s material blessings (17:13).
The Levites was not in the place he should have been – one of the Levitical cities. It seems he was out looking for the best-paying job (17:8-10), even if it meant compromising true worship to God. When the Danites offered him a better job, he was happy to condone their theft of Micah’s idols and go with them (18:19-20). It appears the people of Israel were no obeying God’s law concerning the tithes and offerings which were intended to provide for the Levites. This man served as a priest, who was contrary to the Law of God; for only those from Aaron’s family were to be priests. There were to be no personal priests, only those who served the Lord at His central sanctuary, which, at that time, was in Shiloh (18:31). All those involved in this narrative were terribly misinformed and disobedient to God, especially in breaking the importance second commandment regarding idols (Ex.20:4, 23) which Moses had stressed and warned about so often.
Since the Danites disobeyed God, they were prevented by the Amorites (Judges 1:34) from occupying their territory of inheritance west of Judah. Therefore, a group of six hundred men with their families and possessions headed northward about 160 kilometers to possess Laish, an area around the headwaters of the Jordan, north of the Sea of Galilee and occupied by some helpless Sidonians (from Phoenicia). We can see by their actions at the home of Micah that these Danites also had a corrupt form of worship to God. Like Micah, they had selfish motives and wanted the idols and the Levite to ensure material prosperity. Whenever religion is used as a means for personal gain, it will surely suffer terrible degradation.
The Danites became the most idolatrous tribe and, before long, their name disappeared from the records of Israel. Possibly because of extensive intermarriage. They established their own center for idolatrous worship in Dan, formerly called Laish, while the true sanctuary was in Shiloh (18:31). We can see by their examples how a sin left unchecked can quickly spread, become rooted, and lead to destruction. We need to fortify ourselves so as not to allow even a little opening for sin to enter our lives, nor even the appearance of sin.
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