Judges 18:19 · KJV
“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?”
— Judges 18:19
And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
Judges 18 — Context
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, {and} came in thither, {and} took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men {that were} appointed with weapons of war.
18And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
19And 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?
20And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
Cross References
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. {a suit...: or, a double suit, etc: Heb. an order of garments}
Job 29:9
The princes refrained talking, and laid {their} hand on their mouth.
Job 21:5
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay {your} hand upon {your} mouth. {Mark...: Heb. Look unto me}
Micah 7:16
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay {their} hand upon {their} mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
Proverbs 30:32
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, {lay} thine hand upon thy mouth.
Job 40:4-5
Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
2 Kings 13:14
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
Matthew 23:9
And call no {man} your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.