The Meaning of Judges 18:20 Explained

Judges 18:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the heart of the priest is glad, and he taketh the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and goeth into the midst of the people,

Darby: And the priest's heart was glad; he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 18:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Judges 18:20 mean?

so was glad heart of the priest and he took - the ephod and the household idols the carved image and took his place among the people
וַיִּיטַב֙ לֵ֣ב הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־ הָ֣אֵפ֔וֹד וְאֶת־ הַתְּרָפִ֖ים הַפָּ֑סֶל וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָעָֽם

וַיִּיטַב֙  so  was  glad 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לֵ֣ב  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  of  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וַיִּקַּח֙  and  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָ֣אֵפ֔וֹד  the  ephod 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵפֹד  
Sense: ephod.
הַתְּרָפִ֖ים  the  household  idols 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: תְּרָפִים  
Sense: idolatry, idols, image(s), teraphim, family idol.
הַפָּ֑סֶל  the  carved  image 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
וַיָּבֹ֖א  and  took  his  place 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעָֽם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.