The Meaning of Judges 18:31 Explained

Judges 18:31

KJV: And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

YLT: And they appoint for them the graven image of Micah, which he had made, all the days of the house of God being in Shiloh.

Darby: So they set up Micah's graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

ASV: So they set them up Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they set them up  Micah's  graven image,  which he made,  all the time  that the house  of God  was in Shiloh. 

What does Judges 18:31 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 18:31 mean?

So they set up for themselves - carved image of Micah which he made all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh -
וַיָּשִׂ֣ימוּ לָהֶ֔ם אֶת־ פֶּ֥סֶל מִיכָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כָּל־ יְמֵ֛י הֱי֥וֹת בֵּית־ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּשִׁלֹֽה פ

וַיָּשִׂ֣ימוּ  So  they  set  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לָהֶ֔ם  for  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
פֶּ֥סֶל  carved  image 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
מִיכָ֖ה  of  Micah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִיכָה  
Sense: the 6th in order of the minor prophets; a native of Moresheth, he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and was contemporary with the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah.
עָשָׂ֑ה  he  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יְמֵ֛י  the  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הֱי֥וֹת  that 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בֵּית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים  of  God  was 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּשִׁלֹֽה  in  Shiloh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation