Judges 17:2

Eleven hundred. For an evaluation see on ch. 16:5.

Were taken. That is, stolen.

Cursedst. When the mother, who apparently was a wealthy widow living with her son, discovered that the silver had been stolen, she placed a fearful curse upon the money and the one who had taken it, perhaps never dreaming that her own son Micah was the thief. In placing the curse upon the money, she may have mentioned, as in v. 3, that she had set it aside for making an idol, thus prohibiting its use for other functions. The thief could not use it then, according to superstition, without suffering retaliation from the deity thus invoked.

In mine ears. Micah heard the terrible imprecation against the thief and perhaps immediately became troubled. In those times the power of a curse was believed to be very great and real.

I took it. Micah’s confession may have been made in the hope of allaying his conscience and avoiding the anticipated effect of the curse.

Blessed be thou. People of ancient times believed that a curse could not be withdrawn. Micah’s mother may have sought to avoid its effects by neutralizing it with a blessing.