1. Judges 17:2 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What was the value of 1,100 pieces of silver?

Judges 17:2 (ESV)

2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.”

This amount of silver was the same amount that Delilah takes from each of the Philistine lords for betraying Samson (Judges 16:5). This link between the two chapters has led some interpreters to believe that Delilah is Micah’s mother. But there really is nothing to support this interpretation, other than in both cases, greed is a big factor. This is a fortune in that time. Ten shekels is an attractive yearly salary for a professional in those days; thirty shekels is the going price for an adult male slave (Exodus 21:32). Micha’s family is massively prosperous. And yet what good is all the money in the world if you live under a curse because you stole it?