Verse 20:[1] 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.
The priest’s heart was glad; being wholly governed by his own interest, and making all his obligations of justice and gratitude give place to it. But it is not strange, if he who was before perfidious to God, should prove so to men.
[And he set out with them] Hebrew: in the midst (inmost part [Malvenda]) of the people[2] (Junius and Tremellius), or of the armed men: either, so that Micah might not bring him back hom; or rather, so that he might bear some resemblance to the Ark of the Covenant, and thus commend his idol to the soldiers (Martyr).
In the midst of the people, that is, among the people; or properly in the midst, both for the greater security of such precious things, and that Micah might not be able to come at him, either to injure or upbraid him; and it may be, because that was the place where the ark used to be carried.
[1] Hebrew: וַיִּיטַב֙ לֵ֣ב הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵפ֔וֹד וְאֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַפָּ֑סֶל וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָעָֽם׃
[2] Hebrew: בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָעָֽם׃.