Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. — Comp. Job 21:5; Job 29:9; Proverbs 30:32. The laying of the finger on the lip is one of the most universal of gestures. It is the attitude of Horus, the Egyptian god of silence. (See Apul. Metamorph. 1: at ille digitum, a pollice proximum ori suo admovens... tace. tace, inquit.)
A father and a priest. — Judges 17:10.
Unto a tribe and a family. — Both to a shebet and a mishpecah. (See Note on Judges 18:1.)