Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 17:8

"And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed." — Judges 17:8 (ASV)

To sojourn where he could find. —Or, as we should say, to get his living. It may easily be supposed that in the disorganisation of these days, the due support of the Levites would be much neglected. The same neglect occurred in the troubled days of Nehemiah: “I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field,” etc. (Nehemiah 13:10–11).

To the house of Micah. —Probably he was induced to go there by the rumour of Micah’s chapel and worship.