Teks -- Micah 6:1-3 (NET)

The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual

6:1 Listen to what the Lord says: “Get up! Defend yourself before the mountains! Present your case before the hills!” 6:2 Hear the Lord’s accusation, you mountains, you enduring foundations of the earth! For the Lord has a case against his people; he has a dispute with Israel! 6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Mic 6:1 - Arise

This is God's command to Micah.

Wesley: Mic 6:1 - Contend thou

Argue the case between God and thy people; and speak as if thou wouldst make the mountains hear thee, to testify for me.

Wesley: Mic 6:2 - Foundations of the earth

The mountains properly so called; the sin of Israel is so notorious, that the whole creation may be summoned as a witness against them.

Wesley: Mic 6:3 - What have I done

What injustice or unkindness? What grievous, burdensome impositions have I laid upon thee.

Wesley: Mic 6:3 - Wearied thee

Speak, what it is hath caused thee to be weary of me?

JFB: Mic 6:1 - contend thou

Israel is called by Jehovah to pie ad with Him in controversy. Mic 5:11-13 suggested the transition from those happy times described in the fourth and fifth chapters, to the prophet's own degenerate times and people.

JFB: Mic 6:1 - before the mountains

In their presence; personified as if witnesses (compare Mic 1:2; Deu 32:1; Isa 1:2). Not as the Margin, "with"; as God's controversy is with Israel, not with them.

JFB: Mic 6:2 - Lord's controversy

How great is Jehovah's condescension, who, though the supreme Lord of all, yet wishes to prove to worms of the earth the equity of His dealings (Isa 5:3; Isa 43:26).

JFB: Mic 6:3 - my people

The greatest aggravation of their sin, that God always treated them, and still treats them, as His people.

JFB: Mic 6:3 - what have I done unto thee?

Save kindness, that thou revoltest from Me (Jer 2:5, Jer 2:31).

JFB: Mic 6:3 - wherein have I wearied thee?

What commandments have I enjoined that should have wearied thee as irksome (1Jo 5:3)?

Clarke: Mic 6:1 - Arise, contend thou

Arise, contend thou - This chapter is a sort of dialogue between God and the people. God speaks the five first verses, and convicts the people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The People, convinced of their iniquity, deprecate God’ s judgments, in the sixth and seventh verses. In the eighth verse God prescribes the way in which they are to be saved; and then the prophet, by the command of God, goes on to remonstrate from the ninth verse to the end of the chapter.

Clarke: Mic 6:2 - Hear ye, O mountains

Hear ye, O mountains - Micah, as God’ s advocate, summons this people into judgment, and makes an appeal to inanimate creation against them. He had spoken to the priests, to the princes, to the people. He had done every thing that was necessary to make them wise, and holy, and happy; they had uniformly disobeyed, and were ever ungrateful. It was not consistent with either the justice or mercy of God to permit them to go on without reprehension and punishment. He now calls them into judgment; and such was the nature of their crimes that, to heighten the effect, and show what reason he had to punish such a people, he appeals to inanimate creation. Their ingratitude and rebellion are sufficient to make the mountains, the hills, and the strong foundations of the earth to hear, tremble, and give judgment against them. This, then, is the Lord’ s controversy with his people, and thus he will plead with Israel.

Clarke: Mic 6:3 - O my people, what have I done unto thee?

O my people, what have I done unto thee? - They are called to show why God should not pronounce sentence upon them. This condescension is truly astonishing! God appears to humble himself to his creatures. You have acted basely, treacherously, and ungratefully to me; this had already been proved by the prophets. What cause have I given you for such conduct? I have required a religious service from you; but have I wearied you by a fatiguing round of difficult duties? If I have, now testify against me; and you shall be first heard, and your plea received, if it be reasonable and good. They are silent; and God proceeds, and states what he has done for them.

Calvin: Mic 6:1 - Hear ye what Jehovah says

Here the Prophet avowedly assumes that the people were sufficiently proved guilty; and yet they resisted through a hardiness the most obdurate, and rejected all admonitions without shame, and without any discretion. He is therefore commanded to direct his discourse to the mountains and to the hills; for his labor had now for a long time been useless as to men. The meaning then is that when the Prophet had spent much labor on the people and derived no fruit, he is at length bidden to call the mountains and the hills to bear their testimony to God; and thus before the elements is made known and proved the ungodliness and the obstinacy of the people. But before he relates what had been committed to him, he makes a preface, in order to gain attention.

Hear ye what Jehovah says The Prophets are wont, on very serious subjects, to make such a preface as is here made by Micah: and it is indeed sufficiently evident from the passage, that he has here no ordinary subject for his teaching, but that, on the contrary, he rebukes their monstrous stupidity; for he had been addressing the deaf without any advantage. As then the Prophet was about to declare no common thing, but to be a witness of a new judgment, — this is the reason why he bids them to be unusually attentive. Hear, he says, what Jehovah saith. What is it? He might have added, “Jehovah has very often spoken to you, he has tried all means to bring you to the right way; but as ye are past recovery, vengeance alone now remains for you: he will no more spend labor in vain on you; for he finds in you neither shame, nor meekness, nor docility.” The Prophet might have thus spoken to them; but he says that another thing was committed to his charge by the Lord, and that is, to contend or to plead before the mountains. And this reproach ought to have most acutely touched the hearts of the people: for there is here an implied comparison between the mountains and the Jews; as though the Prophet said, — “The mountains are void of understanding and reason, and yet the Lord prefers to have them as witness of his cause rather than you, who exceed in stupidity all the mountains and rocks.” We now then perceive the design of God.

Some take mountains and hills in a metaphorical sense for the chief men who then ruled: and this manner of speaking very frequently occurs in Scripture: but as to the present passage, I have no doubt but that the Prophet mentions mountains and hills without a figure; for, as I have already said, he sets the hardness of the people in opposition to rocks, and intimates, that there would be more attention and docility in the very mountains than what he had hitherto found in the chosen people. And the particle את , at, is often taken in the sense of before: it means also with; but in this place I take it for ל , lamed, before or near, as many instances might be cited. But that this is the meaning of the Prophet it is easy to gather from the next verse, when he says —

Calvin: Mic 6:2 - Hear, ye mountains, the controversy of Jehovah, // Arise, then, and plead before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice

Hear, ye mountains, the controversy of Jehovah, ¹⁶¹ how? and ye strong foundations of the earth, he says. He speaks here no more of hills, but summons the whole world; as though he said, “There is not one of the elements which is not to bear witness respecting the obstinacy of this people; for the voice of God will penetrate to the farthest roots of the earth, it will reach the lowest depths: these men will at the same time continue deaf.” And he says not, the Lord threatens you, or denounces judgment on you; but Jehovah has a contention with his people. We now then see that there is no metaphor in these words; but that the Prophet merely shows how monstrous was the stupor of the people, who profited nothing by the celestial doctrine delivered to them, so that the very mountains and the whole machinery of earth and heaven, though destitute of reason, had more understanding than these men. And it is not unusual with the Prophets, we know, to turn their discourse to mute elements, when there remains no hope of success from men. But our Prophet does not abruptly address mountains and hills as Isaiah does, (Isa 1:2,) and as also Moses had done,

‘Hear, ye heavens, what I shall say, let the earth hear the words of my mouth,’ (Deu 32:1,)

but he prefaces his discourse by saying, that it had been specially commanded to him to summon the mountains and hills to God’s judgment. By saying then, “Hear ye what Jehovah saith,” he prepares as I have said, the Jews to hear, that they might know that something uncommon and altogether unusual was to be announced, — that the Lord, in order more fully to convict them of extreme impiety, intended to plead his cause before the mountains.

Arise, then, and plead before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice What sort of voice was this? They who think that the judges are here figuratively pointed out may be easily refuted; for Micah in the next verse mentions the substance of this pleading, namely that the Lord expostulated with his people. We hence see that God had no contention with the mountains, but that, on the contrary, the mountains were summoned, that they might understand God’s pleading, not against them, but against the people. Hear then, ye mountains, Jehovah’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth, that is, the very rocks. There is nothing so hard in the world, he says, that shall not be inane to hear; for this pleading shall reach the lowest depths. Jehovah then has a controversy with his people, and he will plead, or contend, with Israel It follows —

Calvin: Mic 6:3 - NO PHRASE

Here God, in the first place, offers to give a reason, if he was accused of any thing. It seems indeed unbecoming the character of God, that he should be thus ready as one guilty to clear himself: but this is said by way of concession; for the Prophet could not otherwise express, that nothing that deserved blame could be found in God. It is a personification, by which a character; not his own, is ascribed to God. It ought not therefore to appear inconsistent, that the Lord stands forth here, and is prepared to hear any accusation the people might have, that he might give an answer, My people! what have I done? By using this kind expression, my people, he renders double their wickedness; for God here descends from his own elevation, and not only addresses his people, in a paternal manner, but stands as it were on the opposite side, and is prepared, if the people had anything to say, to give answer to it, so that they might mutually discuss the question, as it is usually done by friends. Now the more kindly and indulgently the Lord deals with his people, the more enhanced, as I have said, is their sin.

He says first, What have I done to thee? that is, what hast thou to accuse me with? He adds In what have I caused trouble ¹⁶² to thee? or, In what have I been troublesome to thee? Testify, he says, against me. This testifying was to be made to the mountains and hills; as though he said, “I am ready to plead my cause before heaven and earth; in a word, before all my creatures.” Some render the passage, “Answer me:” and ענה , one, is also to answer; but the context requires the former meaning; for God conceded so much liberty to the Jews, that they might bring forward against him any fault they had to allege. Testify, he says, against me; that is, there are witnesses present; make public now thy case by stating particulars, I am ready for the defense. We hence see the truth of what I have before stated, — that a character, not his own is ascribed to God: but this is done by way of concession. He afterwards adds —

TSK: Mic 6:1 - ye // Arise // contend // before // let

ye : Mic 1:2; 1Sa 15:16; Jer 13:15; Amo 3:1; Heb 3:7, Heb 3:8

Arise : The manner of raising attention, says Abp. Newcome, in Mic 6:1, Mic 6:2, by calling a man to urge his plea in the face of all nature, and on the inanimate creation to hear the expostulation of Jehovah with his people, is truly awakening and magnificent. The words of Jehovah follow in Mic 6:3-5; and God’ s mercies having been set before the people, one of them is introduced in a beautiful manner, asking what his duty is towards so gracious a God, Mic 6:6, Mic 6:7. The answer follows in the words of the prophet, Mic 6:8.

contend : Deu 4:26, Deu 32:1; Psa 50:1, Psa 50:4; Isa 1:2; Jer 22:29; Eze 36:1, Eze 36:8; Luk 19:40

before : or, with, Mic 1:4; Isa 2:12-14

let : Eze 37:4

TSK: Mic 6:2 - foundations // a controversy

foundations : Deu 32:22; 2Sa 22:8, 2Sa 22:16; Psa 104:5; Pro 8:29; Jer 31:37

a controversy : Isa 1:18, Isa 5:3, Isa 43:26; Jer 2:9, Jer 2:29-35, Jer 25:31; Eze 20:35, Eze 20:36; Hos 4:1; Hos 12:2

TSK: Mic 6:3 - O my // what // wherein // testify

O my : Mic 6:5; Psa 50:7, Psa 81:8, Psa 81:13

what : Jer 2:5, Jer 2:31

wherein : Isa 43:22, Isa 43:23

testify : Psa 51:4; Rom 3:4, Rom 3:5, Rom 3:19

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Mic 6:1 - Hear ye // Now // What the Lord saith // Arise // Before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice

Hear ye: see Mic 1:2 .

Now whilst the Lord is willing to debate with you, before it be too late for you.

What the Lord saith: though it is a man like yourselves who speaketh, yet he comes from the Lord, and with the Lord’ s message, and it is the Lord who speaketh by Micah.

Arise: this is God’ s command to Micah, who is bidden to arise; so Jonah, Mic 1:2 , See Poole "Jon 1:2" . Prophets, as other men, could be content to sit at ease, and neither be troubled by others or troublesome to others; and perhaps the little success of Micah’ s preaching had occasioned him to retire and sit down; now God rouseth him, Get up, prepare thyself, contend thou; plead, Micah, the present cause, argue the case that is between thy God plaintiff, and thy people delinquents.

Before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice plead openly, vehemently, let there be witnesses to hear the case, which is so clear on God’ s side, and so full against thy people, that the very mountains and hills, on which they have sinned against me notoriously, on which I have blessed them abundantly, had they eyes, and ears, and voice, would testify that I have planted them with vines, olives, fig trees, and clothed them with grass and flocks, and stored them with springs, and beautified them with cedars, oaks, and all pleasant trees of the forest; this I have done upon the mountains and hills for my people, and there they have made their groves, set up their idols, sacrificed to devils, and committed other lewdnesses not to be named. O Micah, speak as if thou wouldst make mountains hear thee to testify for me, Deu 32:1 Isa 1:2 .

Poole: Mic 6:2 - Hear ye, O mountains // mountains // The Lord’ s controversy // Ye strong foundations of the earth // The Lord hath a controversy with his people // He will plead with Israel

Hear ye, O mountains: in the first verse God directs Micah to take the mountains and hills for witnesses; now in this verse he doth call upon those mountains to hear: it is a prosopoeia, an elegant personating of hearers and witnesses, as Deu 32:1 Isa 1:2 2:2 . Some by

mountains understand princes and nobles, and by

strong foundations of the earth inferior magistrates, as Psa 75:3 ; but it may as well, or better, be an appeal to these creatures in so just a cause for their Creator.

The Lord’ s controversy whose sovereign Majesty may well command what he pleaseth, and expect to be obeyed, and whose unparalleled goodness to Israel ought to have been uncontroverted motives to obey him in all things; yet the sovereign goodness is slighted and disobeyed; on which he now impleads his people, brings his action against them.

Ye strong foundations of the earth called before hills: it is an explanation of the former, mountains; or it may be an appeal to those deep foundations which are hid from any eye, and which seem most remote from what is done on earth; but the ill carriage, the disobedience, and sin of Israel is so notorious, that the whole creation may be subpoenaed witnesses against them.

The Lord hath a controversy with his people covenant, redeemed, and only people, as Amo 3:2 .

He will plead with Israel no longer put off the cause, nor forbear to punish them and right himself, he will bring the cause to hearing judgment, and execution too.

Hear ye, O mountains: in the first verse God directs Micah to take the mountains and hills for witnesses; now in this verse he doth call upon those mountains to hear: it is a prosopoeia, an elegant personating of hearers and witnesses, as Deu 32:1 Isa 1:2 2:2 . Some by

mountains understand princes and nobles, and by

strong foundations of the earth inferior magistrates, as Psa 75:3 ; but it may as well, or better, be an appeal to these creatures in so just a cause for their Creator.

The Lord’ s controversy whose sovereign Majesty may well command what he pleaseth, and expect to be obeyed, and whose unparalleled goodness to Israel ought to have been uncontroverted motives to obey him in all things; yet the sovereign goodness is slighted and disobeyed; on which he now impleads his people, brings his action against them.

Ye strong foundations of the earth called before hills: it is an explanation of the former, mountains; or it may be an appeal to those deep foundations which are hid from any eye, and which seem most remote from what is done on earth; but the ill carriage, the disobedience, and sin of Israel is so notorious, that the whole creation may be subpoenaed witnesses against them.

The Lord hath a controversy with his people covenant, redeemed, and only people, as Amo 3:2 .

He will plead with Israel no longer put off the cause, nor forbear to punish them and right himself, he will bring the cause to hearing judgment, and execution too.

Poole: Mic 6:3 - O, my people // What have I done unto thee? // Wherein have I wearied thee? // Testify against me

O, my people you whole house of Israel, my people chosen in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, multiplied in Egypt, and by many miracles owned, redeemed, and carried through the wilderness, and settled in the Promised Land.

What have I done unto thee? If I have done only good, why art thou weary of me? if thou know any evil I have done, declare it, say what iniquity hast thou found in me, as Jer 2:5,31 .

Wherein have I wearied thee? what grievous or burdensome impositions, that thou mightest justly groan under?

Testify against me speak, declare, spare not; thou who canst not recount all the good I have done for thee, and who canst not find out one evil I ever did to thee, declare what it is hath caused thee to be weary of me.

Haydock: Mic 6:1 - And thy // Hold

And thy. Septuagint, "I will cast thee away into thyself." (Haydock) ---

Hold of some fruit. (Calmet) ---

Thy wife shall miscarry; (Vatable, &c.) or if she bring forth, the children shall perish by the sword.

Ver 15. New. Septuagint, "grave." (Haydock) ---

"It is good for thee, when thou knowest thy error, to have no disciples." (St. Jerome)

Haydock: Mic 6:1 - The mountains

The mountains, &c. That is, the princes, the great ones of the people. (Challoner) ---

But Hebrew intimates real mountains, which had witnessed the impiety of the people, (Calmet) and had been defiled with their altars, &c. Protestants, "Contend thou before the," &c., (Haydock) as God's advocate. He condescends to justify his conduct towards Israel, Isaias iii. 13. (Calmet) ---

He had shewn them great favours, but they were ungrateful. (Office for Good Friday) (Worthington)

Gill: Mic 6:1 - Hear ye now what the Lord saith // arise // contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice

Hear ye now what the Lord saith,.... Here begins a new discourse, and with an address of the prophet to the people of Israel, to hear what the Lord had to say to them by way of reproof for their sins now, as they had heard before many great and precious promises concerning the Messiah, and the happiness of the church in future time; to hear what the Lord now said to them by the prophet, and what he said to the prophet himself, as follows:

arise; O Prophet Micah, and do thine office; sit not still, nor indulge to sloth and ease; show readiness, diligence, activity, zeal, and courage in my service, and in carrying a message from me to my people:

contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice; open the cause depending between me and my people; state the case between us before the mountains and hills; and exert thyself, and lift up thy voice loudly, and with so much vehemence, that, if it was possible, the very mountains and hills might hear thee; the Lord hereby suggests that they would as soon hear as his people; thus upbraiding their stupidity, as he elsewhere does; see Isa 1:2. Kimchi and Ben Melech render it, to the mountains, which is much to the same sense with our version; call and summon them as witnesses in this cause; let the pleadings be made before them, and let them be judges in this matter; as they might be both for God, and against his people: the mountains and hills clothed with grass, and covered with flocks and herds; or set with all manner of fruit trees, vines, olives, and figs; or adorned with goodly cedars, oaks, and elms; were witnesses of the goodness of God unto them, and the same could testify against them; and, had they mouths to speak, could declare the abominations committed on them; how upon every high mountain and hill, and under every green tree, they had been guilty of idolatry. The Targum, and many versions ^q, render it, "with the mountains"; and the Vulgate Latin version, and others, "against the mountains" ^r; the inhabitants of Judea, that being a mountainous country, especially some parts of it. Some by "mountains" understand the great men of the land, king, princes, nobles; and, by "hills", lesser magistrates, with whom the Lord's controversy chiefly was; they not discharging their offices aright, nor setting good examples to the people. Some copies of the Targum, as the king of Spain's Bible, paraphrase it,

"judge or contend with the fathers, and let the mothers hear thy voice;''

which Kimchi thus explains, as if it was said, let the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, hear what their children hath rendered to the Lord; let them be, as it were, called out of their graves to hear the ill requital made to the Lord for all his goodness.

Gill: Mic 6:2 - Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth // for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel

Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth,.... These are the words of the prophet, obeying the divine command, calling upon the mountains, which are the strong parts of the earth, and the bottoms of them the foundations of it, to hear the Lord's controversy with his people, and judge between them; or, as some think, these are the persons with whom, and against whom, the controversy was; the chief and principal men of the land, who were as pillars to the common people to support and uphold them:

for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel; his people Israel, who were so by choice, by covenant, by their own avouchment and profession: they had been guilty of many sins and transgressions against both tables of the law; and now the Lord had a controversy with them for them, and was determined to enter into judgment, and litigate the point with them; and dreadful it is when God brings in a charge, and pleads his own cause with sinful men; they are not able to contend with him, nor answer him for one of a thousand faults committed against him; see Hos 4:1.

Gill: Mic 6:3 - O my people // what have I done unto thee // and wherein have I wearied thee // testify against me

O my people,.... These are the words of the Lord himself by the prophet, expressing his strong affection to the people of Israel, of which his goodness to them was a full proof, and this was an aggravation of their ingratitude to him; they were his people, whom he had chosen for himself above all people of the earth; whom he had redeemed from the house of bondage, had distinguished them by his layouts, and loaded them with his benefits, and yet they sinned against him:

what have I done unto thee? what evil things, what injuries to provoke to such usage? "what iniquity have you", or "your fathers, found in me", to treat me after this manner? have I been "a wilderness", or "a land of darkness", to you? Jer 2:5; have I withheld or denied you anything that was for your good? The Targum is,

"O my people, what good have I said I would do unto thee, and I have not done it?''

all that the Lord had promised he had performed; not one good thing had failed he had spoken of; how much good, and how many good things, had he done for them? nay, what good things were there he had not done for them? and what more could be done for them than what had been done? and yet they sinned against him so grossly; see Isa 5:4;

and wherein have I wearied thee? what heavy yoke have I put upon thee? what grievous commandments have I enjoined thee? is there anything in my service, any duty, too hard, severe, or unreasonable? are the sacrifices required burdensome? "have I caused thee to serve with an offering, and wearied thee with incense?" is there any just reason to say of these things, "what a weariness is it?" See Isa 43:23;

testify against me; declare it publicly, if any good thing has been wanting, or any evil thing done: thus the Lord condescends to have the case fairly debated, and everything said that could be said in their favour, or against him: astonishing condescension and goodness!