Mikha 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ¹  Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message ²  during the reigns of ³  Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to ⁴  Samaria ⁵  and Jerusalem. ⁶ 

Mikha 1:6

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ⁷  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ⁸ 

I will tumble ⁹  the rubble of her stone walls ¹⁰  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹¹ 

Mikha 1:11

1:11 Residents ¹²  of Shaphir, ¹³  pass by in nakedness and humiliation! ¹⁴ 

The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. ¹⁵ 

Beth Ezel ¹⁶  mourns, ¹⁷ 

“He takes from you what he desires.” ¹⁸ 

Mikha 1:13

1:13 Residents of Lachish, ¹⁹  hitch the horses to the chariots!

You ²⁰  influenced Daughter Zion ²¹  to sin, ²² 

for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back ²³  to you!

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ² tn The words “he delivered this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:1]  ³ tn Heb “in the days of” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “which he saw concerning.”

[1:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:1]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:6]  ⁷ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I will uncover her foundations.” The term “foundations” refers to the lower courses of the stones of the city’s outer fortification walls.

[1:11]  ¹² tn The Hebrew participial form, which is feminine singular, is here used in a collective sense for the all the residents of the town. See GKC 394 §122.s.

[1:11]  ¹³ sn The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ¹⁴ tn The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.

[1:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “have not come out”; NIV “will not come out”; NLT “dare not come outside.”

[1:11]  sn The expression can’t leave their city alludes to a siege of the town. The place name Zaanan sounds like the verb “come out” (i.e., “can’t leave”) in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ¹⁶ sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the lamentation of Beth Ezel.” The following words could be the lamentation offered up by Beth Ezel (subjective genitive) or the mourning song sung over it (objective genitive).

[1:11]  ¹⁸ tc The form עֶמְדָּתוֹ (’emdato) should be emended to חֲמַדְּתוֹ (khamadto, “his (the conqueror’s) desire”).

[1:11]  tn The precise meaning of the line is uncertain. The translation assumes: (a) the subject of the third masculine singular verb יִקַּח (yiqqakh, “he/it takes”) is the conqueror, (b) the second masculine plural suffix (“you”) on the preposition מִן (min, “from”) refers to the residents of Shaphir and Zaanan, (c) the final form עֶמְדָּתוֹ should be emended to חֲמַדְּתוֹ, “his (the conqueror’s) desire.”

[1:13]  ¹⁹ sn The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for “team [of horses].”

[1:13]  ²⁰ tn Heb “she”; this has been translated as second person (“you”) in keeping with the direct address to the residents of Lachish in the previous line.

[1:13]  ²¹ sn The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.

[1:13]  ²² tn Heb “She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion.”

[1:13]  ²³ tn Heb “for in you was found the transgressions of Israel.”