Mikha 7:12-16

A Closing Prayer

7:12 In that day people ¹  will come to you ² 

from Assyria as far as ³  Egypt,

from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, ⁴ 

from the seacoasts ⁵  and the mountains. ⁶ 

7:13 The earth will become desolate ⁷ 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ⁸ 

7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, ⁹ 

the flock that belongs to you, ¹⁰ 

the one that lives alone in a thicket,

in the midst of a pastureland. ¹¹ 

Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, ¹² 

as they did in the old days. ¹³ 

7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,

I will show you ¹⁴  miraculous deeds.” ¹⁵ 

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ¹⁶  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ¹⁷ 

[7:12]  ¹ tn Heb “they.” The referent has been specified as “people,” referring either to the nations (coming to God with their tribute) or to the exiles of Israel (returning to the Lord).

[7:12]  ² tn The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the Lord is addressed. Some emend to a feminine form and take Jerusalem as the addressee.

[7:12]  ³ tc The MT reads וְעָרֵי (vÿ’arey, “and the cities [of Egypt]”), but the parallel line indicates this is a corruption of וְעַד (vÿ’ad, “even to”).

[7:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River. This has been specified in the translation for clarity (so also NASB, NIV).

[7:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “and sea from sea.” Many prefer to emend this to מִיָּם עַד יָם (miyyam ’ad yam, “from sea to sea”).

[7:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “and mountain of the mountain.” Many prefer to emend this to וּמֵהַר עַד הַר (umehar ’ad har, “and mountain to mountain”).

[7:13]  ⁷ tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

[7:14]  ⁹ tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).

[7:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”

[7:14]  ¹¹ tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.

[7:14]  sn The point seems to be that Israel is in a vulnerable position, like sheep in a thicket populated by predators, while rich pastureland (their homeland and God’s blessings) is in view.

[7:14]  ¹² sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.

[7:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”

[7:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “him.” This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.

[7:15]  ¹⁵ sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the Lord responds to the petition of v. 14 with a brief promise of deliverance.

[7:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the Lord’s power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.