Mikha 1:1--7:20
Konteks1:1 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
1:2 Listen, all you nations! 7
Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! 8
The sovereign Lord will testify 9 against you;
the Lord will accuse you 10 from his majestic palace. 11
1:3 Look, 12 the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place!
He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops! 13
1:4 The mountains will disintegrate 14 beneath him,
and the valleys will be split in two. 15
The mountains will melt 16 like wax in a fire,
the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. 17
1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion
and 18 the sins of the nation 19 of Israel.
How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? 20
Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! 21
Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? 22
They are right in Jerusalem! 23
1:6 “I will turn Samaria 24 into a heap of ruins in an open field –
vineyards will be planted there! 25
I will tumble 26 the rubble of her stone walls 27 down into the valley,
and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. 28
1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;
all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. 29
I will make a waste heap 30 of all her images.
Since 31 she gathered the metal 32 as a prostitute collects her wages,
the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” 33
1:8 For this reason I 34 will mourn and wail;
I will walk around barefoot 35 and without my outer garments. 36
I will howl 37 like a wild dog, 38
and screech 39 like an owl. 40
1:9 For Samaria’s 41 disease 42 is incurable.
It has infected 43 Judah;
it has spread to 44 the leadership 45 of my people
and has even contaminated Jerusalem! 46
1:10 Don’t spread the news in Gath! 47
Don’t shed even a single tear! 48
In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust! 49
1:11 Residents 50 of Shaphir, 51 pass by in nakedness and humiliation! 52
The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. 53
“He takes from you what he desires.” 56
1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth 57 hope for something good to happen, 58
though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. 59
1:13 Residents of Lachish, 60 hitch the horses to the chariots!
You 61 influenced Daughter Zion 62 to sin, 63
for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back 64 to you!
1:14 Therefore you 65 will have to say farewell 66 to Moresheth Gath.
The residents 67 of Achzib 68 will be as disappointing
as a dried up well 69 to the kings of Israel. 70
1:15 Residents of Mareshah, 71 a conqueror will attack you, 72
the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. 73
1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; 74
shave your foreheads as bald 75 as an eagle, 76
for they are taken from you into exile.
2:1 Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, 77
those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. 78
As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, 79
because they have the power to do so.
2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire,
and seize the houses they want. 80
They defraud people of their homes, 81
and deprive people of the land they have inherited. 82
2:3 Therefore the Lord says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! 83
It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. 84
You will no longer 85 walk proudly,
for it will be a time of catastrophe.
2:4 In that day people will sing this taunt song to you –
they will mock you with this lament: 86
‘We are completely destroyed;
they sell off 87 the property of my people.
How they remove it from me! 88
They assign our fields to the conqueror.’ 89
2:5 Therefore no one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. 90
2:6 ‘Don’t preach with such impassioned rhetoric,’ they say excitedly. 91
‘These prophets should not preach of such things;
we will not be overtaken by humiliation.’ 92
2:7 Does the family 93 of Jacob say, 94
‘The Lord’s patience 95 can’t be exhausted –
he would never do such things’? 96
To be sure, my commands bring a reward
for those who obey them, 97
2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people. 98
You steal a robe from a friend, 99
from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. 100
2:9 You wrongly evict widows 101 among my people from their cherished homes.
You defraud their children 102 of their prized inheritance. 103
2:10 But you are the ones who will be forced to leave! 104
For this land is not secure! 105
Sin will thoroughly destroy it! 106
2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say, 107
‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ 108
he would be just the right preacher for these people! 109
2:12 I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,
I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain. 110
I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, 111
like a flock in the middle of a pasture; 112
they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise. 113
2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out 114
they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave. 115
Their king will advance 116 before them,
The Lord himself will lead them. 117
3:1 I said,
“Listen, you leaders 118 of Jacob,
you rulers of the nation 119 of Israel!
You ought to know what is just, 120
3:2 yet you 121 hate what is good, 122
and love what is evil. 123
You flay my people’s skin 124
and rip the flesh from their bones. 125
3:3 You 126 devour my people’s flesh,
strip off their skin,
and crush their bones.
You chop them up like flesh in a pot 127 –
like meat in a kettle.
3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, 128
but he will not answer them.
He will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have done such wicked deeds.”
3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people
are as good as dead. 129
If someone gives them enough to eat,
they offer an oracle of peace. 130
But if someone does not give them food,
they are ready to declare war on him. 131
3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions; 132
it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens. 133
The sun will set on these prophets,
and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads. 134
3:7 The prophets 135 will be ashamed;
the omen readers will be humiliated.
All of them will cover their mouths, 136
for they will receive no divine oracles.” 137
3:8 But I 138 am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,
and have a strong commitment to justice. 139
This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,
and Israel with its sin. 140
3:9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family 141 of Jacob,
you rulers of the nation 142 of Israel!
You 143 hate justice
and pervert all that is right.
3:10 You 144 build Zion through bloody crimes, 145
Jerusalem 146 through unjust violence.
3:11 Her 147 leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, 148
her priests proclaim rulings for profit,
and her prophets read omens for pay.
Yet they claim to trust 149 the Lord and say,
“The Lord is among us. 150
Disaster will not overtake 151 us!”
3:12 Therefore, because of you, 152 Zion will be plowed up like 153 a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
and the Temple Mount 154 will become a hill overgrown with brush! 155
4:1 In the future 156 the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; 157
it will be more prominent than other hills. 158
People will stream to it.
4:2 Many nations will come, saying,
“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple 159 of Jacob’s God,
so he can teach us his commands 160
and we can live by his laws.” 161
For Zion will be the source of instruction;
the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. 162
4:3 He will arbitrate 163 between many peoples
and settle disputes between many 164 distant nations. 165
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 166
and their spears into pruning hooks. 167
Nations will not use weapons 168 against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine
or under his own fig tree without any fear. 169
The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. 170
4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, 171
we will follow 172 the Lord our God forever.
4:6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will gather the lame,
and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. 173
4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, 174
and those far off 175 into a mighty nation.
The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,
from that day forward and forevermore.” 176
4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, 177
fortress of Daughter Zion 178 –
your former dominion will be restored, 179
the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.
4:9 Jerusalem, why are you 180 now shouting so loudly? 181
Has your king disappeared? 182
Has your wise leader 183 been destroyed?
Is this why 184 pain grips 185 you as if you were a woman in labor?
4:10 Twist and strain, 186 Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!
For you will leave the city
and live in the open field.
You will go to Babylon,
but there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will deliver 187 you
from the power 188 of your enemies.
4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you.
They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, 189
so we can gloat over Zion!” 190
4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning;
they do not understand his strategy.
He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed 191 at the threshing floor.
4:13 “Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!
For I will give you iron horns; 192
I will give you bronze hooves,
and you will crush many nations.” 193
You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them,
and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler 194 of the whole earth. 195
5:1 (4:14) 196 But now slash yourself, 197 daughter surrounded by soldiers! 198
We are besieged!
With a scepter 199 they strike Israel’s ruler 200
on the side of his face.
5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 201
seemingly insignificant 202 among the clans of Judah –
from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, 203
one whose origins 204 are in the distant past. 205
5:3 So the Lord 206 will hand the people of Israel 207 over to their enemies 208
until the time when the woman in labor 209 gives birth. 210
Then the rest of the king’s 211 countrymen will return
to be reunited with the people of Israel. 212
5:4 He will assume his post 213 and shepherd the people 214 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 215
They will live securely, 216 for at that time he will be honored 217
even in the distant regions of 218 the earth.
5:5 He will give us peace. 219
Should the Assyrians try to invade our land
and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, 220
we will send 221 against them seven 222 shepherd-rulers, 223
make that eight commanders. 224
5:6 They will rule 225 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod 226 with a drawn sword. 227
Our king 228 will rescue us from the Assyrians
should they attempt to invade our land
and try to set foot in our territory.
5:7 Those survivors from 229 Jacob will live 230
in the midst of many nations. 231
They will be like the dew the Lord sends,
like the rain on the grass,
that does not hope for men to come
or wait around for humans to arrive. 232
5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which attacks when it passes through;
it rips its prey 233 and there is no one to stop it. 234
5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; 235
may all your enemies be destroyed! 236
5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will destroy 237 your horses from your midst,
and smash your chariots.
5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,
and tear down all your fortresses.
5:12 I will remove the sorcery 238 that you practice, 239
and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. 240
5:13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst;
you will no longer worship what your own hands made.
5:14 I will uproot your images of Asherah 241 from your midst,
and destroy your idols. 242
5:15 I will angrily seek vengeance
on the nations that do not obey me.” 243
6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Get up! Defend yourself 244 before the mountains! 245
Present your case before the hills!” 246
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! 247
6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you? 248
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I delivered you from that place of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 249
6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, 250
how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.
Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,
so you might acknowledge that the Lord has treated you fairly.” 251
6:6 With what should I 252 enter the Lord’s presence?
With what 253 should I bow before the sovereign God? 254
Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams,
or ten thousand streams of olive oil?
Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,
my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin? 255
6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord really wants from you: 256
He wants you to 257 promote 258 justice, to be faithful, 259
and to live obediently before 260 your God.
6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling 261 to the city!
It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! 262
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! 263
6:10 “I will not overlook, 264 O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, 265
or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. 266
6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,
or a bag of deceptive weights. 267
6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; 268
her inhabitants lie, 269
their tongues speak deceptive words. 270
6:13 I will strike you brutally 271
and destroy you because of your sin.
6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.
Even if you have the strength 272 to overtake some prey, 273
you will not be able to carry it away; 274
if you do happen to carry away something,
I will deliver it over to the sword.
6:15 You will plant crops, but will not harvest them;
you will squeeze oil from the olives, 275 but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; 276
you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. 277
6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,
and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; 278
you follow their policies. 279
Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, 280
the city’s 281 inhabitants will be taunted derisively, 282
and nations will mock all of you.” 283
Indeed, 285 it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,
and the grapes have been harvested. 286
There is no grape cluster to eat,
no fresh figs that I crave so much. 287
7:2 Faithful men have disappeared 288 from the land;
there are no godly men left. 289
They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; 290
they hunt their own brother with a net. 291
7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; 292
government officials and judges take bribes, 293
prominent men make demands,
and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. 294
7:4 The best of them is like a thorn;
the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. 295
The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen –
your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, 296
and then you will experience confusion. 297
7:5 Do not rely on a friend;
do not trust a companion!
Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! 298
7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,
a daughter challenges 299 her mother,
and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are his own servants. 300
7:7 But I will keep watching for the Lord;
I will wait for the God who delivers me.
My God will hear my lament. 301
7:8 My enemies, 302 do not gloat 303 over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. 304
7:9 I must endure 305 the Lord’s anger,
for I have sinned against him.
But then 306 he will defend my cause, 307
and accomplish justice on my behalf.
He will lead me out into the light;
I will experience firsthand 308 his deliverance. 309
7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.
They say 310 to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”
I will gloat over them. 311
Then they will be trampled down 312
like mud in the streets.
7:11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;
in that day your boundary will be extended. 313
7:12 In that day people 314 will come to you 315
from Assyria as far as 316 Egypt,
from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, 317
from the seacoasts 318 and the mountains. 319
7:13 The earth will become desolate 320
because of what its inhabitants have done. 321
7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, 322
the flock that belongs to you, 323
the one that lives alone in a thicket,
in the midst of a pastureland. 324
Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, 325
as they did in the old days. 326
7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,
I will show you 327 miraculous deeds.” 328
7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by 329 all their strength,
they will put their hands over their mouths,
and act as if they were deaf. 330
7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,
like serpents crawling on the ground. 331
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to the Lord our God; 332
they will be terrified 333 of you. 334
7:18 There is no other God like you! 335
You 336 forgive sin
and pardon 337 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people. 338
You do not remain angry forever, 339
but delight in showing loyal love.
7:19 You will once again 340 have mercy on us;
you will conquer 341 our evil deeds;
you will hurl our 342 sins into the depths of the sea. 343
7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham, 344
which you promised on oath to our ancestors 345
in ancient times. 346
[1:1] 1 tn Heb “The word of the
[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.
[1:2] 7 tn Heb “O peoples, all of them.”
[1:2] 8 tn Heb “O earth and all its fullness”; KJV “and all that therein is.”
[1:2] 9 tn Heb “May the sovereign
[1:2] 10 tn Heb “the
[1:2] 11 tn Or “his holy temple” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to the Lord’s dwelling in heaven, however, rather than the temple in Jerusalem (note the following verse, which describes a theophany).
[1:3] 12 tn Or “For look.” The expression כִּי־הִנֵּה (ki-hinneh) may function as an explanatory introduction (“For look!”; Isa 26:21; 60:2; 65:17, 18: 66:15; Jer 1:15; 25:29; 30:10; 45:5; 46:27; 50:9; Ezek 30:9; 36:9; Zech 2:10; 3:8), or as an emphatic introduction (“Look!”; Jdgs 3:15; Isa 3:1; Jer 8:17; 30:3; 49:15; Hos 9:6; Joel 3:1 [HT 4:1]; Amos 4:2, 13; 6:11, 14; 9:9; Hab 1:6; Zech 2:9 [HT 2:13]; Zech 3:9; 11:16).
[1:3] 13 tn Or “high places” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[1:4] 14 tn Or “melt” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This is a figurative description of earthquakes, landslides, and collapse of the mountains, rather than some sort of volcanic activity (note the remainder of the verse).
[1:4] 15 sn The mountains will disintegrate…the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.
[1:4] 16 tn The words “the mountains will melt” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The simile extends back to the first line of the verse.
[1:4] 17 tn The words “the rocks will slide down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. This simile elaborates on the prior one and further develops the imagery of the verse’s first line.
[1:5] 18 tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:5] 20 tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”
[1:5] 21 tn Heb “Is it not Samaria?” The negated rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!” To make this clear the question has been translated as a strong affirmative statement.
[1:5] 22 tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”
[1:5] 23 tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”
[1:5] sn In vv. 2-5 Micah narrows the scope of God’s judgment from the nations (vv. 2-4) to his covenant people (v. 5). Universal judgment is coming, but ironically Israel is the focal point of God’s anger. In v. 5c the prophet includes Judah within the scope of divine judgment, for it has followed in the pagan steps of the northern kingdom. He accomplishes this with rhetorical skill. In v. 5b he develops the first assertion of v. 5a (“All of this is because of Jacob’s rebellion”). One expects in v. 5c an elaboration of the second assertion in v. 5a (“and the sins of the nation of Israel”), which one assumes, in light of v. 5b, pertains to the northern kingdom. But the prophet specifies the “sins” as “high places” and makes it clear that “the nation of Israel” includes Judah. Verses 6-7 further develop v. 5b (judgment on the northern kingdom), while vv. 8-16 expand on v. 5c (judgment on Judah).
[1:5] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:6] 24 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[1:6] 25 tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”
[1:6] 26 tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”
[1:6] 27 tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.
[1:6] 28 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.
[1:7] 29 tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”
[1:7] sn The precious metal used by Samaria’s pagan worship centers to make idols are here compared to a prostitute’s wages because Samaria had been unfaithful to the
[1:7] 30 tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).
[1:7] 31 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).
[1:7] 32 tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.
[1:7] 33 tn Heb “for from a prostitute’s wages she gathered, and to a prostitute’s wages they will return.” When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the
[1:8] 34 tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.
[1:8] 35 tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).
[1:8] 36 tn Heb “naked.” This probably does not refer to complete nudity, but to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.
[1:8] 37 tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”
[1:8] 38 tn Or “a jackal”; CEV “howling wolves.”
[1:8] 39 tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”
[1:8] 40 tn Or perhaps “ostrich” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
[1:9] 41 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Samaria) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:9] 42 tc The MT reads the plural “wounds”; the singular is read by the LXX, Syriac, and Vg.
[1:9] tn Or “wound.”
[1:9] 45 tn Heb “the gate.” Kings and civic leaders typically conducted important business at the city gate (see 1 Kgs 22:10 for an example), and the term is understood here to refer by metonymy to the leadership who would be present at the gate.
[1:9] 46 tn Heb “to Jerusalem.” The expression “it has contaminated” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied to fill out the parallelism with the preceding line.
[1:9] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:10] 47 tn Heb “Tell it not in Gath.” The Hebrew word for “tell” (נָגַד, nagad) sounds like the name of the city, Gath (גַּת, gat).
[1:10] 48 tn The Hebrew infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the prohibition.
[1:10] 49 tc The translation assumes a masculine plural imperative. If one were to emend בְּבֵית (bÿvet) to בֵית (vet), Beth Leaphrah would then be the addressee and the feminine singular imperative (see Qere) could be retained, “O Beth Leaphrah, sit in the dust.”
[1:10] tn Heb “roll about in mourning in the dust”; or “wallow about in mourning in the dust.” The verb פָּלַשׁ (palash, “roll about in mourning [in dust]”; HALOT 935 s.v. פלשׁ) is figurative (metonymy) for sitting as an outward sign of mourning.
[1:10] sn To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphrah means “house of dust.”
[1:11] 50 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] 51 sn The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew.
[1:11] 52 tn The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.
[1:11] 53 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] 54 sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.
[1:11] 55 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] 56 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.”
[1:12] 57 sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”
[1:12] 58 tc The translation assumes an emendation of חָלָה (khalah; from חִיל, khil, “to writhe”) to יִחֲלָה (yikhalah; from יָחַל, yakhal, “to wait”).
[1:12] tn Heb “[the residents of Maroth] writhe [= “anxiously long for”?] good.”
[1:12] 59 tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the
[1:13] 60 sn The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for “team [of horses].”
[1:13] 61 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] 62 sn The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.
[1:13] 63 tn Heb “She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion.”
[1:13] 64 tn Heb “for in you was found the transgressions of Israel.”
[1:14] 65 tn The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.
[1:14] 66 tn Heb “you will give a dowry to”; NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “give parting gifts to.” Lachish is compared to a father who presents wedding gifts to his daughter as she leaves her father’s home to take up residence with her husband. In similar fashion Lachish will bid farewell to Moresheth Gath, for the latter will be taken by the invader.
[1:14] 67 tn Heb “houses.” By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.
[1:14] 68 sn The place name Achzib (אַכְזִיב, ’akhziv, “place on the dried up river”; see HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב) creates a word play on the similar sounding term כָּזָב (kazav, “lie, deception”; HALOT 468 s.v. כָּזָב). Like the dried up river upon which its name was based, the city of Achzib would fail to help the kings of Israel in their time of need.
[1:14] 69 tn Or “will be a deception.” The term אַכְזָב (’akhzav) is often translated “deception,” as derived from the verb I כָּזָב (“to deceive, lie”; HALOT 467-68 s.v. I כזב). However, it probably means “what is dried up,” since (1) the noun elsewhere refers to an empty well or dried river in summer (Jer 15:18; cf. Job 6:15-20) (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); (2) the place-name “Achzib” (אַכְזִיב) literally means “place on the אַכְזָב [dried up river]” (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); and (3) it is derived from the verb II כָּזָב (“to dry up [brook]”; Isa 58:11), which also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew and Arabic. The point of the metaphor is that Achzib will be as disappointing to the kings of Israel as a dried up spring in the summer is to a thirsty traveler in the Jordanian desert.
[1:14] 70 sn Because of the enemy invasion, Achzib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.
[1:15] 71 sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”
[1:15] 72 tn Heb “Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah.” The first person verb is problematic, for the
[1:15] 73 tn Heb “to Adullam the glory of Israel will go.” This probably means that the nation’s leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam. Cf. NIV’s “He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam,” which sounds as if an individual is in view, and could be understood as a messianic reference.
[1:16] 74 tn Heb “over the sons of your delight.”
[1:16] 75 tn Heb “make wide your baldness.”
[1:16] 76 tn Or “a vulture” (cf. NIV, TEV); CEV “a buzzard.” The Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.
[2:1] 77 tn Heb “Woe to those who plan sin.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”; “ah”) was a cry used in mourning the dead.
[2:1] 78 tn Heb “those who do evil upon their beds.”
[2:1] 79 tn Heb “at the light of morning they do it.”
[2:2] 80 tn Heb “they desire fields and rob [them], and houses and take [them] away.”
[2:2] 81 tn Heb “and they oppress a man and his home.”
[2:2] 82 tn Heb “and a man and his inheritance.” The verb עָשַׁק (’ashaq, “to oppress”; “to wrong”) does double duty in the parallel structure and is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[2:3] 83 tn Heb “clan” or “extended family.”
[2:3] 84 tn Heb “from which you will not remove your neck.” The words “It will be like a yoke” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[2:3] 85 tn Or “you will not.”
[2:4] 86 tc The form נִהְיָה (nihyah) should be omitted as dittographic (note the preceding וְנָהָה נְהִי vÿnahah nÿhiy).
[2:4] tn Heb “one will lament [with] a lamentation [and] say.”
[2:4] 87 tn Or “exchange.” The LXX suggests a reading יִמַּד (yimmad) from מָדַד (madad, “to measure”). In this case one could translate, “the property of my people is measured out [i.e., for resale].”
[2:4] 88 tn Heb “how one removes for me.” Apparently the preposition has the nuance “from” here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[2:4] 89 tc The Hebrew term שׁוֹבֵב (shovev, “the one turning back”) elsewhere has the nuance “apostate” (cf. NASB) or “traitor” (cf. NIV). The translation assumes an emendation to שָׁבָה (shavah, “captor”).
[2:4] tn Heb “to the one turning back he assigns our fields.”
[2:5] 90 tn Heb “therefore you will not have one who strings out a measuring line by lot in the assembly of the
[2:5] sn No one will assign you land in the
[2:6] 91 tn Heb “‘Do not foam at the mouth,’ they foam at the mouth.” The verb נָטַף (nataf) means “to drip.” When used of speech it probably has the nuance “to drivel, to foam at the mouth” (HALOT 694 s.v. נטף). The sinful people tell the
[2:6] 92 tc If one follows the MT as it stands, it would appear that the
[2:6] tn Heb “they should not foam at the mouth concerning these things, humiliation will not be removed.”
[2:7] 93 tn Heb “house” (so many English versions); CEV “descendants.’
[2:7] 94 tc The MT has אָמוּר (’amur), an otherwise unattested passive participle, which is better emended to אָמוֹר (’amor), an infinitive absolute functioning as a finite verb (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמַר).
[2:7] 95 tn The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) often means “Spirit” when used of the
[2:7] 96 tn Heb “Has the patience of the
[2:7] 97 tn Heb “Do not my words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they do!” The
[2:8] 98 tc Heb “Recently my people rise up as an enemy.” The MT is problematic in light of v. 9, where “my people” are the object of oppression, not the perpetrators of it. The form וְאֶתְמוּל (vÿ’etmul, “and recently”) is probably the product of fusion and subsequent suppression of an (ע) ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to וְאַתֶּם עַל (vÿ’attem ’al, “and you against [my people]”). The second person plural pronoun fits well with the second plural verb forms of vv. 8b-10. If this emendation is accepted, then יְקוֹמֵם (yÿqomem, the imperfect of קוּם [qum]) should be emended to קָמִים (qamim; a participle from the same root).
[2:8] 99 tc Heb “From the front of a garment glory [or perhaps, “a robe”] you strip off,” but this makes little if any sense. The term מִמּוּל (mimmul, “from the front of”) is probably the product of dittography (note the preceding word, which ends in [ם] mem) and subsequent suppression of ע (ayin). The translation assumes an emendation to מֵעַל (me’al, “from upon”). The translation also assumes an emendation of שַׂלְמָה אֶדֶר (salmah ’eder, “a garment, glory [or robe]”) to שֹׁלְמִים אֲדֶרֶת (sholÿmim ’aderet, “[from] a friend the robe [you strip off]”). The MT’s אֶדֶר (’eder) is the result of misdivision (the article has erroneously been attached to the preceding word) and haplography (of the final tav, which also begins the following word).
[2:8] 100 tc The passive participle שׁוּבֵי (shuvey) is unattested elsewhere and should be emended to a participle שָׁבִים (shavim).
[2:8] tn Heb “from those passing by peacefully, returnees from war.” Actual refugees, however, are probably not in view. The second line compares those who pass by peacefully with individuals returning from war. The battle is over and they do not expect their own countrymen to attack them.
[2:9] 101 tn Heb “women.” This may be a synecdoche of the whole (women) for the part (widows).
[2:9] 102 tn Heb “her little children” or “her infants”; ASV, NRSV “young children.”
[2:9] 103 tn Heb “from their children you take my glory forever.” The yod (י) ending on הֲדָרִי (hadariy) is usually taken as a first person common singular suffix (“my glory”). But it may be the archaic genitive ending (“glory of”) in the construct expression “glory of perpetuity,” that is, “perpetual glory.” In either case, this probably refers to the dignity or honor the
[2:10] 104 tn Heb “Arise and go!” These imperatives are rhetorical. Those who wrongly drove widows and orphans from their homes and land inheritances will themselves be driven out of the land (cf. Isa 5:8-17). This is an example of poetic justice.
[2:10] 105 tn Heb “for this is no resting place.” The
[2:10] 106 tn Heb “uncleanness will destroy, and destruction will be severe.”
[2:11] 107 tn Heb “if a man, coming [as] wind and falsehood, should lie”; NASB “walking after wind and falsehood”; NIV “a liar and a deceiver.”
[2:11] 108 tn Heb “I will foam at the mouth concerning wine and beer.”
[2:11] 109 tn Heb “he would be the foamer at the mouth for this people.”
[2:12] 110 tn Heb “the remnant of Israel.”
[2:12] 111 tc The MT reads בָּצְרָה (batsrah, “Bozrah”) but the form should be emended to בַּצִּרָה (batsirah, “into the fold”). See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 38.
[2:12] 112 tc The MT reads “its pasture,” but the final vav (ו) belongs with the following verb. See GKC 413 §127.i.
[2:12] 113 tn Heb “and they will be noisy [or perhaps, “excited”] from men.” The subject of the third feminine plural verb תְּהִימֶנָה (tÿhimenah, “they will be noisy”) is probably the feminine singular צֹאן (tso’n, “flock”). (For another example of this collective singular noun with a feminine plural verb, see Gen 30:38.) In the construction מֵאָדָם (me’adam, “from men”) the preposition is probably causal. L. C. Allen translates “bleating in fear of men” (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah [NICOT], 300), but it is possible to take the causal sense as “because of the large quantity of men.” In this case the sheep metaphor and the underlying reality are mixed.
[2:13] 114 tn Heb “the one who breaks through goes up before them.” The verb form is understood as a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of this coming event.
[2:13] 115 tn The three verb forms (a perfect and two preterites with vav [ו] consecutive) indicate certitude.
[2:13] sn The “fold” from which the sheep/people break out is probably a reference to their place of exile.
[2:13] 116 tn The verb form (a preterite with vav [ו] consecutive) indicates certitude.
[2:13] 117 tn Heb “the
[3:1] 120 tn Heb “Should you not know justice?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you should!”
[3:2] 121 tn Heb “the ones who.”
[3:2] 124 tn Heb “their skin from upon them.” The referent of the pronoun (“my people,” referring to Jacob and/or the house of Israel, with the
[3:2] 125 tn Heb “and their flesh from their bones.”
[3:2] sn Micah compares the social injustice perpetrated by the house of Jacob/Israel to cannibalism, because it threatens the very lives of the oppressed.
[3:3] 127 tc The MT reads “and they chop up as in a pot.” The translation assumes an emendation of כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher, “as”) to כִּשְׁאֵר (kish’er, “like flesh”).
[3:4] 128 tn Heb “then they will cry out to the
[3:5] 129 tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the
[3:5] 130 tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.
[3:5] 131 tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”
[3:6] 132 tn Heb “it will be night for you without a vision.”
[3:6] sn The coming of night (and darkness in the following line) symbolizes the cessation of revelation.
[3:6] 133 tn Heb “it will be dark for you without divination.”
[3:6] sn The reading of omens (Heb “divination”) was forbidden in the law (Deut 18:10), so this probably reflects the prophets’ view of how they received divine revelation.
[3:6] 134 tn Heb “and the day will be dark over them.”
[3:7] 136 tn Or “the mustache,” or perhaps “the beard.” Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “cover their lips.”
[3:7] 137 tn Heb “for there will be no answer from God.”
[3:8] 138 sn The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the
[3:8] 139 tn Heb “am full of power, the Spirit of the
[3:8] 140 tn Heb “to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.” The words “this enables me” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[3:9] 143 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons (also at the beginning of v. 10).
[3:10] 145 tn Heb “bloodshed” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NLT “murder.”
[3:10] 146 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:11] 147 sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).
[3:11] 148 tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”
[3:11] 149 tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”
[3:11] 150 tn Heb “Is not the
[3:11] 151 tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”
[3:12] 152 tn The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.
[3:12] 153 tn Or “into” (an adverbial accusative of result).
[3:12] 154 tn Heb “the mountain of the house” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[3:12] 155 tn Heb “a high place of overgrowth.”
[4:1] 156 tn Heb “at the end of days.”
[4:1] 157 tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”
[4:1] 158 tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”
[4:2] 161 tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”
[4:2] 162 tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the
[4:2] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:3] 164 tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”
[4:3] 165 tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”
[4:3] 166 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[4:3] 167 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
[4:3] 168 tn Heb “take up the sword.”
[4:4] 169 tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”
[4:4] 170 tn Heb “for the mouth of the
[4:5] 171 tn Heb “walk each in the name of his god.” The term “name” here has the idea of “authority.” To “walk in the name” of a god is to recognize the god’s authority as binding over one’s life.
[4:5] 172 tn Heb “walk in the name of.”
[4:6] 173 sn The exiles of the nation are compared to lame and injured sheep.
[4:7] 174 tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”
[4:7] 175 tn The precise meaning of this difficult form is uncertain. The present translation assumes the form is a Niphal participle of an otherwise unattested denominative verb הָלָא (hala’, “to be far off”; see BDB 229 s.v.), but attractive emendations include הַנַּחֲלָה (hannakhalah, “the sick one[s]”) from חָלָה (khalah) and הַנִּלְאָה (hannil’ah, “the weary one[s]”) from לָאָה (la’ah).
[4:7] 176 tn Heb “from now until forever.”
[4:8] 177 tn Heb “Migdal-eder.” Some English versions transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).
[4:8] 178 sn The city of David, located within Jerusalem, is addressed as Daughter Zion. As the home of the Davidic king, who was Israel’s shepherd (Ps 78:70-72), the royal citadel could be viewed metaphorically as the watchtower of the flock.
[4:8] 179 tn Heb “to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive.”
[4:9] 180 tn The Hebrew form is feminine singular, indicating that Jerusalem, personified as a young woman, is now addressed (see v. 10). In v. 8 the tower/fortress was addressed with masculine forms, so there is clearly a shift in addressee here. “Jerusalem” has been supplied in the translation at the beginning of v. 9 to make this shift apparent.
[4:9] 181 tn Heb “Now why are you shouting [with] a shout.”
[4:9] 182 tn Heb “Is there no king over you?”
[4:9] 183 tn Traditionally, “counselor” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the king mentioned in the previous line; the title points to the king’s roles as chief strategist and policy maker, both of which required extraordinary wisdom.
[4:9] 184 tn Heb “that.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is used here in a resultative sense; for this use see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §450.
[4:9] 185 tn Heb “grabs hold of, seizes.”
[4:10] 186 tn Or perhaps “scream”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “groan.”
[4:10] 187 tn Or “redeem” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[4:10] 188 tn Heb “hand.” The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.
[4:11] 189 tn Heb “let her be desecrated.” the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:11] 190 tn Heb “and let our eye look upon Zion.”
[4:12] 191 tn The words “to be threshed” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the
[4:13] 192 tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”
[4:13] 193 sn Jerusalem (Daughter Zion at the beginning of the verse; cf. 4:8) is here compared to a powerful ox which crushes the grain on the threshing floor with its hooves.
[4:13] 194 tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”
[4:13] 195 tn Heb “and their wealth to the master of all the earth.” The verb “devote” does double duty in the parallelism and is supplied in the second line for clarification.
[4:13] sn In vv. 11-13 the prophet jumps from the present crisis (which will result in exile, v. 10) to a time beyond the restoration of the exiles when God will protect his city from invaders. The
[5:1] 196 sn Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[5:1] 197 tn The Hebrew verb גָדַד (gadad) can be translated “slash yourself” or “gather in troops.” A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).
[5:1] sn Slash yourself. Slashing one’s body was a form of mourning. See Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5.
[5:1] 198 tn Heb “daughter of a troop of warriors.”
[5:1] sn The daughter surrounded by soldiers is an image of the city of Jerusalem under siege (note the address “Daughter Jerusalem” in 4:8).
[5:1] 199 tn Or “staff”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “rod”; CEV “stick”; NCV “club.”
[5:1] sn Striking a king with a scepter, a symbol of rulership, would be especially ironic and humiliating.
[5:1] 200 tn Traditionally, “the judge of Israel” (so KJV, NASB).
[5:2] 201 sn Ephrathah is either an alternate name for Bethlehem or the name of the district in which Bethlehem was located. See Ruth 4:11.
[5:2] map For location of Bethlehem see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[5:2] 202 tn Heb “being small.” Some omit לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “being”) because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.
[5:2] 203 tn Heb “from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel.”
[5:2] 204 tn Heb “his goings out.” The term may refer to the ruler’s origins (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or to his activities.
[5:2] 205 tn Heb “from the past, from the days of antiquity.” Elsewhere both phrases refer to the early periods in the history of the world or of the nation of Israel. For מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem, “from the past”) see Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10. For מִימֵי עוֹלָם (mimey ’olam, “from the days of antiquity”) see Isa 63:9, 11; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:14; Mal 3:4. In Neh 12:46 and Amos 9:11 the Davidic era is in view.
[5:2] sn In riddle-like fashion this verse alludes to David, as the references to Bethlehem and to his ancient origins/activities indicate. The passage anticipates the second coming of the great king to usher in a new era of national glory for Israel. Other prophets are more direct and name this coming ideal ruler “David” (Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5). Of course, this prophecy of “David’s” second coming is actually fulfilled through his descendant, the Messiah, who will rule in the spirit and power of his famous ancestor and bring to realization the Davidic royal ideal in an even greater way than the historical David (see Isa 11:1, 10; Jer 33:15).
[5:3] 206 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:3] 207 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:3] 208 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 209 sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.
[5:3] 210 sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.
[5:3] 211 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:3] 212 tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:3] sn The rest of the king’s brothers are the coming king’s fellow Judahites, while the sons of Israel are the northern tribes. The verse pictures the reunification of the nation under the Davidic king. See Isa 11:12-13; Jer 31:2-6, 15-20; Ezek 37; Hos 1:11; 3:5.
[5:4] 213 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
[5:4] 214 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:4] 215 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
[5:4] 216 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).
[5:4] 218 tn Or “to the ends of.”
[5:5] 219 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
[5:5] 220 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).
[5:5] 222 sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.
[5:5] 224 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
[5:6] 225 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
[5:6] 226 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
[5:6] 227 tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).
[5:6] 228 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:7] 229 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
[5:7] 231 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
[5:7] 232 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”
[5:7] sn Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the
[5:8] 233 tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:8] 234 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”
[5:9] 235 tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”
[5:9] 236 tn Heb “be cut off.”
[5:10] 237 tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).
[5:12] 238 tn Heb “magic charms” (so NCV, TEV); NIV, NLT “witchcraft”; NAB “the means of divination.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain, but note its use in Isa 47:9, 12.
[5:12] 239 tn Heb “from your hands.”
[5:12] 240 tn Heb “and you will not have omen-readers.”
[5:14] 241 tn Or “Asherah poles.”
[5:14] sn Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4). The
[5:14] 242 tn The MT reads “your cities,” but many emend the text to צִרֶיךָ (tsirekha, “your images”) or עֲצַבֶּיךָ (’atsbbekha, “your idols”).
[5:15] 243 tn Heb “I will accomplish in anger and in rage, vengeance on the nations who do not listen.”
[6:1] 244 tn Or “plead your case” (NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “present your plea”; NLT “state your case.”
[6:1] sn Defend yourself. The
[6:1] 245 sn As in some ancient Near Eastern treaties, the mountains are personified as legal witnesses that will settle the dispute between God and Israel.
[6:1] 246 tn Heb “let the hills hear your voice.”
[6:2] 247 tn This verse briefly interrupts the
[6:3] 248 tn Heb “My people, what have I done to you?”
[6:4] 249 tn Heb “before you.”
[6:5] 250 tn Heb “remember what Balak…planned.”
[6:5] 251 tn Heb “From Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the just acts of the
[6:6] 252 sn With what should I enter the
[6:6] 253 tn The words “with what” do double duty in the parallelism and are supplied in the second line of the translation for clarification.
[6:6] 254 tn Or “the exalted God.”
[6:7] 255 tn Heb “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person; here “the sin of my soul” = “my sin.”
[6:8] 256 sn What the
[6:8] 257 tn Heb “except.” This statement is actually linked with what precedes, “What does he want from you except….”
[6:8] 258 tn Heb “to do,” in the sense of “promote.”
[6:8] 259 tn Heb “to love faithfulness.”
[6:8] 260 tn Heb “to walk humbly [or perhaps, “carefully”] with.”
[6:9] 261 tn Or “the voice of the
[6:9] 262 tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The
[6:9] 263 tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).
[6:10] 264 tn The meaning of the first Hebrew word in the line is unclear. Possibly it is a combination of the interrogative particle and אִשׁ (’ish), an alternate form of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is/are”). One could then translate literally, “Are there treasures of sin [in] the house of the sinful?” The translation assumes an emendation to הַאֶשֶּׁה (ha’esheh, from נָשָׁא, nasha’, “to forget”), “Will I forget?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I will not forget.”
[6:10] 265 tn Heb “the treasures of sin”; NASB “treasures of wickedness”; NIV “ill-gotten treasures.”
[6:10] 266 tn Heb “the accursed scant measure.”
[6:10] sn Merchants would use a smaller than standard measure so they could give the customer less than he thought he was paying for.
[6:11] 267 tn Heb “Do I acquit sinful scales, and a bag of deceptive weights?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I do not,” and has been translated as a declarative statement for clarity and emphasis.
[6:11] sn Merchants also used rigged scales and deceptive weights to cheat their customers. See the note at Amos 8:5.
[6:12] 268 tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”
[6:12] 269 tn Heb “speak lies.”
[6:12] 270 tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”
[6:13] 271 tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”
[6:14] 272 tc The first Hebrew term in the line (וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ, vÿyeshkhakha) is obscure. HALOT 446 s.v. יֶשַׁח understands a noun meaning “filth,” which would yield the translation, “and your filth is inside you.” The translation assumes an emendation to כֹּחַ-וְיֶשׁ (vÿyesh-koakh, “and [if] there is strength inside you”).
[6:14] 273 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term וְתַסֵּג (vÿtasseg) is unclear. The translation assumes it is a Hiphal imperfect from נָסַג/נָשַׂג (nasag/nasag, “reach; overtake”) and that hunting imagery is employed. (Note the reference to hunger in the first line of the verse.) See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 80.
[6:14] 274 tn The Hiphal of פָּלַט (palat) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.
[6:15] 275 tn Heb “you will tread olives.” Literally treading on olives with one’s feet could be harmful and would not supply the necessary pressure to release the oil. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 119. The Hebrew term דָּרַךְ (darakh) may have an idiomatic sense of “press” here, or perhaps the imagery of the following parallel line (referring to treading grapes) has dictated the word choice.
[6:15] 276 tn Heb “but you will not rub yourselves with oil.”
[6:15] 277 tn Heb “and juice, but you will not drink wine.” The verb תִדְרֹךְ (tidrokh, “you will tread”) must be supplied from the preceding line.
[6:16] 278 tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”
[6:16] 279 tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”
[6:16] sn The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.
[6:16] 280 tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.
[6:16] 281 tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:16] 282 tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.
[6:16] 283 tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).
[6:16] tn Heb “and the reproach of my people you will bear.” The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.
[7:1] 284 tn Heb “woe to me!” In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, “I am disappointed.”
[7:1] 286 tn Heb “I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest.” Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, “I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested.”
[7:1] 287 tn Heb “my appetite craves.”
[7:2] 288 tn Or “have perished”; “have been destroyed.”
[7:2] 289 tn Heb “and an upright one among men there is not.”
[7:2] 290 tn Heb “for bloodshed” (so NASB); TEV “for a chance to commit murder.”
[7:2] 291 sn Micah compares these ungodly people to hunters trying to capture their prey with a net.
[7:3] 292 tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”
[7:3] 293 tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”
[7:3] 294 tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.
[7:4] 295 tn Heb “[the] godly from a row of thorn bushes.” The preposition מִן (min) is comparative and the comparative element (perhaps “sharper” is the idea) is omitted. See BDB 582 s.v. 6 and GKC 431 §133.e.
[7:4] 296 tn Heb “the day of your watchmen, your appointed [time], is coming.” The present translation takes “watchmen” to refer to actual sentries. However, the “watchmen” could refer figuratively to the prophets who had warned Judah of approaching judgment. In this case one could translate, “The day your prophets warned about – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way.”
[7:4] 297 tn Heb “and now will be their confusion.”
[7:5] 298 tn Heb “from the one who lies in your arms, guard the doors of your mouth.”
[7:6] 299 tn Heb “rises up against.”
[7:6] 300 tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”
[7:7] 301 tn Heb “me.” In the interest of clarity the nature of the prophet’s cry has been specified as “my lament” in the translation.
[7:8] 302 tn The singular form is understood as collective.
[7:8] 303 tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”
[7:8] 304 sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The
[7:9] 305 tn Heb “lift, bear.”
[7:9] 307 tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”
[7:9] 309 tn Or “justice, vindication.”
[7:10] 310 tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:10] 311 tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”
[7:10] 312 tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”
[7:11] 313 sn Personified Jerusalem declares her confidence in vv. 8-10; in this verse she is assured that she will indeed be vindicated.
[7:12] 314 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
[7:12] 315 tn The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the
[7:12] 316 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] 317 tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River. This has been specified in the translation for clarity (so also NASB, NIV).
[7:12] 318 tn Heb “and sea from sea.” Many prefer to emend this to מִיָּם עַד יָם (miyyam ’ad yam, “from sea to sea”).
[7:12] 319 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] 320 tn Or “will be ruined.”
[7:13] 321 tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”
[7:14] 322 tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).
[7:14] 323 tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”
[7:14] 324 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] 325 sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.
[7:14] 326 tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”
[7:15] 327 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] 328 sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the
[7:16] 329 tn Or “be ashamed of.”
[7:16] 330 tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the
[7:17] 331 tn Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.
[7:17] 332 tn Thetranslationassumesthatthe phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yÿhvah ’elohenu, “to the
[7:17] 333 tn Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”
[7:17] 334 tn The
[7:18] 335 tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”
[7:18] 336 tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.
[7:18] 337 tn Heb “pass over.”
[7:18] 338 tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”
[7:18] 339 tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”
[7:19] 340 tn The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the
[7:19] 341 tn Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see HALOT 459 s.v. כבס pi). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the
[7:19] 342 tn Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.
[7:19] 343 sn In this metaphor the
[7:20] 344 tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
[7:20] 345 tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
[7:20] 346 tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”
