Micah
Coming defeat
Introduction
11
View from Tell Goded looking east. In the background are the Judean Mountains, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
• Jotham (did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, see ) reigned 758-743 BC.
• His son Ahaz (was an evil king, see ) reigned from 743 to 727 BC.
• Hezekiah (did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, see ) reigned from 726 to 697 BC.] 2Hear (listen), all you peoples!
Listen, you earth and all who dwell on it,
and let the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh) be witness against you,
the Lord (Adonai) from his holy temple.
3For behold, the Lord (Yahweh) is coming forth from his place
and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4And the mountains shall melt beneath him,
and the valleys shall be cleft
like wax before the fire,
like water poured into deep pits. 5All this is for Jacob's transgressions
and the sins of the house of Israel.
What is Jacob's transgression?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are Judah's high places?
Is it not Jerusalem?Cities that will be destroyed
Samaria
6Therefore, I will make [the city] Samaria a heap in the field
where vineyards are planted,
and I will roll down its stones into the valley
and uncover its foundations. 7All her carved idols shall be smashed to pieces
and all her prostitute's wages shall be burned with fire
and I will destroy all her idols,
for she has gathered them with prostitute's wages
and they shall return to prostitute's wages. [Samaria's wealth earned through idol worship would now be taken away to the idol temples in Assyria—a prostitute's wages go to another.]Jerusalem
8For this I will weep and wail,
I will go barefoot and naked,
I will wail like jackals
and mourn like ostriches. 9For her wound is incurable,
and it has reached even to Judah,
it extends to the gates of my people,
yes, even to Jerusalem.Eleven cities
Excavations from Goliath's hometown of Gat (Tel Tsafit).
In Beit-Leafrah
("City of Dust") roll in the dust
(Hebr. afar).
11In nakedness and shame you will be taken away [into captivity],
you who live in Safir ("Beautiful Jewel City").
Those who live in Saanan ("Safe City")
dare not go out.
Beit-Haesel ("City-Near")
cries out in Lam.
12For the inhabitants of Maroth [similar to Hebr. marah – "bitter"] anxiously waited for good,
because evil had come down from the Lord (Yahweh) to the gate of Jerusalem. [The inhabitants of the "Bitter City" anxiously awaited good things, but only bitterness (evil) awaited them.] 13
On the left is the gate to the city of Lachish, the second largest city (after Jerusalem) in Jude in the 7th century with about 10,000 inhabitants. Its proximity to the Via Maris trade route made Lachish an influential and economically important city even for superpowers such as Assyria and Egypt.
she was the beginning of the sin of the daughter of Zion [Jerusalem],
because the transgressions of Israel were found in her.
14Therefore, you shall give a farewell gift
to Moresheth-Gath. [Moresheth-Gath was probably Mic.'s hometown, see ; the name means "in the possession of Gath"; some interpret it not as a city but as David's family, those who came to inherit Gath.] The house of Achziv ["House of Treachery"]
shall be a deceitful thing (Hebr. achsav) to the kings of Israel.
15I will bring to you, inhabitants of Mareshah [meaning "top of a mountain" – impregnable],
the one who will occupy (take – Hebr. jarash) you.
The glory of Israel
shall also come upon Adullam [a city in the western hill country of Judea; meaning "the justice of the people"].Exhortation
16Make yourself bald [feminine form, referring to the inhabitants of Jerusalem] [to show sorrow]
and mourn for your beautiful (beloved, beautiful – Hebr. taanog) sons,
spread your baldness like a vulture (eagle – Hebr. nesher),
for they go into captivity from you. [The word nesher is usually translated as eagle, but can also refer to a vulture. Unlike eagles, vultures are bald, which fits the imagery here. If it refers to an eagle, it may allude to the process when the eagle molts its plumage and removes its feathers, see .]The people corrupted
21Woe (Hebr. hój) to those who advocate injustice
and do evil on their beds!
When morning dawns, they carry it out,
because it is in their power [literally: that power (Hebr. el) is in their hands].
2They covet fields and seize them,
and houses and take them away,
so they oppress a mighty man (a man in his prime – Hebr. ) and his house,
yes, a man (fellow man – Hebr. ish) and his inheritance. 3Therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh):
Behold, I am devising a disaster against this family
from which you shall not remove [compelling as a yoke over] your necks,
nor shall you walk upright,
for it shall be an evil time. 4On that day, a proverb (parable) will be taken up about you
and lamented with a mournful lament, saying:
"We are utterly stripped bare,
he has changed the portion of my people,
how will he not take it away from me,
in small pieces he divides our fields."
5Therefore, you shall have no one in the assembly of the Lord (Yahweh)
who casts lots for the border (casts lots for how the measuring line shall be drawn). 6"Do not preach (prophesy),"
they preach (prophesy).
"They shall not preach (prophesy)
such things to avoid shame (so as not to receive reproaches)." [The Hebrew word nataf can be translated as both preach and prophesy. Literally, it means to trickle or drip, but it can also be used to mean to express oneself spontaneously. This makes this verse ambiguous and difficult to translate.]
7Am I changeable, O house of Jacob?
Is the Spirit of the Lord (Yahweh) impatient?
Are these his deeds?
Does my word not do good to those who walk uprightly?
8But for some time now, my people have risen up
as an enemy,
with their clothing, you also take the cloak
from those who walk by in safety,
so that they look like a man returning from war. 9You cast out the women of my people
from their beautiful (fine, lovely) houses (homes),
from their little children
you take away my glory forever. 10Get up and go away (get out of here)
for this is not your resting place,
because of its uncleanness it will be destroyed,
yes, with a severe destruction.
11Even if a man wanders in the wind and lies (emptiness and falsehood; the spirit of lies) and lies:
"I will preach (prophesy) to you about wine and strong drinks,"
he shall nevertheless become the preacher (prophet – Hebr. nataf) of his people. [Hebr. roach has the meaning of both wind and spirit. The meaning together with "and lies" can be that he "walks in the spirit of lies," or that he follows emptiness or the wind of the spirit of the times.] 12I will surely gather Jacob, all of them.
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I will gather those who are in the fold,
like a flock in the midst of their pasture.
They will make a great noise because they are a great multitude of people. 13The battering ram (literally: the breaker—the one who breaks open the gate) has gone up before them,
they have broken through and gone on through the gate and gone out there,
and their king has gone before them,
and the Lord (Yahweh) is their head (leader).The leaders corrupted
31And I said:
"Listen, I implore you,
you leaders of Jacob and you who rule over the house of Israel,
are you not the ones who should know (be intimately familiar with) justice? 2Those who hate good and love evil,
who rob (violently snatch away – Hebr. gazal) their skin from them [practiced by the Assyrian army]
and their flesh from their bones,
3those who eat the flesh of my people
and strip off their skin
and break their bones,
yes, chop them into pieces, like what is in a pot
and like meat in a cauldron. 4Then they cry out to the Lord (Yahweh)
but he will not answer them.
He will hide his face from them at that time,
as much as they have done evil in their deeds." 5This is what the Lord says to the [false] prophets
who lead my people astray:
"When they have food to chew with their teeth [as long as someone pays them well enough],
they prophesy peace (they proclaim happiness and success),
but if someone does not give them what they ask for,
they are ready to declare war [they prophesy God's judgment] on him. 6Therefore, night shall fall,
and you shall no longer see any visions.
Darkness shall fall,
and you shall no longer be able to divine. [These false prophets were engaged in forbidden occult practices, see .]
The sun shall go down over these prophets
and the daylight shall be turned to darkness around them. 7The seers (those who see visions) shall stand there in shame,
the diviners shall be humiliated.
Yes, they shall all have to cover their faces [in shame],
for they shall receive no answers from God."
8But I [Mic.] am filled
with the power of the Spirit of the Lord,
and I am completely devoted to justice.
This gives me the strength [courage] to tell Jacob about his transgression
and Israel about his sin. 9Hear this, I implore you, you leaders of the house of Jacob
and you who rule over the house of Israel,
who despise what is right
and pervert all justice,
10who build Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with transgression. 11Their leaders judge for (their own) gain,
and their priests teach for pay,
and their prophets prophesy for reward.
Yet they lean on the Lord (Yahweh) and say,
"Is not the Lord (Yahweh) in our midst?
No evil shall come upon us!"
12Therefore, for your sake,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
and the temple mount will be like a high place in a forest.Future restoration
41In the last (utmost) days,
the mountain where the Lord's temple stands
will be the highest mountain of all (the most important of all mountains in the world) [everyone's eyes will be fixed on it].
It will be more prominent (more exalted and honored) than other mountains,
and all nations will stream there. 2Many nations will come and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (Yahweh),
up to the house of the God (Elohim) of Jacob,
he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths (live according to his instructions)."
For instruction (Hebr. Torah) shall go forth from Zion,
the word of the Lord (Yahweh) from Jerusalem. 3He will judge between many peoples (convince them of sin)
and settle disputes between powerful pagan nations far away.
They will beat their swords into plowshares (the blade of the plow that plows up the soil)
and their spears into pruning hooks (gardening tools for pruning branches) [; ].
The nations shall no longer lift up swords against one another
and never again prepare (train) for war.
4Each one shall sit under his vine
and his fig tree
and no one shall frighten them,
for the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaoth) has spoken [so he has said—therefore it shall come to pass].
5But let all peoples walk,
each in the name of his god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord (Yahweh) our God (Elohim)
forever and ever. 6On that day, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
I will gather her who stumbles
and I will gather her who is cast out
and her whom I have afflicted,
7and I will make her who limped a remnant,
and her who was rejected a mighty nation,
and the Lord (Yahweh) will reign over them on Mount Zion
from now on and forever. 8And you, shepherd's tower (Hebr. migdal eder; a tower used by shepherds when watching over their flocks in the pasture), daughter of Zion, to you it shall come, yes, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughters of Jerusalem. 9Why are you crying out so loudly?
Is there no king among you?
Have your counselors perished,
because the pains have seized you like a woman in labor?
10Be in pain and give birth, daughter of Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you shall go forth,
out of the city, and you shall dwell in the field [unprotected]
and you shall come to Babylon,
where you shall be saved,
where the Lord (Yahweh) shall redeem you
from the hand of your enemies. 11And now many pagan peoples are gathered
against you, saying:
"Let her be defiled
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion."
12But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord (Yahweh),
nor do they understand
his counsel,
for he has gathered them
like sheaves to the threshing floor. 13Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horns iron
and I will make your hooves bronze,
and you shall smash many peoples to pieces
and you shall consecrate their gains to the Lord (Yahweh)
and their wealth to the Lord of all the earth (Adonai). 51Now carve (gather – Hebr. gadad) yourself,
daughter of the multitudes [Jerusalem].[The meaning is not entirely clear. The word gadad usually means to carve and invoke idols (). Since the Israelites were forbidden to indulge in such occult practices (), the exhortation may be ironic. The word can also be used to mean "to gather armies," see , and then becomes an exhortation to prepare for battle.]
They have besieged us,
they have struck the judges of Jerusalem with a rod on the cheek.
2But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah,
you are so small (insignificant) among the clans of Judah (thousands)
[groups of a thousand people into which Israel was divided].
From you shall come
one who will rule in Israel.
His origin is from before time,
from the days of eternity. [There are two Bethlehems in Israel, one in the land of Zebulun in the north, and one in the south just outside Jerusalem in the region of Ephrathah. The prophetic prov is so perfect that 700 years before it happens, it predicts that Jesus will be born in the southern village of Bethlehem, which was so insignificant that it was not included in Josh. 15's list of cities, see .] 3Then the Lord will abandon them [deliver the people of Israel to their enemies]
until the time comes for the woman to give birth,
then the rest of his countrymen will return
and be united with the people of Israel. 4He [the Messiah] shall come forth and be a shepherd (lead, feed) his flock
in the power of the Lord (Yahweh),
with the authority (high name) of the Lord (Yahweh) his God (Elohim).
They [the people of Israel who return] shall be settled,
for then he shall be great to the ends of the earth (throughout the world).
5And this shall be peace (shalom):
When Ashur comes into our land
and when he tramples into our palaces,
then we shall raise up against him seven shepherds
and eight princes among men. 6And they shall destroy the land of Ashur with the sword
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword,
and he shall deliver us from Ashur
when he enters our land
and when he tramples within our borders.
7And the remnant of Jacob
shall be among the peoples,
like dew from the Lord (Yahweh),
like showers upon the grass,
which no man expects
or the sons of men desire. 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
with many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it passes through, tramples and tears in pieces,
and there is no one to deliver. 9Let your hand be lifted up over your adversaries
and let all your enemies be cut off (cut down). 10And it shall come to pass in that day,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
that I will cut off (cut down) your horses from your midst
and destroy your chariots,
11and I will destroy (cut off) the cities from your land
and will bring down all your strongholds,
12I will destroy (cut off) witchcraft from your hand
and you shall have no more diviners,
13and I will destroy (cut off) your carved idols
and your pillars from your midst,
and you shall no longer worship
the work of your hands.
14And I will remove your Asherah poles [poles for idol worship] from among you,
and I will destroy your enemies.
15And in anger and fury I will execute vengeance on the heathen (nations),
because they did not listen.The leaders corrupted
61Please, listen now to what the Lord (Yahweh) says:
Stand up, complain (appeal, present your case) before the mountains
and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, O mountains, the Lord's (Yahweh's) case (reasoning, cause),
and you eternal rocks, foundations of the earth,
for the Lord (Yahweh) is bringing his people to trial
and he will judge (correct, with the aim of training and helping) Israel. 3My people, what have I done to you?
And in what way have I wearied you? Bear witness against me!
4For I brought you up and out of the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of bondage (slavery)
and I sent Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam before you.
5My people, remember
what Balak, king of Moab, devised, and
Balaam, son of Beor, answered him,
from Shittim to Gilgal
so that you may understand (have intimate knowledge of) the righteous deeds of the Lord (Yahweh). 6With what (how) shall I come before the Lord (Yahweh)
and bow down before God on high? [Now follow three examples:]
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with yearling calves?
7Does the Lord (Yahweh) delight in thousands of rams,
in ten thousand streams of oil [used in food offerings when olive oil was poured over the flour, see ]?
Shall I give him my firstborn child as a sacrifice for my transgression,
the fruit of my womb for the sin of my life? [No, God would not demand calves, rams, or anything as abhorrent as sacrificing one's child. The next verse reveals the Lord's will and reminder.] 8He has told you (explained; made known) [especially things that were unclear and hidden, see ; ], O man,
what is good (pleasant, beautiful, better, best; ethically right).
And what does the Lord (Yahweh) require of you [ask and seek from you], other than that [you should/want to] do [what is] right (established, worthy; advocate justice),
love (desire; strive for) mercy (caring and faithful love; compassion – Hebr. chesed)
and walk humbly [live your life] with your God (Elohim)?
[Here the prophet Micah receives the answer to the questions he has just asked, see verses 6 and 7. God does not only look at outward sacrifices, but at something far more important, namely the attitude of the heart and a life that reflects his love. The first is to do what is right and advocate righteous judgments, see . The second is to love God's mercy. The Hebrew words used are ahava chesed. The word chesed is most often used to refer to God's caring and faithful love for humanity, see ; . Here it refers to viewing other people with God's mercy. The third is to be humble in one's walk (Hebr. tsana) before God. The Hebr. verb is used as an adjective and appears only here and in and refers to keeping a low profile, i.e., voluntarily adopting a modest humility. The blessing that follows when one acts on this insight results in a desire to live one's life according to God's will, to seek His presence, and to fellowship with Him. Jesus draws on this context in Micah when He speaks to the Pharisees and the scribes. He contrasts three small "light" spices with these three much "heavier" parts of the teaching of the Books of Moses and uses the words: justice, mercy, and faithfulness (faith), see . Luke summarizes with two words: justice and love for God, see .]
9The voice of the Lord (Yahweh) calls out to (calls upon) the city [Jerusalem]
and it is wisdom to see [show respect for] your name,
listen to (pay attention to) the rod (scepter) and the one who has appointed it.
10Are there still treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked
and the false ephah, which is an abomination? [An ephah was a measure of volume equal to 22-36 liters.]
11Shall I be pure with an evil (manipulated) scale
and with a bag of false weights?
12The rich man is thus full of violence,
and the inhabitants there have spoken lies
and their tongue is treacherous in their mouth. 13Therefore, I will also strike you with deep wounds,
I will make you desolate because of your sin.
14You shall eat but not be satisfied,
and your sickness shall be in your bowels [alternative translation: "your stomach shall be empty"],
and you shall conceive but not give birth (it will be a miscarriage),
and whoever you send forth I will deliver to the sword.
15You shall sow but not reap,
you shall tread the olives but not anoint yourself with oil,
and the grapes but you shall not drink wine.
16[The evil king] Omri's decrees (literally "things engraved") are obeyed
and all the customs of [his son] Ahab's house
and you walk according to their counsel,
so that I must make you something that arouses wonder
and your inhabitants a hissing,
and you shall bear the reproaches of my people.
[Omri and his son Ahab (married to Jezebel) ruled the northern kingdom in the early 800s BC. Omri and Ahab did more evil than all the kings before them, see , ; . The expression "the decrees of Omri" serves as a title for the kingdom's apostasy and idolatry. Omri's dynasty ruled until a generation before Mic., when Zechariah died, see .]The people corrupted
71Woe is me (expression of intense despair and sorrow)!
For it is like when the summer harvest has been gathered,
and the last grape harvest is over.
There are no grape clusters to eat,
no fresh figs (early, first fruits) that I long for so much.
2The faithful are gone from the land,
there are no good (honest, upright) people left.
Everyone lies in wait for blood (is ready to murder),
they hunt their own brother with nets.
3The hands [of those who should know better] are skilled at (eager, fully committed to) doing evil:
rulers (leaders in the land) and judges ask for bribes [and rule and judge depending on who pays the most],
the powerful need only dictate (speak) what they desire (express their evil desires),
so they conspire together and distort the truth. [The Hebrew word for conspire also means to twist a thread. Here it describes how the ruler, the judge, and the powerful, the influential in society, conspire together like a twisted thread to get their way at the expense of the truth.] 4The best are [painful] like a thorn bush [that scratches anyone who comes near],
the most righteous (honest) among them are like a thorn hedge [impossible to get through].
The day your guardians await—the day of your punishment—is coming,
when they will be struck with confusion (wandering aimlessly).
5Do not trust a friend,
do not put your hope in an advisor,
watch your tongue before the woman who rests in your arms. 6For a son despises (rejects) his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
a man's enemies are his own family members. [Jesus quotes this verse, see ; .] 7But I will look to the Lord (Yahweh),
I will put my hope in (trust in; wait for) the God of my salvation (Elohim),
my God (Elohim) will hear me.Coming restoration
8Do not rejoice over me,
my enemy.
When I have fallen,
I have risen again.
[Literally, "when I have fallen, I have risen" – the verb form emphasizes that the restoration is rapid.]
When I sit in darkness,
the Lord (Yahweh) is my light.
9I will bear the wrath of the Lord (Yahweh)
because I have sinned against him,
until he takes up my case
and executes my judgment.
He will bring me into the light
and I will see his righteousness. 10Then my enemy will see it
and shame will cover her.
Who said to me,
"Where is the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)?"
My eyes will see her,
now she will be trampled like dirt on the street. 11One day to rebuild your walls,
that day is destined to be far away.
12There will come a day when they will come to you
from Ashur, also to the cities of Egypt
and from Egypt all the way to the river
and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13The land will be laid waste for those who live there
because of the fruit of their deeds. 14Guard your people with your rod,
your inheritance flock
that dwells alone
like a forest in the midst of a fruitful field,
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
as in former times. 15As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show him wonders. 16The heathen shall see [these miracles God performs, see ] and be ashamed
for (in, with) all their might (pride) [which pales in comparison to God's power],
they shall lay their hands upon their mouths,
their ears shall become deaf.
17They shall lick the dust like a serpent,
like creeping things on the ground
they shall come trembling from their hiding places,
they shall come with fear before the Lord (Yahweh) our God (Elohim)
and shall be afraid because of you.
[Verses 16 and 17 are framed by the similar phrases "they shall see" (Hebr. jireo) and "they shall be afraid" (Hebr. ve´jireo).]God's faithful love
[Mic. now concludes his book by reminding us of God's goodness, see . The rhetorical question "Who is like God?" (; ; ; ; ) may allude to the name of the prophet Mic., which means: "Who is like the Lord?"] 18Who is a God (El) like you [no, there is none],
who forgives (bears; takes away) sin [] and overlooks (does not impute) transgression (rebelliousness)
in those who remain among his people (inheritance, property)?
He is not angry forever,
for he delights in [showing] mercy (loving care – Hebr. chesed). []
19He will again have mercy (show grace) upon us.
He will triumph over (trample on) our transgressions,
yes, you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20You will show faithfulness (steadfastness, truth, trustworthiness, reliability) to Jacob
and mercy (caring love) to Abraham –
as you swore to our ancestors
in days of old.
[The liturgy for the synagogue service on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; the biblical name is Yom Hakippurim – literally "Day of Atonements") includes verses 18-20, after the entire Book of Jonah has been read.]
