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

The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual

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

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mic 6:1

¹ tn Or “plead your case” (NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “present your plea”; NLT “state your case.”

sn Defend yourself. The Lord challenges Israel to defend itself against the charges he is bringing.

² sn As in some ancient Near Eastern treaties, the mountains are personified as legal witnesses that will settle the dispute between God and Israel.

³ tn Heb “let the hills hear your voice.”

NET Notes: Mic 6:2

¹ tn This verse briefly interrupts the Lord’s statement (see vv. 1, 3) as the prophet summons the mountains as witnesses. Because of this v. 2 has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

NET Notes: Mic 6:3

¹ tn Heb “My people, what have I done to you?”