Micah 1:11

1:11 Residents ¹  of Shaphir, ²  pass by in nakedness and humiliation! ³ 

The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. ⁴ 

Beth Ezel ⁵  mourns, ⁶ 

“He takes from you what he desires.” ⁷ 

Micah 2:7

2:7 Does the family ⁸  of Jacob say, ⁹ 

‘The Lord’s patience ¹⁰  can’t be exhausted –

he would never do such things’? ¹¹ 

To be sure, my commands bring a reward

for those who obey them, ¹² 

Micah 3:1

God Will Judge Judah’s Sinful Leaders

3:1 I said,

“Listen, you leaders ¹³  of Jacob,

you rulers of the nation ¹⁴  of Israel!

You ought to know what is just, ¹⁵ 

Micah 3:4

3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, ¹⁶ 

but he will not answer them.

He will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have done such wicked deeds.”

Micah 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ¹⁷ 

You ¹⁸  forgive sin

and pardon ¹⁹  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ²⁰ 

You do not remain angry forever, ²¹ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

[1:11]  ¹ 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]  ² sn The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ³ tn The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.

[1:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “have not come out”; NIV “will not come out”; NLT “dare not come outside.”

[1:11]  ⁵ sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tc The form עֶמְדָּתוֹ (’emdato) should be emended to חֲמַדְּתוֹ (khamadto, “his (the conqueror’s) desire”).

[2:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “house” (so many English versions); CEV “descendants.’

[2:7]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) often means “Spirit” when used of the Lord, but here it seems to have an abstract sense, “patience.” See BDB 925 s.v. 3.d.

[2:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Has the patience of the Lord run short? Or are these his deeds?” The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “No, of course not.” The people contest the prophet’s claims that the Lord’s judgment is falling on the nation.

[2:7]  ¹² 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 Lord begins his response to the claim of the house of Jacob that they are immune to judgment (see v. 7a). He points out that the godly are indeed rewarded, but then he goes on to show that those in the house of Jacob are not godly and can expect divine judgment, not blessing (vv. 8-11). Some emend “my words” to “his words.” In this case, v. 7b is a continuation of the immediately preceding quotation. The people, thinking they are godly, confidently ask, “Do not his [God’s] words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?”

[3:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “heads.”

[3:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “house.”

[3:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Should you not know justice?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you should!”

[3:4]  ²² tn Heb “then they will cry out to the Lord.” The words “Someday these sinners” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[7:18]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ³² tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ³³ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”