Micah 1:12

1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth ¹  hope for something good to happen, ² 

though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. ³ 

Micah 1:15

1:15 Residents of Mareshah, ⁴  a conqueror will attack you, ⁵ 

the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. ⁶ 

Micah 2:9

2:9 You wrongly evict widows ⁷  among my people from their cherished homes.

You defraud their children ⁸  of their prized inheritance. ⁹ 

[1:12]  ¹ sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”

[1:12]  ² tc The translation assumes an emendation of חָלָה (khalah; from חִיל, khil, “to writhe”) to יִחֲלָה (yikhalah; from יָחַל, yakhal, “to wait”).

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.”

[1:15]  ⁴ sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”

[1:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah.” The first person verb is problematic, for the Lord would have to be the subject (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). But the prophet appears to be delivering this lament and the Lord is referred to in the third person in v. 12. Consequently many emend the verb to a third person form (יָבוֹא, yavo’) and understand the “conqueror” as subject.

[1:15]  ⁶ 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.

[2:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “women.” This may be a synecdoche of the whole (women) for the part (widows).

[2:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “her little children” or “her infants”; ASV, NRSV “young children.”

[2:9]  ⁹ 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 Lord bestowed on each Israelite family by giving them a share of his land to be inherited perpetually from one generation to another within each family. The term הָדָר (hadar) may refer to possessions that a person prizes (Lam 1:6).