Micah 1:5-7

1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion

and ¹  the sins of the nation ²  of Israel.

How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? ³ 

Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! ⁴ 

Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? ⁵ 

They are right in Jerusalem! ⁶ 

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ⁷  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ⁸ 

I will tumble ⁹  the rubble of her stone walls ¹⁰  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹¹ 

1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ¹² 

I will make a waste heap ¹³  of all her images.

Since ¹⁴  she gathered the metal ¹⁵  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ¹⁶ 

[1:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:5]  ² tn Heb “house.”

[1:5]  ³ tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”

[1:5]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”

[1:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”

[1:6]  ⁷ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”

[1:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ¹⁵ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ¹⁶ 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 Lord’s fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.