Discovery BoxMicah 4:1--7:20
Context4:1 In the future 1 the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; 2
it will be more prominent than other hills. 3
People will stream to it.
4:2 Many nations will come, saying,
“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple 4 of Jacob’s God,
so he can teach us his commands 5
and we can live by his laws.” 6
For Zion will be the source of instruction;
the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. 7
4:3 He will arbitrate 8 between many peoples
and settle disputes between many 9 distant nations. 10
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 11
and their spears into pruning hooks. 12
Nations will not use weapons 13 against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine
or under his own fig tree without any fear. 14
The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. 15
4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, 16
we will follow 17 the Lord our God forever.
4:6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will gather the lame,
and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. 18
4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, 19
and those far off 20 into a mighty nation.
The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,
from that day forward and forevermore.” 21
4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, 22
fortress of Daughter Zion 23 –
your former dominion will be restored, 24
the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.
4:9 Jerusalem, why are you 25 now shouting so loudly? 26
Has your king disappeared? 27
Has your wise leader 28 been destroyed?
Is this why 29 pain grips 30 you as if you were a woman in labor?
4:10 Twist and strain, 31 Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!
For you will leave the city
and live in the open field.
You will go to Babylon,
but there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will deliver 32 you
from the power 33 of your enemies.
4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you.
They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, 34
so we can gloat over Zion!” 35
4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning;
they do not understand his strategy.
He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed 36 at the threshing floor.
4:13 “Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!
For I will give you iron horns; 37
I will give you bronze hooves,
and you will crush many nations.” 38
You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them,
and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler 39 of the whole earth. 40
5:1 (4:14) 41 But now slash yourself, 42 daughter surrounded by soldiers! 43
We are besieged!
With a scepter 44 they strike Israel’s ruler 45
on the side of his face.
5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 46
seemingly insignificant 47 among the clans of Judah –
from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, 48
one whose origins 49 are in the distant past. 50
5:3 So the Lord 51 will hand the people of Israel 52 over to their enemies 53
until the time when the woman in labor 54 gives birth. 55
Then the rest of the king’s 56 countrymen will return
to be reunited with the people of Israel. 57
5:4 He will assume his post 58 and shepherd the people 59 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 60
They will live securely, 61 for at that time he will be honored 62
even in the distant regions of 63 the earth.
Should the Assyrians try to invade our land
and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, 65
we will send 66 against them seven 67 shepherd-rulers, 68
make that eight commanders. 69
5:6 They will rule 70 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod 71 with a drawn sword. 72
Our king 73 will rescue us from the Assyrians
should they attempt to invade our land
and try to set foot in our territory.
5:7 Those survivors from 74 Jacob will live 75
in the midst of many nations. 76
They will be like the dew the Lord sends,
like the rain on the grass,
that does not hope for men to come
or wait around for humans to arrive. 77
5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which attacks when it passes through;
it rips its prey 78 and there is no one to stop it. 79
5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; 80
may all your enemies be destroyed! 81
5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will destroy 82 your horses from your midst,
and smash your chariots.
5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,
and tear down all your fortresses.
5:12 I will remove the sorcery 83 that you practice, 84
and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. 85
5:13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst;
you will no longer worship what your own hands made.
5:14 I will uproot your images of Asherah 86 from your midst,
and destroy your idols. 87
5:15 I will angrily seek vengeance
on the nations that do not obey me.” 88
6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Get up! Defend yourself 89 before the mountains! 90
Present your case before the hills!” 91
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! 92
6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you? 93
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I delivered you from that place of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 94
6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, 95
how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.
Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,
so you might acknowledge that the Lord has treated you fairly.” 96
6:6 With what should I 97 enter the Lord’s presence?
With what 98 should I bow before the sovereign God? 99
Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams,
or ten thousand streams of olive oil?
Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,
my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin? 100
6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord really wants from you: 101
He wants you to 102 promote 103 justice, to be faithful, 104
and to live obediently before 105 your God.
6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling 106 to the city!
It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! 107
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! 108
6:10 “I will not overlook, 109 O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, 110
or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. 111
6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,
or a bag of deceptive weights. 112
6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; 113
her inhabitants lie, 114
their tongues speak deceptive words. 115
6:13 I will strike you brutally 116
and destroy you because of your sin.
6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.
Even if you have the strength 117 to overtake some prey, 118
you will not be able to carry it away; 119
if you do happen to carry away something,
I will deliver it over to the sword.
6:15 You will plant crops, but will not harvest them;
you will squeeze oil from the olives, 120 but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; 121
you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. 122
6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,
and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; 123
you follow their policies. 124
Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, 125
the city’s 126 inhabitants will be taunted derisively, 127
and nations will mock all of you.” 128
Indeed, 130 it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,
and the grapes have been harvested. 131
There is no grape cluster to eat,
no fresh figs that I crave so much. 132
7:2 Faithful men have disappeared 133 from the land;
there are no godly men left. 134
They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; 135
they hunt their own brother with a net. 136
7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; 137
government officials and judges take bribes, 138
prominent men make demands,
and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. 139
7:4 The best of them is like a thorn;
the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. 140
The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen –
your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, 141
and then you will experience confusion. 142
7:5 Do not rely on a friend;
do not trust a companion!
Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! 143
7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,
a daughter challenges 144 her mother,
and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are his own servants. 145
7:7 But I will keep watching for the Lord;
I will wait for the God who delivers me.
My God will hear my lament. 146
7:8 My enemies, 147 do not gloat 148 over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. 149
7:9 I must endure 150 the Lord’s anger,
for I have sinned against him.
But then 151 he will defend my cause, 152
and accomplish justice on my behalf.
He will lead me out into the light;
I will experience firsthand 153 his deliverance. 154
7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.
They say 155 to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”
I will gloat over them. 156
Then they will be trampled down 157
like mud in the streets.
7:11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;
in that day your boundary will be extended. 158
7:12 In that day people 159 will come to you 160
from Assyria as far as 161 Egypt,
from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, 162
from the seacoasts 163 and the mountains. 164
7:13 The earth will become desolate 165
because of what its inhabitants have done. 166
7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, 167
the flock that belongs to you, 168
the one that lives alone in a thicket,
in the midst of a pastureland. 169
Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, 170
as they did in the old days. 171
7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,
I will show you 172 miraculous deeds.” 173
7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by 174 all their strength,
they will put their hands over their mouths,
and act as if they were deaf. 175
7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,
like serpents crawling on the ground. 176
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to the Lord our God; 177
they will be terrified 178 of you. 179
7:18 There is no other God like you! 180
You 181 forgive sin
and pardon 182 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people. 183
You do not remain angry forever, 184
but delight in showing loyal love.
7:19 You will once again 185 have mercy on us;
you will conquer 186 our evil deeds;
you will hurl our 187 sins into the depths of the sea. 188
7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham, 189
which you promised on oath to our ancestors 190
in ancient times. 191
[4:1] 1 tn Heb “at the end of days.”
[4:1] 2 tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”
[4:1] 3 tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”
[4:2] 6 tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”
[4:2] 7 tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the
[4:3] 9 tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”
[4:3] 10 tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”
[4:3] 11 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[4:3] 12 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
[4:3] 13 tn Heb “take up the sword.”
[4:4] 14 tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”
[4:4] 15 tn Heb “for the mouth of the
[4:5] 16 tn Heb “walk each in the name of his god.” The term “name” here has the idea of “authority.” To “walk in the name” of a god is to recognize the god’s authority as binding over one’s life.
[4:5] 17 tn Heb “walk in the name of.”
[4:6] 18 sn The exiles of the nation are compared to lame and injured sheep.
[4:7] 19 tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”
[4:7] 20 tn The precise meaning of this difficult form is uncertain. The present translation assumes the form is a Niphal participle of an otherwise unattested denominative verb הָלָא (hala’, “to be far off”; see BDB 229 s.v.), but attractive emendations include הַנַּחֲלָה (hannakhalah, “the sick one[s]”) from חָלָה (khalah) and הַנִּלְאָה (hannil’ah, “the weary one[s]”) from לָאָה (la’ah).
[4:7] 21 tn Heb “from now until forever.”
[4:8] 22 tn Heb “Migdal-eder.” Some English versions transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).
[4:8] 23 sn The city of David, located within Jerusalem, is addressed as Daughter Zion. As the home of the Davidic king, who was Israel’s shepherd (Ps 78:70-72), the royal citadel could be viewed metaphorically as the watchtower of the flock.
[4:8] 24 tn Heb “to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive.”
[4:9] 25 tn The Hebrew form is feminine singular, indicating that Jerusalem, personified as a young woman, is now addressed (see v. 10). In v. 8 the tower/fortress was addressed with masculine forms, so there is clearly a shift in addressee here. “Jerusalem” has been supplied in the translation at the beginning of v. 9 to make this shift apparent.
[4:9] 26 tn Heb “Now why are you shouting [with] a shout.”
[4:9] 27 tn Heb “Is there no king over you?”
[4:9] 28 tn Traditionally, “counselor” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the king mentioned in the previous line; the title points to the king’s roles as chief strategist and policy maker, both of which required extraordinary wisdom.
[4:9] 29 tn Heb “that.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is used here in a resultative sense; for this use see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §450.
[4:9] 30 tn Heb “grabs hold of, seizes.”
[4:10] 31 tn Or perhaps “scream”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “groan.”
[4:10] 32 tn Or “redeem” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[4:10] 33 tn Heb “hand.” The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.
[4:11] 34 tn Heb “let her be desecrated.” the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:11] 35 tn Heb “and let our eye look upon Zion.”
[4:12] 36 tn The words “to be threshed” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the
[4:13] 37 tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”
[4:13] 38 sn Jerusalem (Daughter Zion at the beginning of the verse; cf. 4:8) is here compared to a powerful ox which crushes the grain on the threshing floor with its hooves.
[4:13] 39 tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”
[4:13] 40 tn Heb “and their wealth to the master of all the earth.” The verb “devote” does double duty in the parallelism and is supplied in the second line for clarification.
[5:1] 41 sn Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[5:1] 42 tn The Hebrew verb גָדַד (gadad) can be translated “slash yourself” or “gather in troops.” A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).
[5:1] 43 tn Heb “daughter of a troop of warriors.”
[5:1] 44 tn Or “staff”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “rod”; CEV “stick”; NCV “club.”
[5:1] 45 tn Traditionally, “the judge of Israel” (so KJV, NASB).
[5:2] 46 sn Ephrathah is either an alternate name for Bethlehem or the name of the district in which Bethlehem was located. See Ruth 4:11.
[5:2] 47 tn Heb “being small.” Some omit לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “being”) because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.
[5:2] 48 tn Heb “from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel.”
[5:2] 49 tn Heb “his goings out.” The term may refer to the ruler’s origins (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or to his activities.
[5:2] 50 tn Heb “from the past, from the days of antiquity.” Elsewhere both phrases refer to the early periods in the history of the world or of the nation of Israel. For מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem, “from the past”) see Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10. For מִימֵי עוֹלָם (mimey ’olam, “from the days of antiquity”) see Isa 63:9, 11; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:14; Mal 3:4. In Neh 12:46 and Amos 9:11 the Davidic era is in view.
[5:3] 51 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:3] 52 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:3] 53 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:3] 54 sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.
[5:3] 55 sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.
[5:3] 56 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:3] 57 tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:4] 58 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
[5:4] 59 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:4] 60 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
[5:4] 61 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).
[5:4] 63 tn Or “to the ends of.”
[5:5] 64 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
[5:5] 65 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).
[5:5] 67 sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.
[5:5] 69 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
[5:6] 70 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
[5:6] 71 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
[5:6] 72 tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).
[5:6] 73 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:7] 74 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
[5:7] 76 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
[5:7] 77 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”
[5:8] 78 tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:8] 79 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”
[5:9] 80 tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”
[5:10] 82 tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).
[5:12] 83 tn Heb “magic charms” (so NCV, TEV); NIV, NLT “witchcraft”; NAB “the means of divination.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain, but note its use in Isa 47:9, 12.
[5:12] 84 tn Heb “from your hands.”
[5:12] 85 tn Heb “and you will not have omen-readers.”
[5:14] 86 tn Or “Asherah poles.”
[5:14] 87 tn The MT reads “your cities,” but many emend the text to צִרֶיךָ (tsirekha, “your images”) or עֲצַבֶּיךָ (’atsbbekha, “your idols”).
[5:15] 88 tn Heb “I will accomplish in anger and in rage, vengeance on the nations who do not listen.”
[6:1] 89 tn Or “plead your case” (NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “present your plea”; NLT “state your case.”
[6:1] 90 sn As in some ancient Near Eastern treaties, the mountains are personified as legal witnesses that will settle the dispute between God and Israel.
[6:1] 91 tn Heb “let the hills hear your voice.”
[6:2] 92 tn This verse briefly interrupts the
[6:3] 93 tn Heb “My people, what have I done to you?”
[6:5] 95 tn Heb “remember what Balak…planned.”
[6:5] 96 tn Heb “From Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the just acts of the
[6:6] 97 sn With what should I enter the
[6:6] 98 tn The words “with what” do double duty in the parallelism and are supplied in the second line of the translation for clarification.
[6:6] 99 tn Or “the exalted God.”
[6:7] 100 tn Heb “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person; here “the sin of my soul” = “my sin.”
[6:8] 101 sn What the
[6:8] 102 tn Heb “except.” This statement is actually linked with what precedes, “What does he want from you except….”
[6:8] 103 tn Heb “to do,” in the sense of “promote.”
[6:8] 104 tn Heb “to love faithfulness.”
[6:8] 105 tn Heb “to walk humbly [or perhaps, “carefully”] with.”
[6:9] 106 tn Or “the voice of the
[6:9] 107 tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The
[6:9] 108 tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).
[6:10] 109 tn The meaning of the first Hebrew word in the line is unclear. Possibly it is a combination of the interrogative particle and אִשׁ (’ish), an alternate form of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is/are”). One could then translate literally, “Are there treasures of sin [in] the house of the sinful?” The translation assumes an emendation to הַאֶשֶּׁה (ha’esheh, from נָשָׁא, nasha’, “to forget”), “Will I forget?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I will not forget.”
[6:10] 110 tn Heb “the treasures of sin”; NASB “treasures of wickedness”; NIV “ill-gotten treasures.”
[6:10] 111 tn Heb “the accursed scant measure.”
[6:11] 112 tn Heb “Do I acquit sinful scales, and a bag of deceptive weights?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I do not,” and has been translated as a declarative statement for clarity and emphasis.
[6:12] 113 tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”
[6:12] 114 tn Heb “speak lies.”
[6:12] 115 tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”
[6:13] 116 tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”
[6:14] 117 tc The first Hebrew term in the line (וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ, vÿyeshkhakha) is obscure. HALOT 446 s.v. יֶשַׁח understands a noun meaning “filth,” which would yield the translation, “and your filth is inside you.” The translation assumes an emendation to כֹּחַ-וְיֶשׁ (vÿyesh-koakh, “and [if] there is strength inside you”).
[6:14] 118 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term וְתַסֵּג (vÿtasseg) is unclear. The translation assumes it is a Hiphal imperfect from נָסַג/נָשַׂג (nasag/nasag, “reach; overtake”) and that hunting imagery is employed. (Note the reference to hunger in the first line of the verse.) See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 80.
[6:14] 119 tn The Hiphal of פָּלַט (palat) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.
[6:15] 120 tn Heb “you will tread olives.” Literally treading on olives with one’s feet could be harmful and would not supply the necessary pressure to release the oil. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 119. The Hebrew term דָּרַךְ (darakh) may have an idiomatic sense of “press” here, or perhaps the imagery of the following parallel line (referring to treading grapes) has dictated the word choice.
[6:15] 121 tn Heb “but you will not rub yourselves with oil.”
[6:15] 122 tn Heb “and juice, but you will not drink wine.” The verb תִדְרֹךְ (tidrokh, “you will tread”) must be supplied from the preceding line.
[6:16] 123 tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”
[6:16] 124 tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”
[6:16] 125 tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.
[6:16] 126 tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:16] 127 tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.
[6:16] 128 tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).
[7:1] 129 tn Heb “woe to me!” In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, “I am disappointed.”
[7:1] 131 tn Heb “I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest.” Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, “I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested.”
[7:1] 132 tn Heb “my appetite craves.”
[7:2] 133 tn Or “have perished”; “have been destroyed.”
[7:2] 134 tn Heb “and an upright one among men there is not.”
[7:2] 135 tn Heb “for bloodshed” (so NASB); TEV “for a chance to commit murder.”
[7:2] 136 sn Micah compares these ungodly people to hunters trying to capture their prey with a net.
[7:3] 137 tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”
[7:3] 138 tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”
[7:3] 139 tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.
[7:4] 140 tn Heb “[the] godly from a row of thorn bushes.” The preposition מִן (min) is comparative and the comparative element (perhaps “sharper” is the idea) is omitted. See BDB 582 s.v. 6 and GKC 431 §133.e.
[7:4] 141 tn Heb “the day of your watchmen, your appointed [time], is coming.” The present translation takes “watchmen” to refer to actual sentries. However, the “watchmen” could refer figuratively to the prophets who had warned Judah of approaching judgment. In this case one could translate, “The day your prophets warned about – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way.”
[7:4] 142 tn Heb “and now will be their confusion.”
[7:5] 143 tn Heb “from the one who lies in your arms, guard the doors of your mouth.”
[7:6] 144 tn Heb “rises up against.”
[7:6] 145 tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”
[7:7] 146 tn Heb “me.” In the interest of clarity the nature of the prophet’s cry has been specified as “my lament” in the translation.
[7:8] 147 tn The singular form is understood as collective.
[7:8] 148 tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”
[7:8] 149 sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The
[7:9] 150 tn Heb “lift, bear.”
[7:9] 152 tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”
[7:9] 154 tn Or “justice, vindication.”
[7:10] 155 tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:10] 156 tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”
[7:10] 157 tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”
[7:11] 158 sn Personified Jerusalem declares her confidence in vv. 8-10; in this verse she is assured that she will indeed be vindicated.
[7:12] 159 tn Heb “they.” The referent has been specified as “people,” referring either to the nations (coming to God with their tribute) or to the exiles of Israel (returning to the
[7:12] 160 tn The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the
[7:12] 161 tc The MT reads וְעָרֵי (vÿ’arey, “and the cities [of Egypt]”), but the parallel line indicates this is a corruption of וְעַד (vÿ’ad, “even to”).
[7:12] 162 tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River. This has been specified in the translation for clarity (so also NASB, NIV).
[7:12] 163 tn Heb “and sea from sea.” Many prefer to emend this to מִיָּם עַד יָם (miyyam ’ad yam, “from sea to sea”).
[7:12] 164 tn Heb “and mountain of the mountain.” Many prefer to emend this to וּמֵהַר עַד הַר (umehar ’ad har, “and mountain to mountain”).
[7:13] 165 tn Or “will be ruined.”
[7:13] 166 tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”
[7:14] 167 tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).
[7:14] 168 tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”
[7:14] 169 tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.
[7:14] 170 sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.
[7:14] 171 tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”
[7:15] 172 tn Heb “him.” This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.
[7:15] 173 sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the
[7:16] 174 tn Or “be ashamed of.”
[7:16] 175 tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the
[7:17] 176 tn Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.
[7:17] 177 tn Thetranslationassumesthatthe phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yÿhvah ’elohenu, “to the
[7:17] 178 tn Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”
[7:17] 179 tn The
[7:18] 180 tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”
[7:18] 181 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] 182 tn Heb “pass over.”
[7:18] 183 tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”
[7:18] 184 tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”
[7:19] 185 tn The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the
[7:19] 186 tn Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see HALOT 459 s.v. כבס pi). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the
[7:19] 187 tn Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.
[7:19] 188 sn In this metaphor the
[7:20] 189 tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
[7:20] 190 tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
[7:20] 191 tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”
