MICAH

Micah 6

1God's controversy with his people for ingratitude. 6What service is acceptable to him. 10He reproveth them for their injustice, 16and idolatry.


1HEAR ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou 1before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

1 Some take this as against the mountains, and understand by the mountains the great ones, and by the hills the common man; but it seems that it here implies as much as if the LORD had said: Take the mountains for your aid, unto witnesses. Or, do it before, by, in presence of, etc. For, the Lord bids the prophet in the sequel, to speak unto the mountains, to the further conviction and confusion of men. Compare Deut. 4:26; 32:1. Likewise Micah 1:2, with the annotations.

2Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye 2strong foundations of the earth: for the LORDa hath a 3controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

2 That is, thou earth so strongly founded; or, ye foundations, roots, cuttings off (as Jonah 2:6) of the mountains, rocks and cliffs, which, as it were, are the strength and firmness of the earth.

a Hosea 4:1.

3 Or, plea, cause. Compare Isa. 1:18; 5:3, 4; 43:26, with the annotations.

3O my people, 4what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I 5wearied thee? testify against me.

4 Compare Jer. 2:5, 31.

5 Or, made thee tired, have I been toilsome and troublesome to thee? As if the Lord said: Your own consciences convince you that I never dealt ill, but on the contrary always well with you; what reason have ye then that ye carry yourselves so revoltingly and daringly against Me?

4For I brought thee up out of the landb of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the 6house of servants; and I 7sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and 8Miriam.

b Exod. 12:51; 14:30.

6 Hebr. house of servants, or slaves, as frequently. See Exod. 20:2.

7 To conduct and assist you both in spiritual and temporal concernments. See Isa. 63:11, 12.

8 As being also a prophetess. See Exod. 15:20; Num. 12:2.

5O my people, remember now what Balakc king of Moab 9consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from 10Shittimd unto 11Gilgal;e that ye may know the 12righteousness of the LORD.

c Num. 22:5; 23:7.

9 How he sought by all kinds of means to bring My curse upon you, and how I changed the same into a glorious blessing. See Num. 22:5; 23:7; 24:1, 14; Deut. 23:4, 5; Joshua 24:9, 10; Rev. 2:14.

10 Where ye committed such heinous whoredom with Baal-peor, Numbers 25.

d Numbers 25.

11 Where, according to My promises, notwithstanding your manifold unthankfulness and having led you on dry foot through the Jordan and brought you into the land of promise, I have established as anew My covenant with you by circumcision. See Joshua 3; 5:2.

e Joshua 5.

12 That is, the righteous acts which the Lord performed for you against your enemies, granting you those victories against the kings of the Midianites and likewise Sihon and Og. See Num. 31:7, 8; Deut. 2:33; 3:3. Some understand by the righteousness of the Lord, His great faithfulness in keeping of His promises, or His endless compassion. Compare Judges 5:11; 1 Sam. 12:7; Dan. 9:16, with the annotations.

613Wherewith shall I 14come before the LORD, and bow myself before the 15high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a 16year old?

13 Here the people are introduced as answering to the previous words of the prophet, and inquiring what they must do that which may please God.

14 That is, treat, go to meet. Thus the Hebrew word is taken Deut. 23:4; Neh. 13:2, etc. Or, prevent, that is, escape His wrath and punishment.

15 Hebr. the God of highness.

16 Hebr. sons or children of a year.

717Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? 18shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

17 This may be taken as the prophet’s answer to the previous question by the people, upon which in fact he expressly denies this with this counter question, that it had to do with the outward offering, even if they would do it with so many.

18 The people’s instance, further implying: Why, if beasts will not do it, shall we then offer up men, even our own firstborn? Would that be availing to make our peace with God? As they were wont to sacrifice their children to the idols after the manner of the heathen. See Lev. 18:21; 2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31; 19:5, 6; Ezek. 16:20, 21; 23:39, with the annotations. Thus the prophet expresses most lively what thoughts they had going about in their minds, and wherein they, as hypocrites, did place true religion and conversion.

819He hath 20shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD requiref of thee, but to do 21justly, and to love mercy, and to walk 22humbly 23with thy God?

19 Namely, the Lord.

20 By His Word; so that ye can pretend no ignorance, and notwithstanding ye proceed clean contrary thereunto (as they are told of it in the sequel) and yet, ye go about to persuade yourselves as if God must needs be well pleased with your offerings, and that nothing else can be required at your hands.

f Deut. 10:12.

21 Or, judgment. See Gen. 18:19; 1 Kings 10:9; Jer. 4:2, with the annotations. This command of God was so clear and frequently expressed in His Word, that, doing the contrary (as they did), they could not but be extremely guilty.

22 Hebr. humbly be walking, or, to humble oneself with walking, or, walking. See similar joining of two verbs, Psalm 45 on verse 4.

23 See Gen. 5 on verse 22.

9The LORD’S 24voice crieth unto the 25city, and the man of 26wisdom shall see thy 27name: hear ye the 28rod, and 29who hath appointed it.

24 As if the prophet said: That ye do clean to the contrary to what ye know God requires of you, and that ye therewith deserve and cause His punishments, the same is sufficiently made known and daily preached and published unto you by His prophets, and by myself at this time

25 Jerusalem; some apply it to Samaria, from verse 16, or to both capital cities.

26 Or, what there is, that is, every thing, or all that passes, how it is outwardly and inwardly conditioned. Other, seeth after the wisdom (which consists in true repentance). Other, the wisdom (that is, a wise man) shall see thy name, that is, he shall perceive that Thou art He that doth it, that they are Thy words and works, and govern himself accordingly. See of the Hebrew word, Job 5 on verse 12.

27 That is, Thyself, O Lord (full of glory and majesty) knowest all. See Deut. 28 on verse 58.

28 That is, the prophecy of God’s rod, that is, of His plagues and punishments. See Job 9:34; Isa. 10:5; Lam. 3:1, with the annotations.

29 He, Who has destined this rod, or ordained that evil a place and time. Or, by way of question, Who hath appointed it? Namely, otherwise than God. See similar words of the sword of the Lord, Jer. 47:7, and compare Isa. 30:32, with the annotation.

1030Are there yet the treasures of 31wickedness in the house of the 32wicked, and the 33scantg34measure that is 35abominable?

30 Or, Hath not every one yet a wicked house? (or, a house of a wicked one?) And treasures of wickedness? Or (with some) thus: Are there not yet, in the house of the wicked, treasurers of wickedness? But it seems that the prophet has regard here to the generality of wickedness, that every one was practicing still all manner of wrong and wickedness. Compare Micah 7:2, 3, etc. Yet the Hebrew word (as it is here in the text) may likewise be taken for is or are. See the like 2 Sam. 14:19 in the annotation, from where this diversity arises.

31 After so many Divine warnings and chastisements, nevertheless it is yet full of wickedness and injustice everywhere.

32 Such as are gotten by wickedness, violation and injustice.

33 Or, sharp, that is, which is too small. Hebr. an ephah of leanness.

g skimped, meager

34 See Exod. 16 on verse 36; Deut. 25:15, 16; Ezek. 45:10, 11, etc.

35 Or, is abhorred, ought to be abhorred?

1136Shall I count them pure with the 37wicked balances,h and with the bag of deceitful 38weights?

36 That is, would anyone be able to be pure, etc.

37 Hebr. balances of wickedness, and also weighing stones of deceit.

h Hosea 12:8.

38 Namely, of weight, which they had in their bags. See Lev. 19 on verse 36; Deut. 25:13, etc. In no wise (the Lord wants to say) shall I deem them pure; but He shall account of and deal with them, as follows.

12For the rich men 39thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants 40thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is 41deceitfuli in their mouth.

39 Jerusalem’s, from verse 9. Or thus: which (namely of Jerusalem) of the rich ones, etc., and which of the inhabitants, etc.

40 Of the inhabitants.

41 Hebr. deceit.

i Jer. 9:8.

13Therefore also will I make 42thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

42 Ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, or ye people, I shall make you hurt, sick, and weak, etc.

14Thou shalt eat,j but not be satisfied; and thy 43casting down shall be in the 44midst of thee; and thou shalt 45take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou 46deliverest will I give up to the sword.

j Hosea 4:10.

43 Thou who now flaunt so proudly thither and lift up the head. See Micah 2:3.

44 Or, within thee, in the inmost of thee. This may be understood of the great oppressions, which they would suffer within the city during the siege by the Babylonians. Some take it as if God said: Ye shall be the cause yourselves of all your miseries, and nobody else; or, ye shall have to see it with your own eyes how ye shall decay from time to time, until ye be utterly ruined.

45 Or, remove, stir, transport, from the one place to the other, namely, your wife and children, likewise your goods and substance, to save and to bring them away or to secure them, but in vain.

46 That is, shall have brought to another place, and think already to be free and secure.

15Thou shalt sow,k but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt 47tread the 48olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and 49sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

k Deut. 28:38; Hag. 1:6.

47 That is, press.

48 Hebr. the olive tree.

49 That is, tread grapes. Compare Amos 5:11; Zeph. 1:13.

16¶For the 50statutes of Omril are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab,m and ye walk in 51their counsels; 52that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants 53thereof an 54hissing: therefore ye shall bear the 55reproach of my people.

50 Understand the idolatries which Omri and his son Ahab advanced so highly among the ten tribes. See 1 Kings 16:16, 25, 30, 31, with the annotations.

l 1 Kings 16:25, 26.

m 1 Kings 16:30, etc.

51 The counsels of Omri and Ahab, to strengthen and settle the idolatry by all methods and with all rituals, and accordingly to frame and fashion the entire state of the land.

52 Whereby ye do even constrain, that I must, etc. Compare Jer. 18:16; 27:10, 15; 32:31; Lam. 2:14; Ezek. 8:6, etc., with the annotations.

53 Of Jerusalem.

54 See 1 Kings 9 on verse 8.

55 That is, the punishment of the reproach and shame, which ye have put upon My people (especially the poor and needy ones) by the foresaid base and wicked practices. Or, the reproach of my people, that is, which My people has deserved. Likewise reproach of my youth, that is, which I have deserved in my youth or brought upon my own neck, Jer. 31:19.