The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. IN THE DAYS OF JOTHAM. The kings of Judah alone are mentioned, as the line of David alone was recognized by God. Only prophets of Israe... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. HEAR, ALL YE PEOPLE; HEARKEN, O EARTH, AND ALL THAT THEREIN IS - Hebrew, whatever fills it. Micaiah, son of Imlah, our prophet's namesake, begins his prophe... [ Continue Reading ]
For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. THE LORD ... WILL COME DOWN, AND TREAD UPON THE HIGH PLACES OF THE EARTH. He shall destroy the fortified heights (cf. , "He made him (Israel) ride on the high places of the earth... [ Continue Reading ]
And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place. AND THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE MOLTEN UNDER HIM, AND THE VALLEYS SHALL BE CLEFT. Imagery from earthquakes and volcanic agency, to describe the ter... [ Continue Reading ]
For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF JACOB IS ALL THIS - all these terrors attending Yahweh's coming are... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. THEREFORE I WILL MAKE SAMARIA AS AN HEAP OF THE FIELD. Samaria's punishment is mentioned first, as it was t... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. ALL THE HIRES THEREOF SHALL BE BURNT... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. THEREFORE I WILL WAIL. The prophet first shows how the coming judgment affects himself, in order that he might affect the minds of his countrymen similarly, so that the... [ Continue Reading ]
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. FOR HER WOUND IS INCURABLE - her case, politically and morally, is desperate (). The English version is better than margin. The Hebrew plural, 'her wounds' (literally, 'her strokes,' i... [ Continue Reading ]
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. DECLARE YE IT NOT AT GATH - on the borders of Judea, one of the five cities of the Philistines who would exult at the calamity of the Hebrews. The language is derived from the elegy of David over Saul... [ Continue Reading ]
Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing. PASS YE AWAY - literally, 'Pass thou (feminine) away for yourselves, thou inhabitress of Saphir' - i:e., thou shalt go into... [ Continue Reading ]
For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem. FOR THE INHABITANT OF MAROTH - possibly the same as Maarath (Joshua 15:59). Perhaps a different town, lying between the previously mentioned towns and the capital, and one of thos... [ Continue Reading ]
O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. O THOU INHABITANT OF LACHISH, BIND THE CHARIOT TO THE SWIFT BEAST - steed, in order by a hasty flight to escape the inv... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. THEREFORE SHALT THOU GIVE PRESENTS TO MORESHETH-GATH - that its inhabitants may send thee help. Maurer explains it, thou shalt give a writing of renunciation to Moresheth-gath' - i:e.,... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel. YET WILL I BRING AN HEIR UNTO THEE - rather, 'the heir.' As thou art now occupied by possessors who expelled the former inhabitants, so will I bring "yet" again the new possessor-namely,... [ Continue Reading ]
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee. MAKE THEE BALD ... - a token of deep mourning (; ). Mourn, O land, for thy darling children. POLL THEE - shave off thy hair. ENLARGE THY BALDNESS - mourn gr... [ Continue Reading ]