Micah 1:10

Declare ye it not -May we at least be spared the sight of the malicious joy of our envious neighbours!" Here begins a series of paronomasias, which however are far from indicating a playful mood in the prophet. Most of them refer to Judæan towns in the prophet's own neighbourhood. He could not possibly jest about the fate of his friends! No; he is in sober earnest, and sees (like Isaiah in Isaiah 10:30) a pre-ordained correspondence between names and fortunes (comp. the familiar phrase -his name shall be called" = -he shall be"). It is not always easy to catch his allusions, nor to reproduce them when caught. Some idea of the general effect is given by M. Reuss in the following imitation, -N'allez pas le dire à Dijon! N'allez pas pleurer à Plœrmel! Pars, Paris! Chartres, attèle ton char!"

at Gath Alluding to 2 Samuel 1:20. The substance of the power of Gath had passed away (Amos 6:2). Like Ashdod (see Amos 1:8), it seems not to have recovered from the severe blow inflicted by Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:6). But its name was still a symbol of bitter hostility.

weep ye not at all Or, in Acco weep ye not (another reading). According to Judges 1:31, the Canaanites were not driven out of Acco. Thus Acco (the later Ptolemais) would be the representative of the Canaanites or Phœnicians of the north. The choice of the town would be dictated (as the Hebrew suggests) by the love of paronomasia. The Sept. has οἱ Ἐνακείμ; but we should probably read οἱ ἐν Ἀκή (μ came from the following μή; and η and ει are often confounded).

in the house of Aphrah Rather, in Beth-le-aphrah (i.e. House of dust). There was a town of the tribe of Benjamin called Ophrah, Joshua 18:23. Most, if not all, however, of the other eight towns appear to lie in the Shephélah, i.e. the -low country" between Joppa and Gaza; probably therefore the Benjamite Ophrah is not here intended. It may be asked, Why does the prophet single out the Shephélah? Isaiah, in a strictly parallel passage (Isaiah 10:28-32), mentions an altogether different region as suffering from the invasion? The answer is, that the prophet has the feelings (if we may say so) of a provincial. The -low country" was even less able than Aiath, Migron, Michmash, &c., to oppose the rapid movements of the Assyrians.

roll thyself in Rather, besprinkle thyself with. So Tamar, as a sign of mourning, -put ashes upon her head," 2 Samuel 13:19. But the reading of the Hebrew text is preferable to that of the margin and of A. V., viz. -I have besprinkled myself with."