Micah 1:12

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 those plundered by Rabshakeh on his way to it. WAITED CAREFULLY FOR GOOD - i:e., for better fortune, but in vain (Calvin). Her name was indicative of her portion-bitternesses: originally applied to her for the brackish springs in the soil. Gesenius translates [ chaalaah (H2470)], 'is grieved [from chuwl (H2342)] for her goods' taken away from her. This accords with the meaning of Marot...

The Prophet joins here another city even Maroth, and others also in the following verses. But in this verse he says, that Maroth would be in sorrow for a lost good. The verb חול, _chul, _means to grieve; and it has this sense here; for the Marothites, that is, the inhabitants of that city, would have to grieve for losing their property and their former happy condition. But as the verb means also to expect, some approve of a different exposition, that is, — that the inhabitants of the city Maroth would in vain depend on an empty and fallacious expectation, for they were doomed to utter destruction. In vain then will the inhabitant of Maroth expect or entertain hope; for _an evil descends from Jehovah to the gate of the city. _This view is very suitable, that is, that its hope will disappoint Maroth, since even the city of Jerusalem shall not be exempted. For though God had then by a mirac...

8-16 The prophet laments that Israel's case is desperate; but declare it not in Gath. Gratify not those that make merry with the sins or with the sorrows of God's Israel. Roll thyself in the dust, as mourners used to do; let every house in Jerusalem become a house of Aphrah, "a house of dust." When God makes the house dust it becomes us to humble ourselves to the dust under his mighty hand. Many places should share this mourning. The names have meanings which pointed out the miseries coming upon them; thereby to awaken the people to a holy fear of Divine wrath. All refuges but Christ, must be refuges of lies to those who trust in them; other heirs will succeed to every inheritance but that of heaven; and all glory will be turned into shame, except that honour which cometh from God only. Sinners may now disregard their neighbours' sufferings, yet their turn to be punished will some come....

Verse Micah 1:12. _THE INHABITANT OF MAROTH_] There was a city of a similar name in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:59....

FOR THE INHABITANT OF MAROTH - (bitterness) waited carefully for good She waited carefully for the good which God gives, not for the Good which God is. She looked, longed for, good, as men do; but therewith her longing ended. She longed for it, amid her own evil, which brought God’s judgments upon her. Maroth is mentioned here only in Holy Scripture, and has not been identified. It too was probably selected for its meaning. The inhabitant of bitternesses, she, to whom bitternesses, or, it may be, rebellions, were as the home in which she dwelt, which ever encircled her, in which she reposed, wherein she spent her life, waited for good! Strange contradiction! yet a contradiction, which the whole un-Christian world is continually en acting; nay, from which Christians have often to be awakened, to look for good to themselves, nay, to pray for temporal good, while living in bitternesses, bit...

EXPOSITION VERSE 1:1-2:13 Part I. THREATENINGS AND JUDGMENTS ON ISRAEL AND JUDAH, WITH PREDICTION OF EVENTUAL DELIVERANCE. MICAH 1:1 The _inscription, _or heading of the book, conveying the prophet's authority. The word of the Lord. The expression applies to the whole contents of the book, as in Hosea 1:1 and Zephaniah 1:1. It is often used for some particular message to a prophet, as J

FOR THE INHABITANT OF MAROTH WAITED CAREFULLY FOR GOOD,.... Or, "though [they] waited for good" r; expected to have it, yet the reverse befell them: or "verily [they were] grieved for good" s; for the good things they had lost, or were likely to lose; and which they had no more hope of, when they saw Jerusalem in distress. Grotius thinks, by transposition of letters, Ramoth is intended by Maroth, or the many Ramahs which were in Judah and Benjamin; but Hillerus t is of opinion that Jarmuth is meant, a city of Judah, Joshua 15:35; the word Maroth signifies "bitterness"; see Ruth 1:20; and, according to others, "rough places"; and may design the inhabitants of such places that were in great bitterness and trouble because of the invasion of the enemy, who before that had promised themselves good things, and lived in th

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATION THE FIRST PROPHETIC MESSAGE CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Micah 1:1) _ 2. Judgment announced (Micah 1:2) 3. The destruction of Samaria (Micah 1:6) 4. The lamentation of the prophet over the coming judgment (Micah 1:8) Micah 1:1. This introduction tells us two things. In the first place, we learn that this book contains the word of the Lord that came to Micah, the Morasthite; in the second place, we are told when Micah exercised his office. As stated in the introduction, he was contemporary with Isaiah, proba

THE DIRGE ON ISRAEL'S DOWNFALL. This is a difficult and corrupt passage, playing on the names of towns and villages which are chosen for their assonances or their ominous suggestions, in a way impossible to translate; _cf. mg._ for Aphrah and Achzib. See G. A. Smith's map for Shaphir, Mareshah, Lachish and Adullam, other sites being unknown. Tell not our sorrows to the Philistines (_cf._ 2 Samuel 1:20; Gath was probably near to Ekron) or to the Phœ nicians (reading, after LXX, in Accho, _i.e._ Ptolemais, for at all) The towns of the Shephelah are then variously pictured in their sorrows during the progress of the invader (_cf._ Isaiah 10:28); their inhabitants wallow on the ground, are led into captivity, shut up, have their city razed (Beth-ezel; text obscure) anxiously await news,

MAROTH WAITED CAREFULLY. The inhabitress of Bitter town bitterly grieved for her goods [taken from her]. EVIL. calamity. Hebrew. _ra'a'._ App-44. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. Not by chance. THE GATE OF JERUSALEM. In Taylor's Cylinder, Sennacherib mentions his breaking of this gate (col. iii, lines 22:23)....