Micah 1:7

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 WITH THE FIRE - the wealth which Israel boasted of receiving from her idols as the "rewards" or hire for worshipping them (; ). AND ALL THE IDOLS THEREOF WILL I LAY DESOLATE - i:e., give them up to the foe to strip of the silver and gold with which they are overlaid. FOR SHE GATHERED IT OF THE HIRE OF AN HARLOT, AND THEY SHALL RETURN TO THE HIRE OF AN HARLOT. Israel gathered (made for herself) her idols from the gold and silver received from false...

The Prophet goes on with the same subject, and says, that the ruin of Samaria was at hand, so that its idols would be broken, and also, that its wealth would be destroyed which she had gathered by illegitimate means, and which she thought to be the reward of her idolatry. But God mentions idols here expressly by his Prophet, in order to confirm what we noticed yesterday — that the cause of vengeance was, because Samaria had abandoned itself to ungodly forms of worship, and had departed from the Law. That the Israelites might then understand the cause for which God would so severely punish them, the Prophet here makes express mention of their graven images and idols. God is not indeed angry with stones and wood; but he observes the abuse and the perversion of them, when men pollute themselves by wickedly worshipping such things. This is the reason why God says here that the graven images...

1-7 The earth is called upon, with all that are therein, to hear the prophet. God's holy temple will not protect false professors. Neither men of high degree, as the mountains, nor men of low degree, as the valleys, can secure themselves or the land from the judgments of God. If sin be found in God's people he will not spare them; and their sins are most provoking to him, for they are most reproaching. When we feel the smart of sin, it behoves us to seek what is the sin we smart for. Persons and places most exalted, are most exposed to spiritual diseases. The vices of leaders and rulers shall be surely and sorely punished. The punishment answers the sin. What they gave to idols, never shall prosper, nor do them any good. What is got by one lust, is wasted on another....

Verse Micah 1:7. _ALL THE HIRES THEREOF SHALL BE BURNED_] Multitudes of women gave the money they gained by their public _prostitution_ at the temples for the support of the priesthood, the ornamenting of the walls, altars, and images. So that these things, and perhaps several of the images themselves, were literally the _hire of the_ _harlots_: and God threatens here to deliver all into the hands of enemies who should seize on this wealth, and literally spend it in the _same way_ in which it was acquired; so that "to the hire of a harlot these things should return....

AND ALL THE GRAVEN IMAGES THEREOF SHALL BE BEATEN TO PIECES - Its idols in whom she trusts, so far from protecting her, shall themselves go into captivity, broken up for the gold and silver whereof they were made. The wars of the Assyrians being religious wars , the idolatry of Assyria destroyed the idolatry and idols of Israel. AND ALL THE HIRES THEREOF SHALL BE BURNED WITH FIRE - All forsaking of God being spiritual fornication from Him who made His creatures for Himself, the hires are all which man would gain by that desertion of his God, employed in man’s contact with his idols, whether as bribing his idols to give him what are the gifts of God, or as himself bribed by them. For there is no pure service, save that of the love of God. God alone can be loved purely, for Himself; offerings to Him alone are the creature’s pure homage to the Creator, going out of itself, not looking back...

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

AND ALL THE GRAVEN IMAGES THEREOF SHALL BE BEATEN TO PIECES,.... By the Assyrian army, for the sake of the gold and silver of which they were, made, or with which they were adorned, as was usually done by conquerors to the gods of the nations they conquered; these were the calf of Samaria, and other idols; and not only those in the city of Samaria, but in all the other cities of Israel which fell into the hands of the Assyrian monarch; see Isaiah 10:11; AND ALL THE HIRES THEREOF SHALL BE BURNT WITH FIRE; this the Targum also interprets of idols; such as escaped the plunder of the soldiers should be burnt with fire: Kimchi, by "hires", understands the beautiful garments, and other ornaments, with which they adorned their idols, which were gifts unto them; and they committing spiritual adultery with them, these are compared to the hire of a harlot: or it may design their fi

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 JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL. The nations of the earth are summoned to take warning from the Divine judgment to be executed on Israel. Yahweh comes forth from heaven (His holy temple; _cf._ Habakkuk 2:20; Isaiah 63:15, Psalms 114), and down (_cf._ Exodus 19:11) upon the heights (Amos 4:13), His presence being revealed as by earthquake shock (_cf._ Isaiah 24:19) and volcanic eruption (Micah 1:2). The moral rebellion of the northern kingdom is concentrated in its capital, Sam

GRAVEN IMAGES. Hebrew. _pesilim._ Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:4). App-92. HIRES. The technical Pentateuchal word for. harlot's hire, to which idolatry is compared. Compare Hosea 8:9; Hosea 8:10; Hosea 9:1. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 23:18). App-92. THEY SHALL RETURN, &C.: i.e. the wealth gained by idolatry shall be taken away by the Assyrian idolaters....