Micah · Chapter 2

V. 1. That devise-Contrive and frame mischief. Evil work-Contrive how to work it. It is in the power-Because they can; without regarding right or wrong.

Verse 1. Wo to them that devise iniquity] Who lay schemes and plans for transgressions; who make it their study to find out new modes of sinning; and make these things their nocturnal meditations, that, having fixed their plan, they may begin to execute it as soon as it is light in the morning.

Because it is in the power of their hand.] They think they may do whatever they have power and opportunity to do.

Verses 1, 2. Wo to them that devise iniquity — That design and frame mischief; and work evil upon their beds — Contrive how to work it, and actually execute their plans when they rise in the morning. Because it is in the power of their hand — Because they can do it; because there is none that can hinder them. They make their strength the law of justice; and do whatsoever they have a mind to do, whether right or wrong, because they have power in their hands. And they covet fields — Set their minds upon the estates of their meaner neighbours, thinking how convenient they lie to theirs, as Ahab thought concerning the field of Naboth. And take them by violence — By power wrest the estates out of the hands of the owners of them. And houses, and take them away — They take both houses and lands. So they oppress a man and his house — They not only do injustice to a man himself, but to his whole family also, by taking away his heritage, whereby his family, as well as himself, and his posterity after him, were to be supported.

Verse 1, 2. Woe to them that devise iniquity— they covet fields, and take them by violence. The jubilee was the happiest law that ever favoured a nation; but the rabbins confess that before the captivity, that law in its operations had almost ceased, the men of great landed interest having monopolized the family estates of the poorer Hebrews. But short was their enjoyment of fields and vineyards. The measuring line of desecration which passed over Samaria, presently passed over Jerusalem.

CAUSES OF THE IMPENDING JUDGMENT, 1-11.

It is commonly assumed that chapters 2 and 3 form a “single prophecy, the subject of which is the cause of the coming judgment.” That both chapters deal substantially with the same subjects is undoubtedly true, but it is equally clear that, as the chapters stand now, there is a distinct break at the close of the second chapter. Hence there seems good reason for separating 2 and 3, and joining the latter more closely with Micah 4:5. Only by cutting out Micah 2:12, 13, can a connection between 2 and 3 be established; on the other hand, if chapter 3is connected with 4, 5, at least some of the reasons for omitting these verses disappear (see p. 363, and on Micah 2:12, 13). The following comments are based upon the assumption that chapters 1, 2 form a complete whole, and that chapter ii is intended to set forth the causes making inevitable the judgment threatened in the preceding chapter. It opens with a woe upon the proud nobles, who have become misleaders of the people (Micah 2:1-4). The accused resent the denunciation; the attempt is made to silence the prophet, and to find consolation in the message of the mercenary prophets. But, the prophet insists, there is no escape from the wrath of Jehovah; as they have driven the poor from their homes, so they will be driven from their possessions into exile (5-11). From this exile only a remnant will return under the leadership of Jehovah (12, 13).

1, 2. A vivid description of the corrupt conduct of the aristocracy. Work evil upon their beds — To be distinguished from “they practice it” in the next clause; the first refers to the preparation of the ways and means with which they carry out their evil schemes. In the darkness of the night they lay their plans; in the morning they carry them out. In the power of their hand — No one can prevent their crimes, for their wealth and power enable them to do anything they please (Micah 7:3). The general accusation in verse 1 is followed by a specific condemnation of the greed and avarice manifesting itself in the attempts to rob poor property owners of their holdings. Elijah (1 Kings 21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 5:8ff.) championed the rights of the common people against similar outrages. The accumulation of wealth and resources in the hands of a few seriously threatened the national stability and permanence. “The old Israelite state was so entirely based on the participation of every freeman in the common soil, and so little recognized the mere possession of capital, that men were in danger of losing civil rights along with house and fields, and becoming mere hirelings or even slaves.” Oppress — Margin, “defraud.” Heritage — The hereditary portion of the land assigned to each family at the time of the conquest and guarded by the “Jubilee Law” (Leviticus 25:8ff.; compare Numbers 27:1-11; Deuteronomy 27:17).

V. 2. And his house-His family, which by this means is left to poverty. And his heritage-And this is done against ancient right and possession, nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage.

Verse 2. They covet fields] These are the rich and mighty in the land; and, like Ahab, they will take the vineyard or inheritance of any poor Naboth on which they may fix their covetous eye; so that they take away even the heritage of the poor.

Verses 1, 2. Wo to them that devise iniquity — That design and frame mischief; and work evil upon their beds — Contrive how to work it, and actually execute their plans when they rise in the morning. Because it is in the power of their hand — Because they can do it; because there is none that can hinder them. They make their strength the law of justice; and do whatsoever they have a mind to do, whether right or wrong, because they have power in their hands. And they covet fields — Set their minds upon the estates of their meaner neighbours, thinking how convenient they lie to theirs, as Ahab thought concerning the field of Naboth. And take them by violence — By power wrest the estates out of the hands of the owners of them. And houses, and take them away — They take both houses and lands. So they oppress a man and his house — They not only do injustice to a man himself, but to his whole family also, by taking away his heritage, whereby his family, as well as himself, and his posterity after him, were to be supported.

Verse 1, 2. Woe to them that devise iniquity— they covet fields, and take them by violence. The jubilee was the happiest law that ever favoured a nation; but the rabbins confess that before the captivity, that law in its operations had almost ceased, the men of great landed interest having monopolized the family estates of the poorer Hebrews. But short was their enjoyment of fields and vineyards. The measuring line of desecration which passed over Samaria, presently passed over Jerusalem.

CAUSES OF THE IMPENDING JUDGMENT, 1-11.

It is commonly assumed that chapters 2 and 3 form a “single prophecy, the subject of which is the cause of the coming judgment.” That both chapters deal substantially with the same subjects is undoubtedly true, but it is equally clear that, as the chapters stand now, there is a distinct break at the close of the second chapter. Hence there seems good reason for separating 2 and 3, and joining the latter more closely with Micah 4:5. Only by cutting out Micah 2:12, 13, can a connection between 2 and 3 be established; on the other hand, if chapter 3is connected with 4, 5, at least some of the reasons for omitting these verses disappear (see p. 363, and on Micah 2:12, 13). The following comments are based upon the assumption that chapters 1, 2 form a complete whole, and that chapter ii is intended to set forth the causes making inevitable the judgment threatened in the preceding chapter. It opens with a woe upon the proud nobles, who have become misleaders of the people (Micah 2:1-4). The accused resent the denunciation; the attempt is made to silence the prophet, and to find consolation in the message of the mercenary prophets. But, the prophet insists, there is no escape from the wrath of Jehovah; as they have driven the poor from their homes, so they will be driven from their possessions into exile (5-11). From this exile only a remnant will return under the leadership of Jehovah (12, 13).

1, 2. A vivid description of the corrupt conduct of the aristocracy. Work evil upon their beds — To be distinguished from “they practice it” in the next clause; the first refers to the preparation of the ways and means with which they carry out their evil schemes. In the darkness of the night they lay their plans; in the morning they carry them out. In the power of their hand — No one can prevent their crimes, for their wealth and power enable them to do anything they please (Micah 7:3). The general accusation in verse 1 is followed by a specific condemnation of the greed and avarice manifesting itself in the attempts to rob poor property owners of their holdings. Elijah (1 Kings 21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 5:8ff.) championed the rights of the common people against similar outrages. The accumulation of wealth and resources in the hands of a few seriously threatened the national stability and permanence. “The old Israelite state was so entirely based on the participation of every freeman in the common soil, and so little recognized the mere possession of capital, that men were in danger of losing civil rights along with house and fields, and becoming mere hirelings or even slaves.” Oppress — Margin, “defraud.” Heritage — The hereditary portion of the land assigned to each family at the time of the conquest and guarded by the “Jubilee Law” (Leviticus 25:8ff.; compare Numbers 27:1-11; Deuteronomy 27:17).

V. 3. Against this family-God will devise evil against their family, as they devised evil against the family of their neighbours. Haughty-You have made others hang the head; so shall you now. Is evil-Full of miseries on the whole family of Jacob.

Verse 3. Against this family (the Israelites) do I devise an evil] You have devised the evil of plundering the upright; I will devise the evil to you of punishment for your conduct; you shall have your necks brought under the yoke of servitude. Tiglath-pileser ruined this kingdom, and transported the people to Assyria, under the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah; and Micah lived to see this catastrophe. See on Micah 2:9.

Verse 3. Therefore, behold, against this family do I devise evil — As they devise mischief against others, so will I devise an evil against them, as a due punishment for their sin. As they have unjustly deprived others of their inheritances, so a conquering enemy shall dispossess them and carry them into captivity. The word family is equivalent to people, as appears from Jeremiah 1:15. From which ye shall not remove your necks — They laid snares for others, where open force would not suffice, so that the poor could not get out of their hands, but were empoverished and enslaved; and God here threatens that he will deal thus with them by the Assyrians, from whose power they should not be able to defend themselves or to escape. Neither shall ye go haughtily — You have made others hang down their heads, and so shall you now; for this time is evil — You have made it an evil time for sins committed against me, and against the poor and innocent: and I will make it an evil time for calamities and miseries on the whole family of Jacob.

Verses 3, 4 announce the judgment. Therefore — Because they devise evil. I devise an evil — Or, calamity (Amos 3:6). Jehovah will bring upon the evil doers a calamity from which there can be no escape. This family — May, perhaps, include the whole nation (Amos 3:1), though it could be used of Judah alone. Shall not remove your necks — The evil is likened to a yoke that rests heavily upon the neck and cannot be shaken off. Haughtily — The pressure of the yoke makes impossible walking with heads erect, a sign of pride and arrogance. Evidently the prophet expects the calamity to be inflicted by a foreign conqueror, who will place his yoke upon the nation’s neck. This time is evil — R.V., “it is an evil time.” The expression is used again in Amos 5:13, but with a slightly different meaning.

The downfall of Israel will cause rejoicing among the conquerors and lamentation among the conquered. Parable — Hebrews mashal, which denotes any figurative saying; here probably a “taunt song” (compare Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk 2:6). Against you — By the successful opponents. This seems to be the most natural interpretation, though the Hebrew does not make it absolutely necessary to suppose that it is to be uttered by the victorious conqueror. Lamentation — To be uttered by Israel over the calamity suffered (Amos 5:16). A supposed play upon words in the original, Pusey reproduces by, “They shall wail a wail of woe.” The whole verse is in poetic form and may be rendered more accurately: —

In that day men will raise against you a taunting song,

They will lament a lamentation:

It is finished, they shall say,

We are utterly ruined;

The portion of my people he changeth,

How doth he remove it from (literally, for) me;

Unto the rebellious he divideth our fields.

The purport of the verse is clear. The enemies will taunt Israel because their God has failed to deliver them; Israel will lament because enemies have taken possession of the holy land and divided it among themselves. At the same time it is recognized that all this is Jehovah’s doing; he takes back the land formerly assigned to Israel and hands it over to the enemy. The Hebrew text of verse 4 contains several peculiarities; the most marked of these are the abrupt transition, without even the slightest indication, from the enemies to Israel (lines 1 and 2), and the unexpected change from plural to singular and singular to plural (lines 4-7; “we”… “my”… “me”… “our”); besides, LXX. varies considerably from the present Hebrew text. For these reasons modern commentators are inclined to regard the text as more or less corrupt. Nowack, following Stade, reconstructs it, partly on the basis of LXX., and partly by conjecture, so that it reads, “Then will be uttered over you a proverb and a lamentation, as follows: — The portion of my people is divided off with a measuring rod, there is none to give it back;

To those who have led us into exile are apportioned our fields; we are utterly ruined.”

The lament itself Marti restores: —

Alas! how are we utterly ruined! our land is apportioned! Alas! how our captors do mock! our land is divided!

In both reconstructions the Kinah verse (see on Amos 5:1-3) is used, which is very appropriate in this connection.

With verse 5 the difficulties increase. That in verse 6 the prophet takes up the words of some one else and bases his words upon this utterance is beyond doubt; but who pronounces the curse in verse 5? Some consider the verse a continuation of verses 3, 4. There loss of property and deportation are threatened; but, it is said, the prophets always look forward to a restoration, and this was in the mind of Micah when he uttered verse 5; he means to say that when the restoration becomes a reality the ungodly will have no part in the redistribution of the land. Others insist that there is no thought of a restoration in this verse; hence they refer the threat to the immediate future; the ungodly are to have no longer any part in the inheritance of Jehovah, because their families will be cut off in the impending judgment. The singular “thou” is thought to be used in order to indicate that every individual sinner is to be punished; not one will escape the threatened judgment. The first interpretation is perfectly possible, the second is highly improbable, because the context makes no distinction between the fate of the good and the bad at the time of the judgment. In verses 3, 4 the threat is made against the whole people; it will be utterly ruined, the enemy will take possession of the entire land, everybody is expected to go into exile. In the exile some will remain loyal to Jehovah, others will apostatize. Between the two classes a separation will be made at the time of the restoration; only the faithful will return to their former home. In this restored community, which is the congregation of Jehovah, the ungodly will have no part.

Others, who insist that the only reference to a restoration in this chapter is in verses 12, 13, give a still different interpretation. They consider verse 5 the utterance of a bystander who, as the spokesman of the people, attempts to interrupt the denunciatory discourse of Micah. To a great majority of the people the words of verse 4 would seem blasphemy. How could a man dare to announce that Jehovah was weaker than the gods of the Assyrians, that he could not or would not protect his chosen people; that the sanctuary would be desecrated? A man who uttered words such as Micah dared to utter must be a blasphemer or a madman; in either case he deserved the wrath of God. These thoughts a bystander put into words. “Because of his blasphemous words, the Jews think, Micah should be killed (compare Jeremiah 26:8, 9, 11), destroyed with his entire family (Jeremiah 11:19), so that his possessions would fall into the hands of strangers (Amos 7:17); he should suffer the punishment of the false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:9), and with him will suffer his descendants (Jeremiah 22:30), who are rooted out before they see the light. The form of this threat corresponds with the prophet’s prediction; he is to suffer the very fate which he threatens them, lose permanently his inheritance.” The most recent commentators, Nowack and Marti, consider verse 5 a later gloss. If the verse is original the choice lies between the first and the third interpretations, and of these the third seems to be, on the whole, the most satisfactory.

V. 4. A parable-A taunting proverb. And lament-Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He-God. Portion-Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief and dishonour. How-How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possession to their enemies? Turning away-Turning away from us in displeasure. God hath divided our fields among others.

Verse 4. Take up a parable against you] Your wickedness and your punishment shall be subjects of common conversation; and a funeral dirge shall be composed and sung for you as for the dead. The lamentation is that which immediately follows: We be utterly spoiled; and ends, Are these his doings? Micah 2:7.

Verses 4-6. In that day shall one take up a parable — Shall use a figurative speech, against you — A parable signifies a speech out of the ordinary way, as the Greek word paroimia imports, and illustrated with metaphors or rhetorical figures. So speaking in parables is opposed to speaking plainly, John 16:25, 29. And lament, &c. — Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He hath changed the portion of my people — Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy, and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief, and dishonour. How hath he removed it — How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possessions to their enemies! Turning away he hath divided our fields — Turning away from us in displeasure, God hath divided our fields among others. Thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord — None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line, and given them to possess it. In the congregation of the Lord — They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them. They shall not prophesy — The people often said to the prophets, Prophesy ye not; and God here declares that he would, in his displeasure, grant their desire: and that the time should come, when the prophets should no longer prophesy unto them, that they might no longer bring contempt upon themselves, or be ignominiously treated by the people, as they had long been.

Verses 3, 4 announce the judgment. Therefore — Because they devise evil. I devise an evil — Or, calamity (Amos 3:6). Jehovah will bring upon the evil doers a calamity from which there can be no escape. This family — May, perhaps, include the whole nation (Amos 3:1), though it could be used of Judah alone. Shall not remove your necks — The evil is likened to a yoke that rests heavily upon the neck and cannot be shaken off. Haughtily — The pressure of the yoke makes impossible walking with heads erect, a sign of pride and arrogance. Evidently the prophet expects the calamity to be inflicted by a foreign conqueror, who will place his yoke upon the nation’s neck. This time is evil — R.V., “it is an evil time.” The expression is used again in Amos 5:13, but with a slightly different meaning.

The downfall of Israel will cause rejoicing among the conquerors and lamentation among the conquered. Parable — Hebrews mashal, which denotes any figurative saying; here probably a “taunt song” (compare Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk 2:6). Against you — By the successful opponents. This seems to be the most natural interpretation, though the Hebrew does not make it absolutely necessary to suppose that it is to be uttered by the victorious conqueror. Lamentation — To be uttered by Israel over the calamity suffered (Amos 5:16). A supposed play upon words in the original, Pusey reproduces by, “They shall wail a wail of woe.” The whole verse is in poetic form and may be rendered more accurately: —

In that day men will raise against you a taunting song,

They will lament a lamentation:

It is finished, they shall say,

We are utterly ruined;

The portion of my people he changeth,

How doth he remove it from (literally, for) me;

Unto the rebellious he divideth our fields.

The purport of the verse is clear. The enemies will taunt Israel because their God has failed to deliver them; Israel will lament because enemies have taken possession of the holy land and divided it among themselves. At the same time it is recognized that all this is Jehovah’s doing; he takes back the land formerly assigned to Israel and hands it over to the enemy. The Hebrew text of verse 4 contains several peculiarities; the most marked of these are the abrupt transition, without even the slightest indication, from the enemies to Israel (lines 1 and 2), and the unexpected change from plural to singular and singular to plural (lines 4-7; “we”… “my”… “me”… “our”); besides, LXX. varies considerably from the present Hebrew text. For these reasons modern commentators are inclined to regard the text as more or less corrupt. Nowack, following Stade, reconstructs it, partly on the basis of LXX., and partly by conjecture, so that it reads, “Then will be uttered over you a proverb and a lamentation, as follows: — The portion of my people is divided off with a measuring rod, there is none to give it back;

To those who have led us into exile are apportioned our fields; we are utterly ruined.”

The lament itself Marti restores: —

Alas! how are we utterly ruined! our land is apportioned! Alas! how our captors do mock! our land is divided!

In both reconstructions the Kinah verse (see on Amos 5:1-3) is used, which is very appropriate in this connection.

With verse 5 the difficulties increase. That in verse 6 the prophet takes up the words of some one else and bases his words upon this utterance is beyond doubt; but who pronounces the curse in verse 5? Some consider the verse a continuation of verses 3, 4. There loss of property and deportation are threatened; but, it is said, the prophets always look forward to a restoration, and this was in the mind of Micah when he uttered verse 5; he means to say that when the restoration becomes a reality the ungodly will have no part in the redistribution of the land. Others insist that there is no thought of a restoration in this verse; hence they refer the threat to the immediate future; the ungodly are to have no longer any part in the inheritance of Jehovah, because their families will be cut off in the impending judgment. The singular “thou” is thought to be used in order to indicate that every individual sinner is to be punished; not one will escape the threatened judgment. The first interpretation is perfectly possible, the second is highly improbable, because the context makes no distinction between the fate of the good and the bad at the time of the judgment. In verses 3, 4 the threat is made against the whole people; it will be utterly ruined, the enemy will take possession of the entire land, everybody is expected to go into exile. In the exile some will remain loyal to Jehovah, others will apostatize. Between the two classes a separation will be made at the time of the restoration; only the faithful will return to their former home. In this restored community, which is the congregation of Jehovah, the ungodly will have no part.

Others, who insist that the only reference to a restoration in this chapter is in verses 12, 13, give a still different interpretation. They consider verse 5 the utterance of a bystander who, as the spokesman of the people, attempts to interrupt the denunciatory discourse of Micah. To a great majority of the people the words of verse 4 would seem blasphemy. How could a man dare to announce that Jehovah was weaker than the gods of the Assyrians, that he could not or would not protect his chosen people; that the sanctuary would be desecrated? A man who uttered words such as Micah dared to utter must be a blasphemer or a madman; in either case he deserved the wrath of God. These thoughts a bystander put into words. “Because of his blasphemous words, the Jews think, Micah should be killed (compare Jeremiah 26:8, 9, 11), destroyed with his entire family (Jeremiah 11:19), so that his possessions would fall into the hands of strangers (Amos 7:17); he should suffer the punishment of the false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:9), and with him will suffer his descendants (Jeremiah 22:30), who are rooted out before they see the light. The form of this threat corresponds with the prophet’s prediction; he is to suffer the very fate which he threatens them, lose permanently his inheritance.” The most recent commentators, Nowack and Marti, consider verse 5 a later gloss. If the verse is original the choice lies between the first and the third interpretations, and of these the third seems to be, on the whole, the most satisfactory.

V. 5. Thou shalt have-None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line and given them to possess it. In the congregation-They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them.

Verse 5. None that shall cast a cord] You will no more have your inheritance divided to you by lot, as it was to your fathers; ye shall neither have fields nor possessions of any kind.

Verses 4-6. In that day shall one take up a parable — Shall use a figurative speech, against you — A parable signifies a speech out of the ordinary way, as the Greek word paroimia imports, and illustrated with metaphors or rhetorical figures. So speaking in parables is opposed to speaking plainly, John 16:25, 29. And lament, &c. — Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He hath changed the portion of my people — Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy, and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief, and dishonour. How hath he removed it — How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possessions to their enemies! Turning away he hath divided our fields — Turning away from us in displeasure, God hath divided our fields among others. Thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord — None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line, and given them to possess it. In the congregation of the Lord — They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them. They shall not prophesy — The people often said to the prophets, Prophesy ye not; and God here declares that he would, in his displeasure, grant their desire: and that the time should come, when the prophets should no longer prophesy unto them, that they might no longer bring contempt upon themselves, or be ignominiously treated by the people, as they had long been.

Ver. 5. Thou shalt have none to cast a cord by lot. No heir to thy lands, in the congregation of the Lord. Where then is the use of adding house to house, and field to field. The reference is to the Hebrew law. When a father died, having four sons, they divided his land into five lots. One comprised the homestead and adjacent land, usually claimed by the eldest son; the other four parts were given by lot, or by mutual consent. Thus the eldest son had, according to the Mosaic law, a double portion, that he might be the pillar of his house.

CAUSES OF THE IMPENDING JUDGMENT, 1-11.

It is commonly assumed that chapters 2 and 3 form a “single prophecy, the subject of which is the cause of the coming judgment.” That both chapters deal substantially with the same subjects is undoubtedly true, but it is equally clear that, as the chapters stand now, there is a distinct break at the close of the second chapter. Hence there seems good reason for separating 2 and 3, and joining the latter more closely with Micah 4:5. Only by cutting out Micah 2:12, 13, can a connection between 2 and 3 be established; on the other hand, if chapter 3is connected with 4, 5, at least some of the reasons for omitting these verses disappear (see p. 363, and on Micah 2:12, 13). The following comments are based upon the assumption that chapters 1, 2 form a complete whole, and that chapter ii is intended to set forth the causes making inevitable the judgment threatened in the preceding chapter. It opens with a woe upon the proud nobles, who have become misleaders of the people (Micah 2:1-4). The accused resent the denunciation; the attempt is made to silence the prophet, and to find consolation in the message of the mercenary prophets. But, the prophet insists, there is no escape from the wrath of Jehovah; as they have driven the poor from their homes, so they will be driven from their possessions into exile (5-11). From this exile only a remnant will return under the leadership of Jehovah (12, 13).

1, 2. A vivid description of the corrupt conduct of the aristocracy. Work evil upon their beds — To be distinguished from “they practice it” in the next clause; the first refers to the preparation of the ways and means with which they carry out their evil schemes. In the darkness of the night they lay their plans; in the morning they carry them out. In the power of their hand — No one can prevent their crimes, for their wealth and power enable them to do anything they please (Micah 7:3). The general accusation in verse 1 is followed by a specific condemnation of the greed and avarice manifesting itself in the attempts to rob poor property owners of their holdings. Elijah (1 Kings 21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 5:8ff.) championed the rights of the common people against similar outrages. The accumulation of wealth and resources in the hands of a few seriously threatened the national stability and permanence. “The old Israelite state was so entirely based on the participation of every freeman in the common soil, and so little recognized the mere possession of capital, that men were in danger of losing civil rights along with house and fields, and becoming mere hirelings or even slaves.” Oppress — Margin, “defraud.” Heritage — The hereditary portion of the land assigned to each family at the time of the conquest and guarded by the “Jubilee Law” (Leviticus 25:8ff.; compare Numbers 27:1-11; Deuteronomy 27:17).

V. 6. They shall not prophesy-So God doth in his displeasure grant their desire. Take shame-That will not take shame to themselves.

Verse 6. Prophesy ye not] Do not predict any more evils-we have as many as we can bear. We are utterly ruined—shame and confusion cover our faces. The original is singular, and expressive of sorrow and sobbing. Literally, “Do not cause it to rain; they will cause it to rain; they cannot make it rain sooner than this; confusion shall not depart from us.” To rain, often means to preach, to prophesy; Ezekiel 20:46; 21:2; Amos 7:16; Deuteronomy 32:2; Job 29:22; Proverbs 5:3, &c. The last line Bp. Newcome translates, “For he shall not remove from himself reproaches;” and paraphrases, “The true prophet will subject himself to public disgrace by exercising his office.”

Verses 4-6. In that day shall one take up a parable — Shall use a figurative speech, against you — A parable signifies a speech out of the ordinary way, as the Greek word paroimia imports, and illustrated with metaphors or rhetorical figures. So speaking in parables is opposed to speaking plainly, John 16:25, 29. And lament, &c. — Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He hath changed the portion of my people — Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy, and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief, and dishonour. How hath he removed it — How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possessions to their enemies! Turning away he hath divided our fields — Turning away from us in displeasure, God hath divided our fields among others. Thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord — None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line, and given them to possess it. In the congregation of the Lord — They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them. They shall not prophesy — The people often said to the prophets, Prophesy ye not; and God here declares that he would, in his displeasure, grant their desire: and that the time should come, when the prophets should no longer prophesy unto them, that they might no longer bring contempt upon themselves, or be ignominiously treated by the people, as they had long been.

6. Attempts to silence the prophets were not infrequent; undoubtedly Micah’s patience was tried many times by those who resented his teaching. But he cannot be silenced; he flings back the prohibition and makes it the starting point for new denunciations. If verse 5 contains the utterance of a bystander, “Prophesy not,” in verse 6 may be understood as a summary of the prohibition implied in the threat there. The new condemnation falls chiefly upon the faithless religious teachers.

The text of 6ff. is in many places obscure; frequently the translation is doubtful, and there is much uncertainty as to where the objections which Micah takes up end, and where his own condemnations begin. G.A. Smith includes verses 6, 7 in the objection, and he renders the two verses as follows: —

Prate not, they prate, let none prate of such things!

Revilings will never cease!

O thou that speakest thus to the house of Jacob,

Is the spirit of Jehovah cut short?

Or are such his doings?

Shall not his words mean well with him that walketh uprightly? This differs considerably from the translations found in A.V. and R.V., but it requires only very slight alterations in the present Hebrew text. Of the two English translations that of R.V. is certainly superior to that of A.V. That even the Revisers found it difficult to understand the present text is shown by the numerous marginal readings.

If Smith’s reproduction of the original is accepted as correct, the meaning of the two verses becomes clear. The people or the false prophets insist that Micah discontinue his foolish talk, his eternal revilings. Everyone can see that his statements are absurd. Does he mean to say that Jehovah will cast off his people? Has he ceased to be long-suffering? Is this the method of God’s dealings with his chosen people? This last question forms the basis of the prophet’s reply. He admits the truth implied in the question, but he points out in 8ff. that they are mistaken in their estimate of themselves. They are not upright; on the contrary, in every possible manner have they set aside the will of Jehovah; hence, according to their own reasoning, they can expect no favor from him. Prophesy — Literally, drop, that is, words (see on Amos 7:16). Here the word is used in an unfavorable sense, equivalent to “grumble,” “find fault.” In the following clause “the prophet flings the same word back at them sarcastically.” In this case the verb is in the frequentative tense, “they prophesy (or, prate) continually.” To them — If the above interpretation is correct a better rendering would be “of these things” (so R.V. margin). The prophet is told to let alone politics and social conditions — the politicians will look after these things; he is to confine himself to the preaching of the “simple gospel.” In the last clause of verse 6 the above translation reproduces the Hebrew more accurately; the words are those of the prophet’s opponents, who are weary of listening to his grumbling. The opening words of verse 7 have proved a puzzle to all commentators, and practically all favor emendations. Smith alters the words so that they may be understood as an address to Micah, introducing several questions which are intended to show the absurdity of his attitude. Straitened — Or, impatient; literally, shortened. Has Jehovah ceased to be long-suffering? These — The things described in verses 3, 4. Mean well — God can send no message of judgment to those who serve him faithfully.

A second interpretation divides the sentences of verses 6, 7 between the prophet and his opponents. “Prophesy ye not” is assigned to the opposition, “thus they prophesy” are thought to be the words of Micah, introducing the preceding quotation. To this attempt to silence him the prophet replies with two rhetorical questions: (1) “Shall one not preach to these?” — that is, to such as are described in verses 1, 2; they certainly deserve the condemnation. (2) “Shall not reproaches depart?” Is it not time for the reproaches heaped upon the prophet to come to an end? In verse 7 the prophet is thought to introduce an additional objection raised to his preaching: “Shall it be said, O house of Jacob,” or “by the house of Jacob.” These are understood to be the words of the prophet, introducing the objection itself, which is expressed in two questions: (1) “Is the spirit of Jehovah shortened?” The prophet’s words seemed to imply that Jehovah has ceased to be long-suffering; this accusation against Jehovah the objectors indignantly deny. (2) “Are these his doings?” The forsaking of his people, as announced in verses 3, 4. This also they are unwilling to believe. To these objections the prophet replies, introducing Jehovah himself as the speaker, by asking a question which points out, by implication, that he is not blaspheming Jehovah, but that they, by their own conduct, have made it impossible for Jehovah to show them any favor. The objections raised by the people indicated that they had failed completely to understand the ethical character of Jehovah and of his government. Like Amos, Micah is compelled to show that Jehovah cannot save Israel simply because they are his chosen people; they must maintain the proper attitude of heart and life if they would enjoy his goodness (Micah 6:8). Their shortcomings and failures are further described in verses 8, 9. In view of this condition of things there is left no doubt that the denunciation of verses 3, 4 is perfectly justified, hence the sentence is repeated in verse 10.

These are the two most important interpretations of verses 6, 7; others need not be mentioned. The force of the verses remains essentially the same with either. The second follows more closely the present Hebrew text, but it is by no means certain that the latter has come down to us in its original purity; it may have suffered in the course of transmission.

V. 7. That art named-You are in name, not in truth, the seed of Jacob. Straitened-The power, wisdom, and kindness of God is not less now than formerly. Are these-Are these severe proceedings the doings your God delighteth in? Do not my words-My words promise all good, to those that with honest hearts walk in the ways of God.

Verse 7. Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?] This is the complaint of the Israelites, and a part of the lamentation. Doth it not speak by other persons as well as by Micah? Doth it communicate to us such influences as it did formerly? Is it true that these evils are threatened by that Spirit? Are these his doings? To which Jehovah answers, “Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?” No upright man need fear any word spoken by me: my words to such yield instruction and comfort; never dismay. Were ye upright, ye would not complain of the words of my prophets. The last clause may be translated, “Walking with him that is upright.” The upright man walks by the word; and the word walks with him who walks by it.

Verse 7. O thou that art named The house of Jacob — But dost not act suitably to the piety of thy father Jacob, and therefore, though thou art in name, yet not in truth the genuine seed of Jacob. Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened — Is God’s hand shortened? Are his power, wisdom, and kindness less now than formerly? Are these his doings — Are these severe proceedings the doings your God delights in? Are the judgments he brings upon you the genuine effects of his power and goodness? and not rather such acts as your sins do, in a manner, constrain him to exercise? Thus punishments are called his strange work, Isaiah 28:21. Do not my words do good to him, that walketh uprightly? — Certainly, both God’s laws, and the words delivered by his prophets, would do you great and lasting good if you would obey them.

CAUSES OF THE IMPENDING JUDGMENT, 1-11.

It is commonly assumed that chapters 2 and 3 form a “single prophecy, the subject of which is the cause of the coming judgment.” That both chapters deal substantially with the same subjects is undoubtedly true, but it is equally clear that, as the chapters stand now, there is a distinct break at the close of the second chapter. Hence there seems good reason for separating 2 and 3, and joining the latter more closely with Micah 4:5. Only by cutting out Micah 2:12, 13, can a connection between 2 and 3 be established; on the other hand, if chapter 3is connected with 4, 5, at least some of the reasons for omitting these verses disappear (see p. 363, and on Micah 2:12, 13). The following comments are based upon the assumption that chapters 1, 2 form a complete whole, and that chapter ii is intended to set forth the causes making inevitable the judgment threatened in the preceding chapter. It opens with a woe upon the proud nobles, who have become misleaders of the people (Micah 2:1-4). The accused resent the denunciation; the attempt is made to silence the prophet, and to find consolation in the message of the mercenary prophets. But, the prophet insists, there is no escape from the wrath of Jehovah; as they have driven the poor from their homes, so they will be driven from their possessions into exile (5-11). From this exile only a remnant will return under the leadership of Jehovah (12, 13).

1, 2. A vivid description of the corrupt conduct of the aristocracy. Work evil upon their beds — To be distinguished from “they practice it” in the next clause; the first refers to the preparation of the ways and means with which they carry out their evil schemes. In the darkness of the night they lay their plans; in the morning they carry them out. In the power of their hand — No one can prevent their crimes, for their wealth and power enable them to do anything they please (Micah 7:3). The general accusation in verse 1 is followed by a specific condemnation of the greed and avarice manifesting itself in the attempts to rob poor property owners of their holdings. Elijah (1 Kings 21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 5:8ff.) championed the rights of the common people against similar outrages. The accumulation of wealth and resources in the hands of a few seriously threatened the national stability and permanence. “The old Israelite state was so entirely based on the participation of every freeman in the common soil, and so little recognized the mere possession of capital, that men were in danger of losing civil rights along with house and fields, and becoming mere hirelings or even slaves.” Oppress — Margin, “defraud.” Heritage — The hereditary portion of the land assigned to each family at the time of the conquest and guarded by the “Jubilee Law” (Leviticus 25:8ff.; compare Numbers 27:1-11; Deuteronomy 27:17).

V. 8. Is risen up-They have risen up, Israel against Judah, and Judah against Israel, and of late the tribes have conspired against one another; subjects against their kings, and great ones against the meaner sort. With the garment-You strip those that fearing no evil, go about their private affairs.

Verse 8. My people is risen up as an enemy] Ye are not only opposed to me, but ye are enemies to each other. Ye rob and spoil each other. Ye plunder the peaceable passenger; depriving him both of his upper and under garment; ye pull off the robe from those who, far from being spoilers themselves, are averse from war.

Verses 8, 9. Of late my people is risen up as an enemy — AGAINST ME is to be here understood, namely, against God; for this is still spoken in the person of God. The sense is more evident in the Hebrew than in our translation, namely, But they who were yesterday (or lately) my people rise up (now, or to-day) as an enemy. Ye pull off the robe with the garment — Ye are guilty of grievous oppression and inhumanity: ye are not content with spoiling the poor, and those who are weaker than yourselves, of their cloak, but take their coat also. Taking the robe with the garment, or the cloak and coat also, seems to have been a proverbial expression to signify a high degree of oppression and injury. From them that pass by securely — Who, fearing no evil, are going about their private affairs; as men averse from war — Who are willing to live peaceably with you, and give you no manner of provocation: even these, you in a violent manner strip of all their substance, even to their wearing apparel. The women of my people have ye cast out, &c. — The widows, wives, and daughters of my people have you, by acts of injustice and oppression, turned out of their habitations, which to them were pleasant, and in which they delighted. From their children have ye taken away my glory for ever — You have robbed their children, or posterity, of their houses and estates, which were secured to them by the law of God from any sale or alienation beyond the year of jubilee, which was the glory of my bounty to them: yet you have confiscated these their inheritances for ever. Or, as some think, the sense of this clause may be, “When you plunder their houses you take away their children, and sell them to strangers and idolaters; and they are no longer esteemed my children, because they become the worshippers of false gods.”

Verses 8, 9 contain a picture of the corruption and oppression found on every hand. Of late — Literally, yesterday. This is certainly not equivalent to “long ago,” but points to the recent past. The prosperity growing out of the efficient reign of Uzziah was largely responsible for the corruption that met the prophet’s eye (see pp. 357ff.). My people — This expression is used sometimes of the whole people, sometimes primarily of the poor and needy who suffer oppression and whose only defender is Jehovah (Isaiah 3:12, 15). A comparison of verse 8 with verse 9 shows that in the former the reference is primarily to the oppressing nobles, in the latter to the oppressed poor. As an enemy — The nobles prove themselves enemies of Jehovah, whose property is to have mercy, by the cruel treatment they accord to the poor and needy, who are under the special care of Jehovah (Exodus 22:21ff.; Deuteronomy 27:19). Pass by securely… averse from war — They pounce upon their victims without provocation; as they pass by peaceably, attending to their own business, they fall upon them. Pull off the robe with the garment — R.V., “strip the robe from off the garment.” A very obscure clause; A.V. evidently means that they take both the robe and the garment, though it may be difficult to distinguish between the two pieces of clothing named. The accusation clearly implies highway robbery; there may also be an allusion to the crime condemned in Amos 2:8. However, it is practically impossible to justify the translation of A.V.; R.V. is more accurate, but what does it mean to “strip the robe from off the garment”? The difficulty is generally recognized, and various emendations have been proposed, affecting also other parts of verse 8. With a few changes, justified in part by LXX., verse 8 might be read, “But ye are the foes of my people, rising against those who are peaceful; the garment ye strip from them that pass by quietly, averse to war.”

V. 9. The women-The widows. Of my people-Of Israelites, not strangers, that were by peculiar provision from God’s law, to be tenderly dealt with, Exodus 22:22. Cast out-You have turned out of their old habitations. From their children-You have turned their children out of their houses, and estates, which were secured by the law of God from any sale beyond the jubilee; yet you have confiscated them for ever. My glory-Which was the glory of my bounty to them.

Verse 9. The women of my people] Ye are the cause of the women and their children being carried into captivity—separated from their pleasant habitations, and from my temple and ordinances—and from the blessings of the covenant, which it is my glory to give, and theirs to receive. These two verses may probably relate to the war made on Ahaz by Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel. They fell suddenly upon the Jews; killed in one day one hundred and twenty thousand, and took two hundred thousand captive; and carried away much spoil. Thus, they rose up against them as enemies, when there was peace between the two kingdoms; spoiled them of their goods, carried away men, women, and children, till, at the remonstrances of the prophet Oded, they were released. See 2 Chronicles 28:6, &c. Micah lived in the days of Ahaz, and might have seen the barbarities which he here describes.

Verses 8, 9. Of late my people is risen up as an enemy — AGAINST ME is to be here understood, namely, against God; for this is still spoken in the person of God. The sense is more evident in the Hebrew than in our translation, namely, But they who were yesterday (or lately) my people rise up (now, or to-day) as an enemy. Ye pull off the robe with the garment — Ye are guilty of grievous oppression and inhumanity: ye are not content with spoiling the poor, and those who are weaker than yourselves, of their cloak, but take their coat also. Taking the robe with the garment, or the cloak and coat also, seems to have been a proverbial expression to signify a high degree of oppression and injury. From them that pass by securely — Who, fearing no evil, are going about their private affairs; as men averse from war — Who are willing to live peaceably with you, and give you no manner of provocation: even these, you in a violent manner strip of all their substance, even to their wearing apparel. The women of my people have ye cast out, &c. — The widows, wives, and daughters of my people have you, by acts of injustice and oppression, turned out of their habitations, which to them were pleasant, and in which they delighted. From their children have ye taken away my glory for ever — You have robbed their children, or posterity, of their houses and estates, which were secured to them by the law of God from any sale or alienation beyond the year of jubilee, which was the glory of my bounty to them: yet you have confiscated these their inheritances for ever. Or, as some think, the sense of this clause may be, “When you plunder their houses you take away their children, and sell them to strangers and idolaters; and they are no longer esteemed my children, because they become the worshippers of false gods.”

9. Women — The prophet has in mind widows, who, being without defenders, fall an easy prey to the greedy nobles; they are driven from their possessions. Their children — Who were unable to defend themselves. Have ye taken away my glory forever — This glory was their citizenship in the nation of Jehovah. When they were sold as slaves they were cut off from the nation, and thus they lost a privilege and glory belonging to them. Special care for the fatherless and the widows is enjoined in Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 27:19; compare Isaiah 1:17; and the neglect of this duty is condemned again and again by the prophets (compare Isaiah 1:23; 10:2).

Wellhausen and others propose a slight alteration of the text, which, though not necessary, emphasizes even more the heartless cruelty. They change “from their pleasant houses” into “from their pleasant children”; literally, from the children of their pleasure. This would add the thought that they tear the mother from the children by selling them to different masters.

V. 10. Arise ye-Ye inhabitants of Israel, prepare for your departure out of this land. Your rest-Though it was given this people for a rest under God’s wing; yet it was on condition of continued obedience. Polluted-With many, and great, and old sins. Destroy-It shall spue you out.

Verse 10. Arise ye, and depart] Prepare for your captivity; ye shall have no resting place here: the very land is polluted by your iniquities, and shall vomit you out, and it shall be destroyed; and the destruction of it shall be great and sore.

Some think this is an exhortation to the godly, to leave a land that was to be destroyed so speedily.

Verse 10. Arise ye, and depart — Ye Israelites prepare for your departure out of this land, for it shall be no longer yours; it is not your rest, because it is polluted — Though it was given to the posterity of Jacob for a place of rest, under my protection, yet this was on condition of their continued obedience. And because you have polluted it by your sins — You shall be cast out of it, or shall be destroyed in it; even with a sore destruction — This threatening is to the same effect with the declaration made by Moses concerning the Canaanites whom God drove out before Israel. The land is defiled, therefore do I visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. And it accords with the solemn caution which God then gave his people, saying, Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and shall not commit any of these abominations; that the land spew not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you, Leviticus 18:25-28.

Ver. 10. Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest. Micah died but a little before the Assyrians invaded the kingdom of Israel; the warning is to good men, not to think of family establishments, but of emigration to places of safety. A powerful text for preachers to improve. If men rest in riches, in pleasures, or any created good, death invading like the Assyrians will strip by a powerful stroke.

10. In the face of such outrages mercy and long-suffering are out of place; judgment must be executed, and in verse 10 the sentence contained in verses 3, 4 is reiterated; the guilty ones must be cut off from their pleasant homes and cast into exile. Arise ye, and depart — Their punishment will be according to the lex talionis; they have sold others into slavery, now they must suffer a similar fate. Your rest — R.V., “resting place.” “Rest was one of the chief aspects under which Canaan was regarded” (Deuteronomy 12:9), but it cannot be a resting place for such as are not on good terms with the owner of the land, Jehovah. As the text reads at present, the rest of the verse states why the land can no longer be a resting place for them. As a result of the defilement the land will “vomit out its inhabitants.” A better rendering is that of R.V., “because of uncleanness that destroyeth, even with a grievous destruction”; an even better translation would be, “because of uncleanness that brings destruction, even grievous destruction.” LXX., however, suggests a different reading, which may be original. It separates 10b more completely from 10a, and reads the former, “because of uncleanness ye shall be destroyed with a grievous destruction.”

V. 11. Walking-If a man pretend to have the spirit of prophesy. Saying-You shall have plenty of days, and may eat, drink, and be merry. He shall even be the prophet-Such they like and chuse.

Verse 11. If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood] The meaning is: If a man who professes to be Divinely inspired do lie, by prophesying of plenty, &c., then such a person shall be received as a true prophet by this people. It not unfrequently happens that the Christless worldling, who has got into the priest’s office for a maintenance, and who leaves the people undisturbed in their unregenerate state, is better received than the faithful pastor, who proclaims the justice of the Lord, and the necessity of repentance and forsaking sin, in order to their being made partakers of that holiness without which no man shall see God.

Verse 11. If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood — If a man falsely pretending to have the spirit of prophecy, do lie — Speak things very false, and utter pretended predictions of events that shall never take place. Saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and strong drink — I will discourse to you of sensual enjoyments: or, I will give you assurance of peace, prosperity, and plenty. You shall live long, eat, drink, and be merry. He shall even be the prophet of this people — Such as they like and choose, a man perfectly to their minds. Some render the clause, I will prophesy unto thee for wine and strong drink, understanding Micah (who here speaks in his own person) as telling them, if he were one who would prophesy lies unto them, and bring them pleasing tidings, however false, for the sake of having his belly filled with wine and strong drink; that then they would extol him, and look upon him as a choice prophet; for that such a one only as spoke smooth things unto them, with whatever selfish views it was apparent he did it, was a prophet to their liking; and that, therefore, if he had been a false prophet, he should have prophesied so as to get wine and strong drink of them instead of reproaches.

11. In verses 6, 7 the listeners had expressed their unwillingness to accept the kind of preaching Micah was giving them. The opposition did not silence the prophet, it only stimulated him to new efforts; he pointed out that the present demanded the message he was delivering, and reiterated the announcement of judgment. Verse 11 presents the close of the threat; in it the prophet gives a description of the kind of prophet the people would like to hear, one who has always a message of peace and prosperity, and who at all times heaps flattery upon the self-righteous sinners. In the spirit and falsehood — R.V., “in a spirit of falsehood.” A.V. gives a literal rendering of the original, except that before “spirit” the definite article should not be used. But “a spirit,” standing by itself, is not equivalent to “a false spirit,” and the context makes it impossible to think of the Spirit of God. Hence it is better to follow R.V. margin and read “in wind and falsehood.” “Wind” is a picture of the vain and worthless things after which such a false prophet chases; “falsehood” has reference to the purpose for which he delivers his message; he purposes to deceive the people in order that he may serve his own personal interests. Lie — In seeking to deliver an acceptable message, he announces peace and prosperity when the message of Jehovah is one of calamity and judgment. Wine and… strong drink — To be understood in a wider sense of all “earthly blessings and sensual enjoyments.” This is what they like, and the prophet knows that any man who preaches such a gospel will be received with open arms.

Return of a purified remnant, 12, 13.

V. 12. Them-All the remnant. As the sheep-In great numbers. Their fold-Their own fold, where they are safe. The multitude of men-This was fulfilled in part, when the Jews returned out of Babylon, but more fully when Christ by his gospel gathered together in one, all the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Verse 12. I will surely assemble] This is a promise of the restoration of Israel from captivity. He compares them to a flock of sheep rushing together to their fold, the hoofs of which make a wonderful noise or clatter. So when one hundred sheep run, eight hundred toes or divisions of these bifed animals make a clattering noise. This appears to be the image.

Verses 12, 13. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee, &c. — Many commentators, connecting these verses with the preceding, interpret them as a prediction of the captivity of Israel and Judah. By assembling all of Jacob, and gathering the remnant of Israel, as a flock in the midst of their fold, they understand bringing them together into Samaria and Jerusalem, to be besieged in those cities, and thence taken out for slaughter or captivity. By the breaker being come up before them, breaking up and passing through the gate, they understand the enemies assaulting their cities, (namely, the Assyrians and Chaldeans,) breaking down their walls, and entering in and going out the gates of them, just as the citizens used to do; and by their king passing before them, his being carried into captivity along with them. By the Lord on (or, at) the head of them, they understand, God being on the side of, or prospering the Assyrians and Chaldeans in their attempts against the Israelites and Jews. Others, however, interpret these verses of the restoration of the Jewish people from captivity, and therefore understand by the breaker coming up before them, him who was to break the bonds of their captivity, or break through all obstacles that hindered their restoration, and open to them the way home. The following expressions, They have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, they consider as metaphorical, describing their return, in allusion to a flock of sheep, which, as soon as a passage is opened for one to get out, do all of them follow; and that these expressions are made use of because it is said, in the foregoing verse, that they should be put or gathered together as a flock of sheep in the midst of their folds. The last clause they render, Their king shall pass before them, even the Lord on the head of them — That is, the Messiah, who is both the Lord and their King, shall lead and conduct them as their captain-general. Thus the Jewish commentators generally understand the breaker and their king of the same person, namely, the Messiah, as may be seen in Dr. Pocock on the place. Bishop Pearson cites the words of Moses Hadarson to the same purpose, in his exposition of the Sixth Article of the Creed. It may be observed further, that most of those who understand the Messiah as being meant by the breaker and their king, though they consider the promise as receiving its first accomplishment in the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, yet suppose it will receive a much more complete fulfilment in the latter days, when the general conversion of the Jews and Israelites, and their restoration to their own land, shall take place; it being very usual with the prophets, after they have denounced the destruction of the Jewish republic, to foretel their grand and spiritual deliverance; that the people might not think themselves entirely forsaken of God, before the promises made to their fathers were completed. As this passage is so extremely obscure, it has been thought best to lay both these interpretations before the reader, that he may judge which is most consistent with the words of the text.

Ver. 12. As the sheep of Bozrah, a principal city of Moab. Mesha, king of Moab, was a great sheep owner. 2 Kings 3:4. But the LXX, followed by the Chaldaic, read “straits and tribulation,” as in the next verse.

Verses 12, 13 transpose us abruptly from the present corruption, facing imminent doom, to the distant future, when a remnant of the people carried into exile (3, 4) will be restored. On the surface the transition from verse 11 to verse 12 appears abrupt, but there is a real logical connection between the two verses. The people are ready to turn to a prophet who will promise pleasant things. This Micah cannot do; nevertheless his message is not one of unmitigated doom; he too has salvation to proclaim, though not for the immediate future or for all. Judgment, distress is all he sees ahead of him; all will be banished from the land. In exile the corrupt will be annihilated, but the loyal remnant, purified through suffering, will be assembled again by Jehovah; he himself will redeem it and restore it to its old home. Jacob,… Israel — Seem to be identical in meaning, denoting the whole nation; similarly “all” and “remnant” appear to be synonymous. The thought is one found in other prophetic utterances, that at the time of the restoration the present distinction between north and south will be obliterated, that the call will be extended to the whole nation, but that only a remnant will respond (Ezekiel 34:11-14). This remnant will be numerous, however, and noisy like a flock of sheep. As the sheep of Bozrah — If the text is correct the “sheep of Bozrah” must be regarded as a popular saying like “kine of Bashan” (Amos 4:1), alluding to Bozrah’s wealth in sheep (see on Amos 1:12). The suggestion that a Moabite city is meant here rather than the Edomite Bozrah has little in its favor. LXX. suggests a different translation; it read the same consonants that are contained in the Hebrew word for Bozrah, but evidently it took these consonants as representing two elements, the preposition “in” and the noun “affliction.” “In affliction” is not suitable here; still the reading of LXX. may indicate that “Bozrah” is not the original. The parallel line would lead one to expect here an expression similar to “in the midst of their fold.” There is a modern Arabic word meaning “sheep-stall,” containing the same consonants as the word “affliction” but different vowels, which is applied to the place in which the sheep are kept during the night to protect them against wild beasts. The corresponding Hebrew word may be intended here; the erroneous vocalization being due to the Masorites, who were more familiar with the proper noun Bozrah than with the common noun. With this change the sentence may be read, “I will put them together as sheep in the sheep-fold,” that they may be safe from all enemies. Great noise — Their numbers will be great; hence the noise made by them will be loud.

The gathering will take place before the actual deliverance; united, the remnant will be strong enough to overcome all obstacles and return to its old home. The breaker — The one who breaks down the obstacles and opens the way. If the picture of the flock is continued the expression is best understood as denoting the shepherd who opens the gate to let the sheep pass through; if, as is not impossible, the figure changes to that of an army, it denotes the captain who is to lead the host in triumph from exile. In either case the term is of Messianic import (see on Hosea 1:11). Through the gate — The land of exile is likened, in the one case, to a sheepfold; in the other, to a prison house. Through the gates the remnant will march in triumph on its way home. Broken up [“broken forth”]… passed through… gone out — “The three verbs… describe in a pictorial manner progress which cannot be stopped by any human power” Their king — Before the returning host will go their king, Jehovah, as at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 13:21; compare Isaiah 52:12); Jehovah is not identical with the “breaker.”

The connection of verses 12, 13 with verse 11 is not very close; the leap into the future appears to be abrupt. This abruptness is responsible for a great deal of discussion concerning these two verses. Some have held that the words were spoken not by Micah, but by the false prophets. This view is shown to be improbable by the following considerations: (1) The restoration of a remnant implies a carrying into exile, but the latter is the very thing the false prophets deny. (2) In verse 12 Jehovah is the speaker — “I will assemble.” Would Micah introduce Jehovah as speaking through the prophets whom he condemns so severely? (3) The prophecy is a true prophecy; it is one which in essence is found in all the prophetic books (compare Micah 4:6). It is not likely that Micah would put a true prophecy into the mouth of a false prophet. Others consider the verses exilic or postexilic, and thus a later addition to the oracles of Micah. “They presuppose the exile and dispersion” (Wellhausen). However, it is by no means certain that the exile is presupposed as an actual fact. All the prophets seem to have penetrated the darkness of the present and the immediate future and to have seen, in a more distant era, a ray of light and glory. The modern tendency, which treats as later exilic or postexilic interpolations all passages in pre-exilic prophecies which promise a restoration, does not appear to be well founded (see pp. 35f.). It seems almost unthinkable that the prophets, with their lofty conception of Jehovah, should leave the nation in the despair of exile. If the existence of pre-exilic prophecies pointing to a restoration is granted, the only objection remaining against these verses is the looseness of connection with their context. This looseness of connection has led some to think that, while the words may be Micah’s, they are not in their original position. “The entire context leads me to expect after verse 11 a return to and repetition of the threat of punishment, and there can be no question that the contrast between Micah 2:11, and Micah 3:1, is greatly weakened by these two verses. To deny them to Micah we have no reason, but it is possible that they may have been transposed from another context. Their original place might have been after Micah 4:8, preparing the way for chapter v, but separated from it by Micah 4:9-14, which verses look back to the present.” The only support, then, for this view is the seeming abruptness with which the prophet passes from denunciation to promise, and the interruption in thought between Micah 2:11, and Micah 3:1. The latter objection vanishes if chapter iii is taken as the beginning of a new section rather than as a continuation of chapter ii (see p. 384); the first loses much of its force if logical connection can be established between Micah 2:11, and Micah 2:12, 13. The existence of such connection has already been pointed out in the beginning of the comments on verses 12, 13, and it seems close enough to warrant the belief that the verses are from Micah and that they are in their original place. It is not even necessary to suppose that the fall of Samaria occurred between the time when Micah 2:11, was uttered and the time when Micah 2:12, 13, was spoken; the prophet simply looks beyond the exile announced in Micah 2:3, 4.

V. 13. The breaker-To break down all opposition. The gate-The door of escape out of their captivity. No cities so strong, which the Assyrians shall not take and possess, and enter in through the gates. The Lord-Even Jehovah, as he was at the head of Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt.

Verse 13. The breaker is come up] He who is to give them deliverance, and lead them out on the way of their return. He who takes down the hurdles, or makes a gap in the wall or hedge, to permit them to pass through. This may apply to those human agents that shall permit and order their return. And Jehovah being at their head, may refer to their final restoration, when the Lord Jesus shall become their leader, they having returned unto him as the shepherd and bishop of their souls; and they and the Gentiles forming one fold under one shepherd, to go no more out into captivity for ever. Lord, hasten the time!

MICAH

Verses 12, 13. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee, &c. — Many commentators, connecting these verses with the preceding, interpret them as a prediction of the captivity of Israel and Judah. By assembling all of Jacob, and gathering the remnant of Israel, as a flock in the midst of their fold, they understand bringing them together into Samaria and Jerusalem, to be besieged in those cities, and thence taken out for slaughter or captivity. By the breaker being come up before them, breaking up and passing through the gate, they understand the enemies assaulting their cities, (namely, the Assyrians and Chaldeans,) breaking down their walls, and entering in and going out the gates of them, just as the citizens used to do; and by their king passing before them, his being carried into captivity along with them. By the Lord on (or, at) the head of them, they understand, God being on the side of, or prospering the Assyrians and Chaldeans in their attempts against the Israelites and Jews. Others, however, interpret these verses of the restoration of the Jewish people from captivity, and therefore understand by the breaker coming up before them, him who was to break the bonds of their captivity, or break through all obstacles that hindered their restoration, and open to them the way home. The following expressions, They have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, they consider as metaphorical, describing their return, in allusion to a flock of sheep, which, as soon as a passage is opened for one to get out, do all of them follow; and that these expressions are made use of because it is said, in the foregoing verse, that they should be put or gathered together as a flock of sheep in the midst of their folds. The last clause they render, Their king shall pass before them, even the Lord on the head of them — That is, the Messiah, who is both the Lord and their King, shall lead and conduct them as their captain-general. Thus the Jewish commentators generally understand the breaker and their king of the same person, namely, the Messiah, as may be seen in Dr. Pocock on the place. Bishop Pearson cites the words of Moses Hadarson to the same purpose, in his exposition of the Sixth Article of the Creed. It may be observed further, that most of those who understand the Messiah as being meant by the breaker and their king, though they consider the promise as receiving its first accomplishment in the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, yet suppose it will receive a much more complete fulfilment in the latter days, when the general conversion of the Jews and Israelites, and their restoration to their own land, shall take place; it being very usual with the prophets, after they have denounced the destruction of the Jewish republic, to foretel their grand and spiritual deliverance; that the people might not think themselves entirely forsaken of God, before the promises made to their fathers were completed. As this passage is so extremely obscure, it has been thought best to lay both these interpretations before the reader, that he may judge which is most consistent with the words of the text.

Ver. 13. The breaker, the king of Assyria, is come up—and the Lord on the head of them; for the Lord sent the Assyrians against the hypocritical nation. Isaiah 10:5, 6.

Verses 12, 13 transpose us abruptly from the present corruption, facing imminent doom, to the distant future, when a remnant of the people carried into exile (3, 4) will be restored. On the surface the transition from verse 11 to verse 12 appears abrupt, but there is a real logical connection between the two verses. The people are ready to turn to a prophet who will promise pleasant things. This Micah cannot do; nevertheless his message is not one of unmitigated doom; he too has salvation to proclaim, though not for the immediate future or for all. Judgment, distress is all he sees ahead of him; all will be banished from the land. In exile the corrupt will be annihilated, but the loyal remnant, purified through suffering, will be assembled again by Jehovah; he himself will redeem it and restore it to its old home. Jacob,… Israel — Seem to be identical in meaning, denoting the whole nation; similarly “all” and “remnant” appear to be synonymous. The thought is one found in other prophetic utterances, that at the time of the restoration the present distinction between north and south will be obliterated, that the call will be extended to the whole nation, but that only a remnant will respond (Ezekiel 34:11-14). This remnant will be numerous, however, and noisy like a flock of sheep. As the sheep of Bozrah — If the text is correct the “sheep of Bozrah” must be regarded as a popular saying like “kine of Bashan” (Amos 4:1), alluding to Bozrah’s wealth in sheep (see on Amos 1:12). The suggestion that a Moabite city is meant here rather than the Edomite Bozrah has little in its favor. LXX. suggests a different translation; it read the same consonants that are contained in the Hebrew word for Bozrah, but evidently it took these consonants as representing two elements, the preposition “in” and the noun “affliction.” “In affliction” is not suitable here; still the reading of LXX. may indicate that “Bozrah” is not the original. The parallel line would lead one to expect here an expression similar to “in the midst of their fold.” There is a modern Arabic word meaning “sheep-stall,” containing the same consonants as the word “affliction” but different vowels, which is applied to the place in which the sheep are kept during the night to protect them against wild beasts. The corresponding Hebrew word may be intended here; the erroneous vocalization being due to the Masorites, who were more familiar with the proper noun Bozrah than with the common noun. With this change the sentence may be read, “I will put them together as sheep in the sheep-fold,” that they may be safe from all enemies. Great noise — Their numbers will be great; hence the noise made by them will be loud.

The gathering will take place before the actual deliverance; united, the remnant will be strong enough to overcome all obstacles and return to its old home. The breaker — The one who breaks down the obstacles and opens the way. If the picture of the flock is continued the expression is best understood as denoting the shepherd who opens the gate to let the sheep pass through; if, as is not impossible, the figure changes to that of an army, it denotes the captain who is to lead the host in triumph from exile. In either case the term is of Messianic import (see on Hosea 1:11). Through the gate — The land of exile is likened, in the one case, to a sheepfold; in the other, to a prison house. Through the gates the remnant will march in triumph on its way home. Broken up [“broken forth”]… passed through… gone out — “The three verbs… describe in a pictorial manner progress which cannot be stopped by any human power” Their king — Before the returning host will go their king, Jehovah, as at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 13:21; compare Isaiah 52:12); Jehovah is not identical with the “breaker.”

The connection of verses 12, 13 with verse 11 is not very close; the leap into the future appears to be abrupt. This abruptness is responsible for a great deal of discussion concerning these two verses. Some have held that the words were spoken not by Micah, but by the false prophets. This view is shown to be improbable by the following considerations: (1) The restoration of a remnant implies a carrying into exile, but the latter is the very thing the false prophets deny. (2) In verse 12 Jehovah is the speaker — “I will assemble.” Would Micah introduce Jehovah as speaking through the prophets whom he condemns so severely? (3) The prophecy is a true prophecy; it is one which in essence is found in all the prophetic books (compare Micah 4:6). It is not likely that Micah would put a true prophecy into the mouth of a false prophet. Others consider the verses exilic or postexilic, and thus a later addition to the oracles of Micah. “They presuppose the exile and dispersion” (Wellhausen). However, it is by no means certain that the exile is presupposed as an actual fact. All the prophets seem to have penetrated the darkness of the present and the immediate future and to have seen, in a more distant era, a ray of light and glory. The modern tendency, which treats as later exilic or postexilic interpolations all passages in pre-exilic prophecies which promise a restoration, does not appear to be well founded (see pp. 35f.). It seems almost unthinkable that the prophets, with their lofty conception of Jehovah, should leave the nation in the despair of exile. If the existence of pre-exilic prophecies pointing to a restoration is granted, the only objection remaining against these verses is the looseness of connection with their context. This looseness of connection has led some to think that, while the words may be Micah’s, they are not in their original position. “The entire context leads me to expect after verse 11 a return to and repetition of the threat of punishment, and there can be no question that the contrast between Micah 2:11, and Micah 3:1, is greatly weakened by these two verses. To deny them to Micah we have no reason, but it is possible that they may have been transposed from another context. Their original place might have been after Micah 4:8, preparing the way for chapter v, but separated from it by Micah 4:9-14, which verses look back to the present.” The only support, then, for this view is the seeming abruptness with which the prophet passes from denunciation to promise, and the interruption in thought between Micah 2:11, and Micah 3:1. The latter objection vanishes if chapter iii is taken as the beginning of a new section rather than as a continuation of chapter ii (see p. 384); the first loses much of its force if logical connection can be established between Micah 2:11, and Micah 2:12, 13. The existence of such connection has already been pointed out in the beginning of the comments on verses 12, 13, and it seems close enough to warrant the belief that the verses are from Micah and that they are in their original place. It is not even necessary to suppose that the fall of Samaria occurred between the time when Micah 2:11, was uttered and the time when Micah 2:12, 13, was spoken; the prophet simply looks beyond the exile announced in Micah 2:3, 4.