¹tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.&rd
²tn The words “he delivered this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
³tn Heb “in the days of.”
⁴tn Heb “which he saw concerning.”
⁵map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
⁶map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
⁷tn Heb “O peoples, all of them.”
⁸tn Heb “and all its fullness.”
⁹tn The words “who is coming” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
¹⁰tn Or “his holy temple.” This refers to the Lord’s dwelling in heaven, however (note the following verse, which describes a theophany).
¹¹tn Or “high places.”
¹²tn Or “melt.” This is a figurative description of earthquakes, landslides, and collapse of the mountains, rather than some sort of volcanic activity (note the remainder of the verse).
¹³sn The mountains will disintegrate…the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.
¹⁴tn The words “the mountains will melt” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The simile extends back to the first line of the verse.
¹⁵tn The words “the rocks will slide down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. This simile elaborates on the prior one and further develops the imagery of the verse’s first line.
¹⁶tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹⁷tn Heb “house.”
¹⁸tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”
¹⁹tn Heb “Is it not Samaria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”
²⁰tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”
²¹tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”
sn In vv. 2-5 Micah narrows the scope of God’s judgment from the nations (vv. 2-4) to his covenant people (v. 5). Universal judgment is coming, but ironically Israel is the focal point of God’s anger. In v. 5c the prophet includes Judah within the scope of divine judgment, for it has followed in the pagan steps of the northern kingdom. He accomplishes this with rhetorical skill. In v. 5b he develops the first assertion of v. 5a (“All of this is because of Jacob’s rebellion”). One expects in v. 5c an elaboration of the second assertion in v. 5a (“and the sins of the nation of Israel”), which one assumes, in light of v. 5b, pertains to the northern kingdom. But the prophet specifies the “sins” as “high places” and makes it clear that “the nation of Israel” includes Judah. Verses 6-7 further develop v. 5b (judgment on the northern kingdom), while vv. 8-16 expand on v. 5c (judgment on Judah).
map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
²²map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
²³tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”
²⁴tn Heb “pour.”
²⁵tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned by fire.”
sn The precious metal used by Samaria’s pagan worship centers to make idols are here compared to a prostitute’s wages because Samaria had been unfaithful to the Lord and prostituted herself to pagan gods, such as Baal.
²⁶tn Heb “I will make desolate.”
²⁷tn Or “for.”
²⁸tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.
²⁹tn Heb “for from a prostitute’s wages she gathered, and to a prostitute’s wages they will return.” When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the Lord’s fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.
³⁰tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.
³¹tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).
³²tn Heb “naked.” This probably refers to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.
³³tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”
³⁴tn Or “a jackal.”
³⁵tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”
³⁶tn Or perhaps “ostrich.”
³⁷tn Heb “her”; the referent (Samaria) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
³⁸tc The MT reads the plural “wounds”; the singular is read by the LXX, Syriac, and Vg.
tn Or “wound.”
³⁹tn Heb “come to.”
⁴⁰tn Or “reached.”
⁴¹tn Heb “the gate.” Kings and civic leaders typically conducted important business at the city gate (see 1 Kgs 22:10 for an example), and the term is understood here to refer by metonymy to the leadership who would be present at the gate.
⁴²map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
⁴³tn Heb “Tell it not in Gath.” The Hebrew word for “tell” (dg~n`, n`g~d) sounds like the name of the city, Gath (tG~, G~t).
⁴⁴tn The Hebrew infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the prohibition.
⁴⁵tn The translation assumes a masculine plural imperative. If one were to emend tyb@B= to tyb@, Beth Leaphra would then be the addressee and the feminine singular imperative (see Qere) could be retained, “O Beth Leaphra, sit in the dust.”
sn To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphra means “house of dust.”
⁴⁶tn The Hebrew participial form, which is feminine singular, is here used in a collective sense for the all the residents of the town. See GKC §122.s.
⁴⁷sn The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew.
⁴⁸tn The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.
⁴⁹tn Heb “have not come out.”
sn The expression can’t leave their city alludes to a siege of the town. The place name Zaanan sounds like the verb “come out” (i.e., “can’t leave”) in Hebrew.
⁵⁰sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.
⁵¹tn Heb “the lamentation of Beth Ezel.” The following words could be the lamentation offered up by Beth Ezel (subjective genitive) or the mourning song sung over it (objective genitive).
⁵²tc The form otD`m=u# (u#mD*to) should be emended to otdmj, “his (the conqueror’s) desire.”
tn The precise meaning of the line is uncertain. The translation assumes: (a) the subject of the third masculine singular verb jQ~y] (y]Q~j, “he/it takes”) is the conqueror, (b) the second masculine plural suffix (“you”) on the preposition /m! (m!/, “from”) refers to the residents of Shaphir and Zaanan, (c) the final form otD`m=u# (u#mD*to) should be emended to otdmj, “his (the conqueror’s) desire.”
⁵³sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”
⁵⁴tc The translation assumes an emendation of hl*j* (from lWj, “to writhe”) to hljy (from ljy, “to wait”).
tn Heb “[the residents of Maroth] writhe [= “anxiously long for”?] good.”
⁵⁵tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.”
⁵⁶sn The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for “team [of horses].”
⁵⁷tn Heb “she”; this has been translated as second person (“you”) in keeping with the direct address to the residents of Lachish in the previous line.
⁵⁸sn The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.
⁵⁹tn Heb “She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion.”
⁶⁰tn The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.
⁶¹tn Heb “you will give a dowry to.” Lachish is compared to a father who presents wedding gifts to his daughter as she leaves her father’s home to take up residence with her husband. In similar fashion Lachish will bid farewell to Moresheth Gath, for the latter will be taken by the invader.
⁶²tn Heb “houses.” By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.
⁶³sn The place name Aczib means “deception” in Hebrew.
⁶⁴tn Heb “will be a deception.”
⁶⁵sn Because of the enemy invasion, Aczib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.
⁶⁶sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”
⁶⁷tn Heb “Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah.” The first person verb is problematic, for the Lord would have to be the subject. But the prophet appears to be delivering this lament and the Lord is referred to in the third person in v. 12. Consequently many emend the verb to a third person form (aoby` [y`boa]) and understand the “conqueror” as subject.
⁶⁸tn Heb “to Adullam the glory of Israel will go.” This probably means that the nation’s leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam. Cf. NIV’s “He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam,” which sounds as if an individual is in view, and could be understood as a messianic reference.
⁶⁹tn Heb “over the sons of your delight.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “make wide your baldness.”
⁷¹tn Or “vulture’s.” The Hebrew term rv#n\ (n\v#r) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.