The Prophet Micah

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- Chapter 1 -

(Isaiah 7:17–25)

The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Moreshethite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem.

All peoples, listen. And may the earth and its fullness pay attention. And may the Lord God be a witness to you, the Lord from his holy temple.

For behold, the Lord will go forth from his place. And he will descend, and he will trample over the high places of the earth.(a)

And the mountains will be consumed under him, and the valleys will be torn apart, like wax before the face of fire, and like waters that rush swiftly downward.

All this is for the wickedness of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the wickedness of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the loftiness of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?(b)

And I will place Samaria like a pile of stones in the field, when a vineyard is planted. And I will pull down its stones into the valley, and I will reveal her foundations.

And all her graven images will be cut to pieces, and all her rewards will be burned with fire, and I will place all her idols in perdition. For they have been gathered together from the pay of a kept woman, and even to the pay of a kept woman, they will return.(c)

(d)

(e)

Weeping and Mourning

I will lament and wail about this. I will go out despoiled and naked. I will make a howl like the dragons, and a mourning like the ostriches.

For her wound has been in despair. For it has come even to Judah. It has touched the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.(f)

Do not be willing to announce it in Gath; may you not lament with tears. In the house of Dust, besprinkle yourselves with dust.(g)

(h)

And cross over to your dwelling place, Beauty, bewildered by disgrace. She did not depart, who dwells at the place of departure. The House nearby, which remained firm by herself, will receive mourning from you.(i)

(j)

(k)

(l)

(m)

For she has been weakened in goodness, who dwells in bitterness. For disaster has descended from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.(n)

A tumult of four-horse chariots has stupefied the inhabitants of Lachish. The beginning has been sin for the daughter of Zion, because in you have been found the evil deeds of Israel.(o)

Because of this, she will send emissaries to the inheritance of Gath: the house of Lying in order to deceive the kings of Israel.(p)

Nevertheless, I will lead an heir to you, who dwell in Mareshah: the glory of Israel will reach all the way to Adullam.(q)

Become bald and shaved for your delicate sons. Increase your baldness like the eagle. For they have been carried into captivity from you.

Footnotes

(a)1:3 The verb ‘calcabit’ implies not merely walking or traveling over the high places of the earth, but tamping them down.(Conte)

(b)1:5 The word ‘excelsa’ has a dual meaning. It can mean height, as in elevation, and it can mean height as in excellence. In this verse, in Latin, it means both. Jerusalem is a city built on a hill. Jerusalem is (and represents) also the excellence of faith in God. The translation uses ‘loftiness’ because this English word also has the same dual meaning.(Conte)

(c)1:7 The word ‘meretricis’ does not mean ‘prostitute’ but has more of the meaning of a mistress or a kept woman. This distinction is clear in the book of Baruch 6:10, where both words are used: “Dant autem et ex ipso prostitutis, et meretrices ornant:”(Conte)

(d)1:7 Her wages:That is, her donaries or presents offered to her idols: or the hire of all her traffic and labour.(Challoner)

(e)1:7 Of the hire of a harlot, etc:They were gathered together by one idolatrous city, viz., Samaria: and they shall be carried away to another idolatrous city, viz., Ninive.(Challoner)

(f)1:9 It has touched the gate, etc:That is, the destruction of Samaria shall be followed by the invasion of my people of Juda, and the Assyrians shall come and lay all waste even to the confines of Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(g)1:10 Declare ye it not in Geth:Viz., amongst the Philistines, lest they rejoice at your calamity.(Challoner)

(h)1:10 Weep ye not, etc:Keep in your tears, that you may not give your enemies an occasion of insulting over you; but in your own houses, or in your house of dust, your earthly habitation, sprinkle yourselves with dust, and put on the habit of penitents. Some take the house of dust (in Hebrew, Aphrah) to be the proper name of a city.(Challoner)

(i)1:11 These two verses contain a play on words in Latin: Pulveris (dust) and Pulchra (beauty) are compared, making a link between the two terms. This play on words between Dust and Beauty does not continue in the English. However, ‘besprinkle’ and ‘bewildered’ is used in compensation, so as to maintain the connection between those two verses.(Conte)

(j)1:11 There is also an implicit play on words (depart and departure) in the meaning of the text, which is clearer in English than it is in Latin: “She did not depart, who dwells at the place of departure.”(Conte)

(k)1:11 You that dwell in the Beautiful place:that is, in Samaria. In the Hebrew the Beautiful place is expressed by the word Sapir, which some take for the proper name of a city.(Challoner)

(l)1:11 She went not forth, etc:that is, they that dwelt in the confines came not forth, but kept themselves within, for fear.(Challoner)

(m)1:11 The house adjoining, etc:Viz., Judea and Jerusalem, neighbours to Samaria, and partners in her sins, shall share also in her mourning and calamity; though they have pretended to stand by themselves, trusting in their strength.(Challoner)

(n)1:12 She is become weak, etc:Jerusalem is become weak unto any good; because she dwells in the bitterness of sin.(Challoner)

(o)1:13 It is the beginning, etc:That is, Lachis was the first city of Juda that learned from Samaria the worship of idols, and communicated it to Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(p)1:14 Therefore shall she send, etc:Lachis shall send to Geth for help: but in vain: for Geth, instead of helping, shall be found to be a house of lying and deceit to Israel.(Challoner)

(q)1:15 An heir, etc:Maresa (which was the name of a city of Juda) signifies inheritance: but here God by his prophet tells the Jews, that he will bring them an heir to take possession of their inheritance: and that the glory of Israel shall be obliged to give place, and to retire even to Odollam, a city in the extremity of their dominions. And therefore he exhorts them to penance in the following verse.(Challoner)

(Isaiah 7:17–25)

The LORD’s(a) word that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear, you peoples, all of you! Listen, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord

(b)

GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

For behold,(c) the LORD comes out of his place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.

“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the disobedience of Jacob? Isn’t it Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Aren’t they Jerusalem?

Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field, like places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down its stones into the valley, and I will uncover its foundations.

All her idols will be beaten to pieces, all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, and I will destroy all her images; for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

Weeping and Mourning

For this I will lament and wail. I will go stripped and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the ostriches.

For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t weep at all. At Beth Ophrah(d) I have rolled myself in the dust.

Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan won’t come out. The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.

For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

Shave your heads, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture, for they have gone into captivity from you!

Footnotes

(a)1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

(b)1:2 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

(c)1:3 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(d)1:10 Beth Ophrah means literally “House of Dust.”