Mikha 1:2

The Judge is Coming

1:2 Listen, all you nations! ¹ 

Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! ² 

The sovereign Lord will testify ³  against you;

the Lord will accuse you ⁴  from his majestic palace. ⁵ 

Mikha 4:13

4:13 “Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!

For I will give you iron horns; ⁶ 

I will give you bronze hooves,

and you will crush many nations.” ⁷ 

You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them,

and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler ⁸  of the whole earth. ⁹ 

Mikha 7:7

7:7 But I will keep watching for the Lord;

I will wait for the God who delivers me.

My God will hear my lament. ¹⁰ 

Mikha 2:5

2:5 Therefore no one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. ¹¹ 

Mikha 4:5

4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, ¹² 

we will follow ¹³  the Lord our God forever.

Mikha 6:1-2

The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual

6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Get up! Defend yourself ¹⁴  before the mountains! ¹⁵ 

Present your case before the hills!” ¹⁶ 

6:2 Hear the Lord’s accusation, you mountains,

you enduring foundations of the earth!

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he has a dispute with Israel! ¹⁷ 

Mikha 6:9

6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling ¹⁸  to the city!

It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! ¹⁹ 

Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! ²⁰ 

Mikha 1:12

1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth ²¹  hope for something good to happen, ²² 

though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. ²³ 

Mikha 3:11

3:11 Her ²⁴  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ²⁵ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ²⁶  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ²⁷ 

Disaster will not overtake ²⁸  us!”

Mikha 4:2

4:2 Many nations will come, saying,

“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple ²⁹  of Jacob’s God,

so he can teach us his commands ³⁰ 

and we can live by his laws.” ³¹ 

For Zion will be the source of instruction;

the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. ³² 

Mikha 4:6

Restoration Will Follow Crisis

4:6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will gather the lame,

and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. ³³ 

Mikha 5:10

The Lord Will Purify His People

5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,

“I will destroy ³⁴  your horses from your midst,

and smash your chariots.

Mikha 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post ³⁵  and shepherd the people ³⁶  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ³⁷ 

They will live securely, ³⁸  for at that time he will be honored ³⁹ 

even in the distant regions of ⁴⁰  the earth.

Mikha 2:7

2:7 Does the family ⁴¹  of Jacob say, ⁴² 

‘The Lord’s patience ⁴³  can’t be exhausted –

he would never do such things’? ⁴⁴ 

To be sure, my commands bring a reward

for those who obey them, ⁴⁵ 

Mikha 4:4

4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine

or under his own fig tree without any fear. ⁴⁶ 

The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. ⁴⁷ 

Mikha 6:6

6:6 With what should I ⁴⁸  enter the Lord’s presence?

With what ⁴⁹  should I bow before the sovereign God? ⁵⁰ 

Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,

with year-old calves?

Mikha 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ⁵¹  Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message ⁵²  during the reigns of ⁵³  Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to ⁵⁴  Samaria ⁵⁵  and Jerusalem. ⁵⁶ 

Mikha 2:13

2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out ⁵⁷ 

they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave. ⁵⁸ 

Their king will advance ⁵⁹  before them,

The Lord himself will lead them. ⁶⁰ 

Mikha 3:4-5

3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, ⁶¹ 

but he will not answer them.

He will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have done such wicked deeds.”

3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people

are as good as dead. ⁶² 

If someone gives them enough to eat,

they offer an oracle of peace. ⁶³ 

But if someone does not give them food,

they are ready to declare war on him. ⁶⁴ 

Mikha 3:8

3:8 But I ⁶⁵  am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,

and have a strong commitment to justice. ⁶⁶ 

This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,

and Israel with its sin. ⁶⁷ 

Mikha 4:12

4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning;

they do not understand his strategy.

He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed ⁶⁸  at the threshing floor.

Mikha 6:7-8

6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams,

or ten thousand streams of olive oil?

Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,

my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin? ⁶⁹ 

6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,

and what the Lord really wants from you: ⁷⁰ 

He wants you to ⁷¹  promote ⁷²  justice, to be faithful, ⁷³ 

and to live obediently before ⁷⁴  your God.

Mikha 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ⁷⁵  do not gloat ⁷⁶  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ⁷⁷ 

Mikha 7:15

7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,

I will show you ⁷⁸  miraculous deeds.” ⁷⁹ 

Mikha 7:10

7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

They say ⁸⁰  to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them. ⁸¹ 

Then they will be trampled down ⁸² 

like mud in the streets.

Mikha 7:17

7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,

like serpents crawling on the ground. ⁸³ 

They will come trembling from their strongholds

to the Lord our God; ⁸⁴ 

they will be terrified ⁸⁵  of you. ⁸⁶ 

Mikha 4:1

Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem

4:1 In the future ⁸⁷  the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; ⁸⁸ 

it will be more prominent than other hills. ⁸⁹ 

People will stream to it.

Mikha 4:7

4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, ⁹⁰ 

and those far off ⁹¹  into a mighty nation.

The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,

from that day forward and forevermore.” ⁹² 

Mikha 5:7

5:7 Those survivors from ⁹³  Jacob will live ⁹⁴ 

in the midst of many nations. ⁹⁵ 

They will be like the dew the Lord sends,

like the rain on the grass,

that does not hope for men to come

or wait around for humans to arrive. ⁹⁶ 

Mikha 1:3

1:3 Look, ⁹⁷  the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place!

He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops! ⁹⁸ 

Mikha 2:3

2:3 Therefore the Lord says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! ⁹⁹ 

It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. ¹⁰⁰ 

You will no longer ¹⁰¹  walk proudly,

for it will be a time of catastrophe.

Mikha 7:9

7:9 I must endure ¹⁰²  the Lord’s anger,

for I have sinned against him.

But then ¹⁰³  he will defend my cause, ¹⁰⁴ 

and accomplish justice on my behalf.

He will lead me out into the light;

I will experience firsthand ¹⁰⁵  his deliverance. ¹⁰⁶ 

Mikha 1:6

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ¹⁰⁷  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ¹⁰⁸ 

I will tumble ¹⁰⁹  the rubble of her stone walls ¹¹⁰  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹¹¹ 

Mikha 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ¹¹² 

You ¹¹³  forgive sin

and pardon ¹¹⁴  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ¹¹⁵ 

You do not remain angry forever, ¹¹⁶ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

Mikha 4:10

4:10 Twist and strain, ¹¹⁷  Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!

For you will leave the city

and live in the open field.

You will go to Babylon,

but there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will deliver ¹¹⁸  you

from the power ¹¹⁹  of your enemies.

Mikha 1:9

1:9 For Samaria’s ¹²⁰  disease ¹²¹  is incurable.

It has infected ¹²²  Judah;

it has spread to ¹²³  the leadership ¹²⁴  of my people

and has even contaminated Jerusalem! ¹²⁵ 

Mikha 1:15

1:15 Residents of Mareshah, ¹²⁶  a conqueror will attack you, ¹²⁷ 

the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. ¹²⁸ 

Mikha 6:3

6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you? ¹²⁹ 

How have I wearied you? Answer me!

Mikha 6:5

6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, ¹³⁰ 

how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.

Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,

so you might acknowledge that the Lord has treated you fairly.” ¹³¹ 

Mikha 7:14

7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, ¹³² 

the flock that belongs to you, ¹³³ 

the one that lives alone in a thicket,

in the midst of a pastureland. ¹³⁴ 

Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, ¹³⁵ 

as they did in the old days. ¹³⁶ 

Mikha 2:8

2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people. ¹³⁷ 

You steal a robe from a friend, ¹³⁸ 

from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. ¹³⁹ 

Mikha 3:12

3:12 Therefore, because of you, ¹⁴⁰  Zion will be plowed up like ¹⁴¹  a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

and the Temple Mount ¹⁴²  will become a hill overgrown with brush! ¹⁴³ 

Mikha 5:1

5:1 (4:14) ¹⁴⁴  But now slash yourself, ¹⁴⁵  daughter surrounded by soldiers! ¹⁴⁶ 

We are besieged!

With a scepter ¹⁴⁷  they strike Israel’s ruler ¹⁴⁸ 

on the side of his face.

Mikha 2:4

2:4 In that day people will sing this taunt song to you –

they will mock you with this lament: ¹⁴⁹ 

‘We are completely destroyed;

they sell off ¹⁵⁰  the property of my people.

How they remove it from me! ¹⁵¹ 

They assign our fields to the conqueror.’ ¹⁵² 

Mikha 2:12

The Lord Will Restore His People

2:12 I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,

I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain. ¹⁵³ 

I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, ¹⁵⁴ 

like a flock in the middle of a pasture; ¹⁵⁵ 

they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise. ¹⁵⁶ 

Mikha 4:3

4:3 He will arbitrate ¹⁵⁷  between many peoples

and settle disputes between many ¹⁵⁸  distant nations. ¹⁵⁹ 

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ¹⁶⁰ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ¹⁶¹ 

Nations will not use weapons ¹⁶²  against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

Mikha 5:2-3

A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper

5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, ¹⁶³ 

seemingly insignificant ¹⁶⁴  among the clans of Judah –

from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, ¹⁶⁵ 

one whose origins ¹⁶⁶  are in the distant past. ¹⁶⁷ 

5:3 So the Lord ¹⁶⁸  will hand the people of Israel ¹⁶⁹  over to their enemies ¹⁷⁰ 

until the time when the woman in labor ¹⁷¹  gives birth. ¹⁷² 

Then the rest of the king’s ¹⁷³  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ¹⁷⁴ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Heb “O peoples, all of them.”

[1:2]  ² tn Heb “O earth and all its fullness”; KJV “and all that therein is.”

[1:2]  ³ tn Heb “May the sovereign Lord testify against you.” The verb וִיהִי (vihiy) is jussive, which normally conveys a volitional sense of an urgent request or prayer (“may he testify!”). However, GKC 325-26 §109.k notes that here the jussive form is used without any volitional sense for the ordinary imperfect, as a rhythmic shortening at the beginning of a sentence, thus removed as far as possible from the principal accent (cf. Gen 49:17; Deut 28:8; 1 Sam 10:5; 2 Sam 5:24; Hos 6:1; 11:4; Amos 5:14; Zeph 2:13; Zech 9:5; Pss 72:16-17; 104:31; Job 18:12; 20:23, 26, 28; 27:8; 33:21; 34:37; Ruth 3:4). Thus, the translation here renders the jussive as an ordinary imperfect. Some translations render it in a traditional jussive sense: (1) urgent request: “And let my Lord God be your accuser” (NJPS); or (2) dependent purpose/result: “that the Sovereign Lord may witness against you” (NIV).

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “the Lord from his majestic palace.” Since the verb is omitted it is unclear whether the implied term be supplied from the preceding line (“he will testify against you”) or the following line (“he is leaving”). So the line may be rendered “the Lord will accuse you from his majestic temple” or “the Lord will come forth from his majestic temple.” Most translations render it literally, but some remove the ambiguity: “the Lord God accuses you from his holy temple” (CEV); “He speaks from his holy temple” (TEV).

[1:2]  ⁵ tn Or “his holy temple” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to the Lord’s dwelling in heaven, however, rather than the temple in Jerusalem (note the following verse, which describes a theophany).

[4:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”

[4:13]  ⁷ sn Jerusalem (Daughter Zion at the beginning of the verse; cf. 4:8) is here compared to a powerful ox which crushes the grain on the threshing floor with its hooves.

[4:13]  ⁸ tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”

[4:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “and their wealth to the master of all the earth.” The verb “devote” does double duty in the parallelism and is supplied in the second line for clarification.

[4:13]  sn In vv. 11-13 the prophet jumps from the present crisis (which will result in exile, v. 10) to a time beyond the restoration of the exiles when God will protect his city from invaders. The Lord’s victory over the Assyrian armies in 701 b.c. foreshadowed this.

[7:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “me.” In the interest of clarity the nature of the prophet’s cry has been specified as “my lament” in the translation.

[2:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “therefore you will not have one who strings out a measuring line by lot in the assembly of the Lord.”

[2:5]  sn No one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. When judgment passes and the people are restored to the land, those greedy ones who disregarded the ancient land allotments will not be allowed to participate in the future redistribution of the land.

[4:5]  ¹² tn Heb “walk each in the name of his god.” The term “name” here has the idea of “authority.” To “walk in the name” of a god is to recognize the god’s authority as binding over one’s life.

[4:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “walk in the name of.”

[6:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “plead your case” (NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “present your plea”; NLT “state your case.”

[6:1]  sn Defend yourself. The Lord challenges Israel to defend itself against the charges he is bringing.

[6:1]  ¹⁵ sn As in some ancient Near Eastern treaties, the mountains are personified as legal witnesses that will settle the dispute between God and Israel.

[6:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “let the hills hear your voice.”

[6:2]  ¹⁷ tn This verse briefly interrupts the Lord’s statement (see vv. 1, 3) as the prophet summons the mountains as witnesses. Because of this v. 2 has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[6:9]  ¹⁸ tn Or “the voice of the Lord is calling.” The translation understands קוֹל (qol, “voice”) as equivalent to an imperative.

[6:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The Lord’s “name” here stands by metonymy for his authority.

[6:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).

[1:12]  ²¹ sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”

[1:12]  ²² tc The translation assumes an emendation of חָלָה (khalah; from חִיל, khil, “to writhe”) to יִחֲלָה (yikhalah; from יָחַל, yakhal, “to wait”).

[1:12]  tn Heb “[the residents of Maroth] writhe [= “anxiously long for”?] good.”

[1:12]  ²³ tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.”

[3:11]  ²⁴ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ²⁸ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[4:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “house.”

[4:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “ways.”

[4:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”

[4:2]  ³² tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[4:2]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:6]  ³³ sn The exiles of the nation are compared to lame and injured sheep.

[5:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).

[5:4]  ³⁵ tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

[5:4]  ³⁶ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

[5:4]  ³⁸ tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

[5:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “be great.”

[5:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “to the ends of.”

[2:7]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “house” (so many English versions); CEV “descendants.’

[2:7]  ⁴² tc The MT has אָמוּר (’amur), an otherwise unattested passive participle, which is better emended to אָמוֹר (’amor), an infinitive absolute functioning as a finite verb (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמַר).

[2:7]  ⁴³ tn The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) often means “Spirit” when used of the Lord, but here it seems to have an abstract sense, “patience.” See BDB 925 s.v. 3.d.

[2:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “Has the patience of the Lord run short? Or are these his deeds?” The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “No, of course not.” The people contest the prophet’s claims that the Lord’s judgment is falling on the nation.

[2:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Do not my words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they do!” The Lord begins his response to the claim of the house of Jacob that they are immune to judgment (see v. 7a). He points out that the godly are indeed rewarded, but then he goes on to show that those in the house of Jacob are not godly and can expect divine judgment, not blessing (vv. 8-11). Some emend “my words” to “his words.” In this case, v. 7b is a continuation of the immediately preceding quotation. The people, thinking they are godly, confidently ask, “Do not his [God’s] words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?”

[4:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”

[4:4]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.”

[6:6]  ⁴⁸ sn With what should I enter the Lord’s presence? The prophet speaks again, playing the role of an inquisitive worshiper who wants to know what God really desires from his followers.

[6:6]  ⁴⁹ tn The words “with what” do double duty in the parallelism and are supplied in the second line of the translation for clarification.

[6:6]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the exalted God.”

[1:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ⁵² tn The words “he delivered this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:1]  ⁵³ tn Heb “in the days of” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “which he saw concerning.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁵ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:1]  ⁵⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:13]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the one who breaks through goes up before them.” The verb form is understood as a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of this coming event.

[2:13]  ⁵⁸ tn The three verb forms (a perfect and two preterites with vav [ו] consecutive) indicate certitude.

[2:13]  sn The “fold” from which the sheep/people break out is probably a reference to their place of exile.

[2:13]  ⁵⁹ tn The verb form (a preterite with vav [ו] consecutive) indicates certitude.

[2:13]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the Lord [will be] at their head.”

[3:4]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “then they will cry out to the Lord.” The words “Someday these sinners” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:5]  ⁶² tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the Lord. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after “the Lord says” (cf. NIV), but this leaves “concerning the prophets” hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar יְהוָה (yÿhvah; see D. R. Hillers, Micah [Hermeneia], 44). The phrase הוֹי עַל (hoy ’al, “woe upon”) occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with “the prophets” following the preposition in the latter instance).

[3:5]  ⁶³ tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.

[3:5]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”

[3:8]  ⁶⁵ sn The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the Lord in the preceding verses.

[3:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “am full of power, the Spirit of the Lord, and justice and strength.” The appositional phrase “the Spirit of the Lord” explains the source of the prophet’s power. The phrase “justice and strength” is understood here as a hendiadys, referring to the prophet’s strong sense of justice.

[3:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.” The words “this enables me” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[4:12]  ⁶⁸ tn The words “to be threshed” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the Lord is planning to enable “Daughter Zion” to “thresh” her enemies.

[6:7]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person; here “the sin of my soul” = “my sin.”

[6:8]  ⁷⁰ sn What the Lord really wants from you. Now the prophet switches roles and answers the hypothetical worshiper’s question. He makes it clear that the Lord desires proper attitudes more than ritual and sacrifice.

[6:8]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “except.” This statement is actually linked with what precedes, “What does he want from you except….”

[6:8]  ⁷² tn Heb “to do,” in the sense of “promote.”

[6:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “to love faithfulness.”

[6:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “to walk humbly [or perhaps, “carefully”] with.”

[7:8]  ⁷⁵ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ⁷⁷ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “him.” This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.

[7:15]  ⁷⁹ sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the Lord responds to the petition of v. 14 with a brief promise of deliverance.

[7:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10]  ⁸² tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”

[7:17]  ⁸³ tn Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.

[7:17]  ⁸⁴ tn Thetranslationassumesthatthe phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yÿhvah ’elohenu, “to the Lord our God”) goes with what precedes. Another option is to take the phrase with the following verb, in which case one could translate, “to the Lord our God they will turn in dread.”

[7:17]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”

[7:17]  ⁸⁶ tn The Lord is addressed directly using the second person.

[4:1]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “at the end of days.”

[4:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”

[4:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”

[4:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”

[4:7]  ⁹¹ tn The precise meaning of this difficult form is uncertain. The present translation assumes the form is a Niphal participle of an otherwise unattested denominative verb הָלָא (hala’, “to be far off”; see BDB 229 s.v.), but attractive emendations include הַנַּחֲלָה (hannakhalah, “the sick one[s]”) from חָלָה (khalah) and הַנִּלְאָה (hannil’ah, “the weary one[s]”) from לָאָה (la’ah).

[4:7]  ⁹² tn Heb “from now until forever.”

[5:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “will be.”

[5:7]  ⁹⁵ tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”

[5:7]  sn Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the Lord, not men, so the remnant of Israel will succeed by the supernatural power of God and not need the support of other nations. There may even be a military metaphor here. Israel will overwhelm their enemies, just as the dew completely covers the grass (see 2 Sam 17:12). This interpretation would be consistent with the image of v. 7.

[1:3]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “For look.” The expression כִּי־הִנֵּה (ki-hinneh) may function as an explanatory introduction (“For look!”; Isa 26:21; 60:2; 65:17, 18: 66:15; Jer 1:15; 25:29; 30:10; 45:5; 46:27; 50:9; Ezek 30:9; 36:9; Zech 2:10; 3:8), or as an emphatic introduction (“Look!”; Jdgs 3:15; Isa 3:1; Jer 8:17; 30:3; 49:15; Hos 9:6; Joel 3:1 [HT 4:1]; Amos 4:2, 13; 6:11, 14; 9:9; Hab 1:6; Zech 2:9 [HT 2:13]; Zech 3:9; 11:16).

[1:3]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “high places” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[2:3]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “clan” or “extended family.”

[2:3]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “from which you will not remove your neck.” The words “It will be like a yoke” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:3]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “you will not.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “lift, bear.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “until.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “justice, vindication.”

[1:6]  ¹⁰⁷ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “I will uncover her foundations.” The term “foundations” refers to the lower courses of the stones of the city’s outer fortification walls.

[7:18]  ¹¹² tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

[7:18]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”

[4:10]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or perhaps “scream”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “groan.”

[4:10]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “redeem” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[4:10]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “hand.” The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.

[1:9]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Samaria) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ¹²¹ tc The MT reads the plural “wounds”; the singular is read by the LXX, Syriac, and Vg.

[1:9]  tn Or “wound.”

[1:9]  ¹²² tn Heb “come to.”

[1:9]  ¹²³ tn Or “reached.”

[1:9]  ¹²⁴ tn 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.

[1:9]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “to Jerusalem.” The expression “it has contaminated” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied to fill out the parallelism with the preceding line.

[1:9]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:15]  ¹²⁶ sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”

[1:15]  ¹²⁷ tn 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 (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). 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 (יָבוֹא, yavo’) and understand the “conqueror” as subject.

[1:15]  ¹²⁸ tn 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.

[6:3]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “My people, what have I done to you?”

[6:5]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “remember what Balak…planned.”

[6:5]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “From Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the just acts of the Lord.” Something appears to be missing at the beginning of the line. The present translation supplies the words, “Recall how you went.” This apparently refers to how Israel crossed the Jordan River (see Josh 3:1; 4:19-24).

[7:14]  ¹³² tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).

[7:14]  ¹³³ tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”

[7:14]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.

[7:14]  sn The point seems to be that Israel is in a vulnerable position, like sheep in a thicket populated by predators, while rich pastureland (their homeland and God’s blessings) is in view.

[7:14]  ¹³⁵ sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.

[7:14]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”

[2:8]  ¹³⁷ tc Heb “Recently my people rise up as an enemy.” The MT is problematic in light of v. 9, where “my people” are the object of oppression, not the perpetrators of it. The form וְאֶתְמוּל (vÿ’etmul, “and recently”) is probably the product of fusion and subsequent suppression of an (ע) ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to וְאַתֶּם עַל (vÿ’attem ’al, “and you against [my people]”). The second person plural pronoun fits well with the second plural verb forms of vv. 8b-10. If this emendation is accepted, then יְקוֹמֵם (yÿqomem, the imperfect of קוּם [qum]) should be emended to קָמִים (qamim; a participle from the same root).

[2:8]  ¹³⁸ tc Heb “From the front of a garment glory [or perhaps, “a robe”] you strip off,” but this makes little if any sense. The term מִמּוּל (mimmul, “from the front of”) is probably the product of dittography (note the preceding word, which ends in [ם] mem) and subsequent suppression of ע (ayin). The translation assumes an emendation to מֵעַל (me’al, “from upon”). The translation also assumes an emendation of שַׂלְמָה אֶדֶר (salmah ’eder, “a garment, glory [or robe]”) to שֹׁלְמִים אֲדֶרֶת (sholÿmim ’aderet, “[from] a friend the robe [you strip off]”). The MT’s אֶדֶר (’eder) is the result of misdivision (the article has erroneously been attached to the preceding word) and haplography (of the final tav, which also begins the following word).

[2:8]  ¹³⁹ tc The passive participle שׁוּבֵי (shuvey) is unattested elsewhere and should be emended to a participle שָׁבִים (shavim).

[2:8]  tn Heb “from those passing by peacefully, returnees from war.” Actual refugees, however, are probably not in view. The second line compares those who pass by peacefully with individuals returning from war. The battle is over and they do not expect their own countrymen to attack them.

[3:12]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.

[3:12]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “into” (an adverbial accusative of result).

[3:12]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “the mountain of the house” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[3:12]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “a high place of overgrowth.”

[5:1]  ¹⁴⁴ sn Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[5:1]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb גָדַד (gadad) can be translated “slash yourself” or “gather in troops.” A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).

[5:1]  sn Slash yourself. Slashing one’s body was a form of mourning. See Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5.

[5:1]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “daughter of a troop of warriors.”

[5:1]  sn The daughter surrounded by soldiers is an image of the city of Jerusalem under siege (note the address “Daughter Jerusalem” in 4:8).

[5:1]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “staff”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “rod”; CEV “stick”; NCV “club.”

[5:1]  sn Striking a king with a scepter, a symbol of rulership, would be especially ironic and humiliating.

[5:1]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Traditionally, “the judge of Israel” (so KJV, NASB).

[2:4]  ¹⁴⁹ tc The form נִהְיָה (nihyah) should be omitted as dittographic (note the preceding וְנָהָה נְהִי vÿnahah nÿhiy).

[2:4]  tn Heb “one will lament [with] a lamentation [and] say.”

[2:4]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “exchange.” The LXX suggests a reading יִמַּד (yimmad) from מָדַד (madad, “to measure”). In this case one could translate, “the property of my people is measured out [i.e., for resale].”

[2:4]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “how one removes for me.” Apparently the preposition has the nuance “from” here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[2:4]  ¹⁵² tc The Hebrew term שׁוֹבֵב (shovev, “the one turning back”) elsewhere has the nuance “apostate” (cf. NASB) or “traitor” (cf. NIV). The translation assumes an emendation to שָׁבָה (shavah, “captor”).

[2:4]  tn Heb “to the one turning back he assigns our fields.”

[2:12]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “the remnant of Israel.”

[2:12]  ¹⁵⁴ tc The MT reads בָּצְרָה (batsrah, “Bozrah”) but the form should be emended to בַּצִּרָה (batsirah, “into the fold”). See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 38.

[2:12]  ¹⁵⁵ tc The MT reads “its pasture,” but the final vav (ו) belongs with the following verb. See GKC 413 §127.i.

[2:12]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and they will be noisy [or perhaps, “excited”] from men.” The subject of the third feminine plural verb תְּהִימֶנָה (tÿhimenah, “they will be noisy”) is probably the feminine singular צֹאן (tso’n, “flock”). (For another example of this collective singular noun with a feminine plural verb, see Gen 30:38.) In the construction מֵאָדָם (me’adam, “from men”) the preposition is probably causal. L. C. Allen translates “bleating in fear of men” (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah [NICOT], 300), but it is possible to take the causal sense as “because of the large quantity of men.” In this case the sheep metaphor and the underlying reality are mixed.

[4:3]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Or “judge.”

[4:3]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”

[4:3]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”

[4:3]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[4:3]  ¹⁶¹ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.

[4:3]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “take up the sword.”

[5:2]  ¹⁶³ sn Ephrathah is either an alternate name for Bethlehem or the name of the district in which Bethlehem was located. See Ruth 4:11.

[5:2]  map For location of Bethlehem see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[5:2]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “being small.” Some omit לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “being”) because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.

[5:2]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel.”

[5:2]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “his goings out.” The term may refer to the ruler’s origins (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or to his activities.

[5:2]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “from the past, from the days of antiquity.” Elsewhere both phrases refer to the early periods in the history of the world or of the nation of Israel. For מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem, “from the past”) see Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10. For מִימֵי עוֹלָם (mimey ’olam, “from the days of antiquity”) see Isa 63:9, 11; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:14; Mal 3:4. In Neh 12:46 and Amos 9:11 the Davidic era is in view.

[5:2]  sn In riddle-like fashion this verse alludes to David, as the references to Bethlehem and to his ancient origins/activities indicate. The passage anticipates the second coming of the great king to usher in a new era of national glory for Israel. Other prophets are more direct and name this coming ideal ruler “David” (Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5). Of course, this prophecy of “David’s” second coming is actually fulfilled through his descendant, the Messiah, who will rule in the spirit and power of his famous ancestor and bring to realization the Davidic royal ideal in an even greater way than the historical David (see Isa 11:1, 10; Jer 33:15).

[5:3]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ¹⁷¹ sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.

[5:3]  ¹⁷² sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.

[5:3]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  sn The rest of the king’s brothers are the coming king’s fellow Judahites, while the sons of Israel are the northern tribes. The verse pictures the reunification of the nation under the Davidic king. See Isa 11:12-13; Jer 31:2-6, 15-20; Ezek 37; Hos 1:11; 3:5.