Mikha 1:4

1:4 The mountains will disintegrate ¹  beneath him,

and the valleys will be split in two. ² 

The mountains will melt ³  like wax in a fire,

the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. ⁴ 

Mikha 1:6

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ⁵  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ⁶ 

I will tumble ⁷  the rubble of her stone walls ⁸  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ⁹ 

[1:4]  ¹ tn Or “melt” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). 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).

[1:4]  ² sn The mountains will disintegrate…the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.

[1:4]  ³ tn The words “the mountains will melt” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The simile extends back to the first line of the verse.

[1:4]  ⁴ tn 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.

[1:6]  ⁵ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

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

[1:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ⁹ 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.