Mikha 1:6

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

vineyards will be planted there! ² 

I will tumble ³  the rubble of her stone walls ⁴  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ⁵ 

Mikha 3:12

3:12 Therefore, because of you, ⁶  Zion will be plowed up like ⁷  a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

and the Temple Mount ⁸  will become a hill overgrown with brush! ⁹ 

Mikha 4:7

4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, ¹⁰ 

and those far off ¹¹  into a mighty nation.

The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,

from that day forward and forevermore.” ¹² 

Mikha 1:7

1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ¹³ 

I will make a waste heap ¹⁴  of all her images.

Since ¹⁵  she gathered the metal ¹⁶  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ¹⁷ 

Mikha 4:3

4:3 He will arbitrate ¹⁸  between many peoples

and settle disputes between many ¹⁹  distant nations. ²⁰ 

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ²¹ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ²² 

Nations will not use weapons ²³  against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

Mikha 7:13

7:13 The earth will become desolate ²⁴ 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ²⁵ 

Mikha 1:14

1:14 Therefore you ²⁶  will have to say farewell ²⁷  to Moresheth Gath.

The residents ²⁸  of Achzib ²⁹  will be as disappointing

as a dried up well ³⁰  to the kings of Israel. ³¹ 

Mikha 3:6

3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions; ³² 

it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens. ³³ 

The sun will set on these prophets,

and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads. ³⁴ 

Mikha 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ³⁵ 

you follow their policies. ³⁶ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ³⁷ 

the city’s ³⁸  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ³⁹ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ⁴⁰ 

Mikha 7:16

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ⁴¹  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ⁴² 

Mikha 7:6

7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,

a daughter challenges ⁴³  her mother,

and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;

a man’s enemies are his own servants. ⁴⁴ 

Mikha 5:10

The Lord Will Purify His People

5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,

“I will destroy ⁴⁵  your horses from your midst,

and smash your chariots.

Mikha 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ⁴⁶  do not gloat ⁴⁷  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ⁴⁸ 

Mikha 7:4

7:4 The best of them is like a thorn;

the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. ⁴⁹ 

The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen –

your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, ⁵⁰ 

and then you will experience confusion. ⁵¹ 

Mikha 7:10

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

They say ⁵²  to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them. ⁵³ 

Then they will be trampled down ⁵⁴ 

like mud in the streets.

Mikha 5:2

A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper

5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, ⁵⁵ 

seemingly insignificant ⁵⁶  among the clans of Judah –

from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, ⁵⁷ 

one whose origins ⁵⁸  are in the distant past. ⁵⁹ 

Mikha 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post ⁶⁰  and shepherd the people ⁶¹  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ⁶² 

They will live securely, ⁶³  for at that time he will be honored ⁶⁴ 

even in the distant regions of ⁶⁵  the earth.

Mikha 5:7-8

5:7 Those survivors from ⁶⁶  Jacob will live ⁶⁷ 

in the midst of many nations. ⁶⁸ 

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. ⁶⁹ 

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey ⁷⁰  and there is no one to stop it. ⁷¹ 

Mikha 7:1

Micah Laments Judah’s Sin

7:1 I am depressed! ⁷² 

Indeed, ⁷³  it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,

and the grapes have been harvested. ⁷⁴ 

There is no grape cluster to eat,

no fresh figs that I crave so much. ⁷⁵ 

Mikha 4:1

Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem

4:1 In the future ⁷⁶  the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; ⁷⁷ 

it will be more prominent than other hills. ⁷⁸ 

People will stream to it.

Mikha 6:5

6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, ⁷⁹ 

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.” ⁸⁰ 

Mikha 1:5

1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion

and ⁸¹  the sins of the nation ⁸²  of Israel.

How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? ⁸³ 

Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! ⁸⁴ 

Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? ⁸⁵ 

They are right in Jerusalem! ⁸⁶ 

Mikha 4:11

4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you.

They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, ⁸⁷ 

so we can gloat over Zion!” ⁸⁸ 

Mikha 1:2

The Judge is Coming

1:2 Listen, all you nations! ⁸⁹ 

Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! ⁹⁰ 

The sovereign Lord will testify ⁹¹  against you;

the Lord will accuse you ⁹²  from his majestic palace. ⁹³ 

Mikha 1:16

1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; ⁹⁴ 

shave your foreheads as bald ⁹⁵  as an eagle, ⁹⁶ 

for they are taken from you into exile.

Mikha 2:11

2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say, ⁹⁷ 

‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ ⁹⁸ 

he would be just the right preacher for these people! ⁹⁹ 

Mikha 4:8

4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, ¹⁰⁰ 

fortress of Daughter Zion ¹⁰¹  –

your former dominion will be restored, ¹⁰² 

the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.

Mikha 4:13

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

For I will give you iron horns; ¹⁰³ 

I will give you bronze hooves,

and you will crush many nations.” ¹⁰⁴ 

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

and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler ¹⁰⁵  of the whole earth. ¹⁰⁶ 

Mikha 5:5

5:5 He will give us peace. ¹⁰⁷ 

Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, ¹⁰⁸ 

we will send ¹⁰⁹  against them seven ¹¹⁰  shepherd-rulers, ¹¹¹ 

make that eight commanders. ¹¹² 

Mikha 3:7

3:7 The prophets ¹¹³  will be ashamed;

the omen readers will be humiliated.

All of them will cover their mouths, ¹¹⁴ 

for they will receive no divine oracles.” ¹¹⁵ 

Mikha 6:1

The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual

6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Get up! Defend yourself ¹¹⁶  before the mountains! ¹¹⁷ 

Present your case before the hills!” ¹¹⁸ 

Mikha 6:12

6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; ¹¹⁹ 

her inhabitants lie, ¹²⁰ 

their tongues speak deceptive words. ¹²¹ 

Mikha 5:3

5:3 So the Lord ¹²²  will hand the people of Israel ¹²³  over to their enemies ¹²⁴ 

until the time when the woman in labor ¹²⁵  gives birth. ¹²⁶ 

Then the rest of the king’s ¹²⁷  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ¹²⁸ 

Mikha 6:14

6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.

Even if you have the strength ¹²⁹  to overtake some prey, ¹³⁰ 

you will not be able to carry it away; ¹³¹ 

if you do happen to carry away something,

I will deliver it over to the sword.

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. ¹³² 

I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, ¹³³ 

like a flock in the middle of a pasture; ¹³⁴ 

they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise. ¹³⁵ 

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

[1:6]  ² tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ³ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ⁵ 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.

[3:12]  ⁶ tn The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.

[3:12]  ⁷ tn Or “into” (an adverbial accusative of result).

[3:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “the mountain of the house” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[3:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “a high place of overgrowth.”

[4:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”

[4:7]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “from now until forever.”

[1:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”

[1:7]  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.

[1:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ¹⁶ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ¹⁷ tn 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.

[4:3]  ¹⁸ tn Or “judge.”

[4:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”

[4:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”

[4:3]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn Heb “take up the sword.”

[7:13]  ²⁴ tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

[1:14]  ²⁶ tn The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.

[1:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “you will give a dowry to”; NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “give parting gifts 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.

[1:14]  ²⁸ tn Heb “houses.” By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.

[1:14]  ²⁹ sn The place name Achzib (אַכְזִיב, ’akhziv, “place on the dried up river”; see HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב) creates a word play on the similar sounding term כָּזָב (kazav, “lie, deception”; HALOT 468 s.v. כָּזָב). Like the dried up river upon which its name was based, the city of Achzib would fail to help the kings of Israel in their time of need.

[1:14]  ³⁰ tn Or “will be a deception.” The term אַכְזָב (’akhzav) is often translated “deception,” as derived from the verb I כָּזָב (“to deceive, lie”; HALOT 467-68 s.v. I כזב). However, it probably means “what is dried up,” since (1) the noun elsewhere refers to an empty well or dried river in summer (Jer 15:18; cf. Job 6:15-20) (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); (2) the place-name “Achzib” (אַכְזִיב) literally means “place on the אַכְזָב [dried up river]” (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); and (3) it is derived from the verb II כָּזָב (“to dry up [brook]”; Isa 58:11), which also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew and Arabic. The point of the metaphor is that Achzib will be as disappointing to the kings of Israel as a dried up spring in the summer is to a thirsty traveler in the Jordanian desert.

[1:14]  ³¹ sn Because of the enemy invasion, Achzib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.

[3:6]  ³² tn Heb “it will be night for you without a vision.”

[3:6]  sn The coming of night (and darkness in the following line) symbolizes the cessation of revelation.

[3:6]  ³³ tn Heb “it will be dark for you without divination.”

[3:6]  sn The reading of omens (Heb “divination”) was forbidden in the law (Deut 18:10), so this probably reflects the prophets’ view of how they received divine revelation.

[3:6]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and the day will be dark over them.”

[6:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  sn The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.

[6:16]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ⁴⁰ tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[6:16]  tn Heb “and the reproach of my people you will bear.” The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.

[7:16]  ⁴¹ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ⁴² tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the Lord’s power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.

[7:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “rises up against.”

[7:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”

[5:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).

[7:8]  ⁴⁶ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ⁴⁸ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “[the] godly from a row of thorn bushes.” The preposition מִן (min) is comparative and the comparative element (perhaps “sharper” is the idea) is omitted. See BDB 582 s.v. 6 and GKC 431 §133.e.

[7:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the day of your watchmen, your appointed [time], is coming.” The present translation takes “watchmen” to refer to actual sentries. However, the “watchmen” could refer figuratively to the prophets who had warned Judah of approaching judgment. In this case one could translate, “The day your prophets warned about – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way.”

[7:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and now will be their confusion.”

[7:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”

[5:2]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “being small.” Some omit לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “being”) because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.

[5:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel.”

[5:2]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ 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).

[5:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

[5:4]  ⁶¹ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:4]  ⁶² tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

[5:4]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “be great.”

[5:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “to the ends of.”

[5:7]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “will be.”

[5:7]  ⁶⁸ tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁶⁹ 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.

[5:8]  ⁷⁰ tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:8]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”

[7:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “woe to me!” In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, “I am disappointed.”

[7:1]  ⁷³ tn Or “for.”

[7:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest.” Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, “I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested.”

[7:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “my appetite craves.”

[4:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “at the end of days.”

[4:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”

[4:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”

[6:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “remember what Balak…planned.”

[6:5]  ⁸⁰ 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).

[1:5]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:5]  ⁸² tn Heb “house.”

[1:5]  ⁸³ tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”

[1:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Is it not Samaria?” The negated rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!” To make this clear the question has been translated as a strong affirmative statement.

[1:5]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”

[1:5]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”

[1:5]  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).

[1:5]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “let her be desecrated.” the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:11]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and let our eye look upon Zion.”

[1:2]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “O peoples, all of them.”

[1:2]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “O earth and all its fullness”; KJV “and all that therein is.”

[1:2]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² 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]  ⁹³ 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).

[1:16]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “over the sons of your delight.”

[1:16]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “make wide your baldness.”

[1:16]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “a vulture” (cf. NIV, TEV); CEV “a buzzard.” The Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.

[2:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “if a man, coming [as] wind and falsehood, should lie”; NASB “walking after wind and falsehood”; NIV “a liar and a deceiver.”

[2:11]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “I will foam at the mouth concerning wine and beer.”

[2:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “he would be the foamer at the mouth for this people.”

[4:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “Migdal-eder.” Some English versions transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).

[4:8]  ¹⁰¹ sn The city of David, located within Jerusalem, is addressed as Daughter Zion. As the home of the Davidic king, who was Israel’s shepherd (Ps 78:70-72), the royal citadel could be viewed metaphorically as the watchtower of the flock.

[4:8]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive.”

[4:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”

[4:13]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”

[4:13]  ¹⁰⁶ 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.

[5:5]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).

[5:5]  ¹⁰⁸ tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).

[5:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “raise up.”

[5:5]  ¹¹⁰ sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.

[5:5]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “shepherds.”

[5:5]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”

[3:7]  ¹¹³ tn Or “seers.”

[3:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “the mustache,” or perhaps “the beard.” Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “cover their lips.”

[3:7]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “for there will be no answer from God.”

[6:1]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “let the hills hear your voice.”

[6:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”

[6:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “speak lies.”

[6:12]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”

[5:3]  ¹²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹²³ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹²⁴ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ¹²⁵ sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.

[5:3]  ¹²⁶ sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.

[5:3]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹²⁸ 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.

[6:14]  ¹²⁹ tc The first Hebrew term in the line (וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ, vÿyeshkhakha) is obscure. HALOT 446 s.v. יֶשַׁח understands a noun meaning “filth,” which would yield the translation, “and your filth is inside you.” The translation assumes an emendation to כֹּחַ-וְיֶשׁ (vÿyesh-koakh, “and [if] there is strength inside you”).

[6:14]  ¹³⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term וְתַסֵּג (vÿtasseg) is unclear. The translation assumes it is a Hiphal imperfect from נָסַג/נָשַׂג (nasag/nasag, “reach; overtake”) and that hunting imagery is employed. (Note the reference to hunger in the first line of the verse.) See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 80.

[6:14]  ¹³¹ tn The Hiphal of פָּלַט (palat) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.

[2:12]  ¹³² tn Heb “the remnant of Israel.”

[2:12]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ tc The MT reads “its pasture,” but the final vav (ו) belongs with the following verb. See GKC 413 §127.i.

[2:12]  ¹³⁵ 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.