Mikha 1:7

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

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ¹ 

I will make a waste heap ²  of all her images.

Since ³  she gathered the metal ⁴  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ⁵ 

Mikha 5:11

5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,

and tear down all your fortresses.

Mikha 5:14

5:14 I will uproot your images of Asherah ⁶  from your midst,

and destroy your idols. ⁷ 

Mikha 4:11

4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you.

They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, ⁸ 

so we can gloat over Zion!” ⁹ 

Mikha 4:13

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

For I will give you iron horns; ¹⁰ 

I will give you bronze hooves,

and you will crush many nations.” ¹¹ 

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

and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler ¹²  of the whole earth. ¹³ 

Mikha 1:4

1:4 The mountains will disintegrate ¹⁴  beneath him,

and the valleys will be split in two. ¹⁵ 

The mountains will melt ¹⁶  like wax in a fire,

the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. ¹⁷ 

Mikha 5:9

5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; ¹⁸ 

may all your enemies be destroyed! ¹⁹ 

Mikha 6:13

6:13 I will strike you brutally ²⁰ 

and destroy you because of your sin.

Mikha 7:13

7:13 The earth will become desolate ²¹ 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ²² 

Mikha 5:10

The Lord Will Purify His People

5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,

“I will destroy ²³  your horses from your midst,

and smash your chariots.

Mikha 5:13

5:13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst;

you will no longer worship what your own hands made.

Mikha 2:4

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

they will mock you with this lament: ²⁴ 

‘We are completely destroyed;

they sell off ²⁵  the property of my people.

How they remove it from me! ²⁶ 

They assign our fields to the conqueror.’ ²⁷ 

Mikha 1:11

1:11 Residents ²⁸  of Shaphir, ²⁹  pass by in nakedness and humiliation! ³⁰ 

The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. ³¹ 

Beth Ezel ³²  mourns, ³³ 

“He takes from you what he desires.” ³⁴ 

Mikha 3:3

3:3 You ³⁵  devour my people’s flesh,

strip off their skin,

and crush their bones.

You chop them up like flesh in a pot ³⁶  –

like meat in a kettle.

Mikha 6:9

6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling ³⁷  to the city!

It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! ³⁸ 

Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! ³⁹ 

Mikha 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ⁴⁰  do not gloat ⁴¹  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ⁴² 

Mikha 6:14

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

Even if you have the strength ⁴³  to overtake some prey, ⁴⁴ 

you will not be able to carry it away; ⁴⁵ 

if you do happen to carry away something,

I will deliver it over to the sword.

Mikha 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ⁴⁶ 

you follow their policies. ⁴⁷ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ⁴⁸ 

the city’s ⁴⁹  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ⁵⁰ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ⁵¹ 

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. ⁵² 

The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen –

your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, ⁵³ 

and then you will experience confusion. ⁵⁴ 

[1:7]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ³ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ⁴ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ⁵ 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.

[5:14]  ⁶ tn Or “Asherah poles.”

[5:14]  sn Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4). The Lord states that he will destroy these images, something the Israelites themselves should have done but failed to do.

[5:14]  ⁷ tn The MT reads “your cities,” but many emend the text to צִרֶיךָ (tsirekha, “your images”) or עֲצַבֶּיךָ (’atsbbekha, “your idols”).

[4:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “let her be desecrated.” the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “and let our eye look upon Zion.”

[4:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”

[4:13]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”

[4:13]  ¹³ 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.

[1:4]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ sn The mountains will disintegrate…the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.

[1:4]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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.

[5:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”

[5:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “be cut off.”

[6:13]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”

[7:13]  ²¹ tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ²² tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

[5:10]  ²³ tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).

[2:4]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn Heb “how one removes for me.” Apparently the preposition has the nuance “from” here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[2:4]  ²⁷ 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.”

[1:11]  ²⁸ tn 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 394 §122.s.

[1:11]  ²⁹ sn The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ³⁰ tn The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.

[1:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “have not come out”; NIV “will not come out”; NLT “dare not come outside.”

[1:11]  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.

[1:11]  ³² sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.

[1:11]  ³³ tn 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).

[1:11]  ³⁴ tc The form עֶמְדָּתוֹ (’emdato) should be emended to חֲמַדְּתוֹ (khamadto, “his (the conqueror’s) desire”).

[1:11]  tn The precise meaning of the line is uncertain. The translation assumes: (a) the subject of the third masculine singular verb יִקַּח (yiqqakh, “he/it takes”) is the conqueror, (b) the second masculine plural suffix (“you”) on the preposition מִן (min, “from”) refers to the residents of Shaphir and Zaanan, (c) the final form עֶמְדָּתוֹ should be emended to חֲמַדְּתוֹ, “his (the conqueror’s) desire.”

[3:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “who.”

[3:3]  ³⁶ tc The MT reads “and they chop up as in a pot.” The translation assumes an emendation of כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher, “as”) to כִּשְׁאֵר (kish’er, “like flesh”).

[6:9]  ³⁷ tn Or “the voice of the Lord is calling.” The translation understands קוֹל (qol, “voice”) as equivalent to an imperative.

[6:9]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ 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”).

[7:8]  ⁴⁰ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ⁴¹ tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ⁴² sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[6:14]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hiphal of פָּלַט (palat) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.

[6:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ⁵¹ 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.

[7:4]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and now will be their confusion.”