Mikha 4:6-8

Restoration Will Follow Crisis

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

and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. ¹ 

4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, ² 

and those far off ³  into a mighty nation.

The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,

from that day forward and forevermore.” ⁴ 

4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, ⁵ 

fortress of Daughter Zion ⁶  –

your former dominion will be restored, ⁷ 

the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.

[4:6]  ¹ sn The exiles of the nation are compared to lame and injured sheep.

[4:7]  ² tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”

[4:7]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “from now until forever.”

[4:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “Migdal-eder.” Some English versions transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).

[4:8]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive.”