Commentary on Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah and Nahum John Calvin (continued)
MINOR PROPHETS
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Micah 1:11
11. Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
11. Transi pariter (ad verbum, transi vobis 146 habitatrix Saphir, nuda probrose; non egredietur habitatrix Zaanan in luctu Beth-Aezel, sumet a vobis stationem suam (alii vertunt, substantiam; sed male, meo judicio.)
The Prophet here addresses the cities which were on the borders of the kingdom of Israel, and through which the enemy would pass in entering the kingdom of Judah.
He therefore bids the inhabitants of the city Saphir to pass over, and says, that the city would be ashamed or in a shameful manner naked. The word {,}שפירshaphir, means splendid. He then says, ``Thou art now beautiful, but the Lord will discover thy shame, so that thy nakedness shall be a shame to all, and the greatest disgrace to thyself.'' There is a correspondence in the words, though not an alliteration. Hence the Prophet says, that though the city was called splendid, it would yet be deformed, so that no one would deign to look on it, at least without feeling shame. There is the same correspondence in the word Zaanan; for {,}צעהtsoe, means to transfer, as {,}צעןtson, is to migrate. Hence the Prophet says, Go forth shall not the inhabitant of Zaanan for the mourning of Beth-Aezel; that is, he will remain quiet at home: this he will do contrary to what will be natural; for whence is the name of the city? even from removing, for it was a place of much trafÏc. But he will remain, he says, at home: though he may see his neighbors dragged into exile, he will not dare to move from his place.
He now adds, Take will the enemy from you his station. The verb {,}עמדomad, means to stand; nor is there a doubt but that when the Prophet says, He will take from you his standing, he speaks of the standing or station of the enemy: but interpreters however vary here. Some understand, that when the enemy had continued long in the land, they would not depart before they possessed the supreme power; as though he said, ``Ye will think that your enemy can be wearied out with delay and tediousness, when not able soon to conquer your cities: this, he says, will not be the case; for he will resolutely persevere, and his expectation will not disappoint him; for he will receive the reward of his station, that is, of his delay.'' But some say, He will receive his station from you. They explain the verb {,}לקחlakech, metaphorically, as meaning to receive instruction from hand to hand; as though the Prophet had said, Some, that is, your neighbors, will learn their own position from you. What does this mean? Zaanan will not go forth on account of the mourning of its neighboring city
Aezel: others will afterwards follow this example. How so? For Zaanan will be, as it were, the teacher to other cities; as it will not dare to show any sign of grief for 146{{}לכם{, עבריpass over or migrate, as to you. One MS. Has ,{}לךas to thee; but the anomaly of number is common through all the Prophets. ``The inhabitant'' here is a poetical noun of number, including the whole people. What usage has thus sanctioned in one language, cannot at all times be retained in another. We must in the present instance make ``Inhabitant'' in our language plural, or ,{`` }לכםas to you, or yea, you,'' singular. The latter is the best mode. Then as to the peculiar form of {}לכס or {}לךafter an imperative, we have similar instances; see Genesis 12:1; Jeremiah 5:5; Hosea 7:12. It is an emphatic mode of speaking. The sentence here may be thus expressed, ``Pass thou over, yea, thou, O inhabitant of Saphir.'' Amaziah said to Amos, {`` }לך{, }ברחFlee, yea, thou,'' etc. Or to give to {}לits most usual meaning, we may suppose ``I say'' to be understood; then it would be, ``Flee, I say, to thee.'' --- Ed.