Commentary on Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah and Nahum John Calvin
MINOR PROPHETS
him rather than to observe the covenant which he had made for their safety; for it was a most shameful wickedness in them, since they had been chosen from the whole world to be a peculiar people, to prefer going to war with God rather than to live quietly under his protection. And that they did rise up against God he proves, for they gave themselves up to robberies; they plundered, even during times of peace, which circumstance greatly aggravated their wickedness. It now follows ---
Micah 2:9
9. The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
9. Mulieres populi mei expulistis e domo delectationum ipsarum, (est quidem mutatio numeri, sed hoc nihil ad rem;) a parvulis earum abstulistis decus (vel, ornamentum) meum perpetuo.
He proceeds with the same subject, that they refrained from no acts of injustice.
It was indeed a proof of extreme barbarity not to spare women and children, for they are both weak and helpless. Their sex exempts women from violence, and their age, children. 164 Even in wars, women, and also children, escape in safety. We hence see that the Prophet, by stating a part for the whole, proves here that the people had addicted themselves to cruelty really barbarous; they were not restrained from exercising it, no, not even on women and children. Since it was so, it follows, that their boast of being the chosen people was vain and fallacious.
House of delights he ascribes to the women who, being the weaker sex, prefer being at home and in the shade, rather than going abroad. The more necessary it was that their recesses should remain safe to them. Now, what was taken away from the children, God calls it his ornament; for his blessing, poured forth on children, is the mirror of his glory: he therefore condemns this plunder as a sacrilege. The word
designates the continuance of their crimes, as though he had said, that they were cruel without ever showing any repentance. Now it follows ---
Micah 2:10
10. Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
10. Surgite, abite, quia non est haec requies; quoniam polluta est; dissipavit dissipatione violenta (interponitur copula, et dissipatione; ideo poterimus commode vertere, dissipavit et quidem dissipatione violenta, (vel, roborata; id enim significat verbum {).}נמרף
Here again the Prophet checks the foolish confidence of the people. The land of Canaan, we know, had been honored by God with the distinction of being a rest; yea
God called it, not only the rest of the people, but also his own rest, `I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,' (Psalm 95:11.)
164This verse presents several anomalies. We have "women" and the verbs in the plural, and then "house," "her delights," and "her children." It may be thus rendered, — The women of my people ye drive away, Each from the house of her delights; From off her children ye take away my ornament forever. The word rendered in our version "flory," is {,{הדרwhich means ornament, beauty. Piscator says, pulchras vestes quas Deus illis donavit --- ``the beautiful garments which God gave them.'' God claimed the land of Canaan and all its blessings as his own. They took these away without restoring them according to the law. Henderson justly observes, that ``ornament'' is to be taken ``collectively for the ornamental clothes which they wore, and with which they had been provided by Jehovah.'' --- Ed.
JOHN CALVIN
The land of Canaan then was a sort of rest, hidden under the wings of God; for the Lord had assigned it as an inheritance to his chosen people. As God then dwelt in that land, and had also given it to the children of Abraham, that they might rest there in safety, and as this was also one of the blessings contained in the Law, hypocrites said, pursuing their usual course of falsely and groundlessly claiming to themselves the favors of God, that they could not be thence expelled, and that those Prophets were falsifiers who dared to change any thing in God's covenant. This is the reason why the Prophet now says, Arise, depart; this is not your rest. ``False confidence,'' he says, ``deceives you, as ye think that ye are inseparably fixed in your habitation. God indeed has made such a promise, but this condition was added, --- If ye will stand faithful to his covenant. Now ye are become covenant-breakers: ye think that he is fast bound to you; all the cords are loosened; for as ye have perfidiously departed from the Law of God, there is now no reason for you to think that he is under any obligation to you.
There is then no ground for you to boast of being a holy people; you have indeed the name, but the reality has ceased to be: therefore arise and depart: but to sit still securely and proudly will avail you nothing, for God will now drive you afar off: and I now declare to you that you must arise and depart, for ye cannot rest in this land against the will of God: and God will now thrust you out of it.'' We now perceive the real meaning of the Prophet.
He afterwards adds, For it is polluted; he will scatter you with violent scattering 165 Here again he vindicates God from their calumny and ungodly murmurings. We indeed know how difÏcult it was to bring down that people, who were steeped in so great a perverseness. And we find that the Prophet had a hard contest with the hypocrites, for the multitude had ever this language in their mouths, --- What! is it of no moment that God has favored us with so many and so remarkable promises? Is our adoption nothing but a mockery? Has he in vain given us this land by an hereditary right? Since then hypocrites thus brought forward their privileges in opposition to God, and yet abused them, it was necessary to convince them to the contrary, and this is what the Prophet does here, --- ``Ye call,'' he says, ``this land your rest, but how do you rest in it? God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath, for he dwells among you to sanctify you: but ye live disorderly, and carry on war with God himself: have not your pollutions obliterated that holy rest, which has been enjoined on you by God? Ye then see that this change has happened through your fault, that is, that God has ceased to call this land, as he was wont formerly to do, your and his own rest. It is not then your rest; he will therefore scatter you with violent or strong scattering: Ye in vain promise to yourselves rest in this land, since ye carry on war with God, and cease not to provoke his wrath against you.'' It follows ---
165The original is {{}נמרף{, }וחבל{ תחבלwhich, according to Parkhurst, is, ``It is bound;'' that is, bound over to punishment, ``and the bond is grievous;'' or, as it may be rendered, strong; which is only found in Niphal in two other places, 1
Kings 2:8; Job 6:25. In the first it is rendered, grievous, --- ``a grievous crime,'' and in the second, forcible, --- ``How forcible are the right words!'' But most others attach the idea of corruption and destruction to :{}חבלand Newcome takes the verb here in a passive sense, and gives this rendering of the distich, --- ``Because it is polluted, it shall be destroyed, And the destruction shall be great.'' Some render the verb actively, ``It,'' i.e. the land, ``shall destroy you,'' a reference being made, as it is thought, to what is said in Leviticus 18:25. The version of Marckius is this, --- ``Quando quidem impuritas corrumpet, Et corruptio acris.'' ---
Seeing that impurity will destroy it, And a violent destruction. The previous word {}טמאהis here taken as a noun. But the most literal, and the most satisfactory, is the rendering of Newcome. --- Ed.