©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
AMOS—NOTE ON 9:9 shake . . . among all the nations. Only the chaff was to be punished; his remnant was to be preserved to inherit the blessings spoken of in the following verses.
AMOS—NOTE ON 9:11–15 Millennial blessings await the final faithful remnant, when Messiah personally reigns over all nations in Jerusalem upon the throne of David, and the Jews are never again pulled up from their divinely inherited land.
AMOS—NOTE ON 9:11 booth of David. A reference to the dynasty of David (cf. Introduction: Interpretive Challenges). God will "raise up" and "rebuild" this tabernacle on earth for Christ to rule in his millennial kingdom (cf. Zech. 14:9– 11). The apostles used this passage to illustrate that Gentiles could thus be a part of God's redemption. See notes on Acts 15:13–18.
AMOS—NOTE ON 9:13–14 Prosperity, in hyperbolic fashion, is here described (cf. Lev. 26:5; Joel 3:18; contrast Isa. 5). Fruitfulness is so enormous that planting and reaping seasons overlap. This prosperity will encourage massive repatriation (cf. Isa. 11:15–16) and reconstruction (cf. Zech. 2:1–5).
AMOS—NOTE ON 9:15 they shall never again be uprooted out of the land. The ultimate fulfillment of God's land promise to Abraham (cf. Gen. 12:7; 15:7; 17:8) will occur during Christ's millennial reign on earth (cf. Joel 2:26–27).
The Ultimate Restoration of Israel
The Ultimate Restoration of Israel 1. Isa. 27; 42–44; 65; 66 8. Obad. 17, 21 2. Jer. 30–33 9. Mic. 7:14–20 3. Ezek. 36; 37; 40–48 10. Zeph. 3:14–20 4. Dan. 9:20–27; 12:1–3 11. Hag. 2:20–23 5. Hos. 2:14–23; 14:4–7 12. Zech. 13–14 6. Joel 3:18–21 13. Mal. 4:1–3 7. Amos 9:11–15 ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Obadiah
Obadiah
Introduction to Obadiah
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to Obadiah
Title
The book is named after the prophet who received the vision (1:1). Obadiah means "servant of the Lord" and occurs 20 times in the OT, referring to many other OT individuals. Obadiah is the shortest book in the OT and is not quoted in the NT.
Author and Date
Nothing is known for certain about the author. Other OT references to men of this name do not appear to be referring to this prophet. His frequent mentions of Jerusalem, Judah, and Zion suggest that he belonged to the southern kingdom (cf. vv. 10–12, 17, 21). Obadiah was probably a contemporary of Elijah and Elisha.
The date of writing is equally difficult to determine, though we know it is tied to the Edomite assault on Jerusalem described in vv. 10–14. Obadiah apparently wrote shortly after the attack. There were four significant invasions of Jerusalem in OT history: 1) by Shishak, king of Egypt, c. 925 B.C. during the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25–26; 2 Chron. 12); 2) by the Philistines and Arabians between 848–841 B.C. during the reign of Jehoram of Judah (2 Chron. 21:8–20); 3) by Jehoash, king of Israel, c. 790 B.C. (2 Kings 14; 2 Chron. 25); and 4) by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Of these four, only the second and the fourth are possible fits with historical data. Number two is preferable, since Obadiah's description does not indicate the total destruction of the city, which took place under Nebuchadnezzar's attack. Also, although the Edomites were involved in Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem (Ps. 137; Lam. 4:21), it is significant that Obadiah does not mention the Babylonians by name (as with all the other prophets who wrote about Jerusalem's fall), nor is there any reference to the destruction of the temple or the deportation of the people; in fact, the captives appear to have been taken to the southwest, not east to Babylon (cf. Obad. 20).
Background and Setting
The Edomites trace their origin to Esau, the firstborn (twin) son of Isaac and Rebekah (Gen. 25:24–26), who struggled with Jacob even while in the womb (Gen. 25:22). Esau's name means "hairy," because he was "like a hairy cloak" (Gen. 25:25). He is also called Edom, meaning "red," owing to the sale of his birthright in exchange for some red stew (Gen. 25:30). He showed a disregard for the covenant promises by marrying two Canaanite women (Gen. 26:34) and later the daughter of Ishmael (Gen. 28:9). He loved the out-of-doors and, after having his father's blessing stolen from him by Jacob, was destined to remain a man of the open spaces (Gen. 25:27; 27:38–40). Esau settled in a region of mostly rugged mountains south of the Dead Sea (Gen. 33:16; 36:8–9; Deut. 2:4– 5) called Edom (Greek, Idumea), the 40-mile wide area that stretches approximately 100 miles south to the Gulf of Aqabah. The famed King's Highway, an essential caravan route linking North Africa with Europe and Asia, passes along the eastern plateau (Num. 20:17). The struggle and birth of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25) form the ultimate background to the prophecy of Gen. 25:23, "two nations are in your womb." Their respective descendants, Israel and Edom, were perpetual enemies. When Israel came out from Egypt, Edom denied their brother Jacob passage through their land, located south of the Dead Sea (Num. 20:14–21). Nevertheless, Israel was instructed by God to be kind to Edom (Deut. 23:7–8). Obadiah, having received a vision from God, was sent to describe their crimes and to pronounce total destruction upon Edom because of their treatment of Israel.
The Edomites opposed Saul (c. 1043–1011 B.C.) and were subdued under David (c. 1011–971 B.C.) and Solomon (c. 971–931 B.C.). They fought against Jehoshaphat (c. 873–848 B.C.) and successfully rebelled against Jehoram (c. 853– 841 B.C.). They were again conquered by Judah under Amaziah (c. 796–767 B.C.), but they regained their freedom during the reign of Ahaz (c. 735–715 B.C.). Edom was later controlled by Assyria and Babylon; and in the fifth century B.C. the Edomites were forced by the Nabateans to leave their territory. They moved to the area of southern Palestine and became known as Idumeans. Herod the Great, an Idumean, became king of Judea under Rome in 37 B.C. In a sense, the enmity between Esau and Jacob was continued in Herod's attempt to murder Jesus. The Idumeans participated in the rebellion of Jerusalem against Rome and were defeated along with the Jews by Titus in A.D. 70. Ironically, the Edomites applauded the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (cf. Ps. 137:7) but died trying to defend it in A.D. 70. After that time they were never heard of again. As Obadiah predicted, they would be "cut off forever" (Obad. 10); and there would be "no survivor for the house of Esau" (v. 18).
Historical and Theological Themes
Obadiah is a case study of the curses/blessings in Gen. 12:1–3, with two interrelated themes: 1) the judgment of Edom by God for cursing Israel. This was apparently told to Judah, thereby providing reassurance that the Lord would bring judgment upon Edom for her pride and for her participation in Judah's downfall; and 2) Judah's restoration. This would even include the territory of the Edomites (Obad. 19–21; Isa. 11:14). Obadiah's blessing for Judah includes the near fulfillment of Edom's demise (Obad. 1–14) and the far fulfillment of the nations' judgment and Israel's final possession of Edom (vv. 15–21).
Interpretive Challenges
The striking similarity between Obad. 1–9 and Jer. 49:7–22 brings up the question: Who borrowed from whom? Assuming there was not a third common source, it appears that Jeremiah borrowed, where appropriate, from Obadiah, since the shared verses form one unit in Obadiah, while in Jeremiah they are scattered among other verses.
Outline
I. God's Judgment on Edom (1–14)
A. Edom's Punishment (1–9)
B. Edom's Crimes (10–14) II. God's Judgment on the Nations (15–16) III. God's Restoration of Israel (17–21)
Obadiah
OBADIAH 1 †The vision of Obadiah.
Edom Will Be Humbled
Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the
LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: "Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!" 2Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. [1] 3‡†The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, [2] in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart,
"Who will bring me down to the ground?" 4Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD. 5‡†If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night— how you have been destroyed!— would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave gleanings? 6How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out! 7†All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you;
those who eat your bread [3] have set a trap beneath you— you
have [4] no understanding. 8†Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau? 9†And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.
Edom's Violence Against Jacob
10†Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. 11‡On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. 12But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their ruin; do not boast [5]
in the day of distress. 13Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster
in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth
in the day of his calamity. 14Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors
in the day of distress.
The Day of the LORD Is Near
15†For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head. 16†For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow,
and shall be as though they had never been. 17†But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. 18‡†The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them,
and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has
spoken.
The Kingdom of the LORD
19Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20†The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. 21†Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.
Footnotes
Footnotes for Obadiah, Chapter 1
[1] 1:2 Or Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly
despised
[2] 1:3 Or Sela
[3] 1:7 Hebrew lacks those who eat
[4] 1:7 Hebrew he has
[5] 1:12 Hebrew do not enlarge your mouth
Study Notes
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 1 The vision. The prophetic word often came from God in the form of a vision (cf. Hab. 1:1). Thus says the Lord God. Although the background of the prophet is obscure, the source of his message is not. It was supernaturally given by God, and was not motivated by unholy vengeance. Edom. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 25:30; 36:1ff.), the Edomites settled in the region south of the Dead Sea. See Introduction: Background and Setting. Rise up . . . rise against her. The prophet heard of a God-ordained international plot to overthrow Edom. The selfish motives of Edom's enemies were divinely controlled by the Lord's "messenger" to serve his sovereign purposes (cf. Ps. 104:4).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 3 the clefts of the rock. Dwelling in difficult mountain terrain, Edom's imposing, impregnable capital city of Petra was virtually inaccessible, giving her a sense of security and self-sufficiency. Deep, terrifying gorges emanating from peaks reaching 5,700 feet surrounded her like a fortress, generating a proud, false sense of security.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 3–4 Who will bring me down . . . I will bring you down. Edom's pride was answered decisively by the Sovereign Ruler (cf. Matt. 23:12). The calamity against Edom, though brought about by her enemies, was truly God's judgment of her pride (cf. Prov. 16:18; 1 Cor. 10:12).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 5 plunderers came by night. Because of the rugged terrain and very narrow access through the gorges, predatory attack could only come at night.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 5–6 Edom's attackers, by divine judgment, would not stop where normal thieves would when they have enough. Instead, they would leave nothing.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 7 Those conspiring against Edom (v. 1) were her allies ("your allies"), her neighbors ("those at peace with you"), and even the outlying tribes who benefited from Edom's prosperity ("those who eat your bread").
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 8 wise men. Edom was known for her wise men and sages (Jer. 49:7). Her location on the King's Highway provided her with intellectual
stimulation with India, Europe, and North Africa.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 9 Teman. A name derived from a descendant of Esau (Gen. 36:11), it refers to a region in the northern part of Edom that was the home of Job's friend, Eliphaz (Job 4:1).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 10 violence done to . . . Jacob. Edom's opposition is in view, which began as Israel approached the land (cf. Num. 20:14–21) and continued to Habakkuk's day. "Slaughter" (v. 9) and shame for Edom will be just retribution for Edom's violence and slaughter against her brother's people.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 11–14 The charge of v. 10 is here amplified: 1) they "stood aloof," withholding assistance (v. 11); 2) they rejoiced over Judah's downfall (v. 12; cf. Ps. 83:4–6; 137:4–6); 3) they plundered the city (Obad. 13); and 4) they prevented the escape of her fugitives (v. 14).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 15 day of the Lord. God's near judgment of Edom in history (vv. 1–14) was a preview of his far judgment on all nations (vv. 15–16) who refuse to bow to his sovereignty (cf. discussion of "day of the Lord" in Introduction to Joel).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 16 my holy mountain. Zion, referring to Jerusalem (cf. v. 17). drink and swallow. Compare Zech. 12:2, where the Lord will make his people as a "cup of staggering" from which his enemies will be made to drink. This refers to the cup of God's wrath. Judah drank temporarily of judgment, Edom will drink "continually."
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 17 A reversal of Judah's plight in vv. 10–14 will come about when Messiah intercedes and establishes his millennial kingdom and holiness prevails.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 18–20 Those of Judah who remain (v. 14) will be divinely empowered to "consume" (v. 18) and completely wipe out the "house of Esau" (cf. Isa. 11:14; 34:5–17). When Messiah sets up his kingdom, the boundaries of the Davidic and Solomonic kingdoms will once again expand to include that promised to Jacob in his dream at Bethel (Gen. 28:14), which reaffirmed God's promise to Abraham (cf. Gen. 12). This would include the south (mountains of Esau); the west (Philistia); the north (Ephraim . . . Samaria); and the east (Gilead).
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 18 house of Jacob . . . house of Joseph. Representatives of Abraham's descendants.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 20 Canaanites. Those peoples who occupied the land before the exodus. Zarephath. Also known as Sarepta (cf. Luke 4:26), this town was located on the Phoenician coast between Tyre and Sidon. Sepharad. Not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, the location is uncertain. Most rabbis identify it with Spain; others have suggested Sparta or Sardis.
OBADIAH—NOTE ON 21 Saviors shall go up . . . to rule. Just as the Lord raised up judges to deliver his people (cf. Neh. 9:27), so will he establish similar leaders to help rule in the millennial kingdom (cf. 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:4). the kingdom shall be the Lord's. When the nations are judged in the day of the Lord, he will then set up his millennial kingdom, a theocracy in which he rules his people directly on earth (Zech. 14:4–9; Rev. 11:15).
God's Judgment on Edom
God's Judgment on Edom More than any other nation mentioned in the OT, Edom is the supreme object of God's wrath. • Ps. 83:5–18; 137:7 • Isa. 11:14; 21:11–12; 34:5; 63:1–6 • Jer. 49:7–22 • Lam. 4:21–22 • Ezek. 25:12–14; 35:1–15 • Joel 3:19 • Amos 1:11–12; 9:11–12 • Mal. 1:2–5 ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Jonah
Jonah 1 • Jonah 2 • Jonah 3 • Jonah 4 Introduction to Jonah
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to Jonah
Title
Following the lead of the Hebrew Masoretic text (MT), the title of the book is derived from the principal character, Jonah (meaning "dove"), the son of Amittai (1:1). Both the Septuagint (lxx) and the Latin Vulgate (Vulgate) ascribe the same name.
Author and Date
The book makes no direct claim regarding authorship. Throughout the book, Jonah is repeatedly referred to in the third person, causing some to search for another author. It was not an uncommon OT practice, however, to write in the third person (e.g., Ex. 11:3; 1 Sam. 12:11). Furthermore, the autobiographical information revealed within its pages clearly points to Jonah as the author. The firsthand accounts of such unusual events and experiences would be best recounted from the hand of Jonah himself. Nor should the introductory verse suggest otherwise, since other prophets such as Hosea, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah have similar openings.
According to 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah came from Gath-hepher near Nazareth. The context places him during the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (c. 793– 753 B.C.), making him a prophet to the northern tribes just prior to Amos during the first half of the eighth century B.C., c. 760 B.C. The Pharisees were wrong when they said "no prophet arises from Galilee" (John 7:52), because Jonah was a Galilean. An unverifiable Jewish tradition says Jonah was the son of the widow of Zarephath whom Elijah raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:8–24).
Background and Setting
As a prophet to the 10 northern tribes of Israel, Jonah shares a background and setting with Amos. The nation enjoyed a time of relative peace and prosperity. Both Syria and Assyria were weak, allowing Jeroboam II to enlarge the northern borders of Israel to where they had been in the days of David and Solomon (2 Kings 14:23–27). Spiritually, however, it was a time of poverty; religion was
ritualistic and increasingly idolatrous, and justice had become perverted. Peacetime and wealth had made her bankrupt spiritually, morally, and ethically (cf. 2 Kings 14:24; Amos 4:1ff.; 5:10–13). As a result, God was to punish her by bringing destruction and captivity from the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Nineveh's repentance may have been aided by the two plagues (765 and 759 B.C.) and a solar eclipse (763 B.C.), preparing them for Jonah's judgment message.
Historical and Theological Themes
Jonah, though a prophet of Israel, is not remembered for his ministry in Israel, which could explain why the Pharisees erringly claimed in Jesus' day that no prophet had come from Galilee (cf. John 7:52). Rather, the book relates the account of his call to preach repentance to Nineveh and his refusal to go. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and infamous for its cruelty, was a historical nemesis of Israel and Judah. The focus of this book is on that Gentile city, which was founded by Nimrod, great-grandson of Noah (Gen. 10:6–12). Perhaps the largest city in the ancient world (Jonah 1:2; 3:2–3; 4:11), it was nevertheless destroyed about 150 years after the repentance of the generation in the time of Jonah's visit (612 B.C.), as Nahum prophesied (Nah. 1:1ff.). Israel's political distaste for Assyria, coupled with a sense of spiritual superiority as the recipient of God's covenant blessing, produced a recalcitrant attitude in Jonah toward God's request for missionary service. Jonah was sent to Nineveh in part to shame Israel by the fact that a pagan city repented at the preaching of a stranger, whereas Israel would not repent though preached to by many prophets. He was soon to learn that God's love and mercy extends to all of his creatures (Jonah 4:2, 10–11), not just his covenant people (cf. Gen. 9:27; 12:3; Lev. 19:33–34; 1 Sam. 2:10; Isa. 2:2; Joel 2:28–32).
The book of Jonah reveals God's sovereign rule over man and all creation. Creation came into being through him (Jonah 1:9) and responds to his every command (1:4, 17; 2:10; 4:6–7; cf. Mark 4:41). Jesus employed the repentance of the Ninevites to rebuke the Pharisees, thereby illustrating the hardness of the Pharisees' hearts and their unwillingness to repent (Matt. 12:38–41; Luke 11:29– 32). The heathen city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of a reluctant prophet, but the Pharisees would not repent at the preaching of the greatest of all prophets, in spite of overwhelming evidence that he was actually their Lord and Messiah. Jonah is a picture of Israel, who was chosen and commissioned by God to be his witness (Isa. 43:10–12; 44:8), who rebelled against his will (Ex. 32:1–
4; Judg. 2:11–19; Ezek. 6:1–5; Mark 7:6–9), but who has been miraculously preserved by God through centuries of exile and dispersion to finally preach his truth (Jer. 30:11; 31:35–37; Hos. 3:3–5; Rev. 7:1–8; 14:1–3).
Interpretive Challenges
The primary challenge is whether the book is to be interpreted as historical narrative or as allegory/parable. The grand scale of the miracles, such as being kept alive three days and nights in a big fish, has led some skeptics and critics to deny their historical validity and substitute spiritual lessons, either to the constituent parts (allegory) or to the book as a whole (parable). But however grandiose and miraculous the events may have been, the narrative must be viewed as historical. Centered on a historically identifiable OT prophet who lived in the eighth century B.C., the account of whom has been recorded in narrative form, there is no alternative but to understand Jonah as historical. Furthermore, Jesus did not teach the story of Jonah as a parable but as an actual account firmly rooted in history (Matt. 12:38–41; 16:4; Luke 11:29–32).
Outline
I. Running from God's Will (1:1–17)
A. The Commission of Jonah (1:1–2)
B. The Flight of Jonah (1:3) C. The Pursuit of Jonah (1:4–16) D. The Preservation of Jonah (1:17) II. Submitting to God's Will (2:1–10)
A. The Helplessness of Jonah (2:1–3)
B. The Prayer of Jonah (2:4–7) C. The Repentance of Jonah (2:8–9) D. The Deliverance of Jonah (2:10) III. Fulfilling God's Will (3:1–10)
A. The Commission Renewed (3:1–2)
B. The Prophet Obeys (3:3–4) C. The City Repents (3:5–9) D. The Lord Relents (3:10) IV. Questioning God's Will (4:1–11)
A. The Prophet Displeased (4:1–5)
B. The Prophet Rebuked (4:6–11)
Jonah
Jonah Flees the Presence of the LORD
JONAH 1 †Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2†"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil [1] has come up before me." 3†But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
4†But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish."
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
7†And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" 9†And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." 10Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11‡Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." 13‡Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [2] to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14Therefore they called out to the LORD, "O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us
innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you." 15†So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
17† [3] And the LORD appointed [4] a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah's Prayer
JONAH 2 ‡Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2†saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3†For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4†Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.' 5†The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from
the pit, O LORD my God. 7When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9†But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!"
10†And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
JONAH 3 ‡Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." 3†So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, [1] three days' journey in breadth. [2] 4†Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5†And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The People of Nineveh Repent
6†The word reached [3] the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7‡And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."
10†When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Jonah's Anger and the LORD's Compassion
JONAH 4 ‡But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, [1] and he was angry. 2And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3†Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." 4And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?"
5Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6†Now the LORD God appointed a plant [2] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. [3] So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8†When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." 9But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." 10‡And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"
Footnotes
Footnotes for Jonah, Chapter 1
[1] 1:2 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the
context; so throughout Jonah [2] 1:13 Hebrew the men dug in [their oars]
[3] 1:17 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
[4] 1:17 Or had appointed
Footnotes for Jonah, Chapter 3
[1] 3:3 Hebrew a great city to God
[2] 3:3 Or a visit was a three days' journey
[3] 3:6 Or had reached
Footnotes for Jonah, Chapter 4
[1] 4:1 Hebrew it was exceedingly evil to Jonah
[2] 4:6 Hebrew qiqayon, probably the castor oil plant; also verses 7, 9, 10
[3] 4:6 Or his evil
Study Notes
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:1 Jonah the son of Amittai. Jonah's name is Hebrew for "dove," while that of his father means "truthful" or "loyal."
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh. While other prophets prophesied against Gentile nations, this is the only case of a prophet actually being sent to a foreign nation to deliver God's message against them. This was for the salvation of that city and for the shame and jealousy of Israel, as well as a rebuke to the reluctance of the Jews to bring Gentiles to the true God. Nineveh, which dates back to Nimrod (Gen. 10:11), was located on the banks of the Tigris River approximately 500 miles northeast of Israel. It was always one of Assyria's royal cities and for many years served as the capital. The name Nineveh is thought to derive from "ninus," i.e., Nimrod, and means the residence of Nimrod or "nunu" (Akkadian for "fish"). The people worshiped the fish goddess Nanshe (the daughter of Ea, the goddess of fresh water) and Dagon the fish god who was represented as half man and half fish. that great city. Nineveh was great both in size (Jonah 3:3) and in power, exerting significant influence over the Middle East until her destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 612 B.C. It was possibly the largest city in the world at this time. According to historians, magnificent walls almost 8 miles long enveloped the inner city, with the rest of the city/district occupying an area with a circumference of some 60 miles. Its population could have approached 600,000 (cf. 4:11). their evil has come up before me. Nineveh was the center of idolatrous worship of Assur and Ishtar. A century later, Nahum pronounced doom upon Assyria for her evil ways and cruelty (Nah. 3), which was carried out by Nebuchadnezzar in 612 B.C.
Ten Miracles in Jonah
Ten Miracles in Jonah 1. 1:4 "the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea" 2. 1:7 "the lot fell on Jonah" 3. 1:15 "the sea ceased from its raging" 4. 1:17 "the Lord appointed a great fish" 5. 1:17 "to swallow up Jonah (alive)" 6. 2:10 "the Lord spoke to the fish . . . it vomited Jonah out onto the dry land" 7. 3:10 "God saw what they did . . . they turned from their evil way"
8. 4:6 "the Lord God appointed a plant" 9. 4:7 "God appointed a worm" 10. 4:8 "God appointed a scorching east wind" ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish. This is the only recorded instance of a prophet refusing God's commission (cf. Jer. 20:7–9). The location of Tarshish, known for its wealth (Ps. 72:10; Jer. 10:9; Ezek. 27:12, 25), is uncertain. The Greek historian Herodotus identified it with Tartessus, a merchant city in southern Spain. The prophet went as far west in the opposite direction as possible, showing his reluctance to bring salvation blessing to Gentiles. from the presence of the Lord. While no one can escape from the Lord's omnipresence (Ps. 139:7–12), it is thought that the prophet was attempting to flee his manifest presence in the temple at Jerusalem (cf. Gen. 4:16; Jonah 2:4). Joppa. Joppa (today Jaffa), located on the Mediterranean coast near the border of Judah and Samaria, was also the location of Peter's vision in preparation for his visit to Cornelius, a Gentile (Acts 10).
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:4 a great wind. This is not an ordinary storm, but an extreme one sent ("hurled") from God. Sailors, accustomed to storms, were afraid of this one (v. 5), a fear that served God's purpose (cf. Ps. 104:4).
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:7 cast lots. The last resort is to ascertain whose guilt has caused such divine anger. God could reveal his will by controlling the lots, which he did. This method of discernment by casting lots, the exact procedure of which is not known, was not forbidden in Israel (cf. Prov. 16:33; Josh. 7:14ff.; 15:1; 1 Sam. 14:36–45; Acts 1:26).
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:9 I am a Hebrew. Jonah identified himself by the name that Israelites used among Gentiles (cf. 1 Sam. 4:6, 9; 14:11). the Lord, the God of heaven. This title, in use from earliest times (Gen. 24:3, 7), may have been specifically chosen by Jonah to express the sovereignty of the Lord in contrast to Baal, who was a sky god (cf. 1 Kings 18:24). Spoken to sailors who were most likely from Phoenicia, the center of Baal worship, the title bears significant weight, especially when coupled with the phrase "who made the sea and the dry land." This was the appropriate identification when introducing the true and living God to pagans who didn't have Scripture, but whose reason led them to recognize the fact that there had to be a Creator (cf. Rom. 1:18–23). To begin with creation, as in Acts 14:14–17 and 17:23b–29, was the proper starting point.
To evangelize Jews, one can begin with the OT Scripture.
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:11–12 Unwilling to go to Nineveh and feeling guilty, Jonah was willing to sacrifice himself in an effort to save the lives of others. Apparently, he would rather have died than go to Nineveh.
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:13–14 Heathen sailors had more concern for one man than Jonah had for tens of thousands in Nineveh. The storm, Jonah's words, and the lots all indicated to the sailors that the Lord was involved; thus they offered sacrifices to him and made vows, indicating Jonah had told them more about God than is recorded here.
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:15 the sea ceased. This was similar to Christ's quieting the storm on the Sea of Galilee (cf. Matt. 8:23–27).
JONAH—NOTE ON 1:17 a great fish. The species of fish is uncertain; the Hebrew word for whale is not here employed. God sovereignly prepared (lit., "appointed") a great fish to rescue Jonah. Apparently Jonah sank into the depth of the sea before the fish swallowed him (cf. 2:3, 5–6). three days and three nights. See note on Matt. 12:40.
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:1–9 Jonah acknowledged God's sovereignty (vv. 1–3) and submitted to it (vv. 4–9).
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:2 the belly of Sheol. The phrase does not necessarily indicate that Jonah actually died. "Sheol" frequently has a hyperbolic meaning in contexts where it denotes a catastrophic condition near death (Ps. 30:3). Later Jonah expressed praise for his deliverance "from the pit" (Jonah 2:6), speaking of his escape from certain death.
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:3 In describing his watery experience, Jonah acknowledged that his circumstances were judgment from the Lord.
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:4 I am driven away from your sight. In 1:3, Jonah ran from the Lord's presence; here he realizes that the Lord has temporarily expelled him.
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:5 take my life. Lit., "soul." This describes Jonah's total person—both physically and spiritually (cf. v. 7).
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:9 I have vowed. Jonah found himself in the same position as
the mariners: offering sacrifices and making vows (cf. 1:16). In light of 3:1–4, Jonah's vow could well have been to carry out God's ministry will for him by preaching in Nineveh (Ps. 50:14; 66:13–14).
JONAH—NOTE ON 2:10 the Lord spoke. Just as God calls the stars by name (Isa. 40:26; cf. Ps. 147:4), so he speaks to his creation in the animal world (cf. Num. 22:28–30). Most likely, Jonah was vomited upon the shore near Joppa.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:1–2 Gracious in giving Jonah a second chance, God again commissioned him to go to Nineveh. Jonah is the only prophet actually sent by God to preach repentance in a foreign land.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:3 an exceedingly great city, three days' journey. Lit., "a great city to God," the text emphasizes not only its size (cf. 1:2) but its importance (cf. 4:11). A metropolitan city the size of Nineveh, with a circumference of about 60 miles, would require three days just to get around it. These dimensions are confirmed by historians. Stopping to preach would only add to the time requirement.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:4 Yet forty days. The time frame may harken back to Moses' supplication for 40 days and nights at Sinai (Deut. 9:18, 25). Jonah's message, while short, accomplishes God's intended purpose.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:5 the people . . . believed God. Jonah's experience with the fish (2:1–10), in light of the Ninevites' pagan beliefs (see note on 1:2), certainly gained him an instant hearing. From the divine side, this wholesale repentance was a miraculous work of God. Pagan sailors and a pagan city responded to the reluctant prophet, showing the power of God in spite of the weakness of his servant.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:6 The king of Nineveh, thought to be either Adad-nirari III (c. 810–783) or Assurdan III (c. 772–755), exchanged his royal robes for sackcloth and ashes (cf. Job 42:6; Isa. 58:5). Reports of Jonah's miraculous fish experience may have preceded him to Nineveh, accounting for the swift and widespread receptivity of his message (cf. Jonah 1:2). It is generally believed that acid from the fish's stomach would have bleached Jonah's face, thus validating the experience.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:7–9 man and beast. It was a Persian custom to use animals in mourning ceremonies.
JONAH—NOTE ON 3:10 God saw . . . God relented. See notes on 2 Sam. 24:16; Jer. 42:10 (cf. Jer. 18:7–8). The Ninevites truly repented.
JONAH—NOTE ON 4:1–2 Jonah, because of his rejection of Gentiles and distaste for their participation in salvation, was displeased at God's demonstration of mercy towards the Ninevites, thereby displaying the real reason for his original flight to Tarshish. From the very beginning, Jonah had clearly understood the gracious character of God (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). He had received pardon, but didn't want Nineveh to know God's mercy (cf. a similar attitude in Luke 15:25ff.).
JONAH—NOTE ON 4:3 it is better for me to die than to live. Perhaps Jonah was expressing the reality of breaking his vow (2:9) to God a second time (cf. Num. 30:2; Eccles. 5:1–6).
JONAH—NOTE ON 4:6 a plant. The identity is uncertain, but it possibly could be the fast-growing castor oil plant, which in hot climates grows rapidly to give shade with its large leaves.
JONAH—NOTE ON 4:8 scorching east wind. A hot, scorching wind, normally called "sirocco," blowing off the Arabian desert. The shelter Jonah made for himself (v. 5) would not exclude this agent of God's sovereignty.
JONAH—NOTE ON 4:10–11 God's love for the people of Nineveh, whom he had created, is far different from Jonah's indifference to their damnation and greater than Jonah's warped concern for a wild plant for which he had done nothing. God was ready to spare Sodom for 10 righteous; how much more a city that includes 120,000 small children, identified as those who cannot discern the right hand from the left (cf. Gen. 18:22–23). With that many three-or four-year-old children, it is reasonable to expect a total population in excess of 600,000.
Micah
Micah 1 • Micah 2 • Micah 3 • Micah 4 • Micah 5 • Micah 6 • Micah 7 Introduction to Micah
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to Micah
Title
The name of the book is derived from the prophet who, having received the word of the Lord, was commissioned to proclaim it. Micah, whose name is shared by others in the OT (e.g., Judg. 17:1; 2 Chron. 13:2; Jer. 36:11), is a shortened form of Micaiah (or Michaiah) and means "Who is like the Lord?" In Mic. 7:18, Micah uses a play on his own name, saying "Who is a God like you?"
Author and Date
The first verse establishes Micah as the author. Beyond that, little is known about him. His parentage is not given, but his name suggests a godly heritage. He traces his roots to the town of Moresheth (1:1, 14), located in the foothills of Judah, approximately 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the border of Judah and Philistia, near Gath. From a productive agricultural area, he was like Amos, a country resident removed from the national politics and religion, yet chosen by God (3:8) to deliver a message of judgment to the princes and people of Jerusalem.
Micah places his prophecy during the reigns of Jotham (750–731 B.C.), Ahaz (731–715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715–686 B.C.). His indictments of social injustices and religious corruption renew the theme of Amos (mid-eighth century B.C.) and his contemporaries, Hosea in the north (c. 755–710 B.C.) and in the south Isaiah (c. 739–690 B.C.). This fits what is known about the character of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10–18) and his son Hezekiah prior to his sweeping spiritual reformations (2 Chron. 29; 31:1). His references to the imminent fall of Samaria (Mic. 1:6) clearly position him before 722 B.C., at approximately 735–710 B.C.
Background and Setting
Because the northern kingdom was about to fall to Assyria during Micah's ministry in 722 B.C., Micah dates his message with the mention of Judean kings only. While Israel was an occasional recipient of his words (cf. 1:5–7), his primary attention was directed toward the southern kingdom in which he lived.
The economic prosperity and the absence of international crises that marked the days of Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.), during which the borders of Judah and Israel rivaled those of David and Solomon (cf. 2 Kings 14:23–27), were slipping away. Syria and Israel invaded Judah, taking the wicked Ahaz temporarily captive (cf. 2 Chron. 28:5–16; Isa. 7:1–2). After Assyria had overthrown Syria and Israel, the good king Hezekiah withdrew his allegiance to Assyria, causing Sennacherib to besiege Jerusalem in 701 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 18–19; 2 Chron. 32). The Lord then sent his angel to deliver Judah (2 Chron. 32:21). Hezekiah was used by God to lead Judah back to true worship.
After the prosperous reign of Uzziah, who died in 739 B.C., his son Jotham continued the same policies, but failed to remove the centers of idolatry. Outward prosperity was only a facade masking rampant social corruption and religious syncretism. Worship of the Canaanite fertility god Baal was increasingly integrated with the OT sacrificial system, reaching epidemic proportions under the reign of Ahaz (cf. 2 Chron. 28:1–4). When Samaria fell, thousands of refugees swarmed into Judah, bringing their religious syncretism with them. But while Micah (like Hosea) addressed this issue, it was the disintegration of personal and social values to which he delivered his most stinging rebukes and stern warnings (e.g., Mic. 7:5–6). Assyria was the dominant power and a constant threat to Judah, so Micah's prediction that Babylon, then under Assyrian rule, would conquer Judah (4:10) seemed remote. Thus, as the prophet Amos was to Israel, Micah was to Judah.
Historical and Theological Themes
Primarily, Micah proclaimed a message of judgment to a people persistently pursuing evil. Similar to other prophets (cf. Hos. 4:1; Amos 3:1), Micah presented his message in lawsuit/courtroom terminology (Mic. 1:2; 6:1–2). The prophecy is arranged in three oracles or cycles, each beginning with the admonition to "hear" (1:2; 3:1; 6:1). Within each oracle, he moves from doom to hope—doom because they have broken God's law given at Sinai; hope because of God's unchanging covenant with their forefathers (7:20). One third of the book targets the sins of his people; another third looks at the punishment of God to come; and another third promises hope for the faithful after the judgment. Thus, the theme of the inevitability of divine judgment for sin is coupled together with God's immutable commitment to his covenant promises. The combination of God's 1) absolute consistency in judging sin and 2) unbending
commitment to his covenant through the remnant of his people provides the hearers with a clear disclosure of the character of the Sovereign of the universe. Through divine intervention, he will bring about both judgment on sinners and blessing on those who repent.
Interpretive Challenges
The verbal similarity between Mic. 4:1–3 and Isa. 2:2–4 raises the question of who quoted whom. Interpreters are divided, with no clear-cut answers on either side. Because the two prophets lived in close proximity to each other, prophesying during the same period, this similarity is understandable. God gave the same message through two preachers. The introductory phrase, "in the latter days" (Mic. 4:1), removes these verses from any postexilic fulfillment and requires an eschatological timeframe surrounding the second advent of Christ and the beginning of the millennium.
Apart from Isa. 2:2–4, three other passages from Micah are quoted elsewhere in Scripture. Micah 3:12 is quoted in Jer. 26:18, thereby saving Jeremiah's life from King Jehoiakim's death sentence. Micah 5:2 is quoted by the chief priests and scribes (Matt. 2:6) in response to Herod's query about the birthplace of the Messiah. Micah 7:6 is employed by Jesus in Matt. 10:35–36 when commissioning his disciples.
Outline
I. Superscription (1:1) II. God Gathers to Judge and Deliver (1:2–2:13)
A. Samaria and Judah Punished (1:2–16)
B. Oppressors Judged (2:1–5) C. False Prophets Renounced (2:6–11) D. Promise of Deliverance (2:12–13) III. God Judges Rulers and Comes to Deliver (3:1–5:15)
A. The Contemporary Leaders are Guilty (3:1–12)
B. The Coming Leader Will Deliver and Restore (4:1–5:15) IV. God Brings Indictments and Ultimate Deliverance (6:1–7:20)
A. Messages of Reproof and Lament (6:1–7:6)
B. Messages of Confidence and Victory (7:7–20)
Micah
MICAH 1 †The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Destruction
2‡†Hear, you peoples, all of you; [1] pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord GOD be a
witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 3‡†For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. 5†All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem? 6‡Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. 7†All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return. 8‡For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. 9†For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. 10‡†Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah
roll yourselves in the dust. 11†Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir,
in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan
do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel
shall take away from you its standing place. 12†For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good, because disaster has come down from the LORD
to the gate of Jerusalem. 13†Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin
to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found
the transgressions of Israel. 14†Therefore you shall give parting gifts [2] to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel. 15†I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel
shall come to Adullam. 16†Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile.
Woe to the Oppressors
MICAH 2 ‡‡Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their
beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of
their hand. 2†They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. 3‡Therefore thus says the LORD: behold, against this family I am devising disaster, [1] from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk
haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster. 4In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, "We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how
he removes it from me! To an apostate he allots our fields." 5Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the LORD. 6‡†"Do not preach"—thus they preach— "one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us." 7†Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Has the LORD grown impatient? [2] Are these his deeds? Do not my words do good
to him who walks uprightly? 8But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war. [3] 9†The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever. 10Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction. 11†If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," he would be the preacher for this people! 12‡†I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture,
a noisy multitude of men. 13He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the LORD at their head.
Rulers and Prophets Denounced
MICAH 3 ‡And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?— 2you who hate the good and love the
evil, who tear the skin from off my people [1] and their flesh from off their bones, 3who eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron. 4Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their
deeds evil. 5‡Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace"
when they have something to eat, but declare war against him
who puts nothing into their mouths. 6Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over
them; 7the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips,
for there is no answer from God. 8†But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. 9‡Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, 10who build Zion with blood and
Jerusalem with iniquity. 11Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD
and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us." 12†Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a
wooded height.
The Mountain of the LORD
MICAH 4 ‡†It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the
house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up
above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2†and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, [1]
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3†He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; 4†but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. 5†For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
The LORD Shall Rescue Zion
6‡In that day, declares the LORD, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have
afflicted; 7†and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. 8And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come,
the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. 9‡Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished,
that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
10Writhe and groan, [2] O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued;
there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11‡Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, "Let her be defiled,
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion." 12But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor. 13†Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron,
and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote [3] their gain to the
LORD, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem
MICAH 5 † [1] Now muster your troops, O daughter [2] of troops; siege is
laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2‡† [3] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days. 3†Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4†And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the
earth. 5‡†And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; 6†they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.
A Remnant Shall Be Delivered
7‡Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man
nor wait for the children of man. 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the
flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. 9†Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10†And in that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; 11‡and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; 12and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; 13and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands; 14and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. 15And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.
The Indictment of the LORD
MICAH 6 ‡†Hear what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the
mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3‡"O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD."
What Does the LORD Require?
6‡"With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with [1] thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the
sin of my soul?" 8†He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, [2] and to walk humbly with your God?
Destruction of the Wicked
9‡†The voice of the LORD cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: "Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it! [3]
10Can I forget any longer the treasures [4] of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? 11Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12Your [5] rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. 14You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve,
and what you preserve I will give to the sword. 15You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. 16†For you have kept the statutes of Omri, [6] and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your [7] inhabitants a hissing; so you
shall bear the scorn of my people."
Wait for the God of Salvation
MICAH 7 ‡†Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has
been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat,
no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. 2The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. 3Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. 4The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their
confusion is at hand. 5Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms; [1] 6for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7†But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. 8‡Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me. 9I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication. 10†Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. 11‡A day for the building of your walls!
In that day the boundary shall be far extended. 12In that day they [2] will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. 13But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds. 14‡Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest
in the midst of a garden land; [3] let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old. 15†As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them [4] marvelous things. 16The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; 17they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
God's Steadfast Love and Compassion
18‡†Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love. 19He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our [5] sins into the depths of the sea. 20†You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Footnotes
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 1
[1] 1:2 Hebrew all of them
[2] 1:14 Or give dowry
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 2
[1] 2:3 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the
context [2] 2:7 Hebrew Has the spirit of the LORD grown short?
[3] 2:8 Or returning from war
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 3
[1] 3:2 Hebrew from off them
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 4
[1] 4:2 Or teaching
[2] 4:10 Or push
[3] 4:13 Hebrew devote to destruction
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 5
[1] 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Hebrew
[2] 5:1 That is, city
[3] 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 6
[1] 6:7 Or Will the LORD accept
[2] 6:8 Or steadfast love
[3] 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 6:10 Or Are there still
treasures
[5] 6:12 Hebrew whose
[6] 6:16 Hebrew For the statutes of Omri are kept
[7] 6:16 Hebrew its
Footnotes for Micah, Chapter 7
[1] 7:5 Hebrew bosom
[2] 7:12 Hebrew he
[3] 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
[4] 7:15 Hebrew him
[5] 7:19 Hebrew their
Study Notes
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:1 Moresheth. Located southwest of Jerusalem, near the Philistine city of Gath (cf. 1:14).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:2–7 The prophet summons all the nations (v. 2) of the world into court to hear charges against Samaria and Judah (vv. 5–7; cf. Isa. 3:13–14). Their destruction was to be a warning example to the nations, prefiguring God's judgment on all who sin against him. As an omnipotent Conqueror, the Sovereign over all creation is assured of victory (Mic. 1:3–4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:2 his holy temple. Context points to God's heavenly throne (cf. Ps. 11:4; Isa. 6:1, 4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:3–4 high places . . . mountains. These could refer to key military positions, so crucial to Israel's defense, or to the pagan places of worship in the land (cf. v. 5). When fortifications disappeared like melted wax, people were gripped by the terrifying reality that they were to answer to the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25; Amos 4:12–13).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:3 the Lord is coming . . . down. A warning of impending divine judgment by One who sits in the ultimate High Place.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:5 Samaria . . . Jerusalem. The two capitals of Israel and Judah, here representative of their respective nations.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:6–7 The Lord spoke directly of the fall of Samaria at the hands of the Assyrians (c. 722 B.C.).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:7 fee of a prostitute. Centers of idolatry were financed primarily through payments of money, food, and clothing (cf. Gen. 38:17–18; Ezek. 16:10–11; Hos. 2:8–9; 3:1) to cultic prostitutes, who were strictly forbidden in Israel (Deut. 23:17–18). Precious gold and silver, taken from Israel's temples, was used by the Assyrian invaders for their own idol worship.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:8–16 The judgment was so grave that even the prophet lamented as he traced the enemy's irreversible (v. 9) invasion.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:9 the gate of my people. Assyria, under Sennacherib, came close to toppling Judah in 701 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 18:13–27). It is best to see "my" in reference to Micah, not God, contra. some translations.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:10–15 Eleven towns west of Jerusalem are mentioned, some with a play on words.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:10 Tell it not in Gath. Reflective of David's dirge at Saul's death (cf. 2 Sam. 1:20), Micah admonished them not to tell the Philistines, lest they would be glad and rejoice. Micah, because of the location of his upbringing, knew how they would react.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:11 Zaanan do not come out. These inhabitants, in danger and fear, would not go out to console their neighbors who had been overrun.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:12 disaster has come down. This points to the Lord as the source of judgment (cf. vv. 3–4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:13 Lachish . . . sin to the daughter of Zion. Located southwest of Jerusalem, Lachish was a key military fortress whose "sin" was dependence on military might.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:14 give parting gifts. As parting gifts were given to brides (cf. 1 Kings 9:16), this was a symbol of the departure of Moresheth-gath into captivity.
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:15 glory of Israel . . . Adullam. The people of Israel (i.e., her "glory"; cf. Hos. 9:11–13) were to flee to the caves, as David did to the cave at Adullam (2 Sam. 23:13).
MICAH—NOTE ON 1:16 Make yourselves bald. Priests were forbidden to make themselves bald (Lev. 21:5), nor were the people to imitate the heathen practice of doing so (Deut. 14:1). But here it would be acceptable as a sign of deep mourning (Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20; Isa. 22:12; Ezek. 7:18).
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:1–11 As ch. 1 denounced sin against God; ch. 2 denounces sin against man. In 2:1–5, Micah decried the corrupt practices of the affluent; in vv. 6–11 he attacked the false prophets and those who would silence the true prophets.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:1–2 The courtroom scene continues, with the accusations being read against the affluent: they had violated the tenth commandment (Ex. 20:17; cf. 22:26; 23:4–9). The poor, unable to defend themselves, were at the mercy of the wealthy.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:2 his inheritance. Property in Israel was ultimately to be permanent (Lev. 25:10, 13; Num. 36:1–12; cf. 1 Kings 21).
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:3–5 As a result of sin, God would allow foreign invaders to divide their land; none of them would have the inheritance apportioned to them. As the rich took from the poor, so God would take back that which he gave as judgment on the nation.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:6–11 False prophets, commanding Micah to cease prophesying, would certainly not prophesy against the people's evil doing; they would not confront them with the divine standard of holiness. Rather, their false message (v. 7) had stopped the mouths of the true prophets and had permitted the rulers to engage in social atrocities (vv. 8–9), leading the people to destruction (v. 10). They didn't want true prophecies; therefore, they got what they wanted (cf. Isa. 30:10). It is best to understand that Micah speaks in Mic. 2:6 and God in v v. 7–11.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:6 Do not preach. The true prophet was accused of childish babbling, when the real babblers were the false prophets (cf. v. 11).
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:7 Lord. God responded to the evil prophets that their message affirming sin in the nation was inconsistent with the Holy Spirit and his true message to Micah (cf. 3:8). God's words do reward the righteous, but they also rebuke those engaging in evil deeds.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:9 women of my people. Most likely a reference to widows.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:11 The people accepted any "prophet" who would tailor his message to their greed, wealth, and prosperity.
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:12–13 Messiah will make ready the way, removing the obstacles that might hinder his remnant's deliverance and return at the second advent (cf. Isa. 11:15–16; 52:12).
MICAH—NOTE ON 2:12 remnant. Cf. 4:7; 5:7–8; 7:18. See note on Isa. 10:20.
MICAH—NOTE ON 3:1–4 In beginning the second oracle, Micah first addressed Israel's corrupt rulers, as in 2:1–2, who should be aware of injustice. Yet their conduct toward the poor was like the butchering of animals (3:2–3). Therefore, when judgment came and they cried for help, God didn't answer (v. 4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 3:5–7 False prophets (cf. 2:6–11) also stood guilty before the Judge because they misled the people, prophesying peace when they were fed, but predicting war when they were not (3:5). Like the rulers, they too were motivated by greed. Therefore, having blinded others, they would be struck with blindness and silence (vv. 6–7).
MICAH—NOTE ON 3:8 Micah, in contrast to the false prophets, spoke by the power of God's Holy Spirit (cf. 2:7). Therefore his message was authoritative and true.
MICAH—NOTE ON 3:9–12 All ruling classes are guilty: rulers judged for reward (vv. 9–11a), priests taught for hire (v. 11b), prophets divined for money (v. 11c). All the while, they were self-deceived into thinking the Lord would give them favor because they identified themselves with him. Consequently, the nation would be destroyed (fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.).
MICAH—NOTE ON 3:12 Cf. Jer. 26:18.
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:1–3 Cf. Isa. 2:2–4.
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:1 In a reversal of 3:12, Micah shifted from impending judgment to prophecies of the future millennial kingdom ("the latter days") in which Mount Zion (4:2), the center of Messiah's coming earthly kingdom, shall be raised both spiritually and physically (cf. Zech. 14:9–10). This discussion continues to Mic. 5:15.
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:2 many nations. People throughout the earth, not just Israel, will come as a spontaneous "flow" (cf. v. 1) to worship the Lord in Jerusalem during the millennium (cf. Zech. 8:20–23).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:3 beat their swords into plowshares. Because the Almighty One is ruling in Jerusalem with a rod of iron (cf. Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15), and because of the unprecedented fruitfulness of the land (cf. Amos 9:13), military hardware will no longer be needed.
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:4 under his vine . . . fig tree. Once employed as a description of the peaceful era of Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 4:25), this phrase looks forward to greater peace and prosperity in the millennium (cf. Zech. 3:10).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:5 Even if all others were walking after other gods at the present, the godly remnant of Israel would no longer pursue other gods but would walk after the true God in the millennial kingdom (cf. Josh. 24:15).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:6–8 Micah continued to describe the wonderful conditions of the coming earthly kingdom of Messiah. Repeating the figure of sheep (cf. 2:12– 13), the "tower of the flock" depicted the city of Jerusalem, the future dwelling place of Messiah, as watching over the people.
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:7 forevermore. The Hebrew term does not always mean "without end," but signifies a long, indefinite period of time, the length of which is always determined by the context. Here it refers to the 1,000-year reign of Messiah on earth (cf. Rev. 20).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:9–10 Judah will be taken captive to Babylon (vv. 9–10a), but the Lord will release them from there (v. 10b), by the edict of Persian king Cyrus (c. 538 B.C.), allowing them to return to Jerusalem (cf. Ezra 1:2–4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:11–13 Micah switched again to the time of the second advent. The gathering of "many nations" and "many peoples" depicts that future battle of Armageddon (Zech. 12; 14). In that day, the Lord will empower his people (cf. Mic. 5:7–9; Isa. 11:14; Zech. 14:14).
MICAH—NOTE ON 4:13 horn iron . . . hoofs bronze. Using the figurative language of an animal with metal features, the Lord looked to a day when Israel will permanently defeat their enemies.
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:1 strike the judge of Israel. A reference to the capture of King Zedekiah at the hands of Babylon in 586 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24–25).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:2–4 This passage looked forward to Christ's first advent (5:2), an intervening time (5:3a), and beyond to the second advent (5:3b–4).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:2 Bethlehem Ephrathah. The town south of Jerusalem that was the birthplace of David and later Jesus Christ (1 Samuel 16; Matt. 2:5; Luke 2:4–7). The name Bethlehem means "house of bread" because the area was a
grain-producing region in OT times. The name Ephrathah ("fruitful") differentiates it from the Galilean town by the same name. The town, known for her many vineyards and olive orchards, was small in size but not in honor. from of old, from ancient days. This speaks of eternal God's incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ. It points to his millennial reign as King of kings (cf. Isa. 9:6).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:3 give them up. A reference to the interval between Messiah's rejection at his first advent and his second advent, during the times of the Gentiles when Israel rejects Christ and is under the domination of enemies. Regathering of the "remainder of his brethren" did not occur at the first advent but is slated for the second advent (cf. Isa. 10:20–22; 11:11–16). Nor can "return" speak of Gentiles, since it cannot be said that they "returned" to the Lord. Rather, the context of Mic. 5:3–4 is millennial and cannot be made to fit the first advent. Thus, "she who is in labor" must denote the nation of Israel (cf. Rev. 12:1–6).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:4 The millennial rule of Christ, sitting upon the throne of David (cf. Isa. 6:13).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:5–6 Assyrian. Assyria, God's instrument against Israel (722
B.C.) and Judah (Sennacherib's siege in 701 B.C.) is here used as a representative of enemy nations in opposition to the Lord.
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:5 seven . . . eight. An idiom for a full and sufficient number of leaders, more than enough for the task (cf. Eccles. 11:2).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:6 Nimrod. A reference to Assyria (cf. Gen. 10:11) that could possibly also include Babylon (cf. Gen. 10:10).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:7–9 Israel's presence in the midst of many peoples would be to some a source of blessing (cf. Zech. 8:22–23); to others, she would be like a lion—a source of fear and destruction (cf. Isa. 11:14; Zech. 12:2–3, 6; 14:14).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:9 all your enemies. This absolute and complete peace has never yet been experienced by Israel. This points to the millennial kingdom when the Prince of Peace shall reign, having conquered the nations (cf. v. 15).
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:10 in that day. The future kingdom is in view. Israel had been forbidden the use of cavalry (Deut. 17:16), lest they trust in earthly forces,
rather than God (1 Kings 10:26, 28). God will remove all implements in which they trust so the people, stripped of all human resources, rest only on him. War instruments will have no place in that time of peace.
MICAH—NOTE ON 5:11–14 cut off the cities . . . strongholds. Continuing the thought from v. 10, fortified cities were designed for defense; their strength tempted people to put their trust in them rather than in God alone (cf. 1:13; Ps. 27:1; Hos. 10:13–14). People will live in peace in unwalled villages (Ezek. 38:11). The cities are also associated with centers of pagan worship (Mic. 5:14; cf. Deut. 16:21), the worship of Asherah (Canaanite goddess of fertility and war). All forms of self-reliance in war and idolatrous worship will be removed so that the nation must rely solely on Christ their King for deliverance and worship him alone.
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:1 Micah opens this third cycle of oracles (6:1–7:20) with a dramatic courtroom motif moving back and forth between three speakers: the Lord pleading his case, the people responding under conviction, and the prophet as the lawyer for the plaintiff.
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:1–2 The Lord commanded Micah (v. 1), as his advocate, to plead his case before the mountains and hills, which were to act as witnesses against his people (cf. Deut. 4:25–26; Isa. 1:2). The mountains and hills were present at Sinai when the Lord made his covenant with Israel and when the commandments were written and placed in the ark of the covenant as a permanent witness (cf. Deut. 31:26).
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:3–5 This was the Lord's appeal. With tenderness and emotion, the divine Plaintiff recalled his many gracious acts toward them, almost to the point of assuming the tone of a defendant. Noting their trek from bondage in Egypt to their own homeland, God had provided leadership (v. 4), reversed the attempts of Balaam to curse the people (v. 5a; cf. Num. 22–24), and miraculously parted the Jordan River (Mic. 6:5b) so they could cross over from Shittim, located east of the Jordan, to Gilgal on the west side near Jericho. God had faithfully kept all his promises to them.
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:6–7 Micah, as though speaking on behalf of the people, asked rhetorically how, in light of God's faithfulness toward them, they could continue their hypocrisy by being outwardly religious but inwardly sinful.
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:8 Micah's terse response (v. 8) indicated they should have known the answer to the rhetorical question. Spiritual blindness had led them to offer everything except the one thing he wanted—a spiritual commitment of the heart from which right behavior would ensue (cf. Deut. 10:12–19; Matt. 22:37– 39). This theme is often represented in the OT (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Isa. 1:11–20; Jer. 7:21–23; Hos. 6:6; Amos 5:15).
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:9–16 The Lord was sending judgment; God himself had appointed the time and instrument to punish his people. The Lord spoke, noting that their corrupt deeds perpetrated on the poor were still continuing, in spite of his warnings and discipline (vv. 10–12). Therefore, a severe judgment was coming (vv. 13–15); it would happen to them just as it did to their northern neighbor, Israel (v. 16) when led by the counsel of wicked kings.
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:9 Hear. Listen for the description of the coming punishment (cf. vv. 13–15; Isa. 10:5, 24).
MICAH—NOTE ON 6:16 statutes of Omri. C. 885–874 B.C. He was the founder of Samaria and of Ahab's wicked house as well as a supporter of Jeroboam's superstitions (cf. 1 Kings 16:16–28). works of the house of Ahab. Cf. 1 Kings 21:25–26 (c. 874–853 B.C.).
MICAH—NOTE ON 7:1–6 Micah lamented the circumstances of his day. In his vain search for an upright person (cf. v. 2), he compared himself to the vinedresser who enters his vineyard late in the season and finds no fruit. The leaders conspired together to get what they wanted (v. 3). No one could be trusted (vv. 5–6). Christ used v. 6 as an illustration when he commissioned the twelve (Matt. 10:1, 35–36).
MICAH—NOTE ON 7:1 Woe is me! Micah sounded like Isaiah (cf. Isa. 6:5).
MICAH—NOTE ON 7:7 In spite of his dire circumstances, Micah, as a watchman (cf. v. 4), would intently look for evidence of God's working, trusting God to act in his own time and way (cf. Hab. 3:16–19).
MICAH—NOTE ON 7:8–10 Israel confessed her faith in the Lord, warning her enemies that she will rise again (vv. 8, 10). She confessed her sin, acknowledging the justice of God's punishment and anticipating his restoration.