1 tn (1:1) Heb "The word of the LORD which came to."
2tn (1:1) The words "he delivered this message" are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3tn (1:1) Heb "in the days of."
4tn (1:1) Heb "which he saw concerning."
5tn (1:2) Heb "O peoples, all of them."
6tn (1:2) Heb "and all its fullness."
7tn (1:2) The words "who is coming" are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
8tn (1:2) Or "his holy temple." This refers to the Lord's dwelling in heaven, however (note the following verse, which describes a theophany).
9tn (1:3) Or "high places."
10tn (1:4) Or "melt." This is a figurative description of earthquakes, landslides, and collapse of the mountains, rather than some sort of volcanic activity (note the remainder of the verse).
11sn (1:4) The mountains will disintegrate...the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.
12tn (1:4) The words "the mountains will melt" are supplied in the translation for clarification. The simile extends back to the first line of the verse.
13tn (1:4) The words "the rocks will slide down" are supplied in the translation for clarification. This simile elaborates on the prior one and further develops the imagery of the verse's first line.
14tn (1:5) Heb "and because of." This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15tn (1:5) Heb "house."
16tn (1:5) Heb "What is the rebellion of Jacob?"
17tn (1:5) Heb "Is it not Samaria?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "It certainly is!"
18tn (1:5) Heb "What are Judah's high places?"
19tn (1:5) Heb "Is it not Jerusalem?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "It certainly is!"
sn (1:5) In vv. 2-5 Micah narrows the scope of God's judgment from the nations (vv. 2-4) to his covenant people (v. 5). Universal judgment is coming, but ironically Israel is the focal point of God's anger. In v. 5c the prophet includes Judah within the scope of divine judgment, for it has followed in the pagan steps of the northern kingdom. He accomplishes this with rhetorical skill. In v. 5b he develops the first assertion of v. 5a ("All of this is because of Jacob's rebellion"). One expects in v. 5c an elaboration of the second assertion in v. 5a ("and the sins of the nation of Israel"), which one assumes, in light of v. 5b, pertains to the northern kingdom. But the prophet specifies the "sins" as "high places" and makes it clear that "the nation of Israel" includes Judah. Verses 6-7 further develop v. 5b (judgment on the northern kingdom), while vv. 8-16 expand on v. 5c (judgment on Judah).
20tn (1:6) Heb "into a planting place for vineyards."
21tn (1:6) Heb "pour."
22tn (1:7) Heb "and all her prostitute's wages will be burned by fire."
sn (1:7) The precious metal used by Samaria's pagan worship centers to make idols are here compared to a prostitute's wages because Samaria had been unfaithful to the LORD and prostituted herself to pagan gods, such as Baal.
23tn (1:7) Heb "I will make desolate."
24tn (1:7) Or "for."
25tn (1:7) No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words "the metal" are supplied from the context.
26tn (1:7) Heb "for from a prostitute's wages she gathered, and to a prostitute's wages they will return." When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the LORD's fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.
27tn (1:8) The prophet is probably the speaker here.
28tn (1:8) Or "stripped." The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).
29tn (1:8) Heb "naked." This probably refers to stripping off one's outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.
30tn (1:8) Heb "I will make lamentation."
31tn (1:8) Or "a jackal."
32tn (1:8) Heb "[make] a mourning."
33tn (1:8) Or perhaps "ostrich."
34tn (1:9) Heb "her"; the referent (Samaria) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35tc (1:9) The MT reads the plural "wounds"; the singular is read by the LXX, Syriac, and Vg.
tn (1:9) Or "wound."
36tn (1:9) Heb "come to."
37tn (1:9) Or "reached."
38tn (1:9) Heb "the gate." Kings and civic leaders typically conducted important business at the city gate (see 1 Kgs 22:10 for an example), and the term is understood here to refer by metonymy to the leadership who would be present at the gate.
39tn (1:10) Heb "Tell it not in Gath." The Hebrew word for "tell" (dg~n´, n´g~d) sounds like the name of the city, Gath (tG~, G~t).
40tn (1:10) The Hebrew infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the prohibition.
41tn (1:10) The translation assumes a masculine plural imperative. If one were to emend tyb@B= to tyb@, Beth Leaphra would then be the addressee and the feminine singular imperative (see Qere) could be retained, "O Beth Leaphra, sit in the dust."
sn (1:10) To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphra means "house of dust."
42tn (1:11) The Hebrew participial form, which is feminine singular, is here used in a collective sense for the all the residents of the town. See GKC §122.s.
43sn (1:11) The place name Shaphir means "pleasant" in Hebrew.
44tn (1:11) The imperatival form is used rhetorically, emphasizing that the inhabitants of Shaphir will pass by into exile.
45tn (1:11) Heb "have not come out."
sn (1:11) The expression can't leave their city alludes to a siege of the town. The place name Zaanan sounds like the verb "come out" (i.e., "can't leave") in Hebrew.
46sn (1:11) The place name Beth Ezel means "house of nearness" or "house of proximity" in Hebrew.
47tn (1:11) Heb "the lamentation of Beth Ezel." The following words could be the lamentation offered up by Beth Ezel (subjective genitive) or the mourning song sung over it (objective genitive).
48tc (1:11) The form otD´m=u# (u#mD*to) should be emended to otdmj, "his (the conqueror's) desire."
tn (1:11) The precise meaning of the line is uncertain. The translation assumes: (a) the subject of the third masculine singular verb jQ~y] (y]Q~j, "he/it takes") is the conqueror, (b) the second masculine plural suffix ("you") on the preposition /m! (m!/, "from") refers to the residents of Shaphir and Zaanan, (c) the final form otD´m=u# (u#mD*to) should be emended to otdmj, "his (the conqueror's) desire."
49sn (1:12) The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for "bitter."
50tc (1:12) The translation assumes an emendation of hl*j* (from lWj, "to writhe") to hljy (from ljy, "to wait").
tn (1:12) Heb "[the residents of Maroth] writhe [= "anxiously long for"?] good."
51tn (1:12) Heb "though disaster has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem."
52sn (1:13) The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for "team [of horses]."
53tn (1:13) Heb "she"; this has been translated as second person ("you") in keeping with the direct address to the residents of Lachish in the previous line.
54sn (1:13) The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.
55tn (1:13) Heb "She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion."
56tn (1:14) The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.
57tn (1:14) Heb "you will give a dowry to." Lachish is compared to a father who presents wedding gifts to his daughter as she leaves her father's home to take up residence with her husband. In similar fashion Lachish will bid farewell to Moresheth Gath, for the latter will be taken by the invader.
58tn (1:14) Heb "houses." By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.
59sn (1:14) The place name Aczib means "deception" in Hebrew.
60tn (1:14) Heb "will be a deception."
61sn (1:14) Because of the enemy invasion, Aczib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.
62sn (1:15) The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for "conqueror."
63tn (1:15) Heb "Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah." The first person verb is problematic, for the LORD would have to be the subject. But the prophet appears to be delivering this lament and the LORD is referred to in the third person in v. 12. Consequently many emend the verb to a third person form (aoby´ [y´boa]) and understand the "conqueror" as subject.
64tn (1:15) Heb "to Adullam the glory of Israel will go." This probably means that the nation's leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam. Cf. NIV's "He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam," which sounds as if an individual is in view, and could be understood as a messianic reference.
65tn (1:16) Heb "over the sons of your delight."
66tn (1:16) Heb "make wide your baldness."
67tn (1:16) Or "vulture's." The Hebrew term rv#n\ (n\v#r) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.
1tn (2:1) Heb "Woe to those who plan sin." The Hebrew term yoh (hoy, "woe"; "ah") was a cry used in mourning the dead.
2tn (2:1) Heb "those who do evil upon their beds."
3tn (2:1) Heb "at the light of morning they do it."
4tn (2:2) Heb "they desire fields and rob [them], and houses and take [them] away."
5tn (2:2) Heb "and they oppress a man and his house, and a man and his inheritance." The verb qv^u* (u*v^q, "to oppress"; "to wrong") does double duty in the parallel structure and is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
6tn (2:3) Heb "clan" or "extended family."
7tn (2:3) Heb "from which you will not remove your neck." The words "It will be like a yoke" are supplied in the translation for clarification.
8tn (2:3) Or "you will not."
9tc (2:4) The form hy´h=n] (n]hy´h) should be omitted as dittographic (note the preceding yh!n+ hh*n´w+ [w+n´h*h n+h!y]).
tn (2:4) Heb "one will lament [with] a lamentation [and] say."
10tn (2:4) Or "exchange." The LXX suggests a reading dmy, from dd~m* (m*d^d, "to measure"). In this case one could translate, "the property of my people is measured out [i.e., for resale]."
11tn (2:4) Heb "how one removes for me." Apparently the preposition has the nuance "from" here.
12tc (2:4) The Hebrew term bb@ov (vob@b, "the one turning back") elsewhere has the nuance "apostate" (cf. NASB) or "traitor" (cf. NIV). The translation assumes an emendation to hbv ("captor").
tn (2:4) Heb "to the one turning back he assigns our fields."
13tn (2:5) Heb "therefore you will not have one who strings out a measuring line by lot in the assembly of the LORD."
sn (2:5) No one will assign you land in the LORD's community. When judgment passes and the people are restored to the land, those greedy ones who disregarded the ancient land allotments will not be allowed to participate in the future redistribution of the land.
14tn (2:6) Heb "`Do not foam at the mouth,' they foam at the mouth." The verb [f^n´ means "to drip." When used of speech it probably has the nuance "to drivel, to foam at the mouth" (see HALOT 694). The sinful people tell the LORD's prophets not to "foam at the mouth," which probably refers in a derogatory way to their impassioned style of delivery. But the LORD (who is probably still speaking here, see v. 3) sarcastically refers to their impassioned exhortation as "foaming at the mouth."
15tc (2:6) If one follows the MT as it stands, it would appear that the LORD here condemns the people for their "foaming at the mouth" and then announces that judgment is inevitable. The present translation assumes that this is a continuation of the quotation of what the people say. In this case the subject of "foam at the mouth" is the LORD's prophets. In the second line gS^y] (y]S^g, a Niphal imperfect from gWs [sWg, "to remove"]) is emended to gysy (a Hiphil imperfect from gsn/gcn ["to reach; to overtake"]).
tn (2:6) Heb "they should not foam at the mouth concerning these things, humiliation will not be removed."
16tn (2:7) Heb "house."
17tc (2:7) The MT has rWma* (a*mWr), an otherwise unattested passive participle, which is better emended to roma* (a*mor), an infinitive absolute functioning as a finite verb (see BDB 55).
18tn (2:7) The Hebrew word j^Wr (rW^j) often means "Spirit" when used of the LORD, but here it seems to have an abstract sense, "patience." See BDB 925 (3d).
19tn (2:7) Heb "Has the patience of the LORD run short? Or are these his deeds?" The rhetorical questions expect the answer, "No, of course not." The people contest the prophet's claims that the LORD's judgment is falling on the nation.
20tn (2:7) Heb "Do not my words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "Of course they do!" The LORD begins his response to the claim of the house of Jacob that they are immune to judgment (see v. 7a). He points out that the godly are indeed rewarded, but then he goes on to show that those in the house of Jacob are not godly and can expect divine judgment, not blessing (vv. 8-11). Some emend "my words" to "his words." In this case, v. 7b is a continuation of the immediately preceding quotation. The people, thinking they are godly, confidently ask, "Do not his [God's] words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?"
21tc (2:8) Heb "Recently my people rise up as an enemy." The MT is problematic in light of v. 9, where "my people" are the object of oppression, not the perpetrators of it. The form lWmt=a#w+ (w+a#tmWl, "and recently") is probably the product of fusion and subsequent suppression of an ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to lu <taw, "and you against [my people]." The second person plural pronoun fits well with the second plural verb forms of vv. 8b-10. If this emendation is accepted, then <m@oqy+ (y+qom@<, the imperfect of <Wq [qW<]) should be emended to <ymq (a participle from the same root).
22tc (2:8) Heb "From the front of a garment glory [or perhaps, "a robe"] you strip off," but this makes little if any sense. The term lWMm! (m!mWl, "from the front of") is probably the product of dittography (note the preceding word, which ends in mem) and subsequent suppression of ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to lum ("from upon"). The translation also assumes an emendation of rd\a# hm*l=c^ (c^lm*h a#d#r, "a garment, glory [or, "robe"]," to trdah <lv ("[from] a friend the robe [you strip off]"). The MT's rd\a# (a#d#r) is the result of misdivision (the article has erroneously been attached to the preceding word) and haplography (of the final tav, which also begins the following word).
23tc (2:8) The passive participle yb@Wv (vWb@y) is unattested elsewhere and should be emended to a participle <ybv.
tn (2:8) Heb "from those passing by peacefully, returnees from war." Actual refugees, however, are probably not in view. The second line compares those who pass by peacefully with individuals returning from war. The battle is over and they do not expect their own countrymen to attack them.
24tn (2:9) Heb "from their children you take my glory forever." The expression "my glory" probably refers to the dignity or honor the LORD bestowed on each Israelite family by giving them a share of his land.
25tn (2:10) Heb "Arise, go, for this is no resting place." The LORD speaks to the oppressors.
26tn (2:10) Heb "uncleanness will destroy, and destruction will be severe."
27tn (2:11) Heb "if a man, coming [as] wind and falsehood, should lie."
28tn (2:11) Heb "I will foam at the mouth concerning wine and beer."
29tn (2:11) Heb "he would be the foamer at the mouth for this people."
30tn (2:12) Heb "the remnant of Israel."
31tc (2:12) The MT reads hr´x=B* (B*xr*h, "Bozrah") but the form should be emended to hr´X!B^ (B^X!r*h, "into the fold"). See D. Hillers, Micah, 38.
32tc (2:12) The MT reads "its pasture," but the final vav belongs with the following verb. See GKC §127.i.
33tn (2:12) Heb "and they will be noisy [or perhaps, "excited"] from men." The subject of the third feminine plural verb hn´m#yh!T= (T=h!m#n´h, "they will be noisy") is probably the feminine singular /ax) (x{a/, "flock"). (For another example of this collective singular noun with a feminine plural verb, see Gen 30:38.) In the construction <d´a*m@ (m@a*d*<, "from men") the preposition is probably causal. L. Allen translates, "bleating in fear of men" (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah, 300), but it is possible to take the causal sense as "because of the large quantity of men." In this case the sheep metaphor and the underlying reality are mixed.
34tn (2:13) Heb "the one who breaks through goes up before them." The verb form is understood as a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of this coming event.
35tn (2:13) The three verb forms (a perfect and two preterites with vav consecutive) indicate certitude.
sn (2:13) The "fold" from which the sheep/people break out is probably a reference to their place of exile.
36tn (2:13) The verb form (a preterite with vav consecutive) indicates certitude.
37tn (2:13) Heb "the LORD [will be] at their head."
1tn (3:1) Heb "heads."
2tn (3:1) Heb "house."
3tn (3:1) Heb "Should you not know justice?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "Of course you should!"
4tn (3:2) Heb "the ones who."
5tn (3:2) Or "good."
6tn (3:2) Or "evil."
7tn (3:2) Heb "their skin from upon them." The referent of the pronoun ("my people," referring to Jacob and/or the house of Israel, with the LORD as the speaker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8tn (3:2) Heb "and their flesh from their bones."
sn (3:2) Micah compares the social injustice perpetrated by the house of Jacob/Israel to cannibalism, because it threatens the very lives of the oppressed.
9tn (3:3) Heb "who."
10tc (3:3) The MT reads "and they chop up as in a pot." The translation assumes an emendation of rv#a&K^ (K^a&v#r, "as") to ra@v=K! ("like flesh").
11tn (3:4) Heb "then they will cry out to the LORD." The words "Someday these sinners" have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
12tn (3:5) Heb "concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people." The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the LORD. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after "the LORD says" (cf. NIV), but this leaves "concerning the prophets" hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add yoh (hoy, "woe, ah") at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar hw´hy+ (y+hw´h; see D. Hillers, Micah, 44). The phrase lu^ yoh (hoy u^l, "woe upon") occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with "the prophets" following the preposition in the latter instance).
13tn (3:5) Heb "those who bite with their teeth and cry out, `peace.'" The phrase "bite with the teeth" is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.
14tn (3:5) Heb "but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him."
15tn (3:6) Heb "it will be night for you without a vision."
sn (3:6) The coming of night (and darkness in the following line) symbolizes the cessation of revelation.
16tn (3:6) Heb "it will be dark for you without divination."
sn (3:6) The reading of omens (Heb "divination") was forbidden in the law (Deut 18:10), so this probably reflects the prophets' view of how they received divine revelation.
17tn (3:6) Heb "and the day will be dark over them."
18tn (3:7) Or "seers."
19tn (3:7) Or "the mustache," or perhaps "the beard."
20tn (3:7) Heb "for there will be no answer from God."
21sn (3:8) The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the LORD in the preceding verses.
22tn (3:8) Heb "am full of power, the Spirit of the LORD, and justice and strength." The appositional phrase "the Spirit of the LORD" explains the source of the prophet's power. The phrase "justice and strength" is understood here as a hendiadys, referring to the prophet's strong sense of justice.
23tn (3:8) Heb "to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin." The words "this enables me" are supplied in the translation for clarification.
24tn (3:9) Heb "house."
25tn (3:9) Heb "house."
26tn (3:9) Heb "who." A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons (also at the beginning of v. 10).
27tn (3:10) Heb "who."
28tn (3:10) Heb "bloodshed."
29sn (3:11) The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).
30tn (3:11) Heb "judge for a bribe."
31tn (3:11) Heb "they lean upon."
32tn (3:11) Heb "Is not the LORD in our midst?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "Of course he is!"
33tn (3:12) The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.
34tn (3:12) Or "into" (an adverbial accusative of result).
35tn (3:12) Heb "the mountain of the house."
36tn (3:12) Heb "a high place of overgrowth."
1tn (4:1) Heb "at the end of days."
2tn (4:1) Heb "will be established as the head of the mountains."
3tn (4:1) Heb "it will be lifted up above the hills."
4tn (4:2) Heb "house."
5tn (4:2) Heb "ways."
6tn (4:2) Heb "and we can walk in his paths."
7tn (4:2) Heb "instruction [or, "law"] will go out from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."
8tn (4:3) Or "judge."
9tn (4:3) Or "mighty."
10tn (4:3) Heb "[for many nations] to a distance."
11tn (4:4) Heb "and there will be no one making [him] afraid."
12tn (4:4) Heb "for the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken."
13tn (4:5) Heb "walk each in the name of his god." The term "name" here has the idea of "authority." To "walk in the name" of a god is to recognize the god's authority as binding over one's life.
14tn (4:5) Heb "walk in the name of."
15sn (4:6) The exiles of the nation are compared to lame and injured sheep.
16tn (4:7) Heb "make the lame into a remnant."
17tn (4:7) The precise meaning of this difficult form is uncertain. The present translation assumes the form is a Niphal participle of an otherwise unattested denominative verb al*h* (h*l*a, "to be far off"; see BDB 229), but attractive emendations include hljnh ("the sick one[s]" [from hlj]) and halnh ("the weary one[s]" [from hal]).
18tn (4:7) Heb "from now until forever."
19tn (4:8) Heb "Migdal-eder." Some English translations transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).
20sn (4:8) The city of David, located within Jerusalem, is addressed as Daughter Zion. As the home of the Davidic king, who was Israel's shepherd (Ps 78:70-72), the royal citadel could be viewed metaphorically as the watchtower of the flock.
21tn (4:8) Heb "to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive."
22tn (4:9) The Hebrew form is feminine singular, indicating that Jerusalem, personified as a young woman, is now addressed (see v. 10). In v. 8 the tower/fortress was addressed with masculine forms, so there is clearly a shift in addressee here. "Jerusalem" has been supplied in the translation at the beginning of v. 9 to make this shift apparent.
23tn (4:9) Heb "Now why are you shouting [with] a shout."
24tn (4:9) Heb "Is there no king over you?"
25tn (4:9) Traditionally, "counselor." This refers to the king mentioned in the previous line; the title points to the king's roles as chief strategist and policy maker, both of which required extraordinary wisdom.
26tn (4:9) Heb "that." The Hebrew particle yK! (K!) is used here in a resultative sense; for this use see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §450.
27tn (4:9) Heb "grabs hold of, seizes."
28tn (4:10) Or perhaps "scream."
29tn (4:10) Or "redeem."
30tn (4:10) Heb "hand." The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.
31tn (4:11) Heb "let her be desecrated." the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32tn (4:11) Heb "and let our eye look upon Zion."
33tn (4:13) Heb "I will make your horn iron."
34sn (4:13) Jerusalem (Daughter Zion at the beginning of the verse; cf. 4:8) is here compared to a powerful ox which crushes the grain on the threshing floor with its hooves.
35tn (4:13) Heb "and their wealth to the master of all the earth." The verb "devote" does double duty in the parallelism and is supplied in the second line for clarification.
sn (4:13) In vv. 11-13 the prophet jumps from the present crisis (which will result in exile, v. 10) to a time beyond the restoration of the exiles when God will protect his city from invaders. The LORD's victory over the Assyrian armies in 701 B.C. foreshadowed this.
1sn (4:14) Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
2tn (4:14) The same Hebrew verb, dd~g´ (g´d^d) can be translated "slash yourself" or "gather in troops." A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).
sn (4:14) Slash yourself. Slashing one's body was a form of mourning. See Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5.
3tn (4:14) Heb "daughter of a troop of warriors."
sn (4:14) The daughter surrounded by soldiers is an image of the city of Jerusalem under siege (note the address "Daughter Jerusalem" in 4:8).
4tn (4:14) Or "staff."
sn (4:14) Striking a king with a scepter, a symbol of rulership, would be especially ironic and humiliating.
5tn (4:14) Traditionally, "judge."
6sn (5:1) Ephrathah is either an alternate name for Bethlehem or the name of the district in which Bethlehem was located. See Ruth 4:11.
7tn (5:1) Heb "being small." Some omit toyh=l! (l!hyot, "being") because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.
8tn (5:1) Heb "from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel."
9tn (5:1) Heb "his goings out." The term may refer to the ruler's origins or to his activities.
10tn (5:1) Heb "from the past, from the days of antiquity." Elsewhere both phrases refer to the early periods in the history of the world or of the nation of Israel. For <d\Q#m! (m!Q\d#<, "from the past") see Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10. For <l*ou ym@ym! (m!m@ uol*<, "from the days of antiquity") see Isa 63:9, 11; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:14; Mal 3:4. In Neh 12:46 and Amos 9:11 the Davidic era is in view.
sn (5:1) In riddle-like fashion this verse alludes to David, as the references to Bethlehem and to his ancient origins/activities indicate. The passage anticipates the second coming of the great king to usher in a new era of national glory for Israel. Other prophets are more direct and name this coming ideal ruler "David" (Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5). Of course, this prophecy of "David's" second coming is actually fulfilled through his descendant, the Messiah, who will rule in the spirit and power of his famous ancestor and bring to realization the Davidic royal ideal in an even greater way than the historical David (see Isa 11:1, 10; Jer 33:15).
11tn (5:3) Heb "he"; the referent (the LORD) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12tn (5:3) Heb "them"; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13tn (5:3) The words "to their enemies" are supplied in the translation for clarification.
14sn (5:3) The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.
15sn (5:3) Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.
16tn (5:3) Heb "his"; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17tn (5:3) Heb "to the sons of Israel." The words "be reunited with" are supplied in the translation for clarity.
sn (5:3) The rest of the king's brothers are the coming king's fellow Judahites, while the sons of Israel are the northern tribes. The verse pictures the reunification of the nation under the Davidic king. See Isa 11:12-13; Jer 31:2-6, 15-20; Ezek 37; Hos 1:11; 3:5.
18tn (5:4) Heb "stand up."
19tn (5:4) The words "the people" are supplied in the translation for clarification.
20tn (5:4) Heb "by the majesty of the name of the LORD his God."
21tn (5:4) The words "in peace" are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps Wbv*y´w+ (w+y´v*bW, "and they will live") should be emended to Wbvw ("and they will return").
22tn (5:4) Heb "be great."
23tn (5:4) Or "to the ends of."
24tn (5:5) Heb "and this one will be peace" (cf. Eph 2:14).
25tc (5:5) Some prefer to read "in our land," emending the text to Wntmdab.
26tn (5:5) Heb "raise up."
27sn (5:5) The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.
28tn (5:5) Heb "shepherds."
29tn (5:5) Heb "and eight leaders of men."
30tn (5:6) Or perhaps "break"; or "defeat."
31sn (5:6) According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
32tc (5:6) The MT reads "in her gates," but the text should be emended to hjytpb ("with a drawn sword").
33tn (5:6) Heb "he"; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34tn (5:7) Heb "the remnant of" (also in v. 8).
35tn (5:7) Heb "will be."
36tn (5:7) Heb "that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men."
sn (5:7) Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the LORD, not men, so the remnant of Israel will succeed by the supernatural power of God and not need the support of other nations. There may even be a military metaphor here. Israel will overwhelm their enemies, just as the dew completely covers the grass (see 2 Sam 17:12). This interpretation would be consistent with the image of v. 7.
37tn (5:8) The words "its prey" are supplied in the translation for clarification.
38tn (5:8) Heb "and there is no deliverer."
39tn (5:9) Heb "let your hand be lifted against your adversaries."
40tn (5:9) Heb "be cut off."
41tn (5:10) Heb "cut off" (also in the following verse).
42tn (5:12) The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain, but note its use in Isa 47:9, 12.
43tn (5:12) Heb "and you will not have omen-readers."
44tn (5:14) Or "Asherah poles."
sn (5:14) Asherah was a Canaanite goddess.
45tn (5:14) The MT reads "your cities," but many emend the text to iyrx ("your images") or iybxu ("your idols").
46tn (5:15) Heb "I will accomplish in anger and in rage, vengeance on the nations who do not listen."
1tn (6:1) Or "plead your case."
sn (6:1) Defend yourself. The LORD challenges Israel to defend itself against the charges he is bringing.
2sn (6:1) As in some ancient Near Eastern treaties, the mountains are personified as legal witnesses that will settle the dispute between God and Israel.
3tn (6:1) Heb "let the hills hear your voice."
4tn (6:2) This verse briefly interrupts the LORD's statement (see vv. 1, 3) as the prophet summons the mountains as witnesses. Because of this v. 2 has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
5tn (6:3) Heb "My people, what have I done to you?"
6tn (6:4) Heb "before you."
7tn (6:5) Heb "remember what Balak...planned."
8tn (6:5) Heb "From Shittim to Gilgal, in order to know the just acts of the LORD." Something appears to be missing at the beginning of the line. The present translation supplies the words, "Recall how you went." This apparently refers to how Israel crossed the Jordan River (see Josh 3:1; 4:19-24).
9sn (6:6) With what should I enter the LORD's presence? The prophet speaks again, playing the role of an inquisitive worshiper who wants to know what God really desires from his followers.
10tn (6:6) The words "with what" do double duty in the parallelism and are supplied in the second line of the translation for clarification.
11tn (6:6) Or "the exalted God."
12tn (6:7) Heb "the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul." The Hebrew term vp#n\ (n\p#v) is often translated "soul," but the word usually refers to the whole person; here "the sin of my soul" = "my sin."
13sn (6:8) What the LORD really wants from you. Now the prophet switches roles and answers the hypothetical worshiper's question. He makes it clear that the LORD desires proper attitudes more than ritual and sacrifice.
14tn (6:8) Heb "except." This statement is actually linked with what precedes, "What does he want from you except...."
15tn (6:8) Heb "to do," in the sense of "promote."
16tn (6:8) Heb "to love faithfulness."
17tn (6:8) Heb "to walk humbly [or perhaps, "carefully"] with."
18tn (6:9) Or "the voice of the LORD is calling." The translation understands loq (qol, "voice") as equivalent to an imperative.
19tn (6:9) Heb "one who sees your name is wisdom." It is probably better to emend ha#r+y] (y]ra#h, "he sees") to ha*r+y] (y]ra*h, "fearing"). One may then translate, "fearing your name is wisdom." The LORD's "name" here stands by metonymy for his authority.
20tn (6:9) Heb (apparently) "Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it." Verse 10 then begins with dou (yod, "still" or "again"). The translation assumes an emendation to ryuh duomW hfm Wumv ("listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city").
21tn (6:10) The meaning of the first Hebrew word in the line is unclear. Possibly it is a combination of the interrogative particle and va, an alternate form of vy, "there is/are." One could then translate literally, "Are there treasures of sin [in] the house of the sinful?" The translation assumes an emendation to hV#a#h^ (h^a#V#h, from av*n´ [n´v*a], "to forget"), "Will I forget?" The rhetorical question expects an answer, "No, I will not forget."
22tn (6:10) Heb "the treasures of sin."
23tn (6:10) Heb "the accursed scant measure."
sn (6:10) Merchants would use a smaller than standard measure so they could give the customer less than he thought he was paying for.
24tn (6:11) Heb "Do I acquit sinful scales, and a bag of deceptive weights?" The rhetorical question expects an answer, "No, I do not."
sn (6:11) Merchants also used rigged scales and deceptive weights to cheat their customers. See the note at Amos 8:5.
25tn (6:12) Heb "because her rich are full of violence."
26tn (6:12) Heb "speak lies."
27tn (6:12) Heb "and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth."
28tn (6:13) Heb "and also I, I will make you sick, striking you."
29tc (6:14) The first Hebrew term in the line, ;j&v=y\w+ (w+y\vj&;), is obscure. HALOT 446 understands a noun meaning "filth," which would yield the translation, "and your filth is inside you." The translation assumes an emendation to jk vyw ("and [if] there is strength inside you").
30tn (6:14) The meaning of the Hebrew term gS@t^w+ (w+t^S@g) is unclear. The translation assumes it is a Hiphal imperfect from gsn/gcn ("reach; overtake") and that hunting imagery is employed. (Note the reference to hunger in the first line of the verse.) See D. Hillers, Micah, 80.
31tn (6:14) The Hiphal of fl^P* (P*l^f) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.
32tn (6:15) Heb "you will tread olives." Literally treading on olives with one's feet could be harmful and would not supply the necessary pressure to release the oil. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 119. The Hebrew term Er~D´ (D&r^E) may have an idiomatic sense of "press" here, or perhaps the imagery of the following parallel line (referring to treading grapes) has dictated the word choice.
33tn (6:15) Heb "but you will not rub yourselves with oil."
34tn (6:15) Heb "and juice, but you will not drink wine." The verb Er)d+t! (t!dr{E, "you will tread") must be supplied from the preceding line.
35tn (6:16) Heb "the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab."
36tn (6:16) Heb "and you walk in their plans."
sn (6:16) The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.
37tn (6:16) The Hebrew term hM*v^ (v^M*h) can refer to "destruction; ruin," or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.
38tn (6:16) Heb "her"; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39tn (6:16) Heb "[an object] of hissing," which was a way of taunting someone.
40tc (6:16) The translation assumes an emendation of the MT's yM!u^ (u^M!, "my people") to <ymu ("nations").
tn (6:16) Heb "and the reproach of my people you will bear." The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.
1tn (7:1) Heb "woe to me!" In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, "I am disappointed."
2tn (7:1) Or "for."
3tn (7:1) Heb "I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest." Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, "I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested."
4tn (7:1) Heb "my appetite craves."
5tn (7:2) Or "have perished"; "have been destroyed."
6tn (7:2) Heb "and an upright one among men there is not."
7tn (7:2) Heb "for bloodshed."
8sn (7:2) Micah compares these ungodly people to hunters trying to capture their prey with a net.
9tn (7:3) Heb "upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well."
10tn (7:3) Heb "the official asks--and the judge--for a bribe."
11tn (7:3) More literally, "the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together." Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man's desires materialize.
12tn (7:4) Heb "[the] godly from a row of thornbushes." The preposition /m! (m!/) is comparative and the comparative element (perhaps "sharper" is the idea) is omitted. See BDB 582 and GKC §133.e.
13tn (7:4) Heb "the day of your watchmen, your appointed [time], is coming." The translation takes "watchmen" to refer to actual sentries. However, the "watchmen" could refer figuratively to the prophets who had warned Judah of approaching judgment. In this case one could translate, "The day your prophets warned about, your appointed time of punishment, is on the way."
14tn (7:4) Heb "and now will be their confusion."
15tn (7:5) Heb "from the one who lies in your arms, guard the doors of your mouth."
16tn (7:6) Heb "rises up against."
17tn (7:6) Heb "the enemies of a man are the men of his house."
18tn (7:7) Heb "me." In the interest of clarity the nature of the prophet's cry has been specified as "my lament" in the translation.
19tn (7:8) The singular form is understood as collective.
20tn (7:8) Or "rejoice."
21sn (7:8) Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The LORD is the source of the latter.
22tn (7:9) Heb "lift, bear."
23tn (7:9) Heb "until."
24tn (7:9) Or "plead my case."
25tn (7:9) Heb "see."
26tn (7:9) Or "justice, vindication."
27tn (7:10) Heb "who say." A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
28tn (7:10) Heb "My eyes will look on them."
29tn (7:10) Heb "a trampled-down place."
30sn (7:11) Personified Jerusalem declares her confidence in vv. 8-10; in this verse she is assured that she will indeed be vindicated.
31tn (7:12) Heb "they." The referent has been specified as "people," referring either to the nations (coming to God with their tribute) or to the exiles of Israel (returning to the LORD).
32tn (7:12) The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the LORD is addressed. Some emend to a feminine form and take Jerusalem as the addressee.
33tc (7:12) The MT reads yr}u*w+ (w+u*r@y, "and the cities [of Egypt]"), but the parallel line indicates this is a corruption of duw ("even to").
34tn (7:12) Heb "the River," referring to the Euphrates River. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35tn (7:12) Heb "and sea from sea." Many prefer to emend this to <y du <Ym ("from sea to sea").
36tn (7:12) Heb "and mountain of the mountain." Many prefer to emend this to rh du rhw ("and mountain to mountain").
37tn (7:13) Or "will be ruined."
38tn (7:13) Heb "on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds."
39tn (7:14) Or "with your scepter" (the Hebrew term can mean either "rod" or "scepter").
40tn (7:14) Heb "the flock of your inheritance."
41tn (7:14) Or "in the midst of Carmel." The Hebrew term translated "pastureland" may be a place name.
sn (7:14) The point seems to be that Israel is in a vulnerable position, like sheep in a thicket populated by predators, while rich pastureland (their homeland and God's blessings) is in view.
42sn (7:14) The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.
43tn (7:14) Heb "as in the days of antiquity."
44tn (7:15) Heb "him." This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.
45sn (7:15) I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the LORD responds to the petition of v. 14 with a brief promise of deliverance.
46tn (7:16) Or "be ashamed of."
47tn (7:16) Heb "and their ears will be deaf." Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the LORD's power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.
48tn (7:17) Heb "like crawling things on the ground." The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.
49tn (7:17) The translation assumes that the phrase Wnyh@Oa$ hw´hy+-la# (a#l-y+hw´h a$Oh@ynW, "to the LORD our God") goes with what precedes. Another option is to take the phrase with the following verb, in which case one could translate, "to the LORD our God they will turn in dread."
50tn (7:17) Heb "they will be in dread and afraid."
51tn (7:17) The LORD is addressed directly using the second person.
52tn (7:18) Heb "Who is a God like you?" The rhetorical question expects the answer, "No one!"
53tn (7:18) Heb "one who." The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.
54tn (7:18) Heb "pass over."
55tn (7:18) Heb "of the remnant of his inheritance."
56tn (7:18) Heb "he does not keep hold of his anger forever."
57tn (7:19) The verb bWvy´ (y´vWb, "he will return") is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the LORD will again show mercy.
58tn (7:19) Some prefer to read sbky ("he will cleanse"; see HALOT 459). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the LORD subdues.
59tn (7:19) Heb "their sins," but the final mem may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line ("our") may be understood as doing double duty.
60sn (7:19) In this metaphor the LORD disposes of Israel's sins by throwing them into the waters of the sea (here symbolic of chaos).
61tn (7:20) More literally, "You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
62tn (7:20) Heb "our fathers." The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
63tn (7:20) Heb "which you swore [or, "pledged"] to our fathers from days of old."