Micah 6

(Seo the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield’s Defence of! Christianity, chap. 4. sect. 2.) To the same sense we may probably interpret Psal. ex. 3. The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.’] This chapter relates to the prophet’s own time; wherein hcTirstupbraids the people for their ingratitude towards’God: then he instructs them in the true way of performing acceptable service to him: lastly, he reproves thein for their injustice and. idolatry, and tells them that these sins are the causes of their being unsuccessful in all their Undertakings.* Vcr.l. ARISE, contend thou before the mountains, &c] God often appeals to inanimate creatures for the justice of his proceedings, thereby to upbraid the stupidity of men. (Sec i. 2. Deut. iv. 26; xxxii. 1. Psal. 1. 4. Isa. i. 2.) of a year old?] Will God accept of the ordinary sacrifices, such as we offered upon other occasions as an atonement for sin? (See Lev. iv. 3. ix. 2.)

Micah 6:2

For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, &c. He will enter into judgment with them for their impieties, as being injurious to his honour, and for which his justice demands satisfaction. (See Hos. iv. 1.)

Micah 6:3

O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have J wearied thee? witness against me. The words allude to the forms of courts of justice, wherein actions arc tried between man and man. God allows his people to offer any plea in their own behalf, and demands what injustice he hath done them, and what grievances they can complain of, either in the laws or the rules of worship which he hath prescribed them. (Compare Jer. ii. 5. 31.)

Micah 6:4

For I brought thee out of the house of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, See. On the other side, God puts them in mind of the great favours he had bestowed upon them, in delivering them out of the Egyptian bondage, by the conduct of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam their sister, who is hero mentioned as having been endued with the spirit of prophecy, and by whom upon •some occasions God made known his will to the Israelites. (See Exod. xv. 20. Numb. xii. 2.)

Micah 6:5

Omy people, remember what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember how Balak sent for Balaam to curse Israel, and he contrary to his own intentions blessed them. (See Numb. xxiv. 10—12.) From Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteovs?iess of the Lord.] To make the sense perfect, we must supply it from the beginning of the verse, as the Chaldee paraphrast doth, Remember what I have done for you, from Shittimun to Gilgal; i. e. from your encamping in the plains of Moab near Shittim, by Jordan: (sec Numb. xxii. 1. compared with xxxiii. 48, 49.) where you continued till you passed over that river, and encamped in Gilgal in the land of Canaan. (See Josh. ii. 1. compared with iv. 19.) If you duly consider these things, you will be convinced of God’s great goodness to you, and of his faithfulness in fulfilling the promises made to your fathers. A learned prelate, in his Defence of Christianity from the ancient Prophecies, p. 290. supposes the phrase, From Shittim to Gilgal, to be a proverbial expression, for a sud- % den change of an enemy’s wicked passions and designs. And then the words will imply thus much: — Remember how I would not suffer Balaam, though when led to it by his inclinations and interests, to curse you, though he removed from one place to another, to find a seasonable time and prospect for his enchantments, and surveyed the army of Israel, going over them with his eye, from Shittim where they lay encamped, to the utmost extremity of them over* against Gilgal, or Jericho, by Jordan: (sec Josh. iii. 1. compared with iv. 19.) But the Lord thy God made him turn his curse into.a blessing, Deut. xxiii. 5.

Micah 6:6

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high- God. After this reproof of the people’s ingratitude, they are introduced by the prophet, as anxiously inquisitive how they may propitiate God’s displeasure, and avert his judgments. They declare themselves, in the following verse, ready to offer any expiatory sacrifices, though never so costly, for that purpose. Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves

Micah 6:7

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousands of rivers of oil?. Or doth he expect a more costly sacrifice? We are ready, if that will appease him, to offer up to him thousands of rams, and to add in proportion meat-offerings prepared with oil; (see Lev. ii. 1. 4. 15.) though it should cost us an immeasurable quantity of that liquor. (Compare Job xxix. 6.) " Shall I give my first-bomfor my transgression? &c] They farther declare themselves ready to sacrifice their first-born, though looked upon as the strength and stay of their family, if that would appease God’s wrath, and procure their pardon. Such inhuman sacrifices several of the idolatrous Jews offered up to their idols; for which they are severely reproved by the prophets. (See 2 Kings xvi. 3. xxi. 6. Jer. vii. 31. xix. 5. Ezek. xvi. 20, 21. xxiii. 37.) These two verses are an exact description of the temper of hypocrites and habitual sinners, who hope to obtain God’s favour by performing the external duties of religion; and are willing to purchase their own pardon upon any terms but that of reforming their lives.

Micah 6:8

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, &c. The former verse described the benefits the converted Jews should bring to those gentiles that were disposed to embrace the gospel: this instructs us how terrible adversaries they will prove to such as persist in their enmity to them and to the truth. (Compare Obad. ver. 18, 19. Zech. xii. G. and see the note. upon ver.-5. of this chapter.) He hath shelved thee, O man, what is good, &c] Both the dictates of reason, and the laws of God, sufficiently inform men what are the substantial parts of their duty; viz. the practice of justice and mercy, and a reverent behaviour towards God, and looking np to him as our Lord and Maker. This is a more acceptable service than the most costly sacrifices. (Compare Deut. x. 12, 13. 1 Sam. xv. 22. Isa. i. 11, &c. Hos. vi. 6.)

Micah 6:9

Tlie Lord’s voice cries unto the city. The exhortations God hath given you by his prophets are chiefly directed to the city of Jerusalem and its principal inhabitants, whose injustice and oppression of their neighbours cry aloud for vengeance. And the man of wisdom shall see thy name.*] He that is truly wise will easily discover God’s authority in such a message. Wisdom, in the Hebrew, is here put for the wdse man, the abstract being often used for the concrete: so righteousness signifies the righteous man, Isa. xli. 2. Some translate the sentence thus, They will learn wisdom [or, shall obtain salvation] who fear thy name. The derivatives from yare, to fear, and roar, to see, are often used promiscuously in the Hebrew language. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.] Hear what severe judgments are threatened against your sins, and who “it is that threatens them, and is able to put them in execution.

Micah 6:10

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will ait off thy horses out of the midst qf thee, Sec. I will afford deliverance to my people, not in the ordinary way of second causes, but’immediately by myself; so that they shall not need to trust in’ the strength of their forces, or of their garrisons. (Compare Hos. i. 7. Zech. ix. 10.) Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked?] Notwithstanding all the exhortations and reproofs given you upon this subject, still there are many that use unjust and fraudulent means to enrich themselves, and keep scant measures to sell their goods by, which the law of God often declares to be an abomination. to him. (See Lev. xix. 35, 36. Deut. xxv. 13. 16. Prov. xi. 1. xx. 10.) The word translated measure is ephah/m the Hebrew; so the reproof is the same with that of Amos, viii. 5. where he charges the tradesmen with making the ephah small. (See the note there.)

Micah 6:12

And I will ait off-witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shall have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, &c. The prophet may be supposed to mention here those sins wherein the Jews of his own age were chiefly faulty, thereby to signify, that, in aftertimes, when the promises here mentioned should be fulfilled, such offences should not be found among them. (Compare Isa. ii.6— 8. with the context here.) We may iu general take notice, that the destruction of idolatry is often mentioned in the prophets as a principal circumstance in their descriptions of the flourishing state of the church, which should come to pass in aftcrtimes. (See the note upon Isa. i. 29.) This appears to have been the sentiment of the ancient Jews, from that passage in Tobit, xiv. -6. where, speaking of the times of the Messias, he saith, All nations shall turn and fear the Lord truly, and shall bury their idols. No nation has been more addicted to: the several sorts of divination than the Jews, both in ancient and modern times: (see Juvenal, Sat. vi. <ver. 545. and the note upon Mai. iii. 5.) and several of them comply with the idolatries practised in those countries •where they are dispersed. See the note upon Zech. xiii. 2. where there is the same prediction of the utter abolishing of idolatry among them. Shall I\ count them pure with the wicked balances?] See Hos. xii. 7.

Micah 6:13

Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee. The punishment wherewith I will afflict thee shall waste thy strength, like a consuming sickness, which preys upon the vitals.

Micah 6:14

Thou shall eat and not be satisfied. * Either thy food shall not. give thee due nourishment, or else thou shalt not have enough to satisfy a craving appetite. And thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee.] The miseries that bring thee low, shall be like an incurable disease in thy bowels. (See ver. 13.) And thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver, &c] Whatever advantages thou shalt make by thy industry, or whatsoever thou shalt gain by conquest, thou shalt not be able to keep it, but it shall become a prey to thine enemies. A contrary form of speech wc read in Isaiah, v. 29. where the prophet, speaking how successful the attempts of their enemies should be, saith, They shall lay hold of tlie prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it, or retake it. The rabbins generally interpret the text here to this sense: Thou shalt conceive seed, but shall not be safely delivered of the child; or, if thou be,’ it shall be slain by the enemy. The verb palat, here used, is spoken of cattle which are safely delivered of their young. (Job xxi. 20.)

Micah 6:15

And I will execute vengeance in anger, and fury ttpon the heathen, &c. When I have purged my people from their corruptions, I will severely vindicate their •cause, to the utter destruction of all their unbelieving enemies. (See the notes upon ver. 5. 8.) Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap, &c] Thou shalt not enjoy the fruits of thy labours: a curso often threatened for their disobedience. (Sec Deut.xxviii. 38,39. Amos v. 2. Zeph. i. 13.)

Micah 6:16

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house ofAhab. It is said of Omri, that he did worse than all that were before him, 1 Kings* xvi. 25. and his son Ahab added the worship of Baal to the idolatry of the golden calves, ibid. ver. 32. which is spoken of there as the worse degree of idolatry, because it was the introducing a heathen idol; whereas the golden calves were only an idolatrous representation of the true God. Manasseh followed Ahab in his wickedness. (See 2 Kings xxi. 3.) TJiat I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing.] The subject of scorn and derision to their enemies. (See 1 Kings ^ix. 8. Jer. xviii. 16. Lam. ii. 15.) Therefore ye shalt bear the reproach of my people.] The prophet still directs his discourse to the great and rich men, (ver. 12. 15.) and tells them, that since they have given the chief occasion to those reproaches, which unbelievers have thrown out upon God’s people, as if they were rejected and cast off by him, therefore they shall bear the principal share of that shame and contempt wherewith their enemies shall treat them. (Compare Psal. <xlii. 10. Isa. xxv. 8.) The LXX. read, The reproach of the people; to the same sense with those words of Psal. Ixxxix. 50, 51. I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people, wherewith thine enemies have reproached —. Buxtorf, in his Vindicia? contra Capellum, shews this interpretation to agree with the Hebrew, supposing the word ammi to stand for ammim in the plural; of which syntax he alleges several instances. 2C