MICAH THE MORASTHITE. — Unlike Joel, who identifies himself by his
father’s name, Micah introduces his personality with reference to
his native village, Moresheth-gath, which was situated in the lowland
district of Judah. The name — a shortened form of Micaiah, meaning
“Who is like Jehovah” — was no... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR, ALL YE PEOPLE. — The three-fold repetition of the appeal,
“Hear ye,” seems to mark three divisions in the book: 1. “Hear,
all ye people” (Micah 1:2); 2. “Hear, I pray you, O heads of
Jacob” (Micah 3:1); 3. Hear ye now what the Lord saith” (Micah
6:1).
FROM HIS HOLY TEMPLE — _i.e._, from heave... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE MOLTEN. — The manifestations of the presence
of God are taken from the description of the giving of the Law, when
“the hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the
presence of the Lord of the whole earth” (Psalms 97:5). Dean Stanley
refers the imagery to the memor... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRANSGRESSION OF JACOB... THE SINS OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. — The
corruption of the country came from the capital cities. Samaria, on
her hill, set an example of idolatry, drunkenness, and all the evils
of a most profligate society; and even Jerusalem, the city “set on
an hill,” gave a home in th... [ Continue Reading ]
SAMARIA AS AN HEAP OF THE FIELD. — Samaria was to be reduced to what
it had been before the days of Ahab; the palatial city of the kings of
the northern kingdom should return to the normal condition of a
vineyard, which it had before Shemer sold it to Omri. The fruitfulness
of its vines suggests one... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE HIRES THEREOF. — The falling away of Israel from her
loyalty to God is compared generally by the prophets to a wife
deserting her husband; and these “hires” are the offerings made to
the shrines of the idols to which the Israelites forsaking Jehovah had
transferred their worship. All the... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAGONS... OWLS. — Literally, _jackals and ostriches._ They are
selected by reason of the dismal howls and screeches they make during
the night.... [ Continue Reading ]
HER WOUND IS INCURABLE. — The state of Samaria is incurable: she is
doomed: the destroyer is approaching — nay, he comes near, even to
Jerusalem. The outlying towns are described as shuddering at the
invader’s advance, but Jerusalem itself is spared.... [ Continue Reading ]
DECLARE YE IT NOT AT GATH. — The prophet lets his lament flow after
the strain of David’s elegy, “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not
in the streets of Askelon.” In this passage the parallelism seems to
require the name of a town where the English Version has “at all.”
But the Hebrew word thus repre... [ Continue Reading ]
SAPHIR... ZAANAN. — The sites of these cities, like that of Aphrah,
are a matter of conjecture. They were probably south-west of
Jerusalem, the prophet following the march of the invading army.
THE INHABITANT OF ZAANAN CAME NOT FORTH — _i.e.,_ they remained in
their city through fear of the enemy.... [ Continue Reading ]
WAITED CAREFULLY. — There are various ways of arriving at the
interpretation of the words, but the result is the same. The people of
Maroth were in distress; they were grieved at the spoiling of their
property; they longed for good, but evil was the Lord’s decree
against Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
BIND THE CHARIOT TO THE SWIFT BEAST — _i.e.,_ make haste to escape
with thy goods. Lachish was the most important of the cities
enumerated. It was fortified by Rehoboam, and was sought as a refuge
by Amaziah from the conspiracy formed against him in Jerusalem. After
the capture of the Holy City by N... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE PRESENTS — _i.e.,_ thou shalt cease to give to Moresheth-gath
the protection due from a husband to a wife: thou shalt give her a
bill of divorce. The Hebrew word means either the presents sent _with_
a daughter or the dismissal sent _to_ a wife.
ACHZIB. — A town on the sea-coast between Accho... [ Continue Reading ]
YET WILL I BRING AN HEIR. — Rather, _the possessor,_ one who shall
take it by force — _i.e.,_ Sennacherib.
MARESHAH was a city in the plain of Judah, near the prophet’s native
place, Moresheth-gath. It was fortified by Rehoboam, and became the
scene of Asa’s victory over the immense host of Zerah t... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE THEE BALD. — Joel appeals to the land of Judah to go into deep
mourning by reason of the loss of her children, slain in war or
carried into captivity. The shaving of the head as a token of grief
was common amongst Eastern nations, and is distinct from the
idolatrous custom of cutting the hair i... [ Continue Reading ]