INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 4 This chapter contains some gracious promises concerning the glory and happiness of the church of Christ in the last days; as of its stability, exaltation, and increase, and of the spread of the Gospel from it, Micah 4:1; and of the peace and security of it, and constant prof... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IN THE LAST DAYS IT SHALL COME TO PASS, [THAT] THE MOUNTAIN OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS,.... It appears by the adversative but, with which these words are introduced, that they have a dependence upon and a connection with the last of the preceding ch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY NATIONS SHALL COME, AND SAY, COME, AND LET US GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, AND TO THE HOUSE OF THE GOD OF JACOB,.... In Isaiah 2:3; it is, "many people", c. the sense is the same See Gill on Isa 2:3; AND HE WILL TEACH US OF HIS WAYS, AND WE WILL WALK IN HIS PATHS; the teacher is the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL JUDGE AMONG MANY PEOPLE, AND REBUKE STRONG NATIONS AFAR OFF,.... That are in the most distant parts of the world; not only the isles afar off, but the remotest parts of the continent, the American nations found out since. In Isaiah 2:4, it is, "and he shall judge among the nations, and... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY SHALL SIT EVERY MAN UNDER HIS VINE, AND UNDER HIS FIG TREE,.... A proverbial phrase, expressive of the greatest tranquillity, security, and enjoyment of property; see 1 Kings 4:25; when persons need not keep within their walled towns and cities, and lack themselves up in their houses, but m... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL PEOPLE WILL WALK EVERYONE IN THE NAME OF HIS GOD,.... Till those times come before described; when many nations and people shall flock to the church, and there shall be such general peace and tranquillity as here promised; till then the nations of the earth shall retain their former religion... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY, SAITH THE LORD, WILL I ASSEMBLE HER THAT HALTETH,.... The Jews or Israelites so described; not from the halting of Jacob their father, as Abarbinel thinks; nor because of their halting between two opinions, worshipping both the true God and idols, as in the times of Elijah; for this wil... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE HER THAT HALTED A REMNANT,.... That is, make a reserve of her, and not utterly cut her off for her halting or sinning; that there may be a seed, a posterity descending from her, that shall serve the Lord, and appear to be a remnant according to the election of grace; which will be th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, O TOWER OF THE FLOCK,.... The words "Migdal Eder" are left by some untranslated, and think that place to be intended so called, which was near to Bethlehem, Genesis 35:19; and perhaps is the same which Jerom t calls the tower of Ader, about a mile from Bethlehem: this is supposed to be the... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHY DOST THOU CRY OUT ALOUD?.... Or "cry a cry" w; a vehement one, or set up a most lamentable cry, as if no help or hope were to be had, but as in the most desperate condition: here the prophet represents the Jews as if they were already in captivity, and in the utmost distress, and as they cer... [ Continue Reading ]
BE IN PAIN, AND LABOUR TO BRING FORTH, O DAUGHTER OF ZION, LIKE A WOMAN IN TRAVAIL,.... Bear thy troubles and calamities, sufferings and sorrows, patiently, and expect deliverance from them, as a woman in such circumstances does: or, as some render it in the future, "thou shalt be in pain", c. y an... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ALSO MANY NATIONS ARE GATHERED AGAINST THEE,.... Which is to be understood, not of Sennacherib's army invading Judea, and besieging Jerusalem, in Hezekiah's time; for that was not threshed, as the phrase is afterwards used, or destroyed by the daughter of Zion, but by an angel from heaven: nor o... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY KNOW NOT THE THOUGHTS OF THE LORD, NEITHER UNDERSTAND THEY HIS COUNSEL,.... Which are very different from theirs: the thoughts and designs of the enemies of Zion, in the times of the Maccabees, were, to destroy utterly the people of God, and root them out of the earth, and abolish their rel... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, AND THRESH, O DAUGHTER OF ZION,.... The nations gathered against her, and now laid together on the floor as sheaves to be threshed. Here the people of God are aroused, and called out of a low and weak estate, and are animated and encouraged to exert themselves, and fall upon their enemies, an... [ Continue Reading ]