Michoh 6

1 Hear ye now what Hashem saith: Arise, contend thou before heharim (the mountains), and let the hills hear thy voice.

2 Hear ye, O harim (mountains), the riv Hashem (dispute, case, lawsuit of Hashem); listen, ye enduring mosedei eretz (foundations of the earth); for Hashem hath a case against His people, and He will contend with Yisroel.

3 O Ami (My people), what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I been a burden to thee? Testify against Me.

4 For I brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and redeemed thee out of the bais avadim (house of slaves); and sent before thee Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam.

5 O Ami (My people), remember now what Balak Melech Moav did plot, and what Bala’am ben Beor answered him from Sheetim to Gilgal [See Yehoshua chps 3-4]; that ye may have da’as of the tzidkot (righteous acts of) Hashem.

6 With what shall I come before Hashem, and bow myself before Elohei Marom (G-d on High)? Shall I come before Him with olot (burnt offerings), with calves a year old?

7 Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of eilim (rams), or with ten thousand rivers of shemen (olive oil)? Shall I give my bechor (firstborn) for my peysha, the p’ri (fruit) of my beten for the chattat (sin) of my nefesh?

8 He hath showed thee, O adam (man), what is tov. And what doth Hashem require of thee, but to do mishpat, and ahavat chesed, and to walk humbly with Eloheicha?

9 Hashem’s voice crieth unto the ir (city): To fear Thy Shem (Name) is wisdom; heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

10 Are there yet the otzerot (treasures) of wickedness in the bais rasha (the house of the wicked), and the scant measure, the too small eifah (bushel) which is accursed?

11 Shall I acquit the one with dishonest scales, and with the bag of mirmah (deceitful) weights? [T.N. see Moshiach without mirmah, Yeshayah 53:9]

12 For the oisher (the wealthy) thereof are full of chamas (violence), and the inhabitants thereof have spoken sheker, and their leshon (tongue) is remiyah (guile) in their mouth. [see Moshiach without chamas, Yeshayah 53:9]

13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in striking thee, in making thee desolate because of chattotecha.

14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy emptiness remains in thee; and thou shalt put away but not save; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the cherev (sword).

15 Thou shalt sow the zera, but thou shalt not reap the katzir (harvest); thou shalt tread the zayit (olives), but thou shalt not anoint thee with shemen (olive oil); and yayin shalt thou not drink.

16 For the chukkot Omri (statutes of Omri) are kept, and kol ma’aseh Bais Ach’av (all the works of the House of Ahab); and ye walk in their mo’atzot (advise, counsel); therefore, I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an object of hissing; therefore ye shall bear the cherpah (scorn, abuse, disgrace) of Ami (My people).

Michoh 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

God's controversy with Israel. (1-5) The duties God requires. (6-8) The wickedness of Israel. (9-16)

Verses 1-5 The people are called upon to declare why they were weary of God's worship, and prone to idolatry. Sin causes the controversy between God and man. God reasons with us, to teach us to reason with ourselves. Let them remember God's many favours to them and their fathers, and compare with them their unworthy, ungrateful conduct toward him.

Verses 6-8 These verses seem to contain the substance of Balak's consultation with Balaam how to obtain the favour of Israel's God. Deep conviction of guilt and wrath will put men upon careful inquiries after peace and pardon, and then there begins to be some ground for hope of them. In order to God's being pleased with us, our care must be for an interest in the atonement of Christ, and that the sin by which we displease him may be taken away. What will be a satisfaction to God's justice? In whose name must we come, as we have nothing to plead as our own? In what righteousness shall we appear before him? The proposals betray ignorance, though they show zeal. They offer that which is very rich and costly. Those who are fully convinced of sin, and of their misery and danger by reason of it, would give all the world, if they had it, for peace and pardon. Yet they do not offer aright. The sacrifices had value from their reference to Christ; it was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. And all proposals of peace, except those according to the gospel, are absurd. They could not answer the demands of Divine justice, nor satisfy the wrong done to the honour of God by sin, nor would they serve at all in place of holiness of the heart and reformation of the life. Men will part with any thing rather than their sins; but they part with nothing so as to be accepted of God, unless they do part with their sins. Moral duties are commanded because they are good for man. In keeping God's commandments there is a great reward, as well as after keeping them. God has not only made it known, but made it plain. The good which God requires of us is, not the paying a price for the pardon of sin and acceptance with God, but love to himself; and what is there unreasonable, or hard, in this? Every thought within us must be brought down, to be brought into obedience to God, if we would walk comfortably with him. We must do this as penitent sinners, in dependence on the Redeemer and his atonement. Blessed be the Lord that he is ever ready to give his grace to the humble, waiting penitent.

Verses 9-16 God, having showed how necessary it was that they should do justly, here shows how plain it was that they had done unjustly. This voice of the Lord says to all, Hear the rod when it is coming, before you see it, and feel it. Hear the rod when it is come, and you are sensible of the smart; hear what counsels, what cautions it speaks. The voice of God is to be heard in the rod of God. Those who are dishonest in their dealings shall never be reckoned pure, whatever shows of devotion they may make. What is got by fraud and oppression, cannot be kept or enjoyed with satisfaction. What we hold closest we commonly lose soonest. Sin is a root of bitterness, soon planted, but not soon plucked up again. Their being the people of God in name and profession, while they kept themselves in his love, was an honour to them; but now, being backsliders, their having been once the people of God turns to their reproach.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 6

This chapter contains reproofs of the people of Israel for their sins, threatening them with punishment for them. The prophet is bid to tell them of the controversy the Lord had with them, which he did, Mic 6:1,2; and the Lord calls upon them to declare if they had any thing to object to his attitude towards them, Mic 6:3; and then puts them in mind of the favours they had received from him, in bringing them out of Egypt, and giving them such useful persons to go before them, lead and instruct them, as he had, Mic 6:4; and also reminds them of what passed between Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam the soothsayer; the questions of the one, and the answer of the other; whereby the designs of the former against them were frustrated, Mic 6:5-8; but since the voice of the Lord by his prophet was disregarded by them, they are called upon to hearken to the voice of his rod, Mic 6:9; which should be laid upon them for their fraudulent dealings, injustice, oppression, lies, and deceit, Mic 6:10-12; and therefore are threatened with sickness and desolation, and a deprivation of all good things, the fruit of their labours, Mic 6:13-15; and that because the statutes of Omri, the works of Ahab, and their counsels, were observed by them, Mic 6:16.