God charges his people MICAH. with ingratitude. been kept from worshipping any false god. And I be entirely destroyed by the clear light of divine will pluck up thy groves-The usual scenes of idol- || truth, and the power of divine grace; and simplicity atrous worship. It is justly observed by Mr. Scott and purity in doctrine, worship, and practice, will here, that though the reformation of the Jews, after prevail, when the enemies of the church shall be their return from Babylon, might be alluded to in destroyed." And I will execute vengeance in anger, this passage, yet the purification of the Christian &c.-When I have purged my people from their Church from all antichristian corruptions of faith corruptions, I will severely vindicate their cause, to and worship, and all idolatry and superstition, seems the utter destruction of all their unbelieving enemore immediately to be predicted. "The reliance mies. Such as they have not heard-In an unpreon human merits for justification, the external pomp cedented manner. God will give his Son either the used in worship, and the oppressive exercise of hu- hearts or necks of his enemies, and make them man authority in mere matters of conscience, will || either his friends or his footstool. CHAPTER VI. In this chapter God, (1,) Charges his people with ingratitude, 1-5. (2,) Shows them the way to please him, 6–8. (3,) Sets their sins in order before them, and the ruin coming upon them, 9-16. A. B. C. 710. 4. M. 3294. HEAR ye now what the LORD || thee? and wherein have I wearied A. M. 224 M. saith; Arise, contend thou be- thee? testify against me. fore the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. NOTES ON CHAPTER VI. Verses 1, 2. Hear now what the Lord saith-Here begins a new discourse, respecting the causes of the evils which hung over the Jewish nation. AriseThis is God's command to Micah; contend thou before the mountains-Argue the case between God and thy people; and speak as if thou wouldest make the mountains hear thee, to testify for me. Hear, O ye mountains-God often appeals to inanimate creatures for the justice of his proceedings, thereby to upbraid the stupidity of men; the Lord's controversy--Or the Lord's cause or matter of complaint. Here the prophet begins to execute what he had been commanded in the preceding verse. And ye strong foundations of the earth-He alludes to a fabric raised on immoveable foundations, but, strictly speaking, "The earth self-balanced on her centre hangs." For the Lord hath a controversy with his people-He will enter into judgment with them, for their impieties, as being injurious to his honour, and for which his justice demands satisfaction. Verses 3, 4. O my people, what have I done unto thee? What injustice or unkindness? Wherein have I wearied thee?—What grievous, burdensome 4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 0 my people, remember now what 'Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto iv. 20; Amos ii. 10. Num. xxii. 5; xxiii. 7; xxiv. 10, 11; Deut. xxiii. 4, 5; Joshua xxiv. 9, 10; Rev. ii. 14.- Num xxv. 1; xxxiii. 49; Josh. iv. 19; v. 10. impositions have I laid upon thee? Or, what have I done, or said, or enjoined, to cause thee to be weary of me? The words allude to the forms of courts of justice, wherein actions are tried between man and man. God allows his people to offer any plea which they could in their own behalf. For I brought thee out of Egypt, &c.-Here, on the other hand, 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 and Aaron, and Miriam their sister, who is here mentioned as having been endued with the spirit of prophecy, and raised up to be an assistant to her brothers, and an example and counsellor to the women. Verse 5. O my people, remember, &c.-Call to remembrance what Balaam said in answer to Balak, when he consulted him, namely, that there was no enchantment against Jacob, &c., nothing that could be done against them, nothing that could overthrow them but their own sins; that they were blessed, and it could not be reversed by any thing but their own forsaking God and his service, under whose particular protection they were. From Shittim unto Gilgal-From the encampment at Shittim, Num. xxv. 1, on the way to that at Gilgal, Josh. iv. 19. Balaam gave different answers in the interval don upon any terms, except that of reforming their lives. between those places. But some think this sentence should not be connected with what goes before, but || that it begins a new sentence, the purport of which Verse 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what is is, Remember, O my people, from Shittim unto Gil- || good-He hath showed thee that there is no forgivegal; that is, what things I did, what benefits I be- ness without repentance, and that repentance is but stowed upon you, from the time you were at Shit- a name, unless there be a ceasing to do evil, and tim till you came to Gilgal. God had indeed before || learning to do well: and that this implies the pracbestowed upon them great benefits, but at this par- tice of every branch of piety and virtue; the perticular time they received more than ordinary in-formance of every duty that we owe to God, our stances of his kindness toward them, particularly in || neighbour, and ourselves; 1st, To do justly-To rencausing the waters of Jordan to run back, to let der to all their dues, to superiors, equals, inferiors; them pass through; and in the fall of the walls of to be true and just to all, and to oppress none, in Jericho. That ye may know the righteousness of their persons, property, or reputation; in our dealthe Lord-His mercy, justice, truth, and faithful-ings with others to carry a chancery in our own ness. Verses 6, 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord-After the preceding reproof of the people's ingratitude, they are here introduced as anxiously inquiring how they may propitiate God's displeasure, and avert his judgments. They intimate that they are ready to offer any expiatory sacrifices, though never so costly, for that purpose. Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, &c.-Will God accept of the ordinary sacrifices, such as we have offered on other occasions, as an atonement for sin ? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, &c.-With a prodigious number; or ten thou sands of rivers of oil-Were it possible to give them? Doth he expect more costly sacrifices than ordinary? We are ready, if that will appease him, to offer up to him multitudes of rams, and to add meat-offerings, prepared with oil, in proportion, though it should cost us an immeasurable quantity of that article. Shall I give my firstborn, &c.The dearest of my offspring, or any other of my children, to Jehovah, by way of atonement for my transgression? It is well known that the Phenicians, and their descendants the Carthaginians, sacrificed their children to Saturn or Molech, and in their great dangers they were wont to offer the dearest of them. And some of the idolatrous Jews and Israelites imitated this horrid practice: see note on Lev. xviii. 21, where God in a solemn manner prohibits it, as he frequently does elsewhere. These two verses give us an exact description of the character of hypocrites and habitual sinners, who hope to obtain God's favour by performing certain external ceremonies; and are willing to purchase their own par breasts, and to act according to equity. 2d, To love mercy-Not to use severity, or exercise malice, envy, revenge, enmity, or hatred toward any, but to be compassionate, merciful, forgiving, kind, and beneficent toward all, according to our ability. And, 3d, To walk humbly with thy God-To humble thyself before the holy and just God, under a deep sense of thy past guilt and present unworthiness, renouncing all high thoughts of thyself, and all dependance on thy own righteousness for justification before him, but relying solely on his mercy, through the Mediator. The words imply, too, that we should keep up constant communion with God, by the exercise of an humble, holy, loving, and obedient faith, serving the Lord, as the apostle says of himself, in all humility of mind, and with continual reverence and godly fear. "See here the true spirit of the divine law! See here what makes a true Israelite! a truth which the carnal Jews could never comprehend: in vain did their legislator and their prophets inculcate it upon every occasion. They always had recourse to their gross conceptions, their attachment to sacrifices, and merely external services: herein they imagined their perfection to consist; while they neglected the more essential duties of man, and the practice of the most solid virtues, justice, benevolence, and piety." Verse 9. The Lord's voice crieth-Either by his judgments, each of which is his voice, or by his prophets; unto the city-To every city in Israel and Judah, but principally to Jerusalem and Samaria. The man of wisdom-Every wise man; shall see thy name-Will perceive God in that cry. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it-Who hath МІСАН. 10. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. B. C. 710. thy casting down shall be in the A. M. 3294. 16 For the statutes of "Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a 10 desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing therefore ye shall bear the re Ꮓ 14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and proach of my people. • Or, Is there yet unto every man a house of the wicked.- -7 Heb. measure of leanness, Amos viii. 5.- Deut. xxv. 13, 16; Prov. xi. 1; xx. 10, 23.- 8 Or, Shall I be pure with. Hos. xii. 7. 9 Jer. ix. 3, 5, 6, 8. Leviticus xxvi. 16; Psalm cvii. 17, 18. Lev. xxvi. 26; Hos. iv. 10. chosen it out, and strikes with it; that is, Hear ye the voice of God in the punishments he is now sending. Or, Hear what severe judgments are threatened against you, and who it is that threatens them, and is able to put them in execution. Verses 10-12. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness, &c.-Notwithstanding all the express laws, the exhortations and reproofs given you upon this subject, and so many examples of punishment set before you; still are there many that use unjust and fraudulent means to enrich themselves? who keep scant measures to sell their goods by, which the law of God often declares to be an abomination to him? The reproof is the same with that of Amos, chapter viii. 5, where see the note. Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, &c.—Shall I approve or acquit them, as if they were righteous? For the rich men thereof-Namely, of the city, spoken of verse 9; are full of violence-Not only of fraud and injustice, but oppression, tyranny, and cruelty. And the inhabitants have spoken liesHave gone aside from truth, integrity, and fidelity, and have deceived each other by falsehood. thy enemies, Isa. v. 29; They shall lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it, or retake it. Thou shalt sow, but shall not reap-Thou shalt not enjoy the fruit of thy labour: a curse often threatened for disobedience. Verse 16. For the statutes of Omri are kept—An idolatrous king, of whom it is said, 1 Kings xvi. 25, that he did worse than all that were before him, and therefore we may judge of the corruption of the people who imitated the example, and followed the institutions of such a one. By his statutes, seem to be intended some idolatrous rites, which he instituted while he was king of Israel. And all the works of the house of Ahab, &c.—Ahab was the son of Omri, and exceeded his father and all his predecessors in impiety. He did more (it is said, 1 Kings xvi. 33) to provoke the Lord God that all the kings of Israel that were before him. For he not only walked in the sins of Jeroboam, who instituted the worship of the golden calves, under which idolatrous representation Jehovah was wor shipped, but he also went and served Baal, a false god, and built a house, or temple, and erected an altar for him in Samaria, &c., 1 Kings xvi. 30–33. But, impious as Ahab was, he found imitators, not only in Israel, where he had power to command, but also in Judah. It is said, The works of the house of Ahab, because all his posterity followed his example in idolatry. And we learn, 2 Kings xxi. 3, that even the king of Judah, Manasseh, reared up an altar for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Verses 13-15. Therefore will I make thee sick in smiting thee-Therefore, upon account of these thy sins, I will, ere long, so smite thee, O Israel, that the strokes shall reach thy heart, and make thee sick unto death of thy wounds. Or, the punishment wherewith I will afflict thee shall waste thy strength like a consuming sickness which preys upon the vitals. Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied-See note on Hos. iv. 10. And thy casting down shall be || Israel. That I should make thee a desolationin the midst of thee-Thou shalt be depressed within The event will be, that the country and city shall be thee, or have no courage, or spirits, left to support laid desolate; and the inhabitants thereof a hissing thee. Thou shalt take hold, but not deliver, &c.--That is, a subject of scorn and derision to their Thou shalt lay hold on things to secure them to thee, but thou shalt not be able to save them from the enemy. All the advantages that thou hast made by any means shall become a prey to them. Archbishop Newcome translates it, Thou shalt take hold, but shalt not carry away; contrary to what is said of enemies. Therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people-This is addressed to the rich men, spoken of verse 12, and the meaning is, that the people in general should reproach them with being the principal cause of their calamities and desolation The prophet laments the CHAPTER VII. total corruption of the people. CHAPTER VII. In this chapter the prophet, (1,) Laments the total corruption of the people, 1-6. (2,) Directs those who feared God to take courage, to be patient, but to expect long trouble, 7–13. And, (3,) To encourage themselves with God's promises and faithfulness, and the future downfall of their enemies, 14–20. 710. е B. C. 710. A. M. 3294. W is me! for I am as 'when earnestly, the prince asketh, and A. M. 3294. || they have gathered the summer the judge asketh for a reward; and fruits, as the grape-gleanings of the vintage: the great man, he uttereth his mischievous there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the desire: so they wrap it up. first ripe fruit. 4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn-hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 3 That they may do evil with both hands confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy Heb. the gatherings of summer. Isaiah xvii. 6; xxiv. 13. b Isa. xxviii. 4; Hos. ix. 10.- - Psa. xii. 1; xiv. 1, 3; Isaiah lvii. 1. -2 Or, godly, or, merciful. d Hab. i. 15.-e Hosea iv. 18. f Isa. i. 23; Chap. iii. 11. Heb. the mischief of his soul. - 2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 7; Ezekiel ii. 6; Isa. lv. 13.- h Jer. ix. 4. NOTES ON CHAPTER VII. hands, &c.-With all diligence; earnestly-HeVerses 1, 2. Wo is me, &c.—Judea, or rather the brew, on, to good it; that is, to do it thoroughly prophet himself, is here introduced as complaining, and effectually. "Their hands are bent on iniquity, that though good men once abounded in the land, to execute it fully." So Dr. Wheeler. The prince there were now few or none to be found. I am as asketh-Namely, a gift; to do any one a favour, or when they have gathered the summer fruits, &c.—I good. And the judge asketh for a reward-And the am like one who gathers up the ears of corn after judge will not pass a decision till he has had a bribe the harvest, or grapes after the vintage: who meets to engage him to do it. And the great man uttereth with very few. There is no cluster, &c.--Good his mischievous desire-The great man at court, men, that used to be found in clusters, are now as who can do what he will there, is bold to declare the grape-gleanings of the vintage, here and there a plainly his unjust, oppressive design; or, the misberry. No societies of pious men are to be found,|| chief of his soul, as a properly signifies. So assembling together for the purposes of devotion they wrap it up-The prince, the judge, and the and mutual edification: those that are such, are in- great man, agreeing in their ill designs, make a threedividuals, unconnected with, and standing aloof from fold cord of iniquity: or, they twist one sin upon each other. And these are but very imperfectly another, the latter to maintain or cover the former, pious, like the small withered grapes, the refuse, left and all jointly promote injustice, violence, and crubehind, not only by the gatherer, but by the gleaner. elty. The best of them is a brier--Or, like a brier. My soul desired the first ripe fruit-I wish to see They catch fast hold on, and retain, whatever they such worthy good men as lived in the former ages, can lay their hands on. The most upright is were the ornaments of the primitive times, and as sharper than a thorn-Even the best among them far excelled the best of the present age, as the first would wound and injure on every side all that come and full ripe fruits do those of the later growth, that near them. The day of thy watchmen-The day never come to maturity. To meet with such as in which they shall sound the alarm; and thy visitathese would be a refreshment, to me like that which tion cometh-Namely, surely and speedily. a thirsty traveller receives when he finds the early time of vengeance is coming, which hath been forefruits in the summer season. The good man--He- || told by the prophets of former times, as well as the brew, 7, the pious, kind, merciful, and beneficent; present, called here watchmen, as they are by Ezeis perished out of the earth-Rather, out of the land, kiel, chap. iii. 7, and by Hosea, chap. ix. 8; then God namely, Judea. There are few or none that are so will visit for all the sins thou hast committed against truly and consistently pious as to delight in doing him. Watchmen may signify magistrates as well as good to others, or making them as happy as lies in prophets, (see note on Isa. lvi. 10,) and then the words their power. And there is none upright--“ As the import the time when God will call both princes and early fig, of excellent flavour, cannot be found in the prophets to account for their unfaithfulness in the advanced season of summer, or the choice cluster discharge of their several offices. Now-When that of grapes after vintage, so neither can the good and day is come; shall be their perplexity-They shall upright man be discovered by diligent searching in be so entangled and insnared, as not to know what Israel."--Newcome. They hunt every man his way to take. brother, &c.--They make a prey, each one of his neighbour, or those they have to do with, and use all arts to deceive and injure them. The Verses 5-7. Trust ye not in a friend—This and the next verse are descriptive of a general corruption of manners; so that all ties and duties of consanVerses 3, 4 That they may do evil with both guinity were trampled upon, or paid no regard to. An exhortation B. C. 710. B. C. 710. A. M. 3294. mouth from her that lieth in thy || 10 Then she that is mine enemy A. M. 3294. bosom. shall see it, and shame shall cover 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the her which said unto me, Where is the LORD daughter riseth up against her mother, the thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a shall she be trodden down as the mire of the man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. n 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for ine: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. i Ezek. xxii. 7; Matt. x. 21, 35, 36; Luke xii. 53; xxi. 16; 2 Tim. iii. 2, 3.-k Isa. viii. 17. Prov. xxiv. 17; Lam. iv. 21.- Psalm xxxvii. 24; Prov. xxiv. 16.- Psa. xxvii. 1. • Lam. iii. 39.-P Psa. xxxvii. 6. Or, And thou wilt see her that is mine enemy and cover her with shame.-9 Psa. xxxv. 26. The friend proved treacherous to his friend, the wife to her husband: children set at naught their parents, and a man's own family, or domestics, plotted his injury, or destruction, or acted as enemies toward him. Therefore will I look unto the Lord-The church here expresses her confidence in God alone, since no trust could be placed in man. Or, they may be considered as the words of the prophet, and of those who feared God in Israel. 5 streets. 11 In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far re moved. goodness. What we render righteousness, often signifies, according to the Hebrew, beneficence, or goodness. Verses 10-13. Then she that is mine enemyNamely, the Chaldean nation. Which said unto me, (namely, when she held me captive,) Where is the Lord thy God?-Where is now Jehovah, whom thou worshippest, and sayest is the only God? Why does he not now deliver thee? Why does he not free thee from my hands, who am not his worshipper? Mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down, &c.-As the heathen beheld the desolations of God's church and temple with delight, (see chap. iv. 11,) so it shall come to my turn to see God's judgments executed upon the Babylonish empire, which shall be brought down to as low a condition as ever they had reduced God's people. In the day that thy walls shall be built, &c.—When God shall visit his people, and repair their decayed estate, (compare Amos ix. 11,) then the tyrannical edicts of their persecutors shall be utterly abolished. Because I have sinned against him-Because This may partly relate to the recalling those edicts, I am sensible I have highly offended him by my which put a stop to the rebuilding of the city and idolatry, injustice, and unmercifulness. Until he temple of Jerusalem: see Ezra iv. 23, 24, and vi. 14; plead my cause, and execute judgment for me- Neh. ii. 8, 17. In that day-At that time also; he shall Until he shall be pleased to acknowledge my cause, come even to thee from Assyria, &c.—This may be in consequence of my repentance and perseverance rendered, They shall come, &c.; that is, thy restored in the worship of him, and avenge my injuries on inhabitants; and from the fortress-Or rather, from my enemies. It may well be supposed that the Egypt, even unto the river-That is, the Euphrates; Chaldeans made a mock of the Jews for persevering for the word ny, which we translate fortress, like in the worship of Jehovah, or that God who (as wise means Egypt. All this signifies the return of they supposed) had not been able to deliver them, the Jews from the various parts to which they had his worshippers, out of their hands, the worshippers been scattered. Notwithstanding, the land shall be of Bel and Nebo; whom therefore they esteemed desolate, &c.-Nevertheless the land shall, before more powerful. He will bring me forth to the light this, be reduced to a state of desolation, on account He will again bring me into a prosperous condition. of the heinous wickedness of those who at present And I shall behold his righteousness-Or rather, his || inhabit it. Verses 8, 9. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy-Here begins a new subject; the Jewish nation in general being here introduced speaking in their captivity, and addressing themselves to the Chaldeans. When I fall I shall rise-Or, because I am fallen; for I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me-Neither rejoice nor triumph over me, because I at present sit in darkness, or misery, for Jehovah will again make me prosperous. I will bear the indignation of the the Que Lord I will patiently, or without repining, bear the affliction, or punishment, Jehovah has inflicted upon me. |