The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 5

CHAPTER I. ye pe;ple,; Septuagint, 71.aol. All nations are summoned to come and witness the Ver. 1-ch. ii. 13.-Pe.rt I. THREATEN- judgment, and to profit by the warning. INGS AND JODGlllENTB ON lsBAEL AND JUDAH, So Micaiah, son of Imlah, the bolcl denouncer WITH PREDICTION OF EVENTUAL DELIVER- of false prophets in the age of Ahab, had cried, " Hear, ye peoples, e.11 of you ,. ANCE. (1 Kings xxti. 28). So Moses, in his song Ver. 1.-The inscription, or heading of (Dent. xxxii.1), ea.lie on heaven and earth to the book, conveying the prophet's authority. listen to his words (comp. Isa. i. 2). These The word of the Lord. The expression expressions are not mere rhetorical figures ; . applies to the whole contents of the book, as they have e. special application. Whatever in Hos. i. 1 and Zeph. i. 1. It is often used happens to Israel has e. bearing on the for some particular message to a prophet, development of the kingdom of God ; the as J er. i. 4, 11 ; ii. 1; Ezek. iii. 16. Mioah judgments on the chosen people are not only the More.sthite; i.e. Micah of Moresheth- e. warning to the heathen, but bring on the Gath (ver. 14), e. village in the lowland of great consummation. All that therein is j Judiea, nee.I'. Eleutheropolis, some twenty literally, the fulne6s thereof; Vulgate, pleni- miles south-west of J eruse.lem (see Intro- tudo ejus; Septuagint, ..-d.vr.s ol ev airrfi, duction, § II.). In the de.ye of J'othe.m, "all ye that are therein " (Ps. xxiv. I). Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Thus Micah was e. Let the Lord God (the Lord Jehovah) be contemporary of Isaiah, though his ministry witness against you. Let God by his jnrlg- did not begin as soon or last e.s long ea ments against yon, viz. Israel and Judah, that prophet's (see Isa. i. 1); he was e. little confirm my denunciation (comp. Deut. xxix. later than Hosea and Amos, who prophesied 24). From his holy temple; i.e. from heaven, under Uzziah, the father of Jotham. Kings WI ver. 3 shows (1 Kings viii 30; Ps. xi. 4; of Judah are mentioned because the Ha.b. ii. 20). prophet's mission we.a to Judah, as the line Ver. 3.-Here follows a grand description, of election ; but, like Amos, he prophesied in figurative language, of the course of age.inst Se.maria also. However divided, Divine judgment, and of God's awful m>ljesty the two nations are regarded as one people. and resistless power. Out of his place. It Which he saw. What he saw in vision or is as though the sins of Israel had roused by inward illumination he here relates in him to action. God is hidden except when words. Thus the prophecies of Isaiah, he displays his power in judgment and Obadiah, Ne.hum, eto., are called "visions." mercy (see note on Zech. xiv. 3). Will Conoerning Se.maria and Jerusalem. Samaria come down. An anthropomorphic expres- comes first, as being ripe for punishment, sion, as Gen. xviii. 21. The· high places. and the first to feel the avenger. The As though descending from heaven, God oapite.ls of the two kingdoms Israel and first came upon the tops of the mountains Judah stand for the people themselves. (see note on Amos iv. 13; comp. Deut. Vere. 2-4.-§ 1. Introduction to t1'8 x.uii 13). The phrase woulcl imply God'11 prophet', addrea,. The nation, and earth absolute sovereignty over the uni verse. Ver. 4.-The desoription of God's advent welf are summoned to attend t1'8 eolemn to judgment is founded on the idea. of e. announcement. terrible storm and ee.rthquake, perhap~ Ver. 2.-Rear, all ye people; rather, :all aooompe.nied with volcanic eruption, thoug\.J M.IOAH. B 2 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [on. I. 1-10.