The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 7

xxiii. 17; Ezek. xvi. 81). Thero me.y be al- their ■ins which ■hould bring like punish- lusion to tho sho.meful practices consecrated ment. The word rendered " wail" means with the name of religion, the proceeds of "to beat" the breast. Septuagint, 1<&,j,<-ra,: which wont to the 6upport of idolatry (seo Vulge.te, plangam. Stripped and naked. The llaruch vi, 43; Horod., i. 199; 8trabo, xvi. 1). former epithet the LXX. translate &vv· Idols; more costly images, me.de probably of 1'63no,, as if it meant " barefoot ; " e.nd or plated with precious metals. li'or she thr,y refer the veree to Se.maria, n,,t to Micnl,. gathered it; mthor, them, the imo.ges o.nd The two epitl,ets contain one notion ; th,, idols, from tho offorini,:s made by idolaters, prophet assumes the character, not merely spirituo.l fomico.tors, henco called the hire of of a mourner, who put off his usual an harlot. They shall return to the hire of an garments, bnt that of e. captive who wa~ he.riot. The treo.sures obtained by idolo.try Htrippecl to the skin and carried away eho.11 go to another iclolo.trous people, viz. naked and ,Jespoilt,d (comp. Isa. xx. 2-4; the Assyria.us; the clcdico.tecl offerings in the xl vii. 2, 3). Dragons; Septuagint, opa1<&wrwv: temples at Samaric, ehall be ce.rriecl off to Hebrew, tannim, "j~kals" (Job xxx. W; Nineveh to adorn the tomples there (comp. Me.I. i. 3), whose mournful howling is well Dun. i. 2; v. 3; Ezra i. 7). The sentence known to all travellers in the East. Owls; seems to be e. kind of proverbial saying, Septuagint, 9,rya.Tlpwv trEtpfivwv, "daugl1tera like the Latin, Male parta, male dilabuntur. of sirens;" Vulgate, struthionum. The bir,l Schegg compares the German, Wie gewon- is called in Hebrew bath yaanah, which nen, so zerronnen, and Unrect Gut that sein. eome explain "de.nghter of the <leeert," or Gut. 'fhe juclgment on Samaria was exe- else refer to roots meaning either "to cry cuted by the .Assyria.us. Three times in hie out" or "to be freed." Doubtless the ehort 1·eign of less than six years did ostrich is meant. Concerning the fearful Shalmaneser IV. invade Israel. Shortly screech of this bird, Pusey q uotcs Shaw, after hie e.ccceeion, having reason to suspect •Travels,' ii. 349, "During the lonesome the fidelity of lioehea, he "came up age.inst part of the night they often make e. ,!uleful him" (2 Kings xvii. 3), e.nd so overawed and piteous noise. I have often heard them him by the exhibition of his superior groan as if they were in the greatest power that the King of Israel submitted agonies!' without a struggle; "became his servant. Yer. 9.-Her wound; her ,tripea, the and gave him presents," or rendered him punishment inflicted on Se.maria. Incurable tl'ibnte. But Hoshee.'e e.llegie.nce was not yet (comp. Jer. xv. 18). The day of grace is secured. Encouraged by the enterprise e.nd po.et, and Israel has not repented. It is aame. success of the Ethiopian mono.rch So, or The stripe, the punishment, reaches Judo.h. Shebek, who he.d defeated e.ud sl>Lin the To the prophetic eye the A.ssyriane' inva.sio11 Egyptian king, and established himself of Judie, seems close at hand, a.nd even tbe firmly on the throne of Upper Egypt, fine.I e.tbck of the Che.ldelillS comes within his Hoehee., in reliance on Egyptio.n a.id, age.in view. The ee.me sins in the nortllern and threw off the yoke of Assyria, and refused southern capita.le lee.J to the ee.mu fate. He the customary tribute. Hie punishment is aome. He, the enemy, the a.gent of the we.a speedy e.n<l sharp. Sho.lmaneeer had "stripe." The gate of my people. The no ditll.culty in making himself master of gate, the place of meeting, tho well-guarded hie person, "shut him up and bound hinl pest, is put for the city itself (comp. Gen. in prison." On e. fresh act of rebellion, of xxii. 17; Deut. xxviii. 52; Obad. 11). what nature we arc not informed, Sho.1- Pusey thinks that Micah refer,; to ,omething maneeer made his third attack. This time short of totul excision, o.n<l therefore that he was everywhere rceielcd, o.n<l ended by the invasion of Sennacherib a.lone is meant laying sieg" to Se.mnrio. itself. Before this (2 Kings xnii. 13). But the fore-shortene,l city hie forces were detained for moro than view of the prophet may well include the two years; nor was it tilt B,O, 722, when final ruin. e.pp1nontly bi ■ own reign had como to an end, that Samaria. wo.s ta.ken, hi■ successor Vors. 10-15.-§ 4. The judgment 1111 Sargon claiming the conquest e.s appertain- Judah ia ezemplified by the fate of certain cf ing to hie first year (Rawlinson, • Ancient itll cities, ichoae name, the prophet co-nnectll with Monarchies,' ii. eh. ix.). their punisliment in a 88rie, of paronomaaia,1. Vere. 8, 9,-§ 3. Jlficah mourm beoau,e the Ver. 10.-lleole.re ye it not at Gath. '!'Lis punishment eztends to Judah also. phraeo from David's elegy uver Smtl (2 Sam. Ver. 8. - I will wail 'fhe proph,-t i. 20) had become a proverbial saying, depre- me.rice the destruction of Samaria with cating the malicious joy of their ho,;tilo those outwal'll signs of mourning, in order noighbo~ over the misfortunes that befell that he might affect the minds of hie own them. Gath is mentioned as the sm\t of thu (:O\!.ulr3wcu1 ,111d ijho,, how ho griovcd over l'hiliiltinrs, the constant o.nd powerful enemy 4 THE BOOK OF MIOAH. [oH. I, 1-16.