The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 22

"They set np my people BB an enemy," i.11. ruthlessly stripped of their bleBBings, either the l!ro.ndees treat the Lord's people 11.8 by being forced to grow up in want and onem1es, robbing and plundering them. ignore.nee, or by being sold into ale.very e.nd This translation obviates the difficulty of carried e.we.y from their old religions asso- referring the words, "my people," in this cialions. :For ever. The oppressora never verse to tho oppressor, and in ver. 7 to the repented or tried to make restitution; and oppressed. Acoorcling to the nsual view, so they incurred the special woe of those who and retnining tho authorized rendering, the injure the poor, the fatherless, ancl the widow meaning is the.t the princes exhibit them- (Pusey). The Septuagint has no connection eel ves e.s enemies of the Lord by their e.cts with the present Hebrew text of this verse, of violence e.nd oppression, which the reading, 'Enfua.Te 6petTiv alc,JVfot~, " Draw ye prophet proceeds to particularize. Septua- near to the everlasting hilla," and previously gint, 'O /Co;os µ01J .1. tx9pciv lill'Tl<1T1/, " My introducing a gloss, .0.<4 -ra. 1ro1171pa. ,1r,-r71- people withstood as an enemy." Ye pall Be6µ.a.-ro; C&UTWII •cw<1871<1o;11, "They were re- off the robe with the garment; ye violently jected because of their evil practices." strip off the robe away from the garment. Jerome explains the Greek mystically, de- 'fhe "robe" (eder) is the wide cloak, the spairing of !he literal interpretation in its mantle sufficient to wrap the whole person, present connection. and which was often of very costly material. Ver. 10.-Arise ye, and depart. The The "garment" (salmah) is the principal prophet pronounces the oppressors' punish, inner garment, or tunic. 'fhere ma.y be an ment-lhey shnll be banished from their allusion to the enactment which forbade a land, even ns they have tom others from creditorretainingthepledged garment during their home. This is not yonr rest. Cana.an the night (Exod. xxii. 26, etc.). Septuagint, had been given as a resting-place to Israel KaTfvcu,Ti Tijs Elp~1111s cilrroii· T¾]v 6opa.v ciVToii (Dent. xii. 9, 10; Josh. i. 13; Ps. xcv. 11), t~t6«pciv, "Age.inst his peace they stripped but it should be so no longer. Because it is off his skin." From them that pass by polluted. The land is regarded as polluted securely B8 men averse from war. This is by the sins of its inhabitants. The idea ia probably the correct translation. The often found; e.g. Lev. xviii. 25, 28; Numb. grandees rob those who are peaceably dis- xxxv. 33; Jer. iL 7. It shall destroy you, posed, perhaps strip their debtors of their even with e. sore destruction. The land is cloe.ks as they pass quietly along the road. said to clestroy when it ejects its inhabitants, The versions vnry considerably from the ns though the inanimate creation rose in received Hebrew text. The LXX. (with judgment age.inst the sinners. The Revised which the Syriac partially agrees) has, Tou Version, with Keil and others, tmnslate.i, li,pe>.l<18o;1 l>.1ri1icis <11Jll'Tp1µ.µ/J11 1ro>,,lµo1J, " To Because of uncleanness that destroyeth, even remove hope in the destruction of war; " with a grie1JOUB destruction; Septuagint, Vnlge.te, Eos qui transibant simpliciter con- .o.«,p8&p71TE q,9opi, "Ye were utterly de- flertistis in bellum. From this rendering stroyed;" Vulgate, Propter immunditiam Trochon derives the paraphrase-Ye treat ej,,s corrumpetur putredine pessima. The them as if they were prisoners of war. An thorizcd Version is correct. Hitzig considers that the reference is to Ver. 11.-Snch prophets as speak un- fugitives from the northern kingdom who welcome truths are not popule.r with the passed through Judma in their endeavour grandees ; they like only those who pander to esoope the evils of the war, lee.ving wives to their vices and prophesy lies. This WB.i and children in the hands of the Judree.ns. their crowning sin. If a man walking in But these treated the refugees harshly. the spirit ani falsehood do lie. "The spirit Ver. 9.-The women of my people. Tl,e and falsehood" may be a hendiadys for" a prophet refers to the widows, who ought to spirit of falsehood,'' or "e. lying spirit," as have been protected and cnred for (comp. 1 Kings xxii. 22 (com.,, Ezek. xiii. 2, 3, 1i). Isa. x. 2). The LXX., with which the But it is better to render, If a man toalki-no Arabic agrees, renders, 71-yovµ.evo, >,,o;ou µ.o,,, after (c011rersant with) the wind and false- "the leaders of my people." Have ye oast hood do lie. Wind is symbolioaJ. of all that out. The word expresses a violent expul- is vain and worthless, l\ll Isa. xxvi. 18; sion, as Gen. iii. 24. Their plellBILllt houses; xii. 29. The Septuagint introduces a gloss literally, the house of their delights ( eh. i. from Lev. xxvi. 17, K11TEli1wx811n ovlievos 16). The house which wns very dear to them, 1i,wK011Tor, "Ye fled, no one pursuing you," the scene of all their joys. l'lly glory. All and translates the above clause, 1rveuµ.11 the privileges which they enjoyed as God's r"'T11"• ,/,eulior: "spiritus statuit mendaoium, people and his peculiar oaro are called " the i.11. flnem posuit mendacii" (St. Jerome); ornament" of the Lord (comp. Ezck. xvi.14). Vulgnte, Utinam non es.sem vir habt-11J> The "glory" is by some commentators, but spiritum, et m671dacium potiua loquereT. I not so appositely, referred to vesture ex- will prophesy unto thee, etc. These are t\io clusively. These liltherlasecbildren bid bean words of a false prophet. " Prophesy,"  20 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [ou. n. 1-18.