" ea.notify war." There may be allusion to this fills hie mind nnd c0mpriAea all !,i.~ the religious rites accompanying a declara- meBBage. The third gift is might, i.e. a tion of we.r ( J er. vl. 4 ; Joel iii. 9) ; but holy courage the.t enables him to foco any Micah eeems to mee.n that, if the customary danger in delivering hie testimony (cf)mp. bribee are withheld, these prophets announce 2 Tim. i. 7). In these points be iB in war and calamity as inevitable; they pro- strong contrast to the false prc,phets, who claim them in God's name, ae speaking with were not inspired by the Spirit of God his ennotion and under hie inspiration (comp. spake not with power, caUed good evil, and Jcr. xxiii. 16, eto.: Ezek. xiii. 19; see note evil good, were timid and time-serving. on Zepb. i. 7). le.ooh . . . I■re.el The two are identical Ver. 6.-Night shall be unto you, that 71 as in ver. I, and the claaaes in which they she.11 not have e. vision. The Hebrew is, occur contain the same thought repeated " from," or "without a vision." Septuagint, for em phaais' se.ke. I! clpcfo·,.,s, " out of vision;" Vulgate, pro '1i,ione. Hence some interpret this e.~ spoken Vere. 9-12.-§ 3. Recapitulation of the to the false prophets, who, to punish their nm of the three cla88es--Tulera, priests, and lying prophecies and pretended revelations, prophet.a, with an announcement of the de- shall be overwhelmed with calamity. But structiO'TI of ZiO'TI and the temple. it is beet taken e.s still addressed to the rulers, and Mioe.h tolls how the.t in the time .'~er. 9.-The prophet exemplifies his of their distress there sha.11 be no prophecy to courage by delivering in fnll the denuncia- direct them (comp. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6: Prov. tion with which he commenced (ver. 1; see i. 28; Lam. ii. 9). '' Night she.11 be unto note there). Rear this. What follows. Per- them without a vision." "Night" and "de.rk- vert e.Il equity. Ye, who by your position ness" e.re metaphors for ce.lamity, as in e.ll ought to be models and guardians of justice le.nguages. That ye shall not divine ; u,ith- and equity, violate all laws, human and out divination. Septuagint, l,c µav-r,la.s, Divine, make the straight crooked, distort "out of proplieoy." Parallel and identical every notion of right (comp. lee.. lix. 8). in meaning with the preceding clause. The Ver. 10.-They build up Zion with blood, sun she.II go down over the prophets ; i. e. Blood is, as it were, the cement that binds over the false prophets. The sun of their the building together. They raise palaces prosperity shall set. Micah seems to derive with money gained by extortion, rapine, his imagery from the phenomena of an and judicial murders like that of Ne.both eclipse (comp. Jer. xv. 9; Amos viii, 9). (1 Kings xxi.: comp. Jer. xxii. 13, etc.: The day. The time of their punishment (oh. Ezek. xxii. 27: He.b. ii. 12). Uheyne thinks ii. 4; Amoa v. 18). this to be a too dark view of the state of Ver. 7.-Bhe.Il the seers be ashamed. The public more.Is, e.nd wonld therefore consider false prophets shall be ashamed because "blood" to be used for violent conduct lead- their oracles are proved to be delusive. They ing to ruin of others, comparing ls,i. i. 15: she.II e.Il oover their lips; the upper lip; i.e. lix. 3: Prov. L ll. In these passages, how- the face up to the nose, in sign of mourn- ever, actual bloodshed may be meant; o.nd ing and she.me (see Lev. xiii. 45: Ezek. we know too little of the morn! condition of xxiv. 17, 22). It is equivalent to covering Judma e.t this time to be able to uecide the bead for the same reason, as Esth, vi. 12 ; against the darker view. Jer. xiv. 4. Septuagint, Ka-raAaM10-ovcn Ver. 11.--Jndge for reward. The very ,cal ab-riiiv ..-dv-ru alrrol, taking the verb to judges take bribes (Isa. i. 23: Ezek. nii. 12), mean '' shall open" (not "cover") their lips which "the Law so stringently forbade (see against them. For there is no answer of Exod. xxiii. 8: Dent. xvi. 19, etc.). The God. There was no revelation (Ps. lxxiv. 9; priests thereof tee.oh for hire. The priests Ezek. vii. 26). Septuagint, .6.1&-r, ob,c la--ra, were bound to teach and explain the Law, cl l,ra,cooc.,v a.b-riiiv, "Because there shall be and decide questions of religion aud ritual none tbe.t hee.rkeneth unto them." (Lev. x. 11; Deut. xvi i. 11; xxxiii. 10; Ver. 8.-Mice.h contrasts his own powers comp. Hag. ii. 11, etc.). This they ou_c:ht e.nd e.ots with those of the false prophets. to have done gratuitously, but they corruptly I e.m full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. me.de it e. source of gaiu. Divine for money.
l Mioah asserts that he speaks e.nd acts by The e.ccusntion in ver. 5 is repee.ted. 'fhese the direct inspiration of God; he claima false prophets sold their oracles, pretencliug three gifts bestowed upon him by the Holy to have e. suitable revelation w heu po.id for Spirit to ene.ble him to effect his purpose. it (Ezek. xxii. 28 : Zeph. iii. 3, 4). Yet The first of these is" power "-such might will they lee.n upon the Lord. These imparted to him the.this words fall wit!, foli9 priests e.nd prophets were worshippers of and proolo.im their Divine origin (comp. Jehovah and trusted in him, as though he Luke i. l 7: Acts i. 8). The second gift is could uot forsake his people. They had ludgment-the righteous judgment of Gou: faith without love, di vorocd religion from SS THE BOOK OF MICAH. [ou. m. 1-12.