The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 50

EXPOSITION. oomprehension of a.11 nations in the Catholic CHAPTER IV. Church. Isaiah says "all nations" in the parallel passngo (comp. Zeph. ii. 11 Vera. 1-5.-§ 4. The P"ophet suddenly anrl Zech. viii. 22, and notes there). announces tlui future glory of the temple Ver. 2.-The prophet further explains his mountain and tlui ideal happiness of the la.et statement. The new revelation shall be so conspicuous and so attractive that people. all men shall hear, and desire to become Ver. 1.-But. There is no e.dversative partakers of it. Many nations. In con- particle here; the verse is merely con- tra.at to the one nation from wborn the Law nected with whe.t precedes without e.ny emanated. They shall exhort one another expressed contra.et. What is implied is to resort to the great religiollll mdropolis, that it we.a impossible that the temple, to i.e. to the true religion. Of his way3. His which God's high promises atte.cheil, should plans in the moral government of the world, lie waste for ever. The passage, vers. 1-3, and the way in which he would have men occurs in Isa.. ii. 2-4. The question e.s to walk in order to please him. For the law which prophecy is the earlier cannot be (torah); teaching, directfon; not the Mosaic settled. Possibly both prophets borrowed Law, but a rule of life (Prov. vi. 23). This the Iangue.ge of some earlier work, as is the reason given by the prophet for the Ise.ie.h is thought to have done on other eagerness of the nations to resort io J eru- occe.sions, e.g. Isa. xv. 1md xvi., the com- sa.lem. They would seek instruction at the munity of idea.a lee.ding them to the same hand of those authorized to give it (see source of testimony. In the last days ; note on eh. iii. 11 ). Tha word of the Lord. literally, at the end of the days; Cheyne, The revelation of Jehovah, the gospel. " in the days to come." It is the usual From Jerusalem. It is obviollll tliat in a phrase to designate the time of Messiah, defined sense the gospel sprang from unto which the prophet's thoughts are J erusa.lem, the place where Christ exercised direoted, and for which all preceding events his ministry, died, rose, ascended; where and periods are e. preparation ( J er. xxiii. the apostles received their commission and 20; Hos. iii. 5; comp. 1 Cor. x. 11 ; 1 the gift of the Holy Ghost (Luke xxiv. 47; Tim. iv. 1). Septuagint, 1,r' foxd:ro,v ,,.;;,,, Acts l 8); the gospel being not set up in 71µ.•p0111, "at the lo.at ~a." The phrase opposition to the Law, but being its fulfil- may often suitably be rendered, "in latter ment and development. days," as spoken not absolutely, but rela- Ver. 3.-The effect of this reception of tively to preceding times. The mountain of true religion shall be universal peace. He the house of the Lord. Mount Moriah, the shall judge among many people ; or better, ruin of which was foretold (eh. iii. 12). between many peoples. The Lord shall be But the term here seems to include Jeru- the Arbiter to whow all Ji;pntes shall be salem itself. Shall be established, firmly referred, as in the next clause. When his and permanently (as 1 Kings ii. 45), no reign is acknowledged and bis Law obeyed, longer eubjeot to ruin and devastation. In all war and all causes of wo.r shall cease. the top of the mountains ; better, on the The gospel is a gospel of peace und love, head of the mountains. The idea is that and when "the kingdoms of this world are the temple mountain shall be raised above, become the kingdoms of our Lord and hiR and stand forth prominently from the lower Christ'" (Rev. xi. 15), peace nnd love shall hills that surround it e.nd form its basis everywhere abound. (For the phrase in the (comp. Ezek. xl. 2; Zech. xiv. I O; Rev. tcxt,comp. Judg. xi. 27; 1 Sam. :x:xiv. 12, 15.) u:i. 10). The prophet speaks as if he con- Rebuke stTong nations afar off. The word temphited o. physical change, expressing rendered " rebuke " means here " decide the.reby with singular force the notion that concerning," "act as umpire for." The the worship of the true God (of which the arbitration of the sword sha.l.l no more be temple was the symbol) shnll be promnlgtited resorteil to. The words "afar off" are among all nations of the world ; that from omitted in the similar passage of Tuo.iah, -the old Jewish cenlre of religion o. new 01·der Beat their swords into ploughshares; i.e. of things she.11 arise, not transitory, nor loco.I, they shall practise the o.rts of peace instead but extenrling to all time and pervading lhe of war. Literally, the short broad swor,1 of utmost parts of the earth. And people the Israelites might readily be converteJ (peoples) shall flow uuto it. The prophet into a sho.re, e.nd the spear forged into a beholrls the nntions of the world coming up pruning-hook (comp. Hos. ii. 18; Zech. in formal procession to join in the service ix. 10). l\Inrtinl ho.s an tpigrom entitled, of the temple, Thus is o.quwbn~ted tbo "Fl\lx ex ensc" (xiv. 3-l)- WOAU IS 60 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [on. 1v. 1-13.