The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 88

Observe the rod of God's anger, the threat- sake, in the month or one of the rich ened judgmente (so lea. ix. 4 (31 Hebrew]; oppressors. Jerome's translation is contrary x. 5, 24), 'fhe power of Assyna ie meant, to the use or the verb, which is always The LXX. renders differently, 'A,co11• <1>11/\f,, intransitive in kal. "Heo.r, 0 tribe;" so the Vulgate, ..4.udite, Ver. 12.-The rieh men thereof; l.e. of the tribus. And who hath appointed it. Mark city mentioned in ver. 9. They have jast who it is who hath ordained this chaetise- been charged with injustice and fraud, now ment. It is from the Lord's hand. Sep- they are denounced for practising every kind tuagint, TI, ,co,rµf,rr« wo/\111; " Who will of violence. And not only the rich, but all ndorn the city?" with some reference, the inhabitants fall under censure for lying perhaps, to Jer. xxxi. 4, "Again shalt thou and deceit. Their tongue is deceitful ; be adorned with thy tabrets;" Vulgate, literally, deceit; they cannot open their Et quis approbabit illud f This implies tLat month withoat speaking dangerous and few indeed will profit by the warning. destructive lies. Ver. 10.-The reproof is given in the Vera. 13-16.-§ 4. For alZ fAil God form of questions, in order to rouse the threatem punish11le'llt. sleeping conscience of the people. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the Ver. 13.-Will I make thee sick in 111Diting house of the wicked t Do the wicked still thee; literally, ha1Je made the amiting thee continue to bring into their houses treasures sick; i.e. incurable, as Nab. iii 19, or," have obtained by wrong ? The old versions com- made the blows mortal tha.t are given thee." pare this ill-gotten wealth to a fire which The perfect is used to express the certainty shall consume the homes of its poBBessors. of the future. The Septuagint and Vulgate SeJltuagint, M¾, ,rvp ,c..l oT,co• b&µo11 871rra.11- read, "I ha.ve begun [or, will begin] to pi(<»11 871rra.11pobr b&µo11r; " Is there fire smite thee." 11.nd the house of the wicked treasuring up Ver. 14.-Thou shalt eat, etc. The punish- wicked treasures?" Vulgate, .A.dhuo ignia ment answers to the sin (which proves that in domo impii thesauri iniquitatis 1 So the it comes from God), and recalls the threats Syriao; the Chaldee keeps to the Masoretic of the Law (Lev. 1Xvi. 25, etc.; Dent. 1Xviii reading. The scant measure; literally, the 29, etc.; comp. Hos. iv. 10; Ha.g. i 6). Thy ephah of leanneBB. The ephah wae about casting down shall be in the midst of thee ; three pecks. According to Josephus (' Ant.,' i.e. thy humiliatic,n, thy deca.y and downfall, xv. 9. 2), it contained one Attia medi.mnus, shall ooour in the very centre of thy wealth which would be nearly a bushel and a ancl strength, where thou hast laid up thy half. Fraudulent weights and measures treasure and practised thy wickedness. But are often denounced (Lev. xix. 35, eto.; the meaning of the Hebrew is very uncer- Dent. xxv. 14, etc.; Prov. 1X, 10, 23; tain, and the text may be corrupt. The Amos viii. 5). Vulgate, Mensura minor irlll LXX. had a different reading, rr11rr,co-rrfo·., plena, where the Hebrew hae, that is abomi- ,,, rroi, " darkness shall be in thee." The nable. Suoh frauds e.re hateful to God, and Syrlao and Cha.Idea interpret the word are marked with his wrath. rendered "casting down" (nlll', which is found Ver. 11.-Shall I count them pure t nowhere else) of some disease like dysentery. literally, Shall I be pure 'I The clause is It is most suitable to understand this clause obscure. The Authorized Version regards as connected with the preceding threat of the speaker as the same as in ver. 10, and hunger, and to take the unusual word i:J. translates with some violence to the text. the sense of "emptiness." Thus, 14 Thy It may be th11.t the prophet spenks as the emptiness (of stomach) shall remain in representative of the awakened transgressor, thee." Jeremiah (liL 6) speaks of the " Can I be guiltless with such deceit about famine in the city at the time of its me?" But the sudden change of personifi- siege. Thon shalt take hold; rather, thou. cation and of state of feeling is very harsh. shalt remo1Je ( thy goods). This is the Hence some follow Jerome in regarding God second chastisement. They should try to as the speaker, and rendering, "Shall I take their goods and families out of the justify the wicked balance?" others, the reach of the enemy, but should not be able Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee, El 61,ca.1• to save them. The LXX. interprets the verb c.,8fitr•Ta.1 Iv (vy,;; livoµo• ; " Shall the wicked of esco.ping by flight. That which thou be justified by the balance?" Cheyne is deliverest. If by obauce a,nylhing is carried inclined to read the verb in the seoond away, it shall foll into the hands of the per•on, "Canst thou (0 Jerusalem) be enemy (comp. 2 Kings uv. '4, 5; Jer. Iii. pure?" since in the next verse the prophet 7, 8). proceeds, " the rich men thereof" (i.e. of Ver. 15.-Here is another judgment in Jerusalem). If we retain the present accordance with the threatenings of the Law rending, "C11.n I be innocent?" we must (Dent. xxviii. 33, 38, eto.; comp. Awos v. consider the question e.s put, for effcot's 11 ; Zeph. i. 13 ; Hag. i. 6). &halt not reap.  00 TIIE BOOK OF MICAH. [err. v1. 1-10.