The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 105

whon men "cnll evil good, o.ncl good evil" here. They wore ne bad n.s a thom-he,lge- (Ieo.. v. 20), The general mettning is tho.t (merucah); they shall foll into perplexity they nre roo.dy enough to do evil, o.nd, ne (mel,ucah). the 110J1.t cluuee says, co.n be bribed to do Ver. 5.-Snch ia the moral corn1ption anything. The prinoe aeketh ; mo.kee some thRt the nearest relations cRnnot be truHted : nefarious dom1md of the judge, some per• selfishness rei!\'nS everywhere. The prophet, version of justice at his hands, as in the case empbo.sizes this universal evil by warning of No.both(! Kings :ui.). The judge aeketh the better portion of the people. Friend . . . (is ready) for a. rewa.rd. The judge is ,villing guide, '1:bere is a gradation here, beginning to do what the prince wishes, if he is bribed with "neigi,bour," or "common. acquaint.-- for it. LXX., 'o 1tp1nl, ,lp11•11tol,s 11.o-yous i11.tf.- ance," and ending with " wife." The word l\11rr•, "The judge speo.ke worcls of pee.ea'' rendered "guide" means "closest, mosc ( oom p. oh, iii. 11 ; Isa. i. 23 ; Zeph. iii. 3). familiar frienrl," as in Ps. lv. 13 (14, Hebrew). He uttereth hie misohievous desire ; or, the Our version is sanctioned by the Septuagint, misoh~f of his soul. The rich man speaks 7/"fOU!'lvou, "leaders;" and the Vulgate, duu, out unblushingly the evil tha.t he ha.e con• but the context confirms the other translation ceived in his bee.rt, the wicked dellign which (comp. Prov. xvi. 28; xvi i. 9). Our Lord has he meditates. So they wrap it up; better, used eomeofthe expreseions in the next verse and they weave it together. 'fhe prince, the in describing the miseries of the latter day judge, and the rich man weo.ve their evil (Matt. x. 21, 35, 36; xxiv. 12; comp. Loke- plan together, to mo.ke it strong and right llii. 53; xxi. 16; 2 Tim. iii. 2). Keep tb in others' eyes. '!'he passage is altered in doors of thy mouth. Guard thy secrets. meaning by o. different grouping of the (For the phrase, comp. Ps. c:tli. 3.) Bar- Hebrew letters, thus: "The prince de- the.t lieth in thy bosom. Thy wife (Dent. mandeth (a rowo.rcl) to do good; and the xiii. 6; xxviii. 54). judge, for the recompense of a great man, Ver. 6.-For the son dishonoureth ; Sep- uttereth what he himself desireth. And tuo.gint, ,1.,.,l'd.(<1: Vulgate, contu.meliam they entangle the good more than briar~, facit; literally, treats aa a fool, despises and the righteous more than a thorn-hedge." (Dent. xxxii. 6, 15)1 (For the rest of the- The LXX. carries on the sense to the next verse, see Matt. L 21, 35, etc.) llen of his nrse, Kal l(e.\ouµa, 'Te& lr.-ya9a aln-&11 ws cri,s own house. Hie domestic servants (Gen. 01<Tprfryo,11, " Aud I will destroy their goods xvii. 27). Henderson, referring to thie dis- o.e a consuming moth." solution of every nature.I tie, compares Ovid., Ver. 4.-The best of them is a.a a brier; ' Mete.morph.,' i. 144, etc.- hard and piercing, co.tchiug and holding all " Vivitur ex rapto; non hospes ab hoepite- that passes by. The plant intended by the tutus, word chedeT, is a thorny one used for hedges Non soceragenero; fratrum quoqnegratia. (Prov. xv. 19). Under another aspect rare. est; tliorns are e. symbol of what is noxious e.nd Imminet exitio vii: conjugis, illa mariti; worthless (2 Sam. xxiii. 6), or of sin and Lurida terribiles miscent aconite. novercm ; temptation. The most upright is sharper Filius ante diem po.trios inquirit in annos ; (worse) the.n a thom-hedge. Those who Victa jo.cet piotae." seem comptuo.tively upright are more in- jurious, te.ngled, and inaocessible than a Vera. 7-13.-§ 6. In-ael e:,;prew,1 her hedge of thorns. In punishment of all this faith in God, though she euffer• gritmoua- corruption, the prophet points to the day of tribulation, and is confident in the fulfilment judgment. The day of thy watohmen. Tile day of retribution foretold by the propheta of the promised restoration. (Isa. xxi. 6; Jer. vi. 17; Ezek. iii. 17). Ver. 7.-Therefore I; rather, but as for- And (even) thy visitation; in apposition me, I, eto. The prop bet spP.aks in the nrune- with the day, the time, and expluno.tory of of the ideal Israel. Tllough love and confi- punishment. Cometh; ia coma-tbe perfect dence have disappeared, and the day of visita- tense donoting the certainty of the future tion h11scome,11nd human help fails,yet Isroel event. Beptuo.gint, O~al, a1 IKB11<~rrus 11'ov loses not her trust in the Lord. Will look; 41""°"'• "Woe I thy vengeance is come." gaze intently, as if posted un a watch-tower Now shall be their perplexity. When this to look ont for help. Will wait with long- day of the Lord comes, there shall be con- ing trust, unbroken by dolo.y. The God of fusion (Isa. xxii. 5); it shall briug chastise- my salvation. The God from whom my ment before deliverance. The prophet here, salvation comes (Ps. xviii. 46; xxv. 5; xxvii. as elsewhere, changes from t4e second to tho 9; Ho.b. iii 18). My God will hear me. third person, speaking of the people gene- My prayer is sure to be answered (Isa. rnlly. Septuagint, Nuv lrroll'Ta1 1</\av91'ol XXX, 19). a,h&v, "Now shl\11 be their weeping;" so Ver. 8.-Israel in her sorrow and captivity- the Syri.io PUBey notes the paronomnsia nsserts her uudimini.:shed confidence in the  108 THE DOOK OF MICAII. [oa. vn, 1-20,