The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 106

Lord. 0 mine enemy. The oppressor of the day that thy wall■ are to be built ; the Church, the worldly power, is repre- rather, a dny for building thy v,aU, (gader) sented at one time by Asshur, 11t another by cometh. Zion is reproaented as a vineyard Bllbylon. God USC'S these heathen king- whose fence has been destroyed (Isa. v. doms I\S l\genbl ot his vengeanc,e. When I 5, 7). The e.nnounooment is given abruptly fall; 1urne lfaUen; if I /,ave faJlen; i.e. sup- and concisely in three short sentences. In pose I have suffered cale.mity and loss (Amoe that de.y ahall the deorea be far removed. v. 2). Sit in darkness. Darkness is 11.nother The decree (Zeph. ii. 2) is explained by metaphor for distress (Pa. xxiii. 4; Ise.. ix. Heugstenberg e.nd many oommente.tors, !! ; Le.m. iii. 6; Amos v. 18). The Lord 1mcient e.nd modem, to be that of the enemy tihall be a light unto me, giving me glad- by which they held Israel captive. Keil ness and true disc~rnment (comp. Ps. xxvii. and others suppose the le.w to be mee.nt l; xcdi. 11). The distinction between which separated Israel from a.II other darl--uess and the full light of day is more nations, the ancient ordinance whioh con- -marked in Ee.stem oountriee than in our fined God's people e.nd the blessings of the Northern climes. theocracy to narrow limits. This is now to Ver. 9.-I will bear the indignation of the be set aeide (comp. Eph. ii. 11-16), when Lord. However long me.y be the delay bee.then nations flock to the city of God. -before relief comes, Israel will patiently bear Caspari, !Hitzig, Cheyne, and others trans- .the chastisements inflicted npon her, because late, " shall the bound be a.far off," i.e. the ~he lrnows that they a.re deserved. This is boundaries of the land of Ism.al shall be the language of the penitent people, own- widely extended (comp. lso. x.u:iii. 17, -iug the justice of the sentence, yet trusting which Cheyne explains, "Thine eyes shall .to the covenant God, who in wrath remembers behold a widely extended territ.ory"). mercy. Until he plead my 11&nse. Until Wordsworth obte.ins much the same mean- -God considers that the pnni.sh.ment has done ing by taking the verb in the sense of " pro- its work, and takes my ea.use in hand, and mulgated," e.nd reforring the "decree," a.a judges between me and the instruments of in Ps. iL 7, 8, to God's purpose of giving .his: vengeance. E:l::eonte jndgment for me. to Messiah the utmost pa.rte of tbe earth for :Secure my rights, viol.n.ted by the heathen, e. possession. The building of the we.111 who misuse the power given them by God. does not indicate the narrowing of the The light (see note on ver. 8). His right- limits of the theocratic kingdom. Whether JJOnmeas ( eh. vi. 5) : his fe.ithfnlness to chok be taken to signify " decree" (lez, his promises eilibited in the destruction of Vulgate) or "boundary," the effect of ita the enemies e.nd the rest.oration of his removal afar is seen by the next verse to be people. For this conception of the Di vine the entrance of foreign nations into the righteousness, Cheyne compares l John L 9, kingdom of God. The LXX. favours the "'He is faithful and righteous to forgive us first interpretation, 'A-..,,..pl!/,ET1&1 (c'r.1r@CTETIU, onr sins." Alex.) 110µ.,µ.a. cro11 (cro11 omit, Alex.] -q -qµ.lpa Ver. 10.-She that is mine enemy. The '"•I,,.,,, "That de.y shall utterly abolish thy worldly power is here personified, ae so ordinances." often "the daughter of Jerusalem." Shall Ver. 12.-Ke shall come; they ahaU come. see it. She shall see that Israel was not Men shall flock to Zion ae the metropolis of -conquered because God was powerless to the new kingdom (oh. iv. 2). The countries save. Where is the Lord thy God 1 The named a.re those in which the Jews were ABsyrians always attributed their success iu dispersed (see Isa. xi. 11). Micah embraces arms t.o the easi.stance of their gods e.nd the in one view the restoration of Israel e.n<l the superiority of their deities to those of the conversion of the heathen .(comp. Isa. xix, conquered nations (comp. Isa. x. 9-11; 24; xxviL 12,:1a). ABByria. The type of the :=xviL J0-13). ThllB the inscription of the greatest enemy of God. The fortified oities ; 'Pa.lace of Khorsabad begins, "The gods rather, the cities of Mazor, the strong la.nd, Assur, N ebo, e.nd Merode.ch have conferred i.e. Egypt. The usual term for Egypt is on me the royalty of the nations. . . . By Mizre.im ; but Mazor is found in 2 Kings xix. the grace e.nd power of the great gods, my 24 ; Isa.. xix. 6; xxxvii. 25. Cheyne com- masters, I have flnng my arms, by my force pares the Assyrinn name for this oountry, I have defeated my enemies" (' Records of Mufar. l'rom the fortreSB ; from Mazor; the Past,' vol. ix.). (For taunts like that Septuagint, c'r.1rl> T6po11," Crom Tyre" or Tsor. in the text, see Ps. xlii. 3; lxxix. 10; cxv. Even to the river. From Egypt to the 2; Joel iL 17.) Mine eyes shall behold her. Euphrates, which was the river par euel- Ism,,] shall behold the destruction of the lence (Gen. xv. 18). From sea. to sea. Not e,u,my. As the mire of the streets (Isa.. nccesearily from the Mediterre.nee.n to the x. 6 ; Zech. x. 5). Dead See. or to the Pcrsio.n Gulf (e.s Joel ii. Ver. 11.-The prophet here a.duresses 20), but generally, from one see. to e.nother, Ziun, and anuounces her re.1toration. In from tile eartll ae bounded by the seas ; so. Cll, VII, 1-20.] TIIE BOOK OF MICAII. 10'.f