The Prophet Micah

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

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- Chapter 1 -

(Isaiah 7:17–25)

The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Moreshethite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem.

All peoples, listen. And may the earth and its fullness pay attention. And may the Lord God be a witness to you, the Lord from his holy temple.

For behold, the Lord will go forth from his place. And he will descend, and he will trample over the high places of the earth.(a)

And the mountains will be consumed under him, and the valleys will be torn apart, like wax before the face of fire, and like waters that rush swiftly downward.

All this is for the wickedness of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the wickedness of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the loftiness of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?(b)

And I will place Samaria like a pile of stones in the field, when a vineyard is planted. And I will pull down its stones into the valley, and I will reveal her foundations.

And all her graven images will be cut to pieces, and all her rewards will be burned with fire, and I will place all her idols in perdition. For they have been gathered together from the pay of a kept woman, and even to the pay of a kept woman, they will return.(c)

(d)

(e)

Weeping and Mourning

I will lament and wail about this. I will go out despoiled and naked. I will make a howl like the dragons, and a mourning like the ostriches.

For her wound has been in despair. For it has come even to Judah. It has touched the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.(f)

Do not be willing to announce it in Gath; may you not lament with tears. In the house of Dust, besprinkle yourselves with dust.(g)

(h)

And cross over to your dwelling place, Beauty, bewildered by disgrace. She did not depart, who dwells at the place of departure. The House nearby, which remained firm by herself, will receive mourning from you.(i)

(j)

(k)

(l)

(m)

For she has been weakened in goodness, who dwells in bitterness. For disaster has descended from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.(n)

A tumult of four-horse chariots has stupefied the inhabitants of Lachish. The beginning has been sin for the daughter of Zion, because in you have been found the evil deeds of Israel.(o)

Because of this, she will send emissaries to the inheritance of Gath: the house of Lying in order to deceive the kings of Israel.(p)

Nevertheless, I will lead an heir to you, who dwell in Mareshah: the glory of Israel will reach all the way to Adullam.(q)

Become bald and shaved for your delicate sons. Increase your baldness like the eagle. For they have been carried into captivity from you.

Footnotes

(a)1:3 The verb ‘calcabit’ implies not merely walking or traveling over the high places of the earth, but tamping them down.(Conte)

(b)1:5 The word ‘excelsa’ has a dual meaning. It can mean height, as in elevation, and it can mean height as in excellence. In this verse, in Latin, it means both. Jerusalem is a city built on a hill. Jerusalem is (and represents) also the excellence of faith in God. The translation uses ‘loftiness’ because this English word also has the same dual meaning.(Conte)

(c)1:7 The word ‘meretricis’ does not mean ‘prostitute’ but has more of the meaning of a mistress or a kept woman. This distinction is clear in the book of Baruch 6:10, where both words are used: “Dant autem et ex ipso prostitutis, et meretrices ornant:”(Conte)

(d)1:7 Her wages:That is, her donaries or presents offered to her idols: or the hire of all her traffic and labour.(Challoner)

(e)1:7 Of the hire of a harlot, etc:They were gathered together by one idolatrous city, viz., Samaria: and they shall be carried away to another idolatrous city, viz., Ninive.(Challoner)

(f)1:9 It has touched the gate, etc:That is, the destruction of Samaria shall be followed by the invasion of my people of Juda, and the Assyrians shall come and lay all waste even to the confines of Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(g)1:10 Declare ye it not in Geth:Viz., amongst the Philistines, lest they rejoice at your calamity.(Challoner)

(h)1:10 Weep ye not, etc:Keep in your tears, that you may not give your enemies an occasion of insulting over you; but in your own houses, or in your house of dust, your earthly habitation, sprinkle yourselves with dust, and put on the habit of penitents. Some take the house of dust (in Hebrew, Aphrah) to be the proper name of a city.(Challoner)

(i)1:11 These two verses contain a play on words in Latin: Pulveris (dust) and Pulchra (beauty) are compared, making a link between the two terms. This play on words between Dust and Beauty does not continue in the English. However, ‘besprinkle’ and ‘bewildered’ is used in compensation, so as to maintain the connection between those two verses.(Conte)

(j)1:11 There is also an implicit play on words (depart and departure) in the meaning of the text, which is clearer in English than it is in Latin: “She did not depart, who dwells at the place of departure.”(Conte)

(k)1:11 You that dwell in the Beautiful place:that is, in Samaria. In the Hebrew the Beautiful place is expressed by the word Sapir, which some take for the proper name of a city.(Challoner)

(l)1:11 She went not forth, etc:that is, they that dwelt in the confines came not forth, but kept themselves within, for fear.(Challoner)

(m)1:11 The house adjoining, etc:Viz., Judea and Jerusalem, neighbours to Samaria, and partners in her sins, shall share also in her mourning and calamity; though they have pretended to stand by themselves, trusting in their strength.(Challoner)

(n)1:12 She is become weak, etc:Jerusalem is become weak unto any good; because she dwells in the bitterness of sin.(Challoner)

(o)1:13 It is the beginning, etc:That is, Lachis was the first city of Juda that learned from Samaria the worship of idols, and communicated it to Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(p)1:14 Therefore shall she send, etc:Lachis shall send to Geth for help: but in vain: for Geth, instead of helping, shall be found to be a house of lying and deceit to Israel.(Challoner)

(q)1:15 An heir, etc:Maresa (which was the name of a city of Juda) signifies inheritance: but here God by his prophet tells the Jews, that he will bring them an heir to take possession of their inheritance: and that the glory of Israel shall be obliged to give place, and to retire even to Odollam, a city in the extremity of their dominions. And therefore he exhorts them to penance in the following verse.(Challoner)