@Mic 6:1-16. APPEAL BEFORE ALL CREATION TO THE ISRAELITES TO TESTIFY, IF THEY CAN, IF JEHOVAH EVER DID AUGHT BUT ACTS OF KINDNESS TO THEM FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD: GOD REQUIRES OF THEM NOT SO MUCH SACRIFICES, AS REAL PIETY AND JUSTICE: THEIR IMPIETIES AND COMING PUNISHMENT.
1. contend thou--Israel is called by Jehovah to pie ad with Him in
controversy. @Mic 5:11-13 suggested the transition from those happy
times described in the fourth and fifth chapters, to the prophet's own
degenerate times and people.
before the mountains--in their presence; personified as if witnesses
(compare @Mic 1:2 De 32:1 Isa 1:2). Not as the Margin, "with";
as God's controversy is with Israel, not with them.
2. Lord's controversy--How great is Jehovah's condescension, who, though the supreme Lord of all, yet wishes to prove to worms of the earth the equity of His dealings (@Isa 5:3 43:26).
3. my people--the greatest aggravation of their sin, that God always
treated them, and still treats them, as His people.
what have I done unto thee?--save kindness, that thou revoltest from
Me (@Jer 2:5,31).
wherein have I wearied thee?--What commandments have I enjoined that
should have wearied thee as irksome (@1Jo 5:3)?
4. For--On the contrary, so far from doing anything harsh, I did
thee every kindness from the earliest years of thy nationality.
Miriam--mentioned, as being the prophetess who led the female chorus
who sang the song of Moses (@Ex 15:20). God sent Moses to give the
best laws; Aaron to pray for the people; Miriam as an example to the
women of Israel.
5. what Balak . . . consulted--how Balak plotted to destroy thee by
getting Balaam to curse thee (@Nu 22:5).
what Balaam . . . answered--how the avaricious prophet was constrained
against his own will, to bless Israel whom he had desired to curse for
the sake of Balak's reward (@Nu 24:9-11)
[MAURER].
GROTIUS explains
it, "how Balaam answered, that the only way to injure thee was by
tempting thee to idolatry and whoredom" (@Nu 31:16). The mention of
"Shittim" agrees with this: as it was the scene of Israel's sin
(@Nu 25:1-5 2Pe 2:15 Re 2:14).
from Shittim unto Gilgal--not that Balaam accompanied Israel from
Shittim to Gilgal: for he was slain in Midian (@Nu 31:8). But
the clause, "from Shittim," alone applies to Balaam. "Remember" God's
kindnesses "from Shittim," the scene of Balaam's wicked counsel taking
effect in Israel's sin, whereby Israel merited utter destruction but for
God's sparing mercy, "to Gilgal," the place of Israel's first encampment
in the promised land between Jericho and Jordan, where God renewed the
covenant with Israel by circumcision (@Jos 5:2-11).
know the righteousness--Recognize that, so far from God having treated
thee harshly (@Mic 6:3), His dealings have been kindness itself
(so "righteous acts" for
gracious, @Jud 5:11 Ps 24:5,112:9).
6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?--The people, convicted by
the previous appeal of Jehovah to them, ask as if they knew not (compare
@Mic 6:8) what Jehovah requires of them to appease Him, adding that
they are ready to offer an immense heap of sacrifices, and those the
most costly, even to the fruit of their own body.
burnt offerings--(@Le 1:1-17).
calves of a year old--which used to be offered for a priest
(@Le 9:2,3).
7. rivers of oil--used in sacrifices (@Le 2:1,15). Will God be
appeased by my offering so much oil that it shall flow in myriads of
torrents?
my first-born--(@2Ki 3:27). As the king of Moab did.
fruit of my body--my children, as an atonement (@Ps 132:11).
The Jews offered human sacrifices in the valley of Hinnom
(@Jer 19:5 32:35 Eze 23:27).
8. He--Jehovah.
hath showed thee--long ago, so that thou needest not ask the question
as if thou hadst never heard (@Mic 6:6; compare
@De 10:12 30:11-14).
what is good--"the good things to come" under Messiah, of which "the
law had the shadow." The Mosaic sacrifices were but suggestive
foreshadowings of His better sacrifice (@Heb 9:23 10:1). To have
this "good" first "showed," or revealed by the Spirit, is the only
basis for the superstructure of the moral requirements which follow.
Thus the way was prepared for the Gospel. The banishment of the Jews
from Palestine is designed to preclude the possibility of their looking
to the Mosaic rites for redemption, and shuts them up to Messiah.
justly . . . mercy--preferred by God to sacrifices. For the latter
being positive ordinances, are only means designed with a view
to the former, which being moral duties are the ends, and of
everlasting obligation (@1Sa 15:22 Ho 6:6 12:6 Am 5:22,24). Two
duties towards man are specified--justice, or strict equity; and
mercy, or a kindly abatement of what we might justly demand, and a
hearty desire to do good to others.
to walk humbly with thy God--passive and active obedience towards God.
The three moral duties here are summed up by our Lord (@Mt 23:23),
"judgment, mercy, and faith" (in @Lu 11:42, "the love of God).
Compare @Jas 1:27. To walk with God implies constant prayer and
watchfulness, familiar yet "humble" converse with God (@Ge 5:24 17:1).
9. unto the city--Jerusalem.
the man of wisdom--As in @Pr 13:6, Hebrew, "sin" is used
for "a man of sin," and in @Ps 109:4, "prayer" for "a man of prayer"; so here "wisdom" for "the man of wisdom."
shall see thy name--shall regard Thee, in Thy revelations of Thyself.
Compare the end of @Mic 2:7. God's "name" expresses the sum-total of
His revealed attributes. Contrast with this @Isa 26:10, "will not
behold the majesty of the Lord." Another reading is adopted by the
Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, "there is deliverance for those
who fear Thy name." English Version is better suited to the
connection; and the rarity of the Hebrew expression, as compared
with the frequency of that in the other reading, makes it less likely to
be an interpolation.
hear . . . the rod, &c.--Hear what punishment (compare @Mic 6:13,
&c. @Isa 9:3 10:5,24) awaits you, and from whom. I am but a man, and
so ye may disregard me; but remember my message is not mine, but God's.
Hear the rod when it is come, and you feel its smart. Hear what
counsels, what cautions it speaks.
appointed it--(@Jer 47:7).
10. Are there yet--notwithstanding all My warnings. Is there to be
no end of acquiring treasures by wickedness? Jehovah is speaking
(@Mic 6:9).
scant measure . . . abominable--(@Pr 11:1 Am 8:5).
11. Shall I count them pure--literally, "Shall I be pure with?" &c.
With the pure God shows Himself pure; but with the froward God
shows Himself froward (@Ps 18:26). Men often are changeable in
their judgments. But God, in the case of the impure who use "wicked
balances," cannot be pure, that is, cannot deal with them as He would
with the pure. VATABLUS and
HENDERSON make the "I" to be "any one"; "Can
I (that is, one) be innocent with wicked balances?" But as "I," in
@Mic 6:13, refers to Jehovah, it must refer to Him also here.
the bag--in which weights used to be carried, as well as money
(@De 25:13 Pr 16:11).
12. For--rather, "Inasmuch as"; the conclusion "therefore," &c.
following in @Mic 6:13.
thereof--of Jerusalem.
13. make thee sick in smiting--(@Le 26:16, to which perhaps the allusion here is, as in @Mic 6:14 Ps 107:17,18 Jer 13:13).
14. eat . . . not be satisfied--fulfiling the threat, @Le 26:26.
thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee--Thou shalt be cast
down, not merely on My borders, but in the midst of thee, thy metropolis
and temple being overthrown
[TIRINUS]. Even though there should be no
enemy, yet thou shalt be consumed with intestine evils
[CALVIN].
MAURER
translates as from an Arabic root, "there shall be emptiness in
thy belly." Similarly GROTIUS, "there shall be a sinking of thy belly
(once filled with food), through hunger." This suits the parallelism to
the first clause. But English Version maintains the parallelism
sufficiently. The casting down in the midst of the land, including the
failure of food, through the invasion thus answering to, "Thou shalt
eat, and not be satisfied."
thou shalt take hold, but . . . not deliver--Thou shalt take hold (with
thine arms), in order to save
[CALVIN] thy wives, children and goods.
MAURER, from a different root, translates, "thou shalt remove them," in
order to save them from the foe. But thou shalt fail in the attempt to
deliver them (@Jer 50:37).
that which thou deliverest--If haply thou dost rescue aught, it will
be for a time: I will give it up to the foe's sword.
15. sow . . . not reap--fulfilling the threat (@Le 26:16 De 28:38-40 Am 5:11).
16. statutes of Omri--the founder of Samaria and of Ahab's wicked
house; and a supporter of Jeroboam's superstitions (@1Ki 16:16-28).
This verse is a recapitulation of what was more fully stated before,
Judah's sin and consequent punishment. Judah, though at variance with
Israel on all things else, imitated her impiety.
works of . . . Ahab--(@1Ki 21:25,26).
ye walk in their counsels--Though these superstitions were the fruit
of their king's "counsels" as a master stroke of state policy, yet these
pretexts were no excuse for setting at naught the counsels and will of
God.
that I should make thee a desolation--Thy conduct is framed so, as
if it was thy set purpose "that I should make thee a desolation."
inhabitants thereof--namely, of Jerusalem.
hissing--(@La 2:15).
the reproach of my people--The very thing ye boast of, namely, that
ye are "My people," will only increase the severity of your punishment.
The greater My grace to you, the greater shall be your punishment for
having despised it, Your being God's people in name, while walking in
His love, was an honor; but now the name, without the reality, is only a
"reproach" to you.