@Mic 7:1-20. THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CORRUPTION; THE CHOSEN REMNANT, DRIVEN FROM EVERY HUMAN CONFIDENCE, TURNS TO GOD; TRIUMPHS BY FAITH OVER HER ENEMIES; IS COMFORTED BY GOD'S PROMISES IN ANSWER TO PRAYER, AND BY THE CONFUSION OF HER ENEMIES, AND SO BREAKS FORTH INTO PRAISES OF GOD'S CHARACTER.
1. I am as when, &c.--It is the same with me as with one seeking fruits after the harvest, grapes after the vintage. "There is not a cluster" to be found: no "first-ripe fruit" (or "early fig"; see on Isa 28:4) which "my soul desireth" [MAURER]. So I look in vain for any good men left (@Mic 7:2).
2. The Hebrew expresses "one merciful and
good in relation to man," rather than to God.
is perished out of the earth--(@Ps 12:1).
3. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly--literally,
"Their hands are for evil that they may do it well" (that is, cleverly and
successfully).
the great man, he--emphatic repetition. As for the great
man, he no sooner has expressed his bad desire (literally, the "mischief or lust
of his soul), than the venal judges are ready to wrest the decision of the case according
to his wish.
so they wrap it up--The Hebrew is used of intertwining
cords together. The "threefold cord is not quickly broken" (@Ec 4:12); here the
"prince," the "judge," and the "great man" are the three in
guilty complicity. "They wrap it up," namely, they conspire to carry out the
great man's desire at the sacrifice of justice.
4. as a brier--or thorn; pricking with injury all
who come in contact with them (@2Sa 23:6,7
Isa 55:13 Eze 2:6).
the day of thy watchmen--the day foretold by thy (true)
prophets, as the time of "thy visitation" in wrath [GROTIUS].
Or, "the day of thy false prophets being punished"; they are specially
threatened as being not only blind themselves, but leading others blindfold [CALVIN].
now--at the time foretold, "at that time"; the
prophet transporting himself into it.
perplexity--(@Isa 22:5). They shall not
know whither to turn.
5. Trust ye not in a friend--Faith is kept nowhere: all to
a man are treacherous (@Jer
9:2-6). When justice is perverted by the great, faith nowhere is safe. So, in gospel
times of persecution, "a man's foes are they of his own household" (@Mt 10:35,36 Lu 12:53).
guide--a counsellor [CALVIN] able to
help and advise (compare @Ps 118:8,9 146:3). The
head of your family, to whom all the members of the family would naturally repair in
emergencies. Similarly the Hebrew is translated in @Jos 22:14 and "chief
friends" in @Pr 16:28
[GROTIUS].
her that lieth in thy bosom--thy wife (@De 13:6).
6. son dishonoureth the father--The state of unnatural lawlessness in all relations of life is here described which is to characterize the last times, before Messiah comes to punish the ungodly and save Israel (compare @Lu 21:16 2Ti 3:1-3).
7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord--as if no one else were before mine eyes. We must not only "look unto the Lord," but also "wait for Him." Having no hope from man (@Mic 7:5,6), Micah speaks in the name of Israel, who herein, taught by chastisement (@Mic 7:4) to feel her sin (@Mic 7:9), casts herself on the Lord as her only hope," in patient waiting (@La 3:26). She did so under the Babylonian captivity; she shall do so again hereafter when the spirit of grace shall be poured on her (@Zec 12:10-13).
8. Rejoice not--at my fall.
when I fall, I shall arise--(@Ps 37:24 Pr 24:16).
when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light--Israel
reasons as her divine representative, Messiah, reasoned by faith in His hour of darkness
and desertion (@Isa
50:7,8,10). Israel addresses Babylon, her triumphant foe (or Edom), as a female;
the type of her last and worst foes (@Ps 137:7,8). "Mine
enemy," in Hebrew, is feminine.
9. bear--patiently.
the indignation of the Lord--His punishment inflicted on me (@La 3:39). The true penitent
"accepts the punishment of his iniquity" (@Le 26:41,43); they who
murmur against God, do not yet know their guilt (@Job 40:4,5).
execute judgment for me--against my foe. God's people plead
guilty before God; but, in respect to their human foes, they are innocent and undeserving
of their foes' injuries.
bring me forth to the light--to the temporal and spiritual
redemption.
I shall behold his righteousness--His gracious faithfulness to
His promises (@Ps 103:17).
10. shame shall cover her--in seeing how utterly mistaken
she was in supposing that I was utterly ruined.
Where is . . . thy God--(@Ps 42:3,10). If He be
"thy God," as thou sayest, let Him come now and deliver thee. So as to
Israel's representative, Messiah (@Mt 27:43).
mine eyes shall behold her--a just retribution in kind upon
the foe who had said, "Let our eye look upon Zion." Zion shall behold her
foe prostrate, not with the carnal joy of revenge, but with spiritual joy in God's
vindicating His own righteousness (@Isa 66:24 Re 16:5-7).
shall she be trodden down--herself, who had trodden down me.
11. thy walls . . . be built--under Cyrus, after
the seventy years' captivity; and again, hereafter, when the Jews shall be restored (@Am 9:11 Zec 12:6).
shall the decree be far removed--namely, thy tyrannical decree
or rule of Babylon shall be put away from thee, "the statutes that were not
good" (@Eze 20:25)
[CALVIN]. @Ps 102:13-16 Isa 9:4.
The Hebrew is against MAURER'S translation, "the
boundary of the city shall be far extended," so as to contain the people
flocking into it from all nations (@Mic 7:12 Isa 49:20
54:2).
12. In that day also--rather, an answer to the supposed
question of Zion, When shall my walls be built? "The day (of thy walls being built)
is the day when he (that is, many) shall come to thee from Assyria," &c. [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. The
Assyrians (including the Babylonians) who spoiled thee shall come.
and from the fortified cities--rather, to suit the
parallelism, "from Assyria even to Egypt." (Matzor may be so
translated). So Assyria and Egypt are contrasted in @Isa 19:23 [MAURER].
CALVIN agrees with English Version, "from all fortified
cities."
from the fortress even to the river--"from Egypt
even to the river" Euphrates (answering in parallelism to "Assyria") [MAURER]. Compare @Isa
11:15,16 19:23-25 27:13 Ho 11:11 Zec 10:10.
13. However glorious the prospect of restoration, the Jews are not to forget the visitation on their "land" which is to intervene for the "fruit of (evil caused by) their doings" (compare @Pr 1:31 Isa 3:10,11 Jer 21:14).
14. Feed thy people--Prayer of the prophet, in the name of
his people to God, which, as God fulfils believing prayer, is prophetical of what God would
do. When God is about to deliver His people, He stirs up their friends to pray for them.
Feed--including the idea of both pastoral rule and care
over His people (@Mic 5:4, Margin),
regarded as a flock (@Ps
80:1 100:3). Our calamity must be fatal to the nation, unless Thou of Thy unmerited
grace, remembering Thy covenant with "Thine heritage" (@De 4:20 7:6 32:9),
shalt restore us.
thy rod--the shepherd's rod, wherewith He directs the flock (@Ps 23:4). No longer the rod of
punishment (@Mic 6:9).
which dwell solitarily in the wood, in . . . Carmel--Let
Thy people who have been dwelling as it were in a solitude of woods (in the world,
but not of it), scattered among various nations, dwell in Carmel, that is, where
there are fruit-bearing lands and vineyards [CALVIN]. Rather,
"which are about to dwell (that is, that they may dwell) separate in the wood, in
. . . Carmel" [MAURER], which are to be no longer
mingled with the heathen, but are to dwell as a distinct people in their own land. Micah
has here Balaam's prophecy in view (compare @Mic 6:5, where also Balaam is
referred to). "Lo, the people shall dwell alone" (@Nu 23:9; compare @De 33:28). To "feed in
the wood in Carmel," is to feed in the rich pastures among its woods. To "sleep
in the woods," is the image of most perfect security (@Eze 34:25). So that the
Jews' "security," as well as their distinct nationality, is here
foretold. Also @Jer 49:31.
Bashan--famed for its cattle (@Ps 22:12 Am 4:1).
Parallel to this passage is @Jer
50:19. Bashan and Gilead, east of Jordan, were chosen by Reuben, Gad, and half
Manasseh, as abounding in pastures suited for their many cattle (@Nu 32:1-42 De
3:12-17).
15. thy . . . him--both referring to Israel. So in @Mic 7:19 the person is changed from the first to the third, "us . . . our . . . their." Jehovah here answers Micah's prayer in @Mic 7:14, assuring him, that as He delivered His people from Egypt by miraculous power, so He would again "show" it in their behalf (@Jer 16:14,15).
16. shall see--the "marvellous things" (@Mic 7:15 Isa 26:11).
confounded at all their might--having so suddenly proved
unavailing: that might wherewith they had thought that there is nothing which they could
not effect against God's people.
lay . . . hand upon . . . mouth--the
gesture of silence (@Job 21:5
40:4 Ps 107:42 Isa 52:15). They shall be struck dumb at Israel's marvellous
deliverance, and no longer boast that God's people is destroyed.
ears . . . deaf--They shall stand astounded so as
not to hear what shall be said [GROTIUS]. Once they had eagerly
drunk in all rumors as so many messages of victories; but then they shall be afraid of
hearing them, because they continually fear new disasters, when they see the God of Israel
to be so powerful [CALVIN]. They shall close their ears so as not
to be compelled to hear of Israel's successes.
17. lick the dust--in abject prostration as suppliants (@Ps 72:9; compare @Isa 49:23 65:25).
move out of their holes--As reptiles from their holes, they
shall come forth from their hiding-places, or fortresses (@Ps 18:45), to give themselves
up to the conquerors. More literally, "they shall tremble from," that is,
tremblingly come forth from their coverts.
like worms--reptiles or crawlers (@De 32:24).
they shall be afraid of the Lord--or, they shall in fear
turn with haste to the Lord. Thus the antithesis is brought out. They shall tremble
forth from their holes: they shall in trepidation turn to the Lord for salvation
(compare Note, see on Ho 3:5,
and @Jer 33:9).
fear because of thee--shall fear Thee, Jehovah (and so fear
Israel as under Thy guardianship). There is a change here from speaking of God to
speaking to God [MAURER]. Or rather, "shall fear thee,
Israel" [HENDERSON].
18. Grateful at such unlooked-for grace being promised to
Israel, Micah breaks forth into praises of Jehovah.
passeth by the transgression--not conniving at it, but
forgiving it; leaving it unpunished, as a traveller passes by what he chooses not
to look into (@Pr 19:11).
Contrast @Am 7:8, and "mark
iniquities," @Ps 130:3.
the remnant--who shall be permitted to survive the previous
judgment: the elect remnant of grace (@Mic 4:7 5:3,7,8).
retaineth not . . . anger--(@Ps 103:9).
delighteth in mercy--God's forgiving is founded on His nature,
which delights in loving-kindness, and is averse from wrath.
19. turn again--to us, from having been turned away from
us.
subdue our iniquities--literally, "tread under
foot," as being hostile and deadly to us. Without subjugation of our bad
propensities, even pardon could not give us peace. When God takes away the guilt of sin
that it may not condemn us, He takes away also the power of sin that it may not rule us.
cast . . . into . . . depths of the sea--never
to rise again to view, buried out of sight in eternal oblivion: not merely at the shore
side, where they may rise again.
our . . . their--change of person. Micah in the
first case identifying himself and his sins with his people and their sins; in the second,
speaking of them and their sins.
20. perform the truth--the faithful promise.
to Jacob . . . Abraham--Thou shalt make good to
their posterity the promise made to the patriarchs. God's promises are called
"mercy," because they flow slowly from grace; "truth," because they
will be surely performed (@Lu 1:72,73 1Th 5:24).
sworn unto our fathers--(@Ps 105:9,10). The promise
to Abraham is in @Ge 12:2;
to Isaac, in @Ge 26:24; to
Jacob, in @Ge 28:13. This
unchangeable promise implied an engagement that the seed of the patriarchs should never
perish, and should be restored to their inheritance as often as they turned wholly to God
(@De 30:1,2).