Notes on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8
I will make Samaria a
heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards; and I will
pour down her stones into the valley, and uncover her foundations~Micah 1:6
The above photo shows some of the ruins of the City
of Samaria, including part of King Omri's palace with expansions done by
King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. In fulfillment of Micah's prophecy the
city was destroyed in 722 BC by Assyria, God's rod of anger and staff of
wrath (Isa 10:5). The photo is under copyright and appears courtesy of BibleWalks.com. For more photos and info about Samaria see here.
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 is the first reading for Monday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time, Year II. It is read in conjunction Ps 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, and with Matt 12:38-42.
Background:
At one time scholars thought that Micah 6:1-8 was not original to the Prophet Micah, their assumption being that "its literary qualities (were) somewhat above the attainments of what a rustic Judahite was supposed to be capable" (Bruce Vawter, C.M., AMOS, HOSEA, MICAH). This position has changed as it is clear that the passage makes use of "set formulas and traditional liturgical language that was as much at the disposal of Micah as it was any other alert Judahite of the time" (Vawter).
The passage is part of a broader unit (Mic 6:1-16) with Micah 6:1-5containing what ancient Semites called a rib (pronounced reeb), a "contention" or "covenant lawsuit." The people have broken covenant with their God. Micah 6:6-7 consists of a series of questions designed to act rhetorically and which serve to highlight the answer given to them in the very beautiful sentiments of Micah 6:8, one of my favorite passages. Mere formalism will not do. For a summary of the fuller context of this passage one can consult the Navarre Bible Commentary (this link is to an online text of the reading) and volume 2 of Marvin Sweeney's The Twelve Prophets.
Notes: I'm commenting on the text of the Douay Rheims Translation.See here for NAB; here for RSV.
Mic 6:1 Hear ye what the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
The verse opens with a stock prophetic formula found throughout the Bible: Hear ye what the Lord saith. This is often referred to by modern scholars as "a call to attention formula" for it was designed to get people's attention. This and similar prophetic formulas often announce statements of judgment or condemnation; such is the case here: contend (rib) thou in judgment...
Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. It is not certain who is speaking. Micah could be appealing to God, or God could be exhorting Micah. The former position makes better sense. God's voice is often associated with judgment (see Isaiah 30:30, Amos 1:2), as is the word arise (see Isaiah 2:19, 21 and my notes on those passages).
Mountains is sometimes (very rarely) taken as a symbolic reference to arrogant princes, rulers, people or nations (see Isaiah 2:9-17, especially verse 14). The mountains and hills were often used as places of false worship (the so-called "high places"), by asking God to bringing a contention and voice of judgment against them the prophet is, according to some interpreters, subtly asking for judgment against the people who worship there in defiance of the covenant (see the effect God's judgment has against mountains in Micah 1:2-7. Ominously, both Samaria and Jerusalem were built on mountains/hills). In light of this, the common interpretation that the mountains and hills are here being called upon as covenant witnesses-as the heavens and earth sometimes are (see Deut 32:1-5; Isaiah 1:2)-is, in my opinion, to be rejected. If they are witnesses against the covenant breakers why are they suffering judgment?
Mic 6:2 Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel.
Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord. As already indicated, the mountains do more than just hear the judgment of the Lord, they are affected by it. In THIS sense one could say that they act as witnesses. God affecting the landscape could be seen as a sign of his judgment (see Amos 1:2; see also Deut 32, especially verse 1 with verse 22).
Cornelius a Lapide sees irony here: "Insensate though ye (mountains) be, ye are more sensible than Israel, whom I endowed with sense; for ye feel the voice and command of God your Creator and obey Him; they do not."
The strong foundations of the earth. I see this as a reference to Jerusalem which was thought to be the center of the earth (Ezek 5:5). More exactly, the rock on which the temple was built was thought to be the first bit of dry land to appear at creation (see Gen 1:9). "As the navel is set in the center of the body of man, so too is the land of Israel the navel of the world...and the sanctuary in the center of Jerusalem, and the holy place in the center of the sanctuary, and the ark in the center of the holy place, and the foundation stonebefore the holy place, because from it was the world founded" (Midrash Tanchuma, Qedoshim).
For the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel. If the people do not give up their idols and their sins against others, Jerusalem and the Temple will suffer judgment.
Mic 6:3 O my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee? answer thou me.
Here begins the contention (rib).
These words are well known to Catholics from their use in the "Reproaches" of the Good Friday Liturgy. This liturgical usage has the same point as it does in the actual text, to call to mind our ingratitude to the Lord. In the context of the text the questions are that of a covenant plaintiff (God) demanding to know what legal, covenant right the people had in acting against him.
Answer thou me. The underlying Hebrew verb sometimes has legal connotations (see Num 35:30. The NAB translates it there as "evidence").
Mic 6:4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of slaves: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary (i.e., Miriam).
Mic 6:5 O my people, remember, I pray thee, what Balach, the king of Moab, purposed: and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him, from Setim to Galgal, that thou mightest know the justice of the Lord.
A reference to some of the saving deeds of the Exodus. This establishes God's bona fide as a trustworthy and merciful covenant partner.
Balach (i.e., Balak)...Balaam.. See Numbers 22-24
Setim (i.e., Shittim). See Joshua 2
Galgal (i.e., Gilgal). See Joshua 4-5.
Mic 6:6 What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? wherewith shall I kneel before the high God? shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?
Mic 6:7 May the Lord be appeased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
The people are here portrayed as responding and ready to offer sacrifice to appease the Lord. The reference to human sacrifice in the last part of vs 7 is jarring since such sacrifices were strictly forbidden (see Deut 12:31). It is probably mentioned to highlight how out of whack the people's understanding of the nature of true sacrifice is.
It should be recalled that after the death of Solomon the Davidic kingdom split in two. The ten northern tribes formed an independent nation and retained the name Israel; the two southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah remained under the Judahite kings of David's line and became known as Judah. In Micah's day human sacrifice seems to have been practiced in the north and the practice was being taken up in the south (see 2 Kings 16:3). However ready the people are to respond, the response must be on God's terms and not their own.
Mic 6:8 I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.
I love this verse! I pray that I could live it better. In this verse we have "one of those perfect summations of biblical religion that we frequently encounter in the prophets" (Vawter).
Verily, To do judgment. The Hebrew is (mishpat, pronounced: mish-pawt'). The word means a verdict, either favorable or unfavorable. In the abstract in means justice. The basic idea here is to judge and act rightly towards every person or thing as they deserve and God demands. In Mic 3:1 the leaders are told that their duty is to know right (mishpat) but, as the succeeding verse show, they did not (see esp. Mic 3:9). The Hebrew text of Micah 6:99 indicates that the prophet had this quality, and in Mic 7:9 it is God who establishes the mishpat of the repentant sinner.
Love mercy. Hebrew (chesed, pronounced kheh'-sed). The word has a wide range of meaning and, consequently, can be variously translated. Sweeney thinks it should be translated as "Loyalty" or "fidelity." He sees the word as conveying "a sense of moral obligation and responsibility." Such an understanding fits well with Micah's moral teaching. Man is called upon to practice what God does, though no one can equal him in this regard: "Who is a God like to thee, who takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? he will send his fury in no more, because he delighteth in mercy" (Mic 7:18). His mercy is never ending (Mic 7:20).
Walk solicitous with thy God. I.e., with care and concern be attentive in your relationship with God which necessarily includes how you act towards others. "Humbly" is a common modern translation of the Hebrew.
Suggested Readings From Works Consulted:
The Jerome Biblical Commentary. There is a newer edition available but it is in my opinion less useful than the original.
A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture. An older version is available but it is less detailed.
Amos, Hosea, Micah. A basic commentary by Father Bruce Vawter.
The Conscience Of Israel. By Father Bruce Vawter. Quite dated but gives a good introduction to major themes of the pre-exilic prophets.
The Twelve Prophets (Vol. 2). By Marvin Sweeney. Part of the Berit Olam series published by The Liturgical Press, St John's Abbey. The series is ecumenical and focuses upon narrative and structure. I cannot recommend a number of the works in the series but Sweeney's (who is Jewish) is very good.
Minor Prophets. Part of the famous Navarre Bible Commentary, the brainchild of St Jose Marie Escriva. Not a large or detailed volume but a good, basic introduction.
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 is the first reading for Monday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time, Year II. It is read in conjunction Ps 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, and with Matt 12:38-42.
Background:
At one time scholars thought that Micah 6:1-8 was not original to the Prophet Micah, their assumption being that "its literary qualities (were) somewhat above the attainments of what a rustic Judahite was supposed to be capable" (Bruce Vawter, C.M., AMOS, HOSEA, MICAH). This position has changed as it is clear that the passage makes use of "set formulas and traditional liturgical language that was as much at the disposal of Micah as it was any other alert Judahite of the time" (Vawter).
The passage is part of a broader unit (Mic 6:1-16) with Micah 6:1-5containing what ancient Semites called a rib (pronounced reeb), a "contention" or "covenant lawsuit." The people have broken covenant with their God. Micah 6:6-7 consists of a series of questions designed to act rhetorically and which serve to highlight the answer given to them in the very beautiful sentiments of Micah 6:8, one of my favorite passages. Mere formalism will not do. For a summary of the fuller context of this passage one can consult the Navarre Bible Commentary (this link is to an online text of the reading) and volume 2 of Marvin Sweeney's The Twelve Prophets.
Notes: I'm commenting on the text of the Douay Rheims Translation.See here for NAB; here for RSV.
Mic 6:1 Hear ye what the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
The verse opens with a stock prophetic formula found throughout the Bible: Hear ye what the Lord saith. This is often referred to by modern scholars as "a call to attention formula" for it was designed to get people's attention. This and similar prophetic formulas often announce statements of judgment or condemnation; such is the case here: contend (rib) thou in judgment...
Arise, contend thou in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. It is not certain who is speaking. Micah could be appealing to God, or God could be exhorting Micah. The former position makes better sense. God's voice is often associated with judgment (see Isaiah 30:30, Amos 1:2), as is the word arise (see Isaiah 2:19, 21 and my notes on those passages).
Mountains is sometimes (very rarely) taken as a symbolic reference to arrogant princes, rulers, people or nations (see Isaiah 2:9-17, especially verse 14). The mountains and hills were often used as places of false worship (the so-called "high places"), by asking God to bringing a contention and voice of judgment against them the prophet is, according to some interpreters, subtly asking for judgment against the people who worship there in defiance of the covenant (see the effect God's judgment has against mountains in Micah 1:2-7. Ominously, both Samaria and Jerusalem were built on mountains/hills). In light of this, the common interpretation that the mountains and hills are here being called upon as covenant witnesses-as the heavens and earth sometimes are (see Deut 32:1-5; Isaiah 1:2)-is, in my opinion, to be rejected. If they are witnesses against the covenant breakers why are they suffering judgment?
Mic 6:2 Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel.
Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord. As already indicated, the mountains do more than just hear the judgment of the Lord, they are affected by it. In THIS sense one could say that they act as witnesses. God affecting the landscape could be seen as a sign of his judgment (see Amos 1:2; see also Deut 32, especially verse 1 with verse 22).
Cornelius a Lapide sees irony here: "Insensate though ye (mountains) be, ye are more sensible than Israel, whom I endowed with sense; for ye feel the voice and command of God your Creator and obey Him; they do not."
The strong foundations of the earth. I see this as a reference to Jerusalem which was thought to be the center of the earth (Ezek 5:5). More exactly, the rock on which the temple was built was thought to be the first bit of dry land to appear at creation (see Gen 1:9). "As the navel is set in the center of the body of man, so too is the land of Israel the navel of the world...and the sanctuary in the center of Jerusalem, and the holy place in the center of the sanctuary, and the ark in the center of the holy place, and the foundation stonebefore the holy place, because from it was the world founded" (Midrash Tanchuma, Qedoshim).
For the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel. If the people do not give up their idols and their sins against others, Jerusalem and the Temple will suffer judgment.
Mic 6:3 O my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee? answer thou me.
Here begins the contention (rib).
These words are well known to Catholics from their use in the "Reproaches" of the Good Friday Liturgy. This liturgical usage has the same point as it does in the actual text, to call to mind our ingratitude to the Lord. In the context of the text the questions are that of a covenant plaintiff (God) demanding to know what legal, covenant right the people had in acting against him.
Answer thou me. The underlying Hebrew verb sometimes has legal connotations (see Num 35:30. The NAB translates it there as "evidence").
Mic 6:4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of slaves: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary (i.e., Miriam).
Mic 6:5 O my people, remember, I pray thee, what Balach, the king of Moab, purposed: and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him, from Setim to Galgal, that thou mightest know the justice of the Lord.
A reference to some of the saving deeds of the Exodus. This establishes God's bona fide as a trustworthy and merciful covenant partner.
Balach (i.e., Balak)...Balaam.. See Numbers 22-24
Setim (i.e., Shittim). See Joshua 2
Galgal (i.e., Gilgal). See Joshua 4-5.
Mic 6:6 What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? wherewith shall I kneel before the high God? shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?
Mic 6:7 May the Lord be appeased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
The people are here portrayed as responding and ready to offer sacrifice to appease the Lord. The reference to human sacrifice in the last part of vs 7 is jarring since such sacrifices were strictly forbidden (see Deut 12:31). It is probably mentioned to highlight how out of whack the people's understanding of the nature of true sacrifice is.
It should be recalled that after the death of Solomon the Davidic kingdom split in two. The ten northern tribes formed an independent nation and retained the name Israel; the two southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah remained under the Judahite kings of David's line and became known as Judah. In Micah's day human sacrifice seems to have been practiced in the north and the practice was being taken up in the south (see 2 Kings 16:3). However ready the people are to respond, the response must be on God's terms and not their own.
Mic 6:8 I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.
I love this verse! I pray that I could live it better. In this verse we have "one of those perfect summations of biblical religion that we frequently encounter in the prophets" (Vawter).
Verily, To do judgment. The Hebrew is (mishpat, pronounced: mish-pawt'). The word means a verdict, either favorable or unfavorable. In the abstract in means justice. The basic idea here is to judge and act rightly towards every person or thing as they deserve and God demands. In Mic 3:1 the leaders are told that their duty is to know right (mishpat) but, as the succeeding verse show, they did not (see esp. Mic 3:9). The Hebrew text of Micah 6:99 indicates that the prophet had this quality, and in Mic 7:9 it is God who establishes the mishpat of the repentant sinner.
Love mercy. Hebrew (chesed, pronounced kheh'-sed). The word has a wide range of meaning and, consequently, can be variously translated. Sweeney thinks it should be translated as "Loyalty" or "fidelity." He sees the word as conveying "a sense of moral obligation and responsibility." Such an understanding fits well with Micah's moral teaching. Man is called upon to practice what God does, though no one can equal him in this regard: "Who is a God like to thee, who takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? he will send his fury in no more, because he delighteth in mercy" (Mic 7:18). His mercy is never ending (Mic 7:20).
Walk solicitous with thy God. I.e., with care and concern be attentive in your relationship with God which necessarily includes how you act towards others. "Humbly" is a common modern translation of the Hebrew.
Suggested Readings From Works Consulted:
The Jerome Biblical Commentary. There is a newer edition available but it is in my opinion less useful than the original.
A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture. An older version is available but it is less detailed.
Amos, Hosea, Micah. A basic commentary by Father Bruce Vawter.
The Conscience Of Israel. By Father Bruce Vawter. Quite dated but gives a good introduction to major themes of the pre-exilic prophets.
The Twelve Prophets (Vol. 2). By Marvin Sweeney. Part of the Berit Olam series published by The Liturgical Press, St John's Abbey. The series is ecumenical and focuses upon narrative and structure. I cannot recommend a number of the works in the series but Sweeney's (who is Jewish) is very good.
Minor Prophets. Part of the famous Navarre Bible Commentary, the brainchild of St Jose Marie Escriva. Not a large or detailed volume but a good, basic introduction.
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