Micah 1

Micah 1:1

MIcah] Jerem. 26. 18.

Morasthite] Namely, of some citie called Morasheth, whereof the Scripture maketh no mention: nor cannot be the same, as vers. 14.

which he saw] Amos 1:1.

Samaria and Jerusalem] The chiefe cities of the two kingdomes, of the ten tribes, and of Judah: and their Princes and heads.

Micah 1:2

Heare, all ye people] Heb. Heare ye people all of them. A figurative manner of calling all creatures, as it were, to a solemne appearance at the judgement, wherein God will judge his people. See Deuteronomy 32:1. Psalms 50:1. 4. Isaiah 1:2. Amos 3:9.

hearken, O earth] Deuteronomy 32:1. Isaiah 1:2.

all that therein is] Heb. the fulnesse thereof.

be witnesse against you] Will convince you of your sinnes, O ye of Judah and Israel.

from his holy temple] Coming forth as one should say out of heaven; or out of the Temple of Jerusalem, where he is present in his signes of grace and vertue.

Micah 1:3

the LORD cometh] Isaiah 26:21.

place] Psalms 115:3.

come down] Meaning hereby, that God will come to judgement against the strong cities and holds.

and tread upon] He shall shew himselfe exalted above all worldly greatnesse: Or he shall tread under foot all powers which shall offer to resist him, Amos 4:13.

high places of the earth] Deuteronomy 32:13. & Deuteronomy 33:29.

Micah 1:4

the mountains shall be molten] Psalms 97:5.

a steep place] Heb. a descent.

Micah 1:5

What is the transgression of Jacob] Where is the spring of all these idolatries, and other sinnes of these two kingdomes? Is it not in these two chief cities? and in the Kings, and Princes; and in their courts, which are kept within those cities?

Micah 1:6

I will make Samaria] Chap. 3. 12.

Micah 1:7

the hires thereof] That is, all the riches and goods, which she thought to have gotten, by her unlawfull treaties and leagues with profane nations, and as it were, for a reward given her for consenting to idolatrie. See Hosea 2:5. 12. & 9. 1.

shall return to] A proverbiall kind of speech: as much as to say, those goods shall go away as they came: that which hath been gotten in the brothell, shall be lost in the brothell. Or the Assyrians, who shall make pry of them, shall also take them, as a reward, and gift of their idols.

Micah 1:8

I will wail] Isaiah 21:3. & Isaiah 22:4. Jeremiah 4:19. The Prophets words having a feeling of the publike calamities.

stript and naked] Namely, in my shirt, or without my outward garment: which was a fashion used in times of extreme sorrow. See Isaiah 20:2. 1 Samuel 19:24.

wailing like the dragons] Job 30:29. Psalms 102:6.

owls] Heb. daughters of the owle.

Micah 1:9

her wound is incurable] Or, she is grievously sick of her wounds. Namely, Samaria’s, vers. 6. whereby is meant the whole kingdome of the ten tribes.

it is come unto Judah] The Assyrians after they have conquered and laid wast the ten tribes, shall also lay Judah wast, even to Jerusalem, 2 Kings 18:13. Isaiah 8:8.

the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem] That is, to Jerusalem, the Kings residence: and where Judahs soveraigne Court of justice was held, which the Scripture calleth oftentime gate.

Micah 1:10

Declare ye it] 2 Samuel 1:20. The meaning is, the peoples calamities shall be so horrible, that it were to be wished that their deadly enemies; such as those of Gath, and other Philistims were, might never heare no news of it: for feare lest they should make triumphs for it, and should aggravate the measure of them by their insultings.

weep ye not at all] Forbear making any shew of your miseries, for feare of giving your enemies occasion of laughter.

Aphrah] That is, dust.

roll thy self in the dust] Thou nation of Israel, in sign of extreme sorrow, Jeremiah 6:26. These names of Aphrah and Saphir, &c. are not found any where else; and yet seeme to signifie some noted places; therefore it is likely that they were framed by the Prophet, to make some allusion to the sense of his prophecie: as in stead of Ephraim, that is to say, fruitfulnesse, he saith house of Aphrah, that is to say, of ashes: to shew that this tribe, which was so mighty, should be ruined and brought to ashes. In stead of Samaria, that is, a place of coales, he saith, Saphir, that is, faire: to signifie the glory to which that citie was raised, and from which it should fall. In stead of Sion, he saith Zaanan, that is to say, a place of coming forth: of great concourse of persons going and coming: out of which place, when the Assyrians should over-run the countrey, one should not be able to come out. In stead of Bethel that is to say, the house of God, he saith Bethezel, that is to say, a house of separation: because God should forsake it, as an unclean place. In stead of Ramoth, which signifieth altitudes or heights, he saith Maroth, that is to say, bitternesses, by reason of the great and bitter mourning and lamentation, which should be made in it.

Micah 1:11

Passe ye away] Into captivitie, loaden with reproches.

thou, &c.] Or, thou that dwellest fairly.

inhabitant] Heb. inhabitresse.

shame naked] Isaiah 47:3. Jeremiah 13:22.

the inhabitant] 2 Kings 18:13.

Zaanan] Or, the countrey of flocks.

Beth-ezel] Or, a place neare.

his standing] Heb. his presenting. For the Hebrewes when they would say defend one, did say, present himselfe for one. See Exodus 32:26. Numbers 14:14. Isaiah 21:8. Others, the enemie shall not depart before he hath overcome you, and so you shall pay for his tarrying.

Micah 1:12

waited carefully] Or, was grieved.

the gate of Jerusalem] For Rabshakeh had shut up Jerusalem.

Micah 1:13

bind the chariot] To runne away if thou canst from before the Assyrians, who come to besiege thee, 2 Kings 18:14. 17.

swift beast] That is, horses, and other beasts which could runne very swiftly.

she is the beginning] Hence it appears that Lachish was first infected with the ten tribes idolatrie; and that from thence it passed even to Jerusalem.

Micah 1:14

give presents] Buy the friendship and assistance of this citie of the Philistims, and of other cities of that nation, against the Assyrians: yet all shall be in vain.

to] Or, for.

Achzib] That is, a lie. It appears by Joshua 19:29. Judges 1:31. that this citie was one of those, out of which the Canaanites could not be driven: and it seems that upon this invasion of the Assyrians, the Israelites had made a league with those nations, by whom they were deluded, either through weaknesse, or perfidiousnesse: And Micha among those cities hath made choice of Achzib, by reason of the signification of the name, which is, a lie.

Micah 1:15

will I bring an heir] I will cause the Assyrians to come, who shall make themselves lords of thee, and thy goods.

Mareshah] A citie of Judah, Joshua 15:44. And this also seems to have been chosen out by reason of the nearnesse which is between the name of heire, and Mareshah. See Micah 2:4.

he shall come] Or, the glory of Israel shall come, &c.

Adullam] A citie of Judah, Joshua 15:35.

glory of Israel] Namely, to Jerusalem, the citie of Gods glorious residence in his Temple: and of the Kings residence in his royall palace.

Micah 1:16

bald] That is, O thou nation of the Jews, make most bitter lamentation. See Job 1:20. Isaiah 3:24. & Isaiah 15:2. & Isaiah 22:12. Jeremiah 7:29.

eagle] When she changeth her feathers.