English · ASV

Micah 4

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Mountain of the LORD Exalted 1–5

1
But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it. ​
2
And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; ​
3
and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ​
4
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it. ​
5
For all the peoples walk every one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever. ​

Restoration of the Remnant 6–8

6
In that day, saith Jehovah, will I assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; ​
7
and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Jehovah will reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth even for ever. ​
8
And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. ​

Present Distress and the Babylonian Exile 9–10

9
Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee, is thy counsellor perished, that pangs have taken hold of thee as of a woman in travail? ​
10
Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and shalt dwell in the field, and shalt come even unto Babylon: there shalt thou be rescued; there will Jehovah redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. ​

Triumph Over Hostile Nations 11–13

11
And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see our desire upon Zion. ​
12
But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor. ​
13
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain unto Jehovah, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Micah 4

Verse 1

in the last days — Acharith hayyamim, 'the end of the days', the closing time. Isaiah's vision opens with the same words (Isa 2:2). 'Flow' is nahar, a word for a stream, here of peoples going up to the hill; Jeremiah uses it of the returning exiles, 'flow together to the goodness of the LORD' (Jer 31:12).

Verse 2

the law shall go forth of Zion — 'Law' is torah, from yarah, 'to teach', the verb of 'he will teach us of his ways'. The nations come to be taught. After the resurrection Christ sends out repentance and remission of sins 'among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem' (Luke 24:47).

Verse 3

swords into plowshares — The LORD himself 'shall judge' (shaphat) and 'rebuke' (yakach) the strong nations, and war ends by his decision. Joel 3:10 has the opposite order for a day of battle, 'Beat your plowshares into swords', so the two verses mark the ends of one road.

Verse 4

under his vine and under his fig tree — The picture of Judah and Israel dwelling safely under Solomon (1 Kgs 4:25), and of neighbours calling each other in 'that day' (Zech 3:10). 'None shall make them afraid' uses the verb of Lev 26:6, the LORD's promise of peace in the land. The verse closes on his own word, 'the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it'.

Verse 5

in the name of his god — The verse sets the LORD's people beside 'all people', who each walk in the name of their own god. 'Walk' (yalak) is the verb of 'we will walk in his paths' in v.2, and the choice of 'the LORD our God' is the one Joshua set before Israel: 'choose you this day whom ye will serve' (Josh 24:15). Zechariah has 'they shall walk up and down in his name' (Zech 10:12).

Verse 6

her that halteth — Tsala', to limp. The KJV gives the word only here and in v.7, at Gen 32:31, and at Zeph 3:19. At Gen 32:31 Jacob 'halted upon his thigh' after the night at Penuel, so Israel is addressed as the limping people of that name. Zephaniah has the same promise: 'I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out.'

Verse 7

a remnant — Shearith, what is left over. The lame become 'a remnant', the cast-off 'a strong nation', and the LORD reigns over them 'in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever'. Gabriel tells Mary of her son in like words: 'he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever' (Luke 1:33).

Verse 8

O tower of the flock — Migdal-eder, the name of a place where Jacob spread his tent after Rachel was buried on the way to Bethlehem (Gen 35:19–21). 'Strong hold' is ophel, a mound or fortified rise, also the name of a part of Jerusalem's wall (2 Chr 27:3). The 'first dominion' is the rule that once belonged to Zion, returned to her.

Verse 9

is there no king in thee? — The cry is the shout (ru'a) of a city in alarm. The 'counsellor' (ya'ats) is the title Isaiah gives to the promised child, 'Wonderful, Counsellor' (Isa 9:6). The pangs 'as a woman in travail' are those of Jer 30:6, where every man holds his loins 'as a woman in travail'.

Verse 10

thou shalt go even to Babylon — Babylon is named in Micah's day, when Assyria was the power, and Isaiah tells Hezekiah in the same reign that his sons would be carried 'into Babylon' (2 Kgs 20:17–18). 'Redeem' is ga'al, the kinsman's verb of Ruth 4:4, 'If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it'.

Verse 11

Let her be defiled — Chaneph, to pollute; the KJV uses it elsewhere in this sense for the blood that 'defileth the land' (Num 35:33). The nations 'gathered' for this purpose want 'our eye look upon Zion', a gaze of gloating. Micah 7:10 returns to it: 'Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her.'

Verse 12

the thoughts of the LORD — Machashabah, a plan or purpose; it is the word of Isa 55:8, 'my thoughts are not your thoughts'. The verb 'gather' (qabats) is the one used for the exiles in v.6. The nations gather against Zion, and the LORD gathers them 'as the sheaves' (amir, a word in only four verses) 'into the floor', the threshing floor.

Verse 13

Arise and thresh — Zion takes the part of the threshing instrument of Isa 41:15, 'a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth', here with an 'horn iron' and 'hoofs brass'. 'Consecrate' is charam, to devote to the LORD, so that the gain goes to 'the Lord of the whole earth', the title of Zech 4:14 and Josh 3:11 ('Lord of all the earth').