The Word Am I

The Prophet Micah

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- Chapter 7 -

(Matthew 10:34–39; Luke 12:49–53)
1
Woe to me, for I have become just like one who gleans the clusters of the vintage in autumn. There is no cluster of grapes to consume; my soul desired figs out of season.(a)
2
The holy ones pass away from the land, and there is no one righteous among men. All wait in ambush for blood; a man hunts his brother to death.
3
The evil of their hands, they call good. The leader is demanding, and the judge is yielding, and the great is speaking the desire of his soul, and they have confused it.
4
Whoever is best among them is like a thorny plant, and he who is righteous is like a thorny hedge. The day of your inspection, your visitation, arrives. Now will be their ruination.(b)
5
Do not be willing to believe a friend. And do not be willing to confide in a commander. From her, who sleeps in your bosom, keep the doors of your mouth closed.
6
For the son acts with contempt for the father, and the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies are those of his own household.(c)

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

7
But I will look towards the Lord. I will wait for God, my Savior. My God will hear me.
8
You, my enemy, should not rejoice over me because I have fallen. I will rise up, when I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.
9
I will carry the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he may judge my case and execute judgment for me. He will lead me into the light. I will behold his justice.
10
And my enemy will look, and she will be covered with confusion, she who says to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her. Now she will be trampled underfoot like the mud of the streets.(d)
11
The day that your walls will be rebuilt, in that day the law will be far away.(e)
12
In that day also, they will come towards you even from Assur, and even to the fortified cities, and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.(f)
13
And the land will be in desolation, because of its inhabitants and because of the fruit of their intentions.(g) (h)

God’s Compassion on Israel

14
With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days.
15
As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him.
16
The nations will look, and they will be confounded at the strength of them all. They will place hand over mouth; their ears will be deaf.(i)
17
They will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.
18
What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.
19
He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20
You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days.

Footnotes

(a)7:1 The word ‘præcoquas’ refers to either prematurely ripened figs, or figs more generally out of season.(Conte)
(b)7:4 The best among them (not the best overall, but the best within their own group) is like a thorny plant to them, but the righteous (who are outside their group) are like a thorny hedge (i.e. much more difficult to get around.(Conte)
(c)7:6 The word ‘inimici’ indicates a personal enemy; the word ‘hostis’ indicates an enemy in war or an enemy or a nation.(Conte)
(d)7:10 She shall be covered, etc:Viz., Babylon my enemy.(Challoner)
(e)7:11 The law:Viz., of thy enemies, who have tyrannized over you.(Challoner)
(f)7:12 The word ‘Assur’ refers to an ancient Assyrian false god. This word is also used to refer, disdainfully, to Assyria, the land of the false god Assur. On another level, passages about ‘the Assyrian’ or ‘Assur’ sometimes refer to the Antichrist, who will be from the region of Assyria, and who is a false god.(Conte)
(g)7:13 This is a reference to the abomination of desolation, devised by the inhabitants of the land (the unfaithful), and used by Assur, the Antichrist, to harm the Church.(Conte)
(h)7:13 The land, etc:Viz., of Babylon.(Challoner)
(i)7:16 The nations look at the suffering of the Church and the Church’s triumph, and the nations are amazed and confounded at all the strength that Christians, even in the midst of great suffering. The phrase ‘fortitudine sua’ refers not to ‘gentes,’ but to the people of God.(Conte)
(Matthew 10:34–39; Luke 12:49–53)
1
Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard. There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.
2
The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.
3
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe. The powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
4
The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.
5
Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
6
For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

7
But as for me, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
8
Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
9
I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness.
10
Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
11
A day to build your walls! In that day, he will extend your boundary.
12
In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.
13
Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

God’s Compassion on Israel

14
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest. Let them feed in the middle of fertile pasture land, in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15
“As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.”
16
The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
17
They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to the LORD our God, and will be afraid because of you.
18
Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.
19
He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20
You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
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