Micah 2 commentary

Woe to the people that devise evil during the night, and rise early to carry it into execution! It is bad to do mischief on a sudden thought, much worse to do it with design and forethought. It is of great moment to improve and employ hours of retirement and solitude in a proper manner. If covetousness reigns in the heart, compassion is banished; and when the heart is thus engaged, violence and fraud commonly occupy the hands. The most haughty and secure in prosperity, are commonly most ready to despair in adversity. Woe to those from whom God turns away! Those are the sorest calamities which cut us off from the congregation of the Lord, or cut us short in the enjoyment of its privileges.

Since they say, “Prophesy not,” God will take them at their word, and their sin shall be their punishment. Let the physician no longer attend the patient that will not be healed. Those are enemies, not only to God, but to their country, who silence good ministers, and stop the means of grace. What bonds will hold those who have no reverence for God's word? Sinners cannot expect to rest in a land they have polluted. You shall not only be obliged to depart out of this land, but it shall destroy you. Apply this to our state in this present world. There is corruption in the world through lust, and we should keep at a distance from it. It is not our rest: it was designed for our passage, but not for our portion; our inn, but not our home; here we have no continuing city; let us therefore arise and depart, let us seek a continuing city above. Since they will be deceived, let them be deceived. Teachers who recommend self-indulgence by their doctrine and example, best suit such sinners.

These verses may refer to the captivity of Israel and Judah. But the passage is also a prophecy of the conversion of the Jews to Christ. The Lord would not only bring them from captivity, and multiply them, but the Lord Jesus would open their way to God, by taking upon him the nature of man, and by the work of his Spirit in their hearts, breaking the fetters of Satan. Thus he has gone before, and the people follow, breaking, in his strength, through the enemies that would stop their way to heaven.

The Prophet does not here speak only against the Israelites, as some think, who have incorrectly confined this part of his teaching to the ten tribes; but he, on the contrary, (in discharging his office, addresses also the Jews. He refers not here to idolatry, as in the last chapter; but inveighs against sins condemned in the second table. As then the Jews had not only polluted the worship of God, but also gave loose reins to many iniquities, so that they dealt wrongfully with their neighbors, and there was among them no attention to justice and equity, so the prophet inveighs here as we shall see, against avarice, robberies, and cruelty: and his discourse is full of vehemence; for there was no doubt such licentiousness then prevailing among the people, that there was need of severe and sharp reproofs. It is at the same time easy to perceive that his discourse is mainly directed against the chief men, who exercised authority, and turned it to wrong purposes.

Woe, he says, to those who meditate on iniquity, and devise Literally, work; but פעל means to work not only with the hands, but also with the mind; and hence, to contrive, to devise, to machinate. Henderson has “fabricate,” while Newcome, less suitably, retains the word, “work.” Marckius justly observes, that the working here is not external but internal, the framing, the setting in order, the preparation of evil in the mind. The Prophet points out here that source from which outward evils proceed. What numberless schemes, both good and evil, are concocted and arranged by men on their beds! “They set their wits on work to invent ways of accomplishing their desire. They devise iniquity with a great deal of cursed art and policy; they plot how to do it effectually, and yet so as not to expose themselves. This is called working evil; they are working it in their heads.” — Henry. evil on their beds, that, when the morning shines, they may execute it Here the Prophet describes to the life the character and manners of those who were given to gain, and were intent only on raising themselves. He says, that in their beds they were meditating on iniquity, and devising wickedness. Doubtless the time of night has been given to men entirely for rest; but they ought also to use this kindness of God for the purpose of restraining themselves from what is wicked: for he who refreshes his strength by nightly rest, ought to think within himself, that it is an unbecoming thing and even monstrous, that he should in the meantime devise frauds, and guiles, and iniquities. For why does the Lord intend that we should rest, except that all evil things should rest also? Hence the Prophet shows here, by implication, that those who are intent on devising frauds, while they ought to rest, subvert as it were the course of nature; for they have no regard for that rest, which has been granted to men for this end, — that they may not trouble and annoy one another.

He afterwards shows how great was their desire to do mischief, When it shines in the morning, he says, they execute it He might have said only, They do in the daytime what they contrive in the night: but he says, In the morning; as though he had said, that they were so heated by avarice, that they rested not a moment; as soon as it shone, they were immediately ready to perpetrate the frauds they had thought of in the night. We now then apprehend the import of the Prophet’s meaning.

He now subjoins, For according to their power is their hand As אל, al, means God, an old interpreter has given this rendering, Against God is their hand: but this does not suit the passage. Others have explained it thus, For strength is in their hand: and almost all those well-skilled in Hebrew agree in this explanation. Those who had power, they think, are here pointed out by the Prophet, — that as they had strength, they dared to do whatever they pleased. But the Hebrew phrase is not translated by them; and I greatly wonder that they have mistaken in a thing so clear: for it is not, There is power in their hand; but their hand is to power. The same mode of speaking is found in Proverbs 3, and there also many interpreters are wrong; for Solomon there forbids us to withhold from our neighbor his right, When thine hand, he says, is for power; some say, When there is power to help the miserable. But Solomon means no such thing; for he on the contrary means this, When thine hand is ready to execute any evil, abstain. So also the Lord says in Deuteronomy 28,

“When the enemy shall take away thy spoils, thy hand will not be for power;”

that is, “Thou wilt not dare to move a finger to restrain thy enemies; when they will plunder thee and rob thee of thy substance, thou wilt stand in dread, for thy hand will be as though it were dead.” I come now to the present passage, Their hand is for power: The original is, כי יש-לאל ידם Marckius after having referred to Calvin’s version, says, that he prefers that of Junius and Tremelius which is as follows: “Quum est in potestate manus ipsoram — When it is in the power of their hand,” כי is taken as an adverb of time. The phrase is found in four other places, — Genesis 31:29; Deuteronomy 28:32; Nehemiah 5:5; and Proverbs 3:27. So that to render אל here “God,” as it is done by the Septuagint, Theodoret, and Jerome, and some others, must be wrong. כי is rendered “because” both by Newcome and Henderson, but not so suitably as to the sense. — Ed. the Prophet means, that they dared to try what they could, and that therefore their hand was always ready; whenever there was hope of lucre or gains the hand was immediately prepared. How so? Because they were restrained neither by the fear of God nor by any regard for justice; but their hand was for power, that is, what they could, they dared to do. We now then see what the Prophet means as far as I can judge. He afterwards adds —

Micah 2:2

2. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

2. Et concupiverunt agros et rapiunt; et domos, et auferunt; et vexant virum et domum ejus, virum et haereditatem ejus.

Micah confirms here what is contained in the former verse; for he sets forth the alacrity with which the avaricious were led to commit plunder; nay, how unbridled was their cupidity to do evil. As soon as they have coveted any thing, he says, they take it by force. And hence we gather, that the Prophet, in the last verse, connected wicked counsels with the attempt of effecting them; as though he had said, that they indeed carefully contrived their frauds, but that as they were skillful in their contrivances, so they were not less bold and daring in executing then.

The same thing he now repeats in other words for a further confirmation, As soon as they have coveted fields, they seize them by force; as soon as they have coveted houses they take them away; they oppress a man and his house together; This verse presents an instance of parallelism not uncommon, in which the first and the last line correspond, and the second and the third; as will be seen in the following version: —

And they covet fields and forcibly seize them, And houses, and they take them away; Yea, they oppress the young man and his house, And the old man and his inheritance.

There must be some distinction between גבר, which I render, “the young man,” and איש, rendered above, “the old man.” The first means, robust, strong; and the second is a common term for man, but sometimes signifies a husband, and also a man in years. We may, indeed in harmony with the passage, consider the first as meaning a householder, and the latter as signifying a husbandman. The fields in the first line are the same with the inheritance in the last: and houses and a house are mentioned in the two intervening lines. — Ed. that is, nothing escaped them: for as their wickedness in frauds was great, so their disposition to attempt whatever they wished was furious. And well would it be were there no such cruel avarice at this day; but it exists every where, so that we may see, as in a mirror, an example of what is here said. But it behaves us carefully to consider how greatly displeasing to God are frauds and plunders, so that each of us may keep himself from doing any wrong, and be so ruled by a desire of what is right, that every one of us may act in good faith towards his neighbors, seek nothing that is unjust, and bridle his own desires: and whenever Satan attempts to allure us, let what is here taught be to us as a bridle to restrain us. It follows —

Micah 2:3

3. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

3. Propterea sic dicit Jehova, Ecce ego cogitans super familiam hanc malum, quod non submovebitis ab illo (sic est ab verbum; a quo submovebitis) colla vestra, et non ambulabitis in altitudine; quia tempus malum hoc.

The Prophet shows now that the avaricious were in vain elevated by their frauds and rapacity, because their hope would be disappointed; for God in heaven was waiting his time to appear against them. Though they had anxiously heaped together much wealth, yet God would justly dissipate it altogether. This is what he now declares.

Behold, he says, thus saith Jehovah, I am meditating evil against this family The word משפחה, family, no doubt designates the people of Israel, so called, either for their descent from the same father, or for their adoption by God as his people, designed to live in subjection to him as a family to its head. — Ed. There is here a striking contrast between God and the Jews, between their wicked intentions and the intentions of God, which in themselves were not evil, and yet would bring evil on them. God, he says, thus speaks, Behold, I am purposing; as though he said, “While ye are thus busying yourselves on your beds, while ye are revolving many designs while ye are contriving many artifices, ye think me to be asleep, ye think that I am all the while meditating nothing; nay, I have my thoughts too, and those different from yours; for while ye are awake to devise wickedness I am awake to contrive judgment.” We now then perceive the import of these words: it is God that declares that he meditates evil, and it is not the Prophet that speaks to these avaricious and rapacious men; and the evil is that of punishment, inasmuch as it is the peculiar office of God to repay to all what they deserve, and to render to each the measure of evil they have brought on others.

Ye shall not, he says, remove your necks from under it. Since hypocrites always promise to themselves impunity, and lay hold on subterfuges, whenever God threatens them, the Prophet here affirms, that though they sought every escape, they would yet be held bound by God’s hand, so that they could not by any means shake off the burden designed for them. And this was a reward most fully deserved by those who had withdrawn their necks when God called them to obedience. They then who refuse to obey God, when he requires from them a voluntary service, will at length be drawn by force, not to undergo the yoke, but the burden which will altogether overwhelm them. Whosoever then will not willingly submit to God’s yoke, must at length undergo the great and dreadful burden prepared for the unnamable.

Ye will not then be able to withdraw your necks, and ye shall not walk in your height. He expresses still more clearly what I have referred to, — that they were so elated with pride, that they despised all threatening and all instruction: and this presumption became the cause of perverseness; for were it not that a notion of security deceived men, they would presently bend, when God threatens them. This then is the reason why the Prophet joins this sentence, ye shall no more walk in your height; that is, your haughtiness shall then surely be made to succumb; for it will be a time of evil He means, as I have said, that those who retain a stir and unbending neck towards God, when he would lay on them his yoke, shall at length be made by force to yield, however rebellious they may be. How so? For they shall be broken down, inasmuch as they will not be corrected. The Prophet then adds —

Micah 2:4

4. In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

4. In die illo tollent super eos parabolam, et lugebunt (sunt quidem verba singularis numeri, ישא et נהה; caeterum indefinita est locutio; nam qui subau diunt conductios homines, quibus solebat injungi haec provincia, ut lugubres cantus conciperent ad cladem aliquam, nescio an assecuti sint mentem Prophetae: tamen hoc relinquo in medio, quia alibi vidimus fuisse tunc cantores in luctu, quemadmodum etiam alibi erunt Praeficae, hoc est, mulieres lamentatrices; caeterum malo indefinite accipere; Tollent igitur super vos parabolam et lugebunt) luctu lamentabili (vel, lamento lamenti,) dicendo, Vastando vastati sumus; partem populi mei mutavit; quomodo tollent a nobis ad restituendum? Agros nostros dividet.

The verse is in broken sentences; and hence interpreters vary. But the meaning of the Prophet appears to me to be simply this, In that day they shall take up a proverb against you; that is, it will not be an ordinary calamity, but the report concerning it will go forth every where so that the Jews will become to all a common proverb. This is one thing. As to the word משל, meshil, it is taken, we know, for a weighty saying, and in the plural, weighty sayings, called by the Latins, sentences (sententias) or sayings, (dicta,) and by the Greeks, apophthegmata. αποφθεγματα, But these sayings were thus called weighty by the Hebrews, because he who elevated his style, made use especially of figurative expressions, to render his discourse nobler and more splendid. Very similar is the description of משל by Lowth in his Praelections; he describes it as that style which is sententius, figurative, and sublime — Sententiosum, figuratum, et sublime docendi genus He says also that the word means often a saying, anaxiom, a short sentence compactly formed — est quoevis sententia sive axioma scite graviterque dictum, paucis concinnatum, et ad γνωμων firmam compositum, 1 Samuel 24:14, Prael. 4. And this is evidently its meaning here, — a common saying, everywhere known. — Ed. Hence many render this word, enigmas. It accords well with the Prophet’s meaning, to suppose, that proverbial sayings would spread every where respecting the Jews, especially as calamities were usually described in a plaintive song. They shall then mourn over you with lamentable mourning. But this ought to be referred to the fact, — that the calamity would be every where known. It yet seems that this sentence is applied afterwards to the Jews themselves, and not unsuitably. But it is an indefinite mode of speaking, since the Prophet speaks not of one or two men, but of the whole people.

They shall then mourn in this manner, Wasted, we have been wasted: the portion of my people has he changed — (it is the future instead of the past) — He has then changed the portion of my people This may be applied to God as well as to the Assyrians; for God was the principal author of this calamity; he it was who changed the portion of the people: for as by his blessing he had long cherished that people, so afterwards he changed their lot. But as the Assyrians were the ministers of God’s vengeance, the expression cannot be unsuitably applied to them. The Assyrian then has taken away the portion of my people And then he says, How has he made to depart, or has taken away, or removed from me, (literally, to me,) to restore, — though שבב, shibeb, may be from the root שוב, shub, it yet means the same, — How then has he taken away from us to restore our fields he divides, that is, which he has divided; for the relative אשר, asher, is understood and there is also a change of time. Now as the discourse, as I have said, is in broken sentences, there are various interpretations. I however think that the Prophet simply means this — How as to restoring has he taken away our fields, which he hath divided? that is, How far off are we from restitution? for every hope is far removed, since the Lord himself has divided among strangers our land and possession; or since the enemies have divided it among themselves; for it is usual after victory, for every one to seize on his own portion. Whether then this be understood of the Assyrians, or rather be referred to God, the meaning of the Prophet seems clearly to be this, — that the Jews were not only expelled from their country but that every hope of return was also taken away, since the enemies had parted among themselves their inheritance, so that they who had been driven out, now in vain thought of a restitution. Most commentators agree as to the general meaning of this verse, which is clearly stated here: but their versions differ. Newcome, following the Septuagint, renders the verbs in the first and second lines in a passive sense, but Henderson gives them an active meaning, supplying “one” as the nominative case, i.e., the person, who utters the lamentation afterwards mentioned. The two last lines are the most difficult. Marckius has this version, —

Quomodo subtraxit mihi! Avertenti agros nostros distribuit!

That of Junius and Tremelius is essentially the same, only the verbs are put in the present tense. Newcome’s rendering is this, —

How hath he withdrawn it form me! To an apostate he hath divided our fields!

To call the king of Babylon an apostate, seems incongruous, as it cannot be applied to any one but who has turned away from true religion. The most obvious and literal rendering is that given by Marckius, with the exception of the tense. I offer the following version of the whole verse, with no alteration in the text, except the supplying of a ו before אמר which is found in several MSS., —

In that day shall be taken up concerning you a proverb, And lament a lamentation will the oppressed, And say will the desolate, — “We are destroyed, The portion of my people he changes; How he takes away from me! To the alienator of my fields he divides them!

It is a proverb, a common saying, and a lament, that would be uttered, as the Prophet foretells, at the time of the expulsion of the people from the land, when it would be taken possession of by their enemies. — Ed. But I read this in the present time; for the Prophet introduces here the Jews as uttering this lamentation, — “It is now all over with us, and there is no remedy for this evil; for not only are we stripped of all our property and ejected from our country, but what has been taken away by our enemies cannot be restored to us, inasmuch as they have already parted our possessions among themselves, and every one occupies his own portion and his own place, as though it were his own inheritance. We have therefore to do, not only with the Assyrians in general, but also with every individual; for what every one now occupies and possesses he will defend, as his rightful and hereditary possession.”

Some conjecture from this verse, that the discourse belongs rather to the Israelites, who were banished without any hope of return; but no necessity constrains us to explain this of the Israelites; for the Prophet does not declare here what God would do, but what would be the calamity when considered in itself. We have indeed said already in many places, that the Prophets, while threatening, speak only of calamities, desolations, deaths, and destructions, but that they afterwards add promises for consolation. But their teaching is discriminative: when the Prophets intend to terrify hypocrites and perverse men, they set forth the wrath of God only, and leave no hope; but when they would inspire with hope those who are by this means humbled, they draw forth comfort to them even from the goodness of God. What is here said then may fitly and really be applied to the Jews. It follows —

Micah 2:5

5. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.

5. Itaque non erit tibi projiciens funiculum ad sortem in coetu Jehovae.

Here the Prophet concludes his discourse respecting God’s design to cleanse Judea from its perverse and wicked inhabitants, that it might no longer be the inheritance of one people. For the land, we know, had been given to the posterity of Abraham, on the condition, that it was to be held by them as an heritage: and we also know, that a line was determined by lot whenever the year of Jubilee returned, that every one might regain his own possession. The Prophet now testifies that this advantage would be taken away from the Jews, and that they would hereafter possess the land by no hereditary right; for God, who had given it, would now take it away.

There shall not then be one to cast a line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah. And he seems here to touch the Jews, by calling them the assembly of Jehovah. He indeed adopted them, they were the people of God: but he intimates that they were repudiated, because they had rendered themselves unworthy of his favor. He therefore, by calling them ironically the assembly of Jehovah, denies that they rightly retained this name, inasmuch as they had deprived themselves of this honor and dignity. It now follows —

Micah 2:6

6. Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

6. Ne stilletis; stillabunt; non stillabunt illis (hoc est, super eos;) non apprehendet ignominias (sic est ad verbum.)

Here the conciseness of the expressions has made interpreters to differ in their views. Some read thus, Distill ye not, — they will distill; that is, the Jews speak against the prophets, and with threats forbid them, as with authority, to address them. The Hebrew word, distill, means the same as to speak; though at the same time it is applied more commonly to weighty addresses than to such as are common and ordinary. If any understands, they will distill, or speak, of the Jews, then the Prophet points out their arrogance in daring to contend with God’s prophets, and in trying to silence and force them to submission. We indeed find that ungodly men act thus, when they wish to take away the liberty of teaching from God’s prophets; for they resist as though they themselves were doubly and treble prophets. So also in this place, Distill ye not, that is, the Jews say, Let not the servants of God prophesy. But some think that a relative is understood, Distill ye not for them who distill; as though he had said, that ungodly men would not bear God’s prophets and thus would prevent and restrain them, as much as they could, from speaking. Others make this distinction, Distill ye not, — they shall distill; as though the Jews said the first, and God the second. Distill ye not, — this was the voice of the ungodly and rebellious people, who would cast away from them and reject every instruction: but God on the other side opposed them and said, Nay, they shall distill; ye forbid, but it is not in your power; I have sent them: though ye may rage and glamour a hundred times, it is my will that they should proceed in their course.

We hence see how various are the explanations: and even in the other part of the verse there is no more agreement between interpreters: They shall not distill; respecting this clause, it is sufficiently evident, that God here intimates that there would be now an end to all prophecies. How so? Because he would not render his servants a sport, and subject them to reproach. This is the true meaning: and yet some take another view, as though the Prophet continued his sentence, They shall not distill, lest the people should receive reproaches; for the ungodly think, that if they close the mouths of the prophets, all things would be lawful to them, and that their crimes would be hid, in short, that their vices would not be called to an account; as though their wickedness was not in itself sufficiently reproachful, were God to send no prophets, and no reproof given. No doubt, profane men are so stupid as to think themselves free from every reproach, when God is silent, and when they put away from themselves every instruction. Hence some think, that this passage is to be understood in this sense. But I consider the meaning to be that which I have stated; for he had before said, Distill ye not who distill; that is, Ye prophets, be no longer troublesome to us; why do you stem our ears? We can no longer bear your boldness; be then silent. Thus he expressly introduced the Jews as speaking with authority, as though it was in their power to restrain the prophets from doing their duty. Now follows, as I think, the answer of God, They shall not distill, that he may not get reproaches: Since I see that my doctrine is intolerable to you, since I find a loathing so great and so shameful, I will take away my prophets from you: I will therefore rest, and be hereafter silent. — Why? “Because I effect nothing; nay, I subject my prophets to reproaches; for they lose their labor in speaking, they pour forth words which produce no fruit; for ye are altogether irreclaimable. Nay, as they are reproachfully treated by you, their condition is worse than if they were covered with all the disgrace of having been criminal. Since then I subject my prophets to reproach I will not allow them to be thus mocked by you. They shall therefore give over, they shall prophesy no longer. Newcome, apparently on the authority of the Septuagint, joins a part of the last verse to this, and gives this rendering,—

In the congregation of Jehovah prophesy not, O ye that prophesy: They shall not prophesy to these: For he shall remove from himself reproaches.

The last line he applies to the true prophet, that he would not subject himself to disgrace by exercising his office. Henderson’s version is the following: —

Prophesy not; those shall prophesy Who will not prophesy of these things: Reproaches are incessant.

This is viewed as being altogether the language of the people, interdicting the true prophets, specifying those whom they approved, and deprecating the reproaches cast upon them by the true prophets. Another version, which is materially adopted by Calvin, is admitted by our Author as not unsuitable, but he prefers the one given above. The main objection is to the last line, which in the original is this, —

לא יׂג כלמות

The last word is plural, and means reproaches; and the verb יסג is in the third person of the future tense, and may be derived either from סוג, to recede, to depart, or from גסג, to remove, both in a transitive and intransitive sense. Having an objective case, it cannot be the first verb, and must be the second in its transitive meaning. Then the rendering is, He will not, or let him not, or let none remove reproaches. This being the literal rendering of this sentence, we must now consider what version of the former part will correspond best with it. It is that no doubt adopted by Calvin, though the last clause cannot admit of the meaning he attaches to it. The people say, “Prophesy ye not who prophesy;” God answers, “They shall not prophesy to these;” and then the Prophet adds, speaking of God, “He will not remove reproaches;” that is, he will not remove them by his prophets with the view of amending their reproachful conduct.

The last clause is evidently viewed as an anomalous construction by Henderson; for he renders it as though the plural noun were the nominative case to the verb in the singular number, and this because the latter precedes the former. There may be instances of this in Hebrew, but it is by no means a common usage; though it be so in the Welsh language, which in so many of its peculiarities is very much like Hebrew. This sort of construction is the ordinary one in that language: a plural noun has commonly a verb in the singular number, when placed before it. This sentence in Welsh would be exactly the same as in Hebrew—Nid ymadawa gwaradwyddiadau The noun in the plural number is the nominative case to the preceding verb, which is in the singular number, and the verb too is in the future tense, and is yet understood as having the meaning of the present tense. — Ed. ”

But the Lord could not have threatened the Jews with any thing worse or more dreadful than with this immunity, — that they should no more hear anything which might disturb them: for it is an extreme curse, when God gives us loose reins, and suffers us, with unbridled liberty, to rush as it were headlong into evils, as though he had delivered us up to Satan to be his slaves. Since it is so, let us be assured that it is an awful threatening, when he says, They shall not distill, lest they should hereafter become objects of reproach.

Prayer.

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou art pleased to try our patience by requiring mutual justice and the offices of love and benevolence, — O grant, that we may not be wolves one to another, but show ourselves to be really thy children, by observing all those duties of justice and kindness which thou commandest, and thus follow what is right and just through the whole course of our life, that we may at length enjoy that blessedness which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lecture Eighty-fourth

Micah 2:7

7. O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

7. Qui diceris domus Jacob, an reductus est in angustias Spiritus Jehova? (alii vertunt, an imminutus est Spiritus Jehovae; קצר significat coarctare, significat etiam imminuere apud Hebraeos; sed melius quadrat sensus ille quem reddidi.) An haec sunt opera ejus? Annon verba mea bona sunt cum eo (hoc est, apud cum) qui rectus ambulat?

The Prophet now reproves the Israelites with greater severity, because they attempted to impose a law on God and on his prophets and would not endure the free course of instruction. He told us in the last verse, that the Israelites were inflated with so much presumption, that they wished to make terms with God: “Let him not prophesy” they said, as though it were in the power of man to rule God: and the Prophet now repeats, Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? as though he said, Ye see the intent of your presumption, and how far it proceeds; for ye wish to subject God’s Spirit to yourselves and to your own pleasure. The prophets doubtless did not speak of themselves, but by the bidding and command of God. Since then the prophets were the organs of the Holy Spirit, whosoever attempted to silence them, usurped to himself an authority over God himself, and in a manner tried to make captive his Spirit: for what power can belong to the Spirit, except he be at liberty to reprove the vices of men, and condemn whatever is opposed to God’s justice? When this is taken away, there is no more any jurisdiction left to the Holy Spirit. We now then see what the Prophet means in this place: he shows how mad a presumption it was in the Israelites to attempt to impose silence on the prophets, as though they had a right to rule the Spirit of God, and to force him to submission.

Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? And this mode of speaking ought to be noticed, for it possesses no ordinary emphasis; inasmuch as the Prophets by this reproof; recalls the attention of these perverse men to the author of his teaching; as though he had said, that the wrong was not done to men, that war was not carried on with them, when instruction is prohibited, but that God is robbed of his own rights and that his liberty is taken away, so that he is not allowed to execute his judgment in the world by the power of his Spirit.

And farther, the Prophet here ironically reproves the Israelites, when he says, O thou who art called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of Jehovah reduced to straits? For if heathens, who have never known the teaching of religion, and to whom no heavenly mysteries have been revealed, had said, that they would have nothing to do with the prophets, it would have been much more endurable; for what wonder would it be for ignorant men to repudiate all instruction? But it was monstrous for the Israelites, who gloried in the name of God, to dare to rise up so rebelliously against the prophets: they always boasted of their own race, as though they surpassed all the rest of the world, and were a holy nations separated from all others. Hence the Prophet says, “Ye wish to be called the house of Jacob; what is your excellency and dignity, except that you have been chosen by God to be his peculiar people? If then you have been habituated to the teaching of God, what fury and madness it is, that you cannot bear his prophets, but wish to close their mouths?” We now then see the point of this irony, when the Prophet says that they were called the house of Jacob He seems at the same time to intimate, in an indirect way, that they were a spurious race. As they were called by other prophets, Amorites and Sodomites: even so in this place the Prophet says, “Ye are indeed the house of Jacob, but it is only as to the name.” They were in reality so degenerated, that they falsely pretended the name of the holy patriarch; yea, they falsely and mendaciously boasted of their descent from holy men, though they were nothing else but as it were rotten members. Inasmuch then as they had so departed from the religion of Abraham and of other fathers, the Prophet says, “Thou art indeed called what thou art not.”

He afterwards adds, Are these his works? Here he brings the Israelites to the proof, as though he said, How comes it, that the prophets are so troublesome and grievous to you, except that they sharply reprove you, and denounce on you the judgment of God? But God is in a manner forced, except he was to change his nature, to treat you thus sharply and severely. Ye boast that you are his people, but how do you live? Are these his works? that is, do you lead a life, and form your conduct according to the law laid down by him? But as your life does not in any degree correspond with what God requires, it is no wonder that the prophets handle you so roughly. For God remains the same, ever like himself; but ye are perfidious, and have wholly repudiated the covenant he has made with you. Then this asperity, of which ye are wont to complain, ought not to be deemed unjust to you.

He then subjoins, Are not my words good to him who walks uprightly? Here the Prophet more distinctly shows, why he had before asked, Whether their works were those of the Lord; for he compares their life with the doctrine, which on account of its severity displeased them; they said that the words of the prophets were too rigid. God here answers, that his words were gentle and kind, and therefore pleasant, that is, to the pious and good; and that hence the fault was in them, when he treated them less kindly than they wished. The import of the whole then is, that the word of God, as it brings life and salvation to man, is in its own nature gracious, and cannot be either bitter, or hard, or grievous to the pious and the good, for God unfolds in it the riches of his goodness.

We hence see that God here repudiates the impious calumny that was cast on his word; as though he had said, that the complaints which prevailed among the people were false; for they transferred the blame of their own wickedness to the word of God. They said that God was too severe: but God here declares that he was gentle and kind, and that the character of his word was the same, provided men were tractable, and did not, through their perverseness, extort from him anything else than what he of himself wished. And the same thing David means in Psalm 18, when he says that God is perverse with the perverse: for in that passage he intimates, that he had experienced the greatest goodness from God, inasmuch as he had rendered himself docile and obedient to him. On the contrary, he says, God is perverse with the perverse; that is, when he sees men obstinately resisting and hardening their necks, he then puts on as it were a new character, and deals perversely with them, that is, severely, as their stubbornness deserves; as for a hard knot, according to a common proverb, a hard wedge is necessary. We now then perceive the meaning of this passage, that God’s words are good to those who walk uprightly; that is they breathe the sweetest odour, and bring nothing else but true and real joy: for when can there be complete happiness, except when God embraces us in the bosom of his love? But the testimony respecting this love is brought to us by his word. The fault then is in us, and ought to be imputed to us, if the word of God is not delightful to us.

Some expound this whole passage differently, as though the Prophet relates here what was usually at that time the boast of the Israelites. They hence think that it is a narrative in which he represents their sentiments; (narrationem esse mimiticam;) as though the Prophet introduced here the ungodly and the rebellious animating one another in their contempt of God’s word, O thou who art called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? Hypocrites, we know, are so blind and intoxicated by a false confidence, that they hesitate not heedlessly to abuse all the favors of God. As then God had conferred a great excellency on his people, they thus emboldened one another, — “Are we not the children and posterity of Abraham? What will it avail us to be a holy and chosen race, and the peculiar people of God, and a royal priesthood, if we are to be thus unkindly treated? We find that these prophets shamefully reprove us: where is our dignity, except we show that we have more privileges than other nations?” These interpreters therefore think the meaning to be this, — that they make a show of their own privileges, that they might with more liberty reject every instruction, and shake off every yoke. And when it is said, Is the Spirit of God diminished? these interpreters regard this as meaning, that they were satisfied with the solemn promise of God, and that as they were a holy race, they now superciliously despised all the prophets, — “Is the Spirit of God dead, who was formerly the interpreter of the everlasting covenant, which God made with us? Has he not testified that we should be to him a holy and elect people? Why then do ye now attempt to reduce to nothing this sacred declaration of the Holy Spirit, which is inviolable?” It is then added, Are these his works? “Ye talk of nothing but of threats and destruction; ye denounce on us numberless calamities: but God is beneficent and kind in his nature, patient and merciful; and ye represent him to us as a tyrant; but this view is wholly inconsistent with the nature of God.” And, in the last place, God subjoins, as these interpreters think, an exception, — “All these are indeed true, if faithfulness exists among you, and the authority of my word continues; for my words are good, but not to all without any difference: be upright and sincere, and ye shall find me dealing kindly, gently, tenderly, and pleasantly with you: then my rigor will cease, which now through my word so much offends and exasperates you.”

This meaning may in some measure be admitted; but as it is hard to be understood, we ought to retain the former, it being more easy and flowing. There is nothing strained in the view, that the Prophet derides the foolish arrogance of the people, who thought that they were sheltered by this privilege, that they were the holy seed of Abraham. The Prophet answers that this titular superiority did not deprive God of his right, and prevent him to exercise his power by the Spirit. “O thou then who art called the house of Jacob; but only as far as the title goes: the Spirit of God is not reduced to straits. But if thou boastest thyself to be the peculiar people of God, are these thy works the works of God? Does thy life correspond with what he requires? There is no wonder then that God chastises you so severely by his word, for there is not in you the spirit of docility, which allows the exercise of his kindness.” Newcome, adopting האמר, as found in four MSS., renders the first part of the verse as the language of the people, though not in the sense of those referred to by Calvin. His version is as follows: —

Doth the house of Israel [Jacob] say, “Is the Spirit of Jehovah straightened? Are these his doings?”

“Straightened,” i.e., confined to a few, such as Micah. And by “doings,” he means the judgments before announced. Henderson regards the “doings,” or, as he renders them, “operations,” in the same light, though he views the words as spoken by the Prophet, and renders the first line thus, —

What language, O house of Jacob!

The first word, האמור, as it is in our text, is viewed by Henderson, as well as by Marckius, as a passive participle, signifying what is said or spoken, and the ה prefixed is considered as a note of exclamation. But the objection made to our common version is not valid, that אמר in Niphael, when it means being called or named, has uniformly an ל after it, for we have an instance to the contrary in Jeremiah 7:32, עוד התפח ולא-יאמר, “and it shall no more be called Tophet.” — Ed.

But though the Prophet here upbraids the ancient people with ingratitude, yet this truth is especially useful to us, which God declares, when he says that his word is good and sweet to all the godly. Let us then learn to become submissive to God, and then he will convey to us by his word nothing but sweetness, nothing but delights; we shall then find nothing more desirable than to be fed by this spiritual food; and it will ever be a real joy to us, whenever the Lord will open his mouth to teach us. But when at any time the word of the Lord goads and wounds, and thus exasperates us, let us know that it is through our own fault. It follows —

Micah 2:8

8. Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

8. Et qui antehac populus meus, quasi in hostem surrexit ex adverso; vestem decoris (alii vertunt, pallium et tunicam; sed nulla est copula, et אדר significat decorem, ideo possumus vertere vestem decoris) praedati estis a transeuntibus cum fiducia, perinde ac si reverterentur a praelio.

As the words of the Prophet are concise, they contain some obscurity. Hence interpreters differ. First, as to the word אתמיל, atmul, some think it to be one word, others divide it into את, at and מול, mul, which means, over against, opposite; and they regard it of the same import with ממול, which immediately follows. But as the repetition would be frigid, the Prophet no doubt intended that it should be taken here in its proper sense, and its meaning is yesterday. But this time is not strictly taken by the Hebrews, for they take yesterday as meaning the past time, even when many years have elapsed. I have therefore rendered it formerly, which suits this place. There is also another difference as to the sense of the text, for some think that this אתמול, atmul, is to be joined to the verb קומם, kumum; but it is rather to be connected with the word עמי, omi, My people formerly There is another diversity, that is, as to the term אויב, avib, for some apply it to God, and others to the people; that they rose up or stood one against another. For this verb is explained in two ways: some view it as a verb neuter, They stand against the enemy; and others render it, They rise up against the enemy; and this second meaning is most approved, and harmonizes best with the context.

I will now refer to what I consider to be the real meaning. The Prophet, in the first place, says, that the people were formerly under the power and government of God, but that now they were become wholly alienated from him. Formerly, then, it was my people, as though God now renounced all friendship with them. “I have hitherto owned you as my people, but hereafter I shall have nothing to do with you, for the whole authority of my word is by you entirely abolished; ye have violated your faith: in short, as you have destroyed my covenant, ye have ceased to be my people; for whatever favor I have conferred on you, you have deprived yourselves of it by your wickedness; and though I have adopted you, yet your wickedness now strips you of this privilege.” This is one thing.

It then follows, They have risen up as against an enemy. I consider a note of likeness to be here understood. The Prophet says simply, Against an enemy have they risen up; but I regard the meaning to be, that they had risen up as against an enemy; that is that they had made God, their best father, their enemy, inasmuch as they had by their crimes provoked his displeasure. Newcome gives the same meaning to this part of the line, though another to the former part,—

But of old my people hath risen up as an enemy.

Henderson’s version is the same. The word rendered “of old” means “yesterday,” and expresses often past time indefinitely. It is once rendered “of old,” Isaiah 30:33; but in other places, “heretofore,” “in times past;” but “formerly,” or “of late,” would be the most suitable expression in this passage. — Ed. He then confirms this truth by saying, that they practiced robberies among themselves. We indeed know that hypocrites ever hide themselves under their religious rites, and spread them forth as their shield whenever they are reproved. Hence the Prophet says, that they were not to be deemed the people of God for spending their labors on sacrifices, for they were at the same time robbers, and plundered innocent men.

The garment of comeliness, he says, or, the garment and the cloak, (about such words I do not labor much,) they take away from those who pass by securely; The literal rendering of these two lines may be given thus:—

From off the garment the mantle ye shall strip From those who pass by securely, returning from war.

Or the last words, שובי מלחמה, “averters of war,” may designate people of a peaceable disposition, and “war” may be taken for strife or contention; then the rendering would be, “who turn away from contention.” Newcome, on the authority of one MS., which has שבי, gives this version, “captives of war,” which seems unsuitable to this passage. Marckius renders the phrase thus, aversi belli, seu, a bello, “turning away from war,” or, “shy of war.” This view evidently comports best with the context. — Ed. that is from all who are peaceable. For when there is a suspicion of war, or when a traveler does any mischief, he rightly deserves to be punished. But the Prophet says here, that they were robbed, who passed by securely as though they were in a safe country. “When travelers fear nothing, ye strip them of their garments, as though they were returning from war: as they are wont, when war is over, to seize on spoils wherever found, and no one can keep his own; so now, during peace, ye take to yourselves the same liberty, as though all things were exposed to plunder, and ye were in a hostile country, lately the scene of warfare.”

We now then perceive the meaning of the Prophet. He first intimates that the people were now rejected by God, for they had rendered themselves, by their most abandoned life, wholly unworthy of his benefits; and at the same time he reproves their ingratitude that having been the people of God, they choose to make war with him rather than to observe the covenant which he had made for their safety; for it was a most shameful wickedness in them, since they had been chosen from the whole world to be a peculiar people, to prefer going to war with God rather than to live quietly under his protection. And that they did rise up against God he proves, for they gave themselves up to robberies; they plundered, even during times of peace, which circumstance greatly aggravated their wickedness. It now follows —

Micah 2:9

9. The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.

9. Mulieres populi mei expulistis e domo delectationum ipsarum, (est quidem mutatio numeri, sed hoc nihil ad rem;) a parvulis earum abstulistis decus (vel, ornamentum) meum perpetuo.

He proceeds with the same subject, that they refrained from no acts of injustice. It was indeed a proof of extreme barbarity not to spare women and children, for they are both weak and helpless. Their sex exempts women from violence, and their age, children. This verse presents several anomalies. We have “women” and the verbs in the plural, and then “house,” “her delights,” and “her children.” It may be thus rendered, —

The women of my people ye drive away, Each from the house of her delights; From off her children ye take away my ornament forever.

The word rendered in our version “flory,” is הדר, which means ornament, beauty. Piscator says, pulchras vestes quas Deus illis donavit — “the beautiful garments which God gave them.” God claimed the land of Canaan and all its blessings as his own. They took these away without restoring them according to the law. Henderson justly observes, that “ornament” is to be taken “collectively for the ornamental clothes which they wore, and with which they had been provided by Jehovah.” — Ed. Even in wars, women, and also children, escape in safety. We hence see that the Prophet, by stating a part for the whole, proves here that the people had addicted themselves to cruelty really barbarous; they were not restrained from exercising it, no, not even on women and children. Since it was so, it follows, that their boast of being the chosen people was vain and fallacious.

House of delights he ascribes to the women who, being the weaker sex, prefer being at home and in the shade, rather than going abroad. The more necessary it was that their recesses should remain safe to them. Now, what was taken away from the children, God calls it his ornament; for his blessing, poured forth on children, is the mirror of his glory: he therefore condemns this plunder as a sacrilege. The word לעולם, laoulam, designates the continuance of their crimes, as though he had said, that they were cruel without ever showing any repentance. Now it follows —

Micah 2:10

10. Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

10. Surgite, abite, quia non est haec requies; quoniam polluta est; dissipavit dissipatione violenta (interponitur copula, et dissipatione; ideo poterimus commode vertere, dissipavit et quidem dissipatione violenta, (vel, roborata; id enim significat verbum נמרף.)

Here again the Prophet checks the foolish confidence of the people. The land of Canaan, we know, had been honored by God with the distinction of being a rest; yea God called it, not only the rest of the people, but also his own rest,

‘I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,’ (Psalm 95:11.)

The land of Canaan then was a sort of rest, hidden under the wings of God; for the Lord had assigned it as an inheritance to his chosen people. As God then dwelt in that land, and had also given it to the children of Abraham, that they might rest there in safety, and as this was also one of the blessings contained in the Law, hypocrites said, pursuing their usual course of falsely and groundlessly claiming to themselves the favors of God, that they could not be thence expelled, and that those Prophets were falsifiers who dared to change any thing in God’s covenant. This is the reason why the Prophet now says,

Arise, depart; this is not your rest. “False confidence,” he says, “deceives you, as ye think that ye are inseparably fixed in your habitation. God indeed has made such a promise, but this condition was added, — If ye will stand faithful to his covenant. Now ye are become covenant-breakers: ye think that he is fast bound to you; all the cords are loosened; for as ye have perfidiously departed from the Law of God, there is now no reason for you to think that he is under any obligation to you. There is then no ground for you to boast of being a holy people; you have indeed the name, but the reality has ceased to be: therefore arise and depart: but to sit still securely and proudly will avail you nothing, for God will now drive you afar off: and I now declare to you that you must arise and depart, for ye cannot rest in this land against the will of God: and God will now thrust you out of it.” We now perceive the real meaning of the Prophet.

He afterwards adds, For it is polluted; he will scatter you with violent scattering The original is תחבל וחבל נמרף, which, according to Parkhurst, is, “It is bound;” that is, bound over to punishment, “and the bond is grievous;” or, as it may be rendered, strong; which is only found in Niphal in two other places, 1 Kings 2:8; Job 6:25. In the first it is rendered, grievous, — “a grievous crime,” and in the second, forcible, — “How forcible are the right words!”

But most others attach the idea of corruption and destruction to חבל: and Newcome takes the verb here in a passive sense, and gives this rendering of the distich, —

“Because it is polluted, it shall be destroyed, And the destruction shall be great.”

Some render the verb actively, “It,” i.e. the land, “shall destroy you,” a reference being made, as it is thought, to what is said in Leviticus 18:25. The version of Marckius is this, —

“Quando quidem impuritas corrumpet, Et corruptio acris.” —

Seeing that impurity will destroy it, And a violent destruction.

The previous word טמאה is here taken as a noun. But the most literal, and the most satisfactory, is the rendering of Newcome. — Ed. Here again he vindicates God from their calumny and ungodly murmurings. We indeed know how difficult it was to bring down that people, who were steeped in so great a perverseness. And we find that the Prophet had a hard contest with the hypocrites, for the multitude had ever this language in their mouths, — What! is it of no moment that God has favored us with so many and so remarkable promises? Is our adoption nothing but a mockery? Has he in vain given us this land by an hereditary right? Since then hypocrites thus brought forward their privileges in opposition to God, and yet abused them, it was necessary to convince them to the contrary, and this is what the Prophet does here, — “Ye call,” he says, “this land your rest, but how do you rest in it? God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath, for he dwells among you to sanctify you: but ye live disorderly, and carry on war with God himself: have not your pollutions obliterated that holy rest, which has been enjoined on you by God? Ye then see that this change has happened through your fault, that is, that God has ceased to call this land, as he was wont formerly to do, your and his own rest. It is not then your rest; he will therefore scatter you with violent or strong scattering: Ye in vain promise to yourselves rest in this land, since ye carry on war with God, and cease not to provoke his wrath against you.” It follows —

Micah 2:11

11. If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

11. Si vir ambulans in spiritu et fallaciter mantiens, stillem tibi pro vino et pro sicera, tunc erit stillans populi hujus (hoc est, hic demum erit Propheta populi hujus: sicut etiam priore membro proprie vertendum est, si prophetem.)

The Prophet points out here another vice by which the people were infected — that they wished to be soothed with flatteries: for all the ungodly think that they are in a manner exempt from God’s judgment, when they hear no reproof; yea they think themselves happy, when they get flatterers, who are indulgent to their vices. This is now the disease which the Prophet discovers as prevailing among the people. Jerome sought out a meaning quite different here, as in the former verses; but I will not stop to refute him, for it is enough to give the real meaning of the Prophet. But as before he rendered women, princes, and thus perverted entirely the meaning, so he says here, I would I were a vain Prophet, that is, walking in vanity, and mendacious; as though Micah said “I wish I were false in denouncing on you the calamities of which I speak; for I would rather announce to you something joyful and favorable: but I cannot do this, for the Lord commands what is different.” But there is nothing of this kind in the words of the Prophet. Let us then return to the text.

If a man walks in the spirit, and deceitfully lies, Perhaps a more literal rendering would be thus,—

If a man, the follower of the spirit and of deception, Speaks falsely, “I will prophesy to thee of wine and of strong drink,” He then becomes the prophet of this people.

To walk after, or to follow, “the wind,” as some render רוח, seems by no means proper. The phrase means the same as “the man of the spirit” in Hosea 9:7 Newcome changes the whole form of the passage, though not the meaning, except in one instance. Guided by the Syriac version, Houbigant and the Septuagint, without the sanction of any MS., he gives this version, —

If a man, walking in the spirit of falsehood and lies, Prophesy unto thee for wine and for strong drink, He shall be the prophet of this people.

He puts “for wine,” etc., and not “of wine:” but the latter rendering is much more suitable to the context. — Ed. etc. Almost all interpreters agree in this, — that to walk in the spirit, is to announce any thing proudly and presumptuously; and they take spirit for wind or for deceits. But I doubt not, but that to walk in the spirit was then a common mode of speaking, to set forth the exercise of the prophetic office. When therefore any one was a Prophet, or one who discharged that office, or sustained the character of a teacher, he professed himself to have been sent from above. The Prophets were indeed formerly called the men of the spirit, and for this reason, because they adduced nothing from themselves or from their own heads; but only delivered faithfully, as from hand to hand, what they had received from God. To walk in the spirit then means, in my view, the same thing as to profess the office of a teacher. When therefore any one professed the office of a teacher, what was he to do? “If I,” says Micah, “being endued with the Spirit, and called to teach, wished to ingratiate myself with you, and preached that there would be an abundant increase of wine and strong drink, all would applaud me; for if any one promises these things, he becomes the prophet of this people.”

In short, Micah intimates that the Israelites rejected all sound doctrine, for they sought nothing but flatteries, and wished to be cherished in their vices; yea, they desired to be deceived by false adulation to their own ruin. It hence appears that they were not the people they wished to be deemed, that is, the people of God: for the first condition in God’s covenant was, — that he should rule among his people. Inasmuch then as these men would not endure to be governed by Divine power, and wished to have full and unbridled liberty, it was the same as though they had banished God far from them. Hence, by this proof, the Prophet shows that they had wholly departed from God, and had no intercourse with him. If there be then any man walking in the spirit, let him, he says, keep far from the truth; for he will not otherwise be borne by this people. — How so? Because they will not have honest and faithful teachers. What is then to be done? Let flatterers come, and promise them plenty of wine and strong drink, and they will be their best teachers, and be received with great applause: in short, the suitable teachers of that people were the ungodly; the people could no longer bear the true Prophets; their desire was to have flatterers who were indulgent to all their corruptions.

Prayer.

Grant, Almighty God, that since we cannot otherwise really profit by thy word, than by having all our thoughts and affections subjected to thee, and offered to thee as a sacrifice, — O grant, that we maysuffer thee, by the sound of thy word, so to pierce through everything within us, that being dead in ourselves, we may live to thee,and never suffer flatteries to become our ruin but that we may, on the contrary, patiently endure reproofs, however bitter they may be, only let them serve to us as medicine, by which our inward vices may be cleansed, until at length being thoroughly cleansed and formed into new creatures, we may, by a pious and holy life, really glorify thy name, and be received into that celestial glory, which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lecture Eighty-fifth

Micah 2:12-13

12. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

12. Congregans congregabo te totum Jacob; colligens colligam residuum Israel; simul ponam eum tanquam oves Bosra, tanquam gregem in medio ovilis sui; tumultuabuntur prae hominibus (id est, propter hominum multitudinem.)

13. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

13. Ascendet effractor coram ipsis; frangent et transibunt portam, et egredientur per ipsam; et transibit rex ipsorum coram ipsis; et Jehova in capite ipsorum.

The exposition of this passage is twofold. The greater part of interpreters incline to this view, — that God here promises some alleviation to the Israelites, after having sharply reproved them, and threatened them with utter ruin. They therefore apply this passage to the kingdom of Christ, as though God gave hope of a future restoration. But when I narrowly weigh every thing, I am, on the contrary, forced to regard these two verses as a commination, that is, that the Prophet here denounces God’s future vengeance on the people. As, however, the former opinion is almost universally received, I will briefly mention what has been adduced in its favor, and then I shall return to state the other meaning, which I prefer.

It is suitable to the kingdom of Christ to say, that a people who had been dispersed should be gathered under one head. We indeed know how miserable a dispersion there is in the world without him, and that whenever the Prophets speak of the renovation of the Church, they commonly make use of this form of expression, that is, that the Lord will gather the dispersed and unite them together under one head. If then the passage be referred to the kingdom of Christ, it is altogether proper to say, that God by gathering will gather the whole of Jacob. But a restriction is afterwards added, that no one may extend this restoration to the whole race of Abraham, or to all those who, according to the flesh, derived their descent from Abraham as their father: hence the word שארית, sharit, is laid down. Then the whole of Jacob is not that multitude, which, according to the flesh, traced their origin from the holy Patriarchs, but only their residue. It then follows, I will set them together as the sheep of Bozrah, that is, I will make them to increase into a large, yea, into an immense number; for they shall make a tumult, that is, a great noise will be made by them, as though the place could not contain so large a number. And they explain the next verse thus, — A breaker shall go before them, that is, there shall be those who, with a hand, strong and armed, will make a way open for them; inasmuch as Christ says that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, (Matthew 11:12) they then mean that the people will have courageous leaders, whom nothing will stop from breaking through, and that they will also lead the whole people with them. They shall therefore go forth through the gate, and their king shall pass through. This also well agrees with the kingdom of Christ. For whenever God declares that he will be propitious to his Church, he at the same time adds, that he will give a king to his people; for their safety had been placed in that kingdom, which had been erected by the authority and command of God himself. It is therefore a common thing, and what occurs everywhere in the Prophets, that God would give a king from the seed of David to his people, when it would be his will to favor them with complete happiness. Thus they understand that a king shall pass on before them, which is the office of a leader, to show them the way. And Jehovah shall be at their head; that is, God himself will show himself to be the chief king of his people, and will ever defend by his help and grace those whom he adopts as his people.

But I have already said that I more approve of another. exposition: for I see not how the Prophet could pass so suddenly into a different strain. He had said in the last verse that the people could endure no admonitions, for they only desired flatteries and adulation. He now joins what I have lately referred to respecting the near judgment of God, and proceeds, as we shall see, in the same strain to the end of the third chapter: but we know that the chapters were not divided by the Prophets themselves. We have therefore a discourse continued by the Prophet to the third chapter; not that he spoke all these things in one day; but he wished to collect together what he had said of the vices of the people; and this will be more evident as we proceed. I will now come to the words.

Gathering, I will gather thee, the whole of Jacob; collecting, I will collect the remnant of Israel. God has two modes of gathering; for he sometimes gathers his people from dispersion, which is a singular proof of his favor and love. But he is said also to gather, when he assembles them together to devote and give them up to destruction, as we say in French, Trousser; and this verb is taken elsewhere in the same sense, and we have already met with an instance in Hosea. So, in the present passage, God declares that there would be a gathering of the people, — for what purpose? Not that being united together they might enjoy the blessings of God, but that they might be destroyed. As then the people had united together in all kinds of wickedness, so God now declares, that they should be gathered together, that the one and the same destruction might be to them all. And he adds, the remnant of Israel; as though he said, “Whatever shall remain from slaughters in wars and from all other calamities, such as famine and pestilence, this I will collect, that it may be wholly destroyed.” He mentions the remnant, because the Israelites had been worn out by many evils, before the Lord stretched forth his hand at last to destroy them.

He afterwards subjoins, I will set them together as the sheep of Bozrah; that is, I will cast them into one heap. Bozrah was a city or a country of Idumea; and it was a very fruitful place, and had the richest pastures: hence Isaiah 34, in denouncing vengeance on the Idumeans, alludes at the same time to their pastures, and says, “God will choose for himself fat lambs and whatever is well fed, and will also collect fatness, for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah.” So also, in this place, the Prophet says, that the Jews, when collected together as it were into a bundle, shall be like the sheep of Bozrah. And he further adds, as the sheep in the middle of the sheepfolds, though some render it, leading: דבר, daber, sometimes means to lead; but I see no reason why it should be drawn so far from its meaning in this connection. I take it as signifying a sheepfold, because sheep are there collected together. Some interpreters consider that a siege is referred to here, that is, that God would confine the whole people within cities, that they might not be open to the incursions of enemies; but I extend the meaning much wider, namely, that God would gather the people, in order at last to disperse them. I will then gather them, as I have already said, Je vous trousserai; as the sheep of Bozrah in the middle of the sheep fold; and there shall be a noise on account of their number; that is, “Though ye now glory in your number, this will avail you nothing; for I shall be able to reduce you all to strait, so that you may, as ye deserve, perish together.”

It follows, Ascend shall a breaker before them; that is, they shall be led in confusion; and the gate shall also be broken, that they may go forth together; for the passage would not be large enough, were they, as is usually done, to go forth in regular order; but the gates of cities shall be broken, that they may pass through in great numbers and in confusion. By these words the Prophet intimates, that all would be quickly taken away into exile. And they shall go forth, he says through the gate, and their king shall pass on before if them The Prophet means here, that the king would be made captive; and this was the saddest spectacle: for some hope remained, when the dregs of the people had been led into Chaldea; but when the king himself was led away a captive, and cast into prison, and his eyes pulled out, and his children slain, it was the greatest of misery. They were wont to take pride in their king, for they thought that their kingdom could not but continue perpetually, since God had so promised. But God might for a time overturn that kingdom, that he might afterwards raise it anew, according to what has been done by Christ, and according to what had been also predicted by the Prophets. “Crosswise, crosswise, crosswise, (transversa) let the crown be, until its lawful possessor comes.” We then see that this, which the Prophet mentions respecting their king, has been added for the sake of amplifying.

He afterwards adds, Jehovah shall be at the head of them; that is, He will be nigh them, to oppress and wholly to overwhelm them. Some consider something to be understood, and of this kind, that Jehovah was wont formerly to rule over them, but that now he would cease to do so: but this is too strained; and the meaning which I have stated seems sufficiently clear, and that is, — that God himself would be the doer, when they should be driven into exile, and that he would add courage to tyrants and their attendants, in pursuing the accursed people, in order to urge on more and more and aggravate their calamities and thus to show that their destruction vault happen through his righteous judgment. We now then understand the real meaning of the Prophet. Calvin is not singular in his view of this passage. Scott takes the same view, while Henry regards the passage as containing a promise, and so do Marckius, Newcome, and Henderson. But some have considered the words as those of the false prophets, referred to in the eleventh verse, and that Micah answers them in the next chapter. There is no sufficient ground for this opinion. Of those who regard the passage as including a promise, some apply it to the restoration from the Babylonian captivity, and others to spiritual restoration by the gospel. But the passage, viewed by itself, and in its connection with the next chapter, bears evidently the appearance of a commination: there are especially two words which manifestly favor this view, — תהימנה and הפרף; both are taken generally, if not uniformly, in a bad sense. The first means to tumultuate, to be turbulent and riotous, to be clamorous and noisy; the second signifies to demolish, to break through, to destroy, and in every instance in which it is found as a personal noun, it means a destroyer or a robber. — See Psalm 17:4; Ezekiel 18:10; Daniel 11:14. The first is a verb in the second person plural of the future tense, and in the feminine gender, because of the comparison made in the former lines to sheep and a flock. The verbs in the 12th verse are all in the future tense, and the two first in the 13th are in the past, according to what is common in prophecies, but must be rendered as futures. I propose the following version of the passage, —

12. Gathering, I will gather Jacob, the whole of thee; Assembling, I will assemble the residue of Israel; Together will I set them as the sheep of Bozrah, As a flock in the midst of its fold; — Ye shall be more noisy than men.

13. Ascend shall the breaker in the sight of them, — they shall break through, And pass the gate, yea, they shall go forth through it, And pass shall their king before them, And Jehovah shall be at their head, or, for their leader.

— Ed. Now follows —

Chapter 3

Micah 3:1-3

1. And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

1. Et dixi, Audite quaeso principes Jacob et gubernatores domus Israel; annon vestrum est (vel, ad vos spectat) scire judicium?

2. Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

2. Atqui oderunt bonum et dilligunt malum, rapiunt pellem ab ipsis, et carnem ab ossibus eorum;

3. Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

3. Et tunc vorant carnem populi mei, et pellem ipsorum ab ipsis excoriant; et ossa eorum frangunt, et comminuunt; sicuti ad ollam (vel, ac si destinata essent ollae,) et carnem eorum in medio aheni.

CHAPTER 2

Mi 2:1-13. Denunciation of the Evils Prevalent: The People's Unwillingness to Hear the Truth: Their Expulsion From the Land the Fitting Fruit of Their Sin: Yet Judah and Israel Are Hereafter to Be Restored.

1. devise ... work ... practise--They do evil not merely on a sudden impulse, but with deliberate design. As in the former chapter sins against the first table are reproved, so in this chapter sins against the second table. A gradation: "devise" is the conception of the evil purpose; "work" (Psa 58:2), or "fabricate," the maturing of the scheme; "practise," or "effect," the execution of it.

because it is in the power of their hand--for the phrase see Ge 31:29; Pr 3:27. Might, not right, is what regulates their conduct. Where they can, they commit oppression; where they do not, it is because they cannot.

2. Parallelism, "Take by violence," answers to "take away"; "fields" and "houses," to "house" and "heritage" (that is, one's land).

3. against this family--against the nation, and especially against those reprobated in Mi 2:1, 2.

I devise an evil--a happy antithesis between God's dealings and the Jews' dealings (Mi 2:1). Ye "devise evil" against your fellow countrymen; I devise evil against you. Ye devise it wrongfully, I by righteous retribution in kind.

from which ye shall not remove your necks--as ye have done from the law. The yoke I shall impose shall be one which ye cannot shake off. They who will not bend to God's "easy yoke" (Mt 11:29, 30), shall feel His iron yoke.

go haughtily--(Compare Note, see on Jr 6:28). Ye shall not walk as now with neck haughtily uplifted, for the yoke shall press down your "neck."

this time is evil--rather, "for that time shall be an evil time," namely, the time of the carrying away into captivity (compare Am 5:13; Ep 5:16).

4. one take up a parable against you--that is, Some of your foes shall do so, taking in derision from your own mouth your "lamentation," namely, "We be spoiled," &c.

lament with a doleful lamentation--literally, "lament with a lamentation of lamentations." Hebrew, naha, nehi, nihyah, the repetition representing the continuous and monotonous wail.

he hath changed the portion of my people--a charge of injustice against Jehovah. He transfers to other nations the sacred territory assigned as the rightful portion of our people (Mi 1:15).

turning away he hath divided our fields--Turning away from us to the enemy, He hath divided among them our fields. Calvin, as the Margin, explains, "Instead of restoring our territory, He hath divided our fields among our enemies, each of whom henceforward will have an interest in keeping what he hath gotten: so that we are utterly shut out from hope of restoration." Maurer translates as a noun, "He hath divided our fields to a rebel," that is, to the foe who is a rebel against the true God, and a worshipper of idols. So "backsliding," that is, backslider (Jr 49:4). English Version gives a good sense; and is quite tenable in the Hebrew.

5. Therefore--resumed from Mi 2:3. On account of your crimes described in Mi 2:1, 2.

thou--the ideal individual ("me," Mi 2:4), representing the guilty people in whose name he spoke.

none that ... cast a cord by lot--none who shall have any possession measured out.

in the congregation of the Lord--among the people consecrated to Jehovah. By covetousness and violence (Mi 2:2) they had forfeited "the portion of Jehovah's people." This is God's implied answer to their complaint of injustice (Mi 2:4).

6. Prophesy ye not, say they--namely, the Israelites say to the true prophets, when announcing unwelcome truths. Therefore God judicially abandons them to their own ways: "The prophets, by whose ministry they might have been saved from shame (ignominious captivity), shall not (that is, no longer) prophesy to them" (Is 30:10; Am 2:12; 7:16). Maurer translates the latter clause, "they shall not prophesy of such things" (as in Mi 2:3-5, these being rebellious Israel's words); "let them not prophesy"; "they never cease from insult" (from prophesying insults to us). English Version is supported by the parallelism: wherein the similarity of sound and word implies how exactly God makes their punishment answer to their sin, and takes them at their own word. "Prophesy," literally, "drop" (De 32:2; Eze 21:2).

7. O thou ... named the house of Jacob--priding thyself on the name, though having naught of the spirit, of thy progenitor. Also, bearing the name which ought to remind thee of God's favors granted to thee because of His covenant with Jacob.

is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?--Is His compassion contracted within narrower limits now than formerly, so that He should delight in your destruction (compare Psa 77:7-9; Is 59:1, 2)?

are these his doings?--that is, Are such threatenings His delight? Ye dislike the prophets' threatenings (Mi 2:6): but who is to blame? Not God, for He delights in blessing, rather than threatening; but yourselves (Mi 2:8) who provoke His threatenings [Grotius]. Calvin translates, "Are your doings such as are prescribed by Him?" Ye boast of being God's peculiar people: Do ye then conform your lives to God's law?

do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly--Are not My words good to the upright? If your ways were upright, My words would not be threatening (compare Psa 18:26; Mt 11:19; Joh 7:17).

8. Your ways are not such that I can deal with you as I would with the upright.

Even of late--literally, "yesterday," "long ago." So "of old." Hebrew, "yesterday" (Is 30:33); "heretofore," Hebrew, "since yesterday" (Jos 3:4).

my people is risen up as an enemy--that is, has rebelled against My precepts; also has become an enemy to the unoffending passers-by.

robe with the garment--Not content with the outer "garment," ye greedily rob passers-by of the ornamental "robe" fitting the body closely and flowing down to the feet [Ludovicus De Dieu] (Mt 5:40).

as men averse from war--in antithesis to (My people) "as an enemy." Israel treats the innocent passers-by, though "averse from war," as an enemy" would treat captives in his power, stripping them of their habiliments as lawful spoils. Grotius translates, "as men returning from war," that is, as captives over whom the right of war gives the victors an absolute power. English Version is supported by the antithesis.

9. The women of my people--that is, the widows of the men slain by you (Mi 2:2) ye cast out from their homes which had been their delight, and seize on them for yourselves.

from their children--that is, from the orphans of the widows.

taken away my glory--namely, their substance and raiment, which, being the fruit of God's blessing on the young, reflected God's glory. Thus Israel's crime was not merely robbery, but sacrilege. Their sex did not save the women, nor their age the children from violence.

for ever--There was no repentance. They persevered in sin. The pledged garment was to be restored to the poor before sunset (Ex 22:26, 27); but these never restored their unlawful booty.

10. Arise ye, and depart--not an exhortation to the children of God to depart out of an ungodly world, as it is often applied; though that sentiment is a scriptural one. This world is doubtless not our "rest," being "polluted" with sin: it is our passage, not our portion; our aim, not our home (2Co 6:17; He 13:14). The imperatives express the certainty of the future event predicted. "Since such are your doings (compare Mi 2:7, 8, &c.), My sentence on you is irrevocable (Mi 2:4, 5), however distasteful to you (Mi 2:6); ye who have cast out others from their homes and possessions (Mi 2:2, 8, 9) must arise, depart, and be cast out of your own (Mi 2:4, 5): for this is not your rest" (Nu 10:33; De 12:9; Psa 95:11). Canaan was designed to be a rest to them after their wilderness fatigues. But it is to be so no longer. Thus God refutes the people's self-confidence, as if God were bound to them inseparably. The promise (Psa 132:14) is quite consistent with temporary withdrawal of God from Israel for their sins.

it shall destroy you--The land shall spew you out, because of the defilements wherewith ye "polluted" it (Le 18:25, 28; Jr 3:2; Eze 36:12-14).

11. walking in the spirit--The Hebrew means also "wind." "If a man professing to have the 'spirit' of inspiration (Eze 13:3; so 'man of the spirit,' that is, one claiming inspiration, Ho 9:7), but really walking in 'wind' (prophecy void of nutriment for the soul, and unsubstantial as the wind) and falsehood, do lie, saying (that which ye like to hear), I will prophesy," &c., even such a one, however false his prophecies, since he flatters your wishes, shall be your prophet (compare Mi 2:6; Jr 5:31).

prophesy ... of wine--that is, of an abundant supply of wine.

12. A sudden transition from threats to the promise of a glorious restoration. Compare a similar transition in Ho 1:9, 10. Jehovah, too, prophesies of good things to come, but not like the false prophets, "of wine and strong drink" (Mi 2:11). After I have sent you into captivity as I have just threatened, I will thence assemble you again (compare Mi 4:6, 7).

all of thee--The restoration from Babylon was partial. Therefore that here meant must be still future, when "all Israel shall be saved" (Ro 11:26). The restoration from "Babylon" (specified (Mi 4:10) is the type of the future one.

Jacob ... Israel--the ten tribes' kingdom (Ho 12:2) and Judah (2Ch 19:8; 21:2, 4).

remnant--the elect remnant, which shall survive the previous calamities of Judah, and from which the nation is to spring into new life (Is 6:13; 10:20-22).

as the sheep of Bozrah--a region famed for its rich pastures (compare 2Ki 3:4). Gesenius for Bozrah translates, "sheepfold." But thus there will be tautology unless the next clause be translated, "in the midst of their pasture." English Version is more favored by the Hebrew.

13. The breaker--Jehovah-Messiah, who breaks through every obstacle in the way of their restoration: not as formerly breaking forth to destroy them for transgression (Ex 19:22; Jud 21:15), but breaking a way for them through their enemies.

they--the returning Israelites and Jews.

passed through the gate--that is, through the gate of the foe's city in which they had been captives. So the image of the resurrection (Ho 13:14) represents Israel's restoration.

their king--"the Breaker," peculiarly "their king" (Ho 3:5; Mt 27:37).

pass before them--as He did when they went up out of Egypt (Ex 13:21; De 1:30, 33).

the Lord on the head of them--Jehovah at their head (Is 52:12). Messiah, the second person, is meant (compare Ex 23:20; 33:14; Is 63:9).

Wo to them that devise iniquity - Who lay schemes and plans for transgressions; who make it their study to find out new modes of sinning; and make these things their nocturnal meditations, that, having fixed their plan, they may begin to execute it as soon as it is light in the morning.

Because it is in the power of their hand - They think they may do whatever they have power and opportunity to do.

They covet fields - These are the rich and mighty in the land; and, like Ahab, they will take the vineyard or inheritance of any poor Naboth on which they may fix their covetous eye; so that they take away even the heritage of the poor.

Against this family (the Israelites) do I devise an evil - You have devised the evil of plundering the upright; I will devise the evil to you of punishment for your conduct; you shall have your necks brought under the yoke of servitude. Tiglath-pileser ruined this kingdom, and transported the people to Assyria, under the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah; and Micah lived to see this catastrophe. See on Mic 2:9 (note).

Take up a parable against you - Your wickedness and your punishment shall be subjects of common conversation; and a funeral dirge shall be composed and sung for you as for the dead. The lamentation is that which immediately follows: We be utterly spoiled; and ends, Are these his doings? Mic 2:7.

None that shall cast a cord - You will no more have your inheritance divided to you by lot, as it was to your fathers; ye shall neither have fields nor possessions of any kind.

Prophesy ye not - Do not predict any more evils - we have as many as we can bear. We are utterly ruined - shame and confusion cover our faces. The original is singular, and expressive of sorrow and sobbing. Literally, "Do not cause it to rain; they will cause it to rain; they cannot make it rain sooner than this; confusion shall not depart from us." To rain, often means to preach, to prephesy; Eze 20:46, Eze 21:2; Amo 7:16; Deu 32:2; Job 29:22; Pro 5:3, etc.

The last line Bp. Newcome translates, "For he shall not remove from himself reproaches;" and paraphrases, "The true prophet will subject himself to public disgrace by exercising his office."

Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? - This is the complaint of the Israelites, and a part of the lamentation. Doth it not speak by other persons as well as by Micah? Doth it communicate to us such influences as it did formerly? Is it true that these evils are threatened by that Spirit? Are these his doings? To which Jehovah answers, "Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" No upright man need fear any word spoken by me: my words to such yield instruction and comfort; never dismay. Were ye upright, ye would not complain of the words of my prophets. The last clause may be translated, "Walking with him that is upright." The upright man walks by the word; and the word walks with him who walks by it.

My people is risen up as an enemy - Ye are not only opposed to me, but ye are enemies to each other. Ye rob and spoil each other. Ye plunder the peaceable passenger; depriving him both of his upper and under garment; ye pull off the robe from those who, far from being spoilers themselves, are averse from war.

The women of my people - Ye are the cause of the women and their children being carried into captivity - separated from their pleasant habitations, and from my temple and ordinances - and from the blessings of the covenant, which it is my glory to give, and theirs to receive. These two verses may probably relate to the war made on Ahaz by Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel. They fell suddenly upon the Jews; killed in one day one hundred and twenty thousand, and took two hundred thousand captive; and carried away much spoil. Thus, they rose up against them as enemies, when there was peace between the two kingdoms; spoiled them of their goods, carried away men, women, and children, till, at the remonstrances of the prophet Oded, they were released. See 2Chr 28:6, etc. Micah lived in the days of Ahaz, and might have seen the barbarities which he here describes.

Arise ye, and depart - Prepare for your captivity; ye shall have no resting place here: the very land is polluted by your iniquities, and shall vomit you out, and it shall be destroyed; and the destruction of it shall be great and sore.

Some think this is an exhortation to the godly, to leave a land that was to be destroyed so speedily.

If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood - The meaning is: If a man who professes to be Divinely inspired do lie, by prophesying of plenty, etc., then such a person shall be received as a true prophet by this people. It not unfrequently happens that the Christless worldling, who has got into the priest's office for a maintenance, and who leaves the people undisturbed in their unregenerate state, is better received than the faithful pastor, who proclaims the justice of the Lord, and the necessity of repentance and forsaking sin, in order to their being made partakers of that holiness without which no man shall see God.

I will surely assemble - This is a promise of the restoration of Israel from captivity. He compares them to a flock of sheep rushing together to their fold, the hoofs of which make a wonderful noise or clatter. So when one hundred sheep run, eight hundred toes or divisions of these bifid animals make a clattering noise. This appears to be the image.

The breaker is come up - He who is to give them deliverance, and lead them out on the way of their return. He who takes down the hurdles, or makes a gap in the wall or hedge, to permit them to pass through. This may apply to those human agents that shall permit and order their return. And Jehovah being at their head, may refer to their final restoration, when the Lord Jesus shall become their leader, they having returned unto him as the shepherd and bishop of their souls; and they and the Gentiles forming one fold under one shepherd, to go no more out into captivity for ever. Lord, hasten the time!

That devise - Contrive and frame mischief. Evil work - Contrive how to work it. It is in the power - Because they can; without regarding right or wrong.

And his house - His family, which by this means is left to poverty. And his heritage - And this is done against ancient right and possession, nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage.

Against this family - God will devise evil against their family, as they devised evil against the family of their neighbours. Haughty - You have made others hang the head; so shall you now. Is evil - Full of miseries on the whole family of Jacob.

A parable - A taunting proverb. And lament - Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He - God. Portion - Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief and dishonour. How - How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possession to their enemies? Turning away - Turning away from us in displeasure. God hath divided our fields among others.

Thou shalt have - None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line and given them to possess it. In the congregation - They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them.

They shall not prophesy - So God doth in his displeasure grant their desire. Take shame - That will not take shame to themselves.

That art named - You are in name, not in truth, the seed of Jacob. Straitened - The power, wisdom, and kindness of God is not less now than formerly. Are these - Are these severe proceedings the doings your God delighteth in? Do not my words - My words promise all good, to those that with honest hearts walk in the ways of God.

Is risen up - They have risen up, Israel against Judah, and Judah against Israel, and of late the tribes have conspired against one another; subjects against their kings, and great ones against the meaner sort. With the garment - You strip those that fearing no evil, go about their private affairs.

The women - The widows. Of my people - Of Israelites, not strangers, that were by peculiar provision from God's law, to be tenderly dealt with, Exod 22:22. Cast out - You have turned out of their old habitations. From their children - You have turned their children out of their houses, and estates, which were secured by the law of God from any sale beyond the jubilee; yet you have confiscated them for ever. My glory - Which was the glory of my bounty to them.

Arise ye - Ye inhabitants of Israel, prepare for your departure out of this land. Your rest - Though it was given this people for a rest under God's wing; yet it was on condition of continued obedience. Polluted - With many, and great, and old sins. Destroy - It shall spue you out.

Walking - If a man pretend to have the spirit of prophesy. Saying - You shall have plenty of days, and may eat, drink, and be merry. He shall even be the prophet - Such they like and chuse.

Them - All the remnant. As the sheep - ln great numbers. Their fold - Their own fold, where they are safe. The multitude of men - This was fulfilled in part, when the Jews returned out of Babylon, but more fully when Christ by his gospel gathered together in one, all the children of God that were scattered abroad.

The breaker - To break down all opposition. The gate - The door of escape out of their captivity. No cities so strong, which the Assyrians shall not take and possess, and enter in through the gates. The Lord - Even Jehovah, as he was at the head of Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt.

1 WO to them that devise iniquity , and work evil upon their beds : when the morning is light they practice it because it is in the power of their hand .

The Prophet now denounceth judgment against oppressours in particular, of which sort of men Iudah had too many▪ and Israel had many more at that day▪

Contrive and frame mischiefs to others, how they may be ruined, as appears ver. 2. and all the gain can be made of their fall may be brought into the hand of the contrivers, which was the sin of the great ones in Israel, who for near forty years together were plotting to undo one another.

Here is a dislocation of the words, unless the Prophet would intimate to us, that in Gods account the resolving to do evil is doing it.

When they should rest from making trouble to others, as well as they rest from their labour and troubles of the day, when they should praise God for their own ease, safety and rest, then their inhumanity and cruelty is forecasting how to grieve, vex and swallow up others.

So soon as they rise, and that is early when such practices are in design, these cannot sleep till they make them fall on whom they fix their designes,

Finish or execute their mischievous purposes.

And care not whether there be either Justice or Reason for what they do, if they have power enough to do they will take confidence to do it, and never blush.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 7.6.; [illegible: 1 word] 36.4.

2 And they covet fields , and take them by violence ; and houses , and take them away : so they oppress a man and his house , even a man and his heritage .

Who devised mischief, verse 1.

First set their minds upon their meaner Neighbours Estate, think how convenient it lieth to theirs, as Ahab thought Naboths did for him.

By power wrest the Estates out of their hands, at their own rate; or if they will not so part with them, these mischievous oppressours will act a Iezabel's part with Naboth, which was no hard matter to do in Israel, during the times that ran parallel with Iotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah's times.

In which their poorer and innocenter Neighbours dwelt, but perhaps these houses spoil'd a prospect, or straitned the great one, who right or wrong will have them, that they may enlarge their own Houses, Orchards or Gardens.

They tear, devour and swallow up the poor man.

His Family, which by this means is left to poverty and beggery.

This explains the former, and addeth somewhat to the greatness of their sin, that this is done against antient right and possession which the oppressed plead, nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage, Lev. 25.23. Numb. 36.7. and 1 King. 21.3.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 5.8.; [illegible: 1 span]

3 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold against this family do I devise an evil , from which ye shall not remove your necks , neither shall ye go haughtily , for this time is evil .

For this great, inhumane, cruel oppression.

The Lord by his Pro[illegible: 1 letter]het declareth what he will do, and adviseth them to consider it, for 'tis a most manifest retaliation or punishing the offenders, so that every one may see God deals with them, as they dealt with their oppressed Neighbours.

They devised, now God will devise, theirs was evil against others, God will devise evil against them, theirs was evil of sin, Gods is an evil of just punishment, against their Family, as they devised evil against the Family of their poor Neighbours. God will bring the Assyrian power upon them.

They laid snares where open force would not suffice, so that the poor could not get out of their hands, but were empoverisht and enslaved, so God will deal with them by the Assyrian, from whose power they shall not escape.

You have made others hang the head, so shall you now.

You great ones have made it an evil time, evil for sin against me, and the innocent, and for cryes and griefs to the poor, I will make it an evil time, full of penal calamities and miseries on the whole Family or Posterity of Iacob.

4 ¶ In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation and say, we be utterly spoiled ; he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me ? turning away he hath divided our fields.

When God shall retaliate, as verse 3. when he shall by the Assyrian Captivity fulfil what here is threatned by the Prophet.

There shall be taken up, or be in common ordinary use among those that know what is befallen you.

Or taunting, scorning Proverb, this tells them how their Ass[illegible: 2 letters]ian Conquerours should reflect reproach and shame upon captive Israel, much like that Psal. 137.3. which the Babylonians used toward captive Judah.

Your Friends for you, and you for your selves, shall mourn most bitterly, as the import of the Hebraism is, Lament with a Lamentation of Lamentations. So though all are not alike affected, yet every one shall carry it towards miserable Israel, according as they are affected▪ condoling their sad state, or insulting over them.

This is the sum of their mournful lamentation over their own state, our Land wasted, our Friends slain, our Cities taken▪ plunder'd and sackt, our houses and goods either taken away from us, or burnt, and our persons no more our own, but Captives, under the power and will of our enemy, thus spoiled, nothing is any longer ours.

The Assyrian say some▪ God say others; indeed God did it by the Assyrians.

The Estate, Wealth, Plenty, Freedom, Safety, Joy and Honour, into Poverty, Famine, Servitude, Danger, Grief and Dishonour. The Land of Canaan was the inheritance, and all the conveniencies it afforded were part of the portion of Israel, but O doleful change! These all taken away from Israel, and given to others.

It is either the Prophet, who calls them his people, or rather, every one of Israel that useth this lamentation, who saith my people.

How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel? removing their persons into Captivity, and transferring thei[illegible: 1 letter] right and possession to enemies?

Either thus turning away from us in displeasure, God hath divided our fields among others, given them to the enemy, and he hath divided them to whom he pleaseth, to his own people and souldiers; Or else this word turning away, may be rendred returning, and be spoken of the enemy, when he returned he did divide our fields▪ or as the Margent of our Bibles, instead of restoring our fields, which we hoped, and our mistaken leaders promised, God hath given the enemy success and power to divide our fields, and to allot them to others.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] Lamen [illegible: 3 letters] [illegible: 1 span] 1.15.; [illegible: 1 word] 1.15.; Or, instead of restoring.

5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD ,

Because your sins so great, universal and incorrigible, have provoked God to frame and design this desolation against you, and because he will punish you according to your wayes.

Either oppressour, spoken thus as to one, that it might comprehend every one of them, who are described verse 2. or else, this Thou is the whole Family, spoken of vers▪ 3. perhaps both these may best be meant here.

None that shall ever return to this land, to claim an inheritance there, or to see it allotted by line, and given to them to possess it; the Prophet here alludes to the manner of dividing fields, and inheritance of old in use among them, as in Io[illegible: 1 letter]hua's time; so both the whole Family in general, and the great ones, oppressours and extortioners, are more particularly menaced with an utter and perpetuated exclusion out of the Land in which they sinned, and whence they are carried Captives; whoever do, neither they, nor their posterity, shall possess inheritances in it.

They should no more be the Congregation of the Lord, nor should their children be so, or stand in the Congregation of the Lord at any time hereafter, to claim their portion among Gods people. Thus they are rejected and disinherited, and this to this day is verified on the main body of this people.

Marginal references: Deut. 32.8, 9.

6 Prophesie ye not , say they, to them that prophesie : they o shall not prophesie to them that they shall not take shame .

It is manifest that our version here intends this as an interdict, or prohibition laid upon the true Prophets whose nearers were so far from amending and turning unto God in complyance with his Counsel, and obedience to his Commands given out by his Prophets, that Rulers and People agree to silence the Prophets, and expresly forbid them to distil or drop their severe predictions against the Kingdom.

Faithfully as Isaiah, Hosea, Ioel, and Micah now did. Or my true Prophets saith God,

shall cease from farther troubling, and terrifying these people, who fear not my judgments, and will not by repentance prevent their miserable Captivity, and shame. So God doth in his displeasure grant their desire, and gratifie the interdict in judgment against them.

That they may as they seem resolved to put off all blushing and shame, go on without checks or rebuke, till they be utterly ruin'd; they are impatient of that shame they should take to themselves for their sins, and therefore would not hear the truth, so it shall be, and they shall not be shamed to repentance, but they shall be shamed in their ruine; this seems the meaning of the words in our version, and I will not add any other, though there are several versions which somewhat vary from ours.

Marginal references: Or, Prophesie not as they Prophesie.; Heb. drop. &c.; Isa. 30.1[illegible: 1 letter]. Amos 7.16▪

7 ¶ O thou that art named the house of Jacob : is the spirit of the LORD straitned u? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly ?

You are in name, not in truth, you call your selves, and wou[illegible: 1 letter]d be called by others the seed and posterity of Iacob.

You glory in Iacob, whom God blessed, guided, and preserved, and you think he should so bless you, but you nothing think how Iacob teared, obeyed, and worshipped God, you are not honest, plain hearted, and upright with God as he.

The Power, Goodness, Wisdom, and Kindness of God is not less now then formerly, he is as merciful to design good, as gracious to promise, as great and good to perform his word, but the reason he doth not promise Good to you, but threatens punishment upon you by his Prophets is all from your selves, 'tis for your sins, you do the things that must be discountenanced, and if you would hear better things by the Prophets, you must do better, you must do what God requires by them.

Are these severer proceedings against you, the doings your God delighteth in? Doth he choose to take this way? Doth not mercy better please him? He would be more pleased to speak comfortably to you, do you as Iacob did, and God will deal with you as he did with him.

My words promise all Good, and my Prophets declare Good to those that are indeed the house of Iacob. All the wayes of God are in an even tenor, mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant, and Testimonies to do them, as Psal. 25.10.

That with honest hearts walk in the wayes of God, but froward sinners, and dissembling Hypocrites cannot with reason expect the same usage from God, who will give peace, and shew mercy to Israel, whilest the workers of iniquity are led out to punishment, this whole verse is excellently cleared by the Prophet Isaiah. 59.1, 2, 3, &c.

Marginal references: Or, shortned.; Heb. upright.

8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe, with the garment from them that pass by securely , as men averse from war .

from a long time since they have revolted from me, and of later dayes they have renewed with addition of new violence to their old.

All of them have risen up, and acted hostilities among themselves: Israel against Iudah, and Iudah against Israel, and of late the Ten Tribes have conspired against one another, Subjects against their Kings, and great ones against the meaner sort, all places are full of the sins and woful effects of Civil Seditions, and the Treasonable practices of violent men.

You strip those to their skin, take away their clothes, and leave them naked:

That in peace and fearing no evil, go about their private affairs,

disliking such rebellious, bloody, and oppressive courses and wishing every one might enjoy his right without plunderings, sequestrations, confiscations, and decimations for not being of their party. All which we may easily believe attended the Factious and Rebellious times which succeeded after Ieroboam's Death, briefly mentioned 2 Kings 15.8, &c. which read with this verse, and diligently consider how it paints out those times of Israels sinning.

This verse to me seems to be designed as a proof of the perverseness and iniquity of this people, and consequently a justifying of God, and his Prophet threatning severity against them, they flattered themselves, and were angry with the Prophet, but God doth in these words convince them, that they could not with reason expect better tydings. For

Marginal references: Heb. yesterday ▪; Heb. over against a garment

9 The women of my people have ye cast out of their pleasant houses , from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever .

The poor disconsolate Widows, whose Husbands you had first slain with their sword of War, or unjustly condemned to Death, or else the Wives of Husbands whom you had oppressed, and by preverted judgment had condemned to forfeit their Estates.

This aggravates the sin that this was done against Israelitish women not strangers, against those that were by peculiar provision of God's law to be tenderly and mercifully dealt with, Exod. 22.22.

Disseise, and turn out, as if unworthy to dwell longer in their old habitations, which they pretend forfeited as Paradise by Adam, who was therefore in this very word cast out, Gen. 3.24. or as Hagar out of Abraham's Family, Gen. 21.15.

Either pleasant for scituation, such fears were to these as dangerous as Naboth's Vineyard was to him, or else pleasant to them, because they were their own, where they enjoyed their Husbands and Children, and wisht no more preferment, content with their beloved habitation, and domestick conveniencies.

You have by your violence, and oppression ruined their Posterity, turn'd their Children out of Houses, and Estates, which were secured by the Law of God from any legal alienation, and sale beyond the Jubilee, you have confiscated them for ever.

Which was the Glory of my bounty to them, in use of which they did give glory to me, and by continuance of which they might have lived above contempt,

either continually you have done this, or what you have done, you intend to stand for ever.

Marginal references: Or, wives.

10 Arise ye and depart , for this is not your rest : because it is polluted , it shall destroy you, even with a [illegible: 1 letter]ore destruction .

You Inhabitants of Israel, especially you oppressours, bestir your selves, and prepare for your departure out of this Land; for, will ye, nill ye, so 'tis, you shall be carryed away, the words also may fairly be applyed to the oppressed, to lessen the troubles they were under, and to advise them to retire out of this Land.

Though 'twas given this people for a rest under God's wing; yet 'twas on condition of continued Obedience, but since they do not observe the condition, they shall never find the expected rest; one trouble shall succeed another, until the Captivity, sweep them all away, both oppressours and oppressed, these therefore should grieve the less at their present trouble, nor grudge to transplant themselves;

with many, and great, and old sins,

Spue them out as a burthen intolerable to the earth that bears them, as Lev. 18.25. this polluted Land shall be destroyed;

Such as may will require a lamentation, such as ver. 4. a grievous desolation, such as never shall be repaired.

11 If a man walking in the spirit and falshood , do [illegible: 1 letter]ie , saying, I will prophesie unto thee of wine, and of strong drink , he shall even be the Prophet of this people .

This people were weary of true Prophets, and silenced them ver. 6. but they were fondly taken with the false Prophets, and what these promised them, and these, as here described, are by a dreadful judgment on this people permitted, or left to deceive them: Prophets that pretend to walk in the Spirit, i. e. to have the Spirit of prophesie,

And on that pretence takes the boldness to promise pleasing things in God's Name, whereas he never received such promises of Good from God.

Against God, and to the people.

Micah, and his male-contented Brethren foretel scarcity, war, dismal calamities, and an Assyrian Captivity of all for ever; I tell you these are idle dreams, you shall have plenty, and good dayes, and may eat, drink, and be merry, such times of evil you shall never see.

By a just and dreadful judgment from God, as well as by an unhappy and fatal choice of the people. 1 Kings 22.6, 10, 11, 12. with ver. 34. Ezek. 13.3, 10.

Doomed to unparallel'd misery by God for their sins, and pulling it upon themselves by their obstinate impenitence, and blindness.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 span]

12 ¶ I will surely assemble , O Jacob , all of thee : I will surely gather the remnant of Israel ; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah , as the flock in the midst of their fold : they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men .

i. e. God offended with them.

By his providence will cause to come together.

He calls to the house of Israel to consider it.

Who were flying, shall upon hope of what their false Prophets promise to return to their own Land and Cities,

The same thing in little different words repeated to assure us the truth of the thing.

All that remain of the Ten Tribes, (for some were before carryed away by Tiglath-Pi[illegible: 1 letter]eser) shall most assuredly be gathered together, that they may all be in one Covey covered with the Assyrian net.

In multitudes like those flocks,

whence none of the sheep can get and make their escape, so should this people be enclosed and taken.

Of cryes and lamentation for their distresses, and lost condition.

Such great multitudes coopt up, shall hideously lament their own condition like multitudes that suffer shipwrack together; all this God will bring upon them by the multitude of the Assyrian Souldiers which come up against them.

There are three different interpretations of this verse, of which 'tis hard to say, which is most agreeable to the intent o[illegible: 1 letter] this Scripture, I will propose all three, and, leave each reader to choose for himself. First, Some will that these words be a continuation of the false Prophets preaching prosperity and good dayes. So the words are a promise made to them contradictory to the Menaces of the Lord by Micah, he foretold all would end in destruction; the false Prophet foretels the assembling of all the seed of Iacob into their Land and Cities, and bringing back the remnant of the Captive Israelites, carryed away by Tiglath-Pileser, and their safety in their own fold as the flock of Bozrah, and should make great noise of joy and rejoycing in their multitudes. All which spoken by the false Prophet Micah refutes in the 12th verse. Secondly▪ Others make it an Evangelical promise of the restitution of Israel by the Messiah, and many Jews agree with Christian Expositors herein, though the Jews refer it to a temporal restitution, not yet fulfilled: the Christians refer it to a spiritual partly fulfilled, yet more fully to be accomplisht hereafter, and suitably to this hypothesis they interpret all the passages of this Text, and the 13th verse, both which will very fairly bear the sense by these put upon them, and may be the mystical sense of the words, but we who inquire into the literal meaning, think it adviseable not to swell the Volum by long digressions. A third opinion ought to be considered e're we can choose which we shall adhere to: now the third opinion in expounding the Text, makes it a commination or dreadful threat against this people, and thus suits it.

13 The breaker is come up before them : they have broken up , and have passed thorow the gate , and are gone out by it , and their king shall pass before them , and the LORD on the head of them .

The Assyrian with his mighty host, i. e. Salmaneser and his Army.

The Present (put after the stile of the Prophets) for the Future, because the thing was near, and very certain.

The people of Israel might see them, would they open their eyes, the preparations for this expedition are visible to all that will observe what is doing abroad. The mighty Army of the Assyrian King shall e're long approach the confines, enter the Land, invest the Cities, yea, the Metropolis of Israel.

No Frontiers shall be strong enough to keep them out of the Land.

No Cities so strong with Walls and Gates, which the Assyrian shall not take and possess, and enter in through the Gates, as of his own Cities.

And securely go out too.

Salmaneser.

In triumphant manner.

His own Army, and the Captive Iacob,

offended with the Jews.

Leading, and succeeding the Assyrians in this War.

In the opinion of those, who account the 12th ve[illegible: 1 letter]se to be part of the flattering discourse of false Prophets: This verse is the Prophet Micah's reply to those false Teachers; so far is it from truth, that God will restore the remnant, and establish them, that he assures them the contrary will surely and suddenly befall them; and these do in some manner expound the words as they of the third opinion, mentioned ver. 12. thus.

Mic 2:1-2

The violent acts of the great men would be punished by God with the withdrawal of the inheritance of His people, or the loss of Canaan. Mic 2:1. “Woe to those who devise mischief, and prepare evil upon their beds! In the light of the morning they carry it out, for their hand is their God. Mic 2:2. They covet fields and plunder; them, and houses and take them; and oppress the man and his house, the man and his inheritance.” The woe applies to the great and mighty of the nation, who by acts of injustice deprive the common people of the inheritance conferred upon them by the Lord (cf. Isa 5:8). The prophet describes them as those who devise plans by night upon their beds for robbing the poor, and carry them out as soon as the day dawns. חשׁב און denotes the sketching out of plans (see Psa 36:5); and פּעל רע, to work evil, the preparation of the ways and means for carrying out their wicked plans. פּעל, the preparation, is distinguished from עשׁה, the execution, as in Isa 41:4, for which יצר and עשׂה are also used (e.g., Isa 43:7). “Upon their beds,” i.e., by night, the time of quiet reflection (Psa 4:5; cf. Job 4:13). “By the light of the morning,” i.e., at daybreak, without delay. כּי ישׁ וגו, lit., “for their hand is for a god,” i.e., their power passes as a god to them; they know of no higher power than their own arm; whatever they wish it is in their power to do (cf. Gen 31:29; Pro 3:27; Hab 1:11; Job 12:6). Ewald and Rückert weaken the thought by adopting the rendering, “because it stands free in their hand;” and Hitzig’s rendering, “if it stands in their hand,” is decidedly false. Kı̄ cannot be a conditional particle here, because the thought would thereby be weakened in a manner quite irreconcilable with the context. In Mic 2:2 the evil which they plan by night, and carry out by day, is still more precisely defined. By force and injustice they seize upon the property (fields, houses) of the poor, the possessions which the Lord has given to His people for their inheritance. Châmad points to the command against coveting (Exo 20:14-17; cf. Deu 5:18). The second half of the verse (Mic 2:2) contains a conclusion drawn from the first: “and so they practise violence upon the man and his property.” Bēth answers to bottı̄m, and nachălâh to the Sâdōth, as their hereditary portion in the land - the portion of land which each family received when Canaan was divided.

Mic 2:3-4 “Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I devise evil concerning this family, from which ye shall not withdraw your necks, and not walk loftily, for it is an evil time. Mic 2:4. In that day will men raise against you a proverb, and lament a lamentation. It has come to pass, they say; we are waste, laid waste; the inheritance of my people he exchanges: how does he withdraw it from me! To the rebellious one he divides our field.” The punishment introduced with lâkhēn (therefore) will correspond to the sin. Because they reflect upon evil, to deprive their fellow-men of their possessions, Jehovah will bring evil upon this generation, lay a heavy yoke upon their neck, out of which they will not be able to necks, and under which they will not be able to walk loftily, or with extended neck. המּשׁפּחה הזּאת is not this godless family, but the whole of the existing nation, whose corrupt members are to be exterminated by the judgment (see Isa 29:20.). The yoke which the Lord will bring upon them is subjugation to the hostile conqueror of the land and the oppression of exile (see Jer 27:12). Hâlakh rōmâh, to walk on high, i.e., with the head lifted up, which is a sign of pride and haughtiness. Rōmâh is different from קוממיּוּת, an upright attitude, in Lev 27:13. כּי עת רעה, as in Amo 5:13, but in a different sense, is not used of moral depravity, but of the distress which will come upon Israel through the laying on of the yoke. Then will the opponents raise derisive songs concerning Israel, and Israel itself will bewail its misery. The verbs yissâ', nâhâh, and 'âmar are used impersonally. Mâshâl is not synonymous with nehı̄, a mournful song (Ros.), but signifies a figurative saying, a proverb-song, as in Isa 14:4; Hab 2:6. The subject to ישּׂא is the opponents of Israel, hence עליכם; on the other hand, the subject to nâhâh and 'âmar is the Israelites themselves, as נשׁדּנוּ teaches. נהיה is not a feminine formation from נהי, a mournful song, lamentum lamenti, i.e., a mournfully mournful song, as Rosenmüller, Umbreit, and the earlier commentators suppose; but the niphal of היה (cf. Dan 8:27): actum est! it is all over! - an exclamation of despair (Le de Dieu, Ewald, etc.); and it is written after 'âmar, because נהיה as an exclamation is equivalent in meaning to an object. The omission of the copula Vav precludes our taking 'âmar in connection with what follows (Maurer). The following clauses are a still further explanation of נהיה: we are quite laid waste. The form נשׁדּנוּ for נשׁדּונוּ is probably chosen simply to imitate the tone of lamentation better (Hitzig). The inheritance of my people, i.e., the land of Canaan, He (Jehovah) changes, i.e., causes it to pass over to another possessor, namely, to the heathen. The words receive their explanation from the clauses which follow: How does He cause (sc., the inheritance) to depart from me! Not how does He cause me to depart. לשׁובב is not an infinitive, ad reddendum, or restituendum, which is altogether unsuitable, but nomen verbale, the fallen or rebellious one, like שׁובבה in Jer 31:22; Jer 49:4. This is the term applied by mourning Israel to the heathenish foe, to whom Jehovah apportions the fields of His people. The withdrawal of the land is the just punishment for the way in which the wicked great men have robbed the people of their inheritance.

Mic 2:5 “Therefore wilt thou have none to cast a measure for the lot in the congregation of Jehovah.” With lâkhēn (therefore) the threat, commenced with lâkhēn in Mic 2:3, is resumed and applied to individual sinners. The whole nation is not addressed in לך, still less the prophet, as Hitzig supposes, but every individual among the tyrannical great men (Mic 2:1, Mic 2:2). The singular is used instead of the plural, to make the address more impressive, that no one may imagine that he is excepted from the threatened judgment. For a similar transition from the plural to the singular, see Mic 3:10. The expression, to cast the measure begōrâl, i.e., in the nature of a lot (equivalent to for a lot, or as a lot), may be explained on the ground that the land was divided to the Israelites by lot, and then the portion that fell to each tribe was divided among the different families by measure. The words are not to be taken, however, as referring purely to the future, as Caspari supposes, i.e., to the time when the promised land would be divided afresh among the people on their return. For even if the prophet does proclaim in Mic 2:12, Mic 2:13 the reassembling of Israel and its restoration to its hereditary land, this thought cannot be arbitrarily taken for granted here. We therefore regard the words as containing a general threat, that the ungodly will henceforth receive no further part in the inheritance of the Lord, but that they are to be separated from the congregation of Jehovah.

Mic 2:6-7

As such a prophecy as this met with violent contradiction, not only from the corrupt great men, but also from the false prophets who flattered the people, Micah indicates it by showing that the people are abusing the long-suffering and mercy of the Lord; and that, by robbing the peaceable poor, the widows, and the orphans, they are bringing about the punishment of banishment out of the land. Mic 2:6. “Drip not (prophesy not), they drip: if they drip not this, the shame will not depart. Mic 2:7. Thou, called house of Jacob, is the patience of Jehovah short, then? or is this His doing? Are not my words good to him that walketh uprightly?” הטּיף, to drip, to cause words to flow, used of prophesying, as in Amo 7:16. The speakers in Mic 2:6 are not the Jews generally, or the rich oppressors who have just been punished and threatened. The word yattı̄phū does not agree with this, since it does not mean to chatter, but to prophesy, as Mic 2:11 and also the primary passage Deu 32:2 show. But Micah could not call the rich men’s speaking prophesying. It is rather false prophets who are speaking, - namely, those who in the word 'al-tattı̄phū (prophesy not) would prohibit the true prophets from predicting the judgments of the Lord. The second hemistich is rendered by most of the modern commentators, “they are not to chatter (preach) of such things; the reproaches cease not,” or “there is no end to reproaching” (Ewald, Hitzig, Maurer, and Caspari). But this is open to the following objections: (1) That הטּיף ל in Mic 2:11 means to prophesy to a person (not concerning or of anything); (2) that sūg or nâsag means to depart, not to cease; (3) that even the thought, “the reproaches to not cease,” is apparently unsuitable, since Micah could not well call a prohibition against prophesying an incessant reproach; and to this we may add, (4) the grammatical harshness of taking לא יטּיפוּ as an imperative, and the following לא יסּג as an indicative (a simple declaration). Still less can the rendering, “they (the true prophets) will not chatter about this, yet the reproach will not depart” (Ros., Rückert), be vindicated, as such an antithesis as this would necessarily be indicated by a particle. The only course that remains, therefore, is that adopted by C. B. Michaelis and Hengstenberg, viz., to take the words as conditional: if they (the true prophets) do not prophesy to these (the unrighteous rich in Mic 2:1, Mic 2:2 : Hengstenberg), or on account of these things (Michaelis), the shame will not depart, i.e., shameful destruction will burst incessantly upon them. On the absence of the conditional אם, see Ewald, p. 357, b. Such addresses as these do not please the corrupt great men; but they imagine that such threats are irreconcilable with the goodness of Jehovah. This is the connection of Mic 2:7, in which the prophet meets the reproach cast upon his threatening words with the remark, that God is not wrathful, and has no love for punishing, but that He is stirred up to wrath by the sins of the nation, and obliged to punish. האמוּר is not an exclamation, “O, what is said! = O for such talk as this!” (Ewald, Umbreit, Caspari); for it cannot be shown that the participle is ever used in this way, and it cannot be supported from הפכּכם in Isa 29:16, especially as here a second vocative would follow. Nor is it a question: Num dicendum? Dare one say this?” (Hitzig). For although he might be an interrogative particle (cf. Eze 28:9), the passive participle cannot express the idea of daring, in support of which Hitzig is quite wrong in appealing to Lev 11:47 and Psalm 22:32. האמוּר is not doubt a vocative, but it is to be taken in connection with bēth-Ya‛aqōb: thou who art called house of Jacob. There is very little force in the objection, that this would have required האמוּר לך ב י, since אמר, when used in the sense of being called or being named, is always construed with ל of the person bearing the name. The part. paül of 'âmar only occurs here; and although the niphal, when used in this sense, is generally construed with ל, the same rule may apply to אמר as to קרא in the sense of naming, - namely, that in the passive construction the ל may either be inserted or omitted (cf. Isa 56:7; Isa 54:5; Deu 3:13), and האמוּר may just as well be used in the sense of dicta (domus) as הנּקראים in Isa 48:1 in the sense of vocati = qui appellantur. The whole nation is addressed, although the address points especially to the unrighteous great men. Is Jehovah indeed wrathful? i.e., has He not patience, does He not exercise long-suffering? Qātsar rūăch must not be explained according to Exo 6:9, but according to Pro 14:27. Or are these ('ēlleh, the punishments threatened) His deeds? i.e., is He accustomed, or does He only like to punish? The answer to these questions, or speaking more correctly, their refutation, follows in the next question, which is introduced with the assuring הלוא, and in which Jehovah speaks: My words deal kindly with him that walks uprightly. The Lord not only makes promises to the upright, but He also grants His blessing. The words of the Lord contain their fulfilment within themselves. In היּשׁר הולך, it is for the sake of emphasis that yâshâr stands first, and the article properly belongs to hōlēkh; but it is placed before yâshâr to bind together the two words into one idea. The reason why the Lord threatens by His prophets is therefore to be found in the unrighteousness of the people.

Mic 2:8-9 “But yesterday my people rises up as en enemy: off from the garment ye draw the cloak from those who pass by carelessly, averted from war. Mic 2:9. The women of my people ye drive away out of the house of their delights; from their children ye take my ornament for ever.” 'Ethmūl, yesterday, lately, not = long ago, but, as yeqōmēm shows, denoting an action that is repeated, equivalent to “again, recently.” קומם is not used here in a causative sense, “to set up,” but as an intensified kal, to take a standing = to stand up or rise up. The causative view, They set up my people as an enemy (Ewald), yields no fitting sense; and if the meaning were, “My people causes me to rise up as its enemy” (Caspari), the suffixes could not be omitted. If this were the thought, it would be expressed as clearly as in Isa 63:10. There is no valid ground for altering the text, as Hitzig proposes. It is not stated against whom the people rise up as an enemy, but according to the context it can only be against Jehovah. This is done by robbing the peaceable travellers, as well as the widows and orphans, whereby they act with hostility towards Jehovah and excite His wrath (Exo 22:21.; Deu 27:19). ממּוּל שׂלמה, from before, i.e., right away from, the garment. Salmâh is the upper garment; אדר = אדּרת the broad dress-cloak. They take this away from those who pass carelessly by. שׁוּבי is an intransitive participle: averted from the war, averse to conflict, i.e., peaceably disposed (see Psa 120:7). We have not only to think of open highway robbery, but also of their taking away the cloak in the public street from their own poor debtors, when they are walking peaceably along, suspecting nothing, for the purpose of repaying themselves. The “wives of my people” are widows, whom they deprive of house and home, and indeed widows of the people of Jehovah, in whose person Jehovah is injured. These children are fatherless orphans (עלליה with a singular suffix: the children of the widow). Hădârı̄, my ornament, i.e., the ornament which I have given them. The reference, as מעל shows, is to the garment or upper coat. The expression “for ever” may be explained from the evident allusion to the Mosaic law in Exo 22:25, according to which the coat taken from the poor as a pledge was to be returned before sunset, whereas ungodly creditors retained it for ever.

Mic 2:10-11

Such conduct as this must be followed by banishment from the land. Mic 2:10. “Rise up, and go; for this is not the place of rest: because of the defilement which brings destruction, and mighty destruction. Mic 2:11. If there were a man, walking after wind, who would lie deceit, 'I will prophesy to thee of wine and strong drink,' he would be a prophet of this people.” The prophet having overthrown in Mic 2:7-9 the objection to his threatening prophecies, by pointing to the sins of the people, now repeats the announcement of punishment, and that in the form of a summons to go out of the land into captivity, because the land cannot bear the defilement consequent upon such abominations. The passage is based upon the idea contained in Lev 18:25, Lev 18:28, that the land is defiled by the sins of its inhabitants, and will vomit them out because of this defilement, in connection with such passages as Deu 12:9-10, where coming to Canaan is described as coming to rest. זאת (this) refers to the land. This (the land in which ye dwell) is not the place of rest (hammenūchâh, as in Zec 9:1 and Psa 132:14). If “this” were to be taken as referring to their sinful conduct, in the sense of “this does not bring or cause rest,” it would be difficult to connect it with what follows, viz., “because of the defilement;” whereas no difficulty arises if we take “this” as referring to the land, which the expression “rise up and go” naturally suggests. טמאה = טמאה, defilement; תּחבּל is to be taken in a relative sense, “which brings destruction,” and is strengthened by לחבל, with an explanatory ו: and indeed terrible destruction. חבל, perditio; and נמרץ as in 1Ki 2:8. The destruction consists in the fact that the land vomits out its inhabitants (Lev 18:25). Such prophecies are very unwelcome to the corrupt great men, because they do not want to hear the truth, but simply what flatters their wicked heart. They would like to have only prophets who prophesy lies to them. הולך רוּח, walking after the wind; the construction is the same as הולך צדקות in Isa 33:15, and rūăch is a figure signifying what is vain or worthless, as in Isa 26:18; Isa 41:29, etc. The words אטּיף לך וגו are the words of a false prophet: I prophesy to thee with regard to wine. The meaning is not “that there will be an abundant supply of wine,” or “that the wine will turn out well” (Rosenmüller and others); but wine and strong drink (for shēkhâr, see Delitzsch on Isa 5:11) are figures used to denote earthly blessings and sensual enjoyments, and the words refer to such promises as Lev 26:4-5, Lev 26:10, Deu 28:4, Deu 28:11, Joe 2:24; Joe 3:18., which false prophets held out to the people without any regard to their attitude towards God. “This people,” because the great men represent the nation. With this explanation pointing back to Mic 2:6, the threatening is brought to a close.

Mic 2:12-13

In Mic 2:12, Mic 2:13 there follows, altogether without introduction, the promise of the future reassembling of the people from their dispersion. Mic 2:12. “I will assemble, assemble thee all together, O Jacob; gather together, gather together the remnant of Israel; I will bring him together like the sheep of Bozrah, like a flock in the midst of their pasture: they will be noisy with men. Mic 2:13. The breaker through comes up before them; they break through, and pass along through the gate, and go out by it; and their King goes before them, and Jehovah at their head.” Micah is indeed not a prophet, prophesying lies of wine and strong drink; nevertheless he also has salvation to proclaim, only not for the morally corrupt people of his own time. They will be banished out of the land; but the captivity and dispersion are not at an end. For the remnant of Israel, for the nation when sifted and refined by the judgments, the time will come when the Lord will assemble them again, miraculously multiply them, and redeem them as their King, and lead them home. The sudden and abrupt transition from threatening to promise, just as in Hos 2:2; Hos 6:1; Hos 11:9, has given rise to this mistaken supposition, that Mic 2:12, Mic 2:13 contain a prophecy uttered by the lying prophets mentioned in Mic 2:10 (Abenezra, Mich., Ewald, etc.). But this supposition founders not only on the שׁארית ישׂראל, inasmuch as the gathering together of the remnant of Israel presupposes the carrying away into exile, but also on the entire contents of these verses. Micah could not possibly introduce a false prophet as speaking in the name of Jehovah, and saying, “I will gather;” such a man would at the most have said, “Jehovah will gather.” Nor could he have put a true prophecy like that contained in Mic 2:12, Mic 2:13 into the mouth of such a man. For this reason, not only Hengstenberg, Caspari, and Umbreit, but even Maurer and Hitzig, have rejected this assumption; and the latter observes, among other things, quite correctly, that “the idea expressed here is one common to the true prophets (see Hos 2:2), which Micah himself also utters in Mic 4:6.” The emphasis lies upon the assembling, and hence אאסף and אקבּץ are strengthened by infinitive absolutes. But the assembling together presuppose a dispersion among the heathen, such as Micha has threatened in Mic 1:11, Mic 1:16; Mic 2:4. And the Lord will gather together all Jacob, not merely a portion, and yet only the remnant of Israel. This involves the thought, that the whole nation of the twelve tribes, or of the two kingdoms, will be reduced to a remnant by the judgment. Jacob and Israel are identical epithets applied to the whole nation, as in Mic 1:5, and the two clauses of the verse are synonymous, so that יעקב כּלּך coincides in actual fact with שׁאתית ישׂראל. The further description rests upon the fact of the leading of Israel out of Egypt, which is to be renewed in all that is essential at a future time. The following clauses also predict the miraculous multiplication of the remnant of Israel (see Hos 2:1-2; Jer 31:10), as experienced by the people in the olden time under the oppression of Egypt (Exo 1:12). The comparison to the flock of Bozrah presupposes that Bozrah’s wealth in flocks was well known. Now, as the wealth of the Moabites in flocks of sheep is very evident from 2Ki 3:4, many have understood by בּצרה not the Edomitish Bozrah, but the Moabitish Bostra (e.g., Hengstenberg). Others, again, take botsrâh as an appellative noun in the sense of hurdle or fold (see Hitzig, Caspari, and Dietrich in Ges. Lex. after the Chaldee). But there is not sufficient ground for either. The Bostra situated in the Hauran does not occur at all in the Old Testament, not even in Jer 48:24, and the appellative meaning of the word is simply postulated for this particular passage. That the Edomites were also rich in flocks of sheep is evident from Isa 24:6, where the massacre which Jehovah will inflict upon Edom and Bozrah is described as a sacrificial slaughtering of lambs, he-goats, rams, and oxen; a description which presupposes the wealth of Bozrah in natural flocks. The comparison which follows, “like a flock in the midst of its pasture,” belongs to the last verse, and refers to the multiplication, and to the noise made by a densely packed and numerous flock. The same tumult will be made by the assembled Israelites on account of the multitude of men. For the article in הדּברו, which is already determined by the suffix, see at Jos 7:21. In Jos 7:13 the redemption of Israel out of exile is depicted under the figure of liberation from captivity. Was Egypt a slave-house (Mic 6:4; cf. Exo 20:2); so is exile a prison with walls and gates, which must be broken through. הפּריץ, the breaker through, who goes before them, is not Jehovah, but, as the counterpart of Moses the leader of Israel out of Egypt, the captain appointed by God for His people, answering to the head which they are said to choose for themselves in Hos 2:2, a second Moses, viz., Zerubbabel, and in the highest sense Christ, who opens the prison-doors, and redeems the captives of Zion (vid., Isa 42:7). Led by him, they break through the walls, and march through the gate, and go out through it out of the prison. “The three verbs, they break through, they march through, they go out, describe in a pictorial manner progress which cannot be stopped by any human power” (Hengstenberg). Their King Jehovah goes before them at their head (the last two clauses of the verse are synonymous). Just as Jehovah went before Israel as the angel of the Lord in the pillar of cloud and fire at the Exodus from Egypt (Exo 13:21), so at the future redemption of the people of God will Jehovah go before them as King, and lead the procession (see Isa 52:12).

The fulfilment of this prophecy commenced with the gathering together of Israel to its God and King by the preaching of the gospel, and will be completed at some future time when the Lord shall redeem Israel, which is now pining in dispersion, out of the fetters of its unbelief and life of sin. We must not exclude all allusion to the deliverance of the Jewish nation out of the earthly Babylon by Cyrus; at the same time, it is only in its typical significance that this comes into consideration at all, - namely, as a preliminary stage and pledge of the redemption to be effected by Christ out of the spiritual Babylon of this world.

The Sins of the People. (b. c. 740.)

1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. 3 Therefore thus saith the Lord ; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil. 4 In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. 5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord .

Here is, I. The injustice of man contriving the evil of sin, v. 1, 2. God was coming forth against this people to destroy them, and here he shows what was the ground of his controversy with them; it is that which is often mentioned as a sin that hastens the ruin of nations and families as much as any, the sin of oppression. Let us see the steps of it. 1. They eagerly desire that which is not their own—that is the root of bitterness, the root of all evil, v. 2. They covet fields and houses, as Ahab did Naboth's vineyard. "Oh that such a one's field and house were mine! It lies convenient for me, and I would manage it better than he does; it is fitter for me than for him." 2. They set their wits on work to invent ways of accomplishing their desire (v. 4); they devise iniquity with a great deal of cursed art and policy; they plot how to do it effectually, and yet so as not to expose themselves, or bring themselves into danger, or under reproach, by it. This is called working evil! they are working it in their heads, in their families, and are as intent upon it, and with as much pleasure, as if they were doing it, and are as confident of their success (so wisely do they think they have laid the scheme) as if it were assuredly done. Note, It is bad to do mischief upon a sudden thought, but much worse to devise it, to do it with design and deliberation; when the craft and subtlety of the old serpent appear with his poison and venom, it is wickedness in perfection. They devised it upon their beds, when they should have been asleep; care to compass a mischievous design held their eyes waking. Upon their beds, where they should have been remembering God, and meditating upon him, where they should have been communing with their own hearts and examining them, they were devising iniquity. It is of great consequence to improve and employ the hours of our retirement and solitude in a proper manner. 3. They employ their power in executing what they have designed and contrived; they practise the iniquity they have devised, because it is in the power of their hand; they find that they can compass it by the help of their wealth, and the authority and interest they have, and that none dare control them, or call them to an account for it; and this, they think, will justify them and bear them out in it. Note, It is the mistake of many to think that as they can do they may do; whereas no power is given for destruction, but all for edification. 4. They are industrious and very expeditious in accomplishing the iniquity they have devised; when they have settled the matter in their thoughts, in their beds, they lose no time, but as soon as the morning is light they practice it; they are up early in the prosecution of their designs, and what ill their hand finds to do they do it with all their might, which shames our slothfulness and dilatoriness in doing good, and should shame us out of them. In the service of God, and our generation, let it never be said that we left that to be done to-morrow which we could do to-day. 5. They stick at nothing to compass their designs; what they covet they take away, if they can, and, (1.) They care not what wrong they do, though it be ever so gross and open; they take away men's fields by violence, not only by fraud, and underhand practices and colour of law, but by force and with a high hand. (2.) They care not to whom they do wrong nor how far the iniquity extends which they devise: They oppress a man and his house; they rob and ruin those that have numerous families to maintain, and are not concerned though they send them and their wives and children a begging. They oppress a man and his heritage; they take away from men that which they have an unquestionable title to, having received it from their ancestors, and which they have but in trust, to transmit it to their posterity; but those oppressors care not how many they impoverish, so they may but enrich themselves. Note, If covetousness reigns in the heart, commonly all compassion is banished from it; and if any man love this world, as the love of the Father, so the love of his neighbour is not in him.

II. The justice of God contriving the evil of punishment for this sin (v. 3): Therefore thus saith the Lord, the righteous God, that judges between man and man, and is an avenger on those that do wrong, Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, that is, against the whole kingdom, the house of Israel, and particularly those families in it that were cruel and oppressive. They unjustly devise evil against their brethren, and God will justly devise evil against them. Infinite Wisdom will so contrive the punishment of their sin that it shall be very sure, and such as cannot be avoided, very severe, and such as they cannot bear, very signal and remarkable, and such as shall be universally observed to answer to the sin. The more there appears of a wicked wit in the sin the more there shall appear of a holy wisdom and fitness in the punishment; for the Lord will be known by the judgments he executes; he will be owned by them. 1. He finds them very secure, and confident that they shall in some way or other escape the judgment, or, though they fall under it, shall soon throw it off and get clear of it, and therefore he tells them, It is an evil from which they shall not remove their neck. They were children of Belial, that would not endure the easy yoke of God's righteous commands, but broke those bonds asunder, and cast away those cords from them; and therefore God will lay upon them the heavy yoke of his righteous judgments, and they shall not be able to withdraw their necks from that; those that will not be overruled shall be overcome. 2. He finds them very proud and stately, and therefore he tells them that they shall not go haughtily, with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go (Isa. iii. 16); for this time is evil, and the events of it are very humbling and mortifying, and such as will bring down the stoutest spirit. 3. He finds them very merry and jovial, and therefore tells them their note shall be changed, their laughter shall be turned into mourning and their joy into heaviness (v. 4): In that day, when God comes to punish you for your oppression, shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, with a lamentation of lamentations (so the word is), a most lamentable lamentation, as a song of songs is a most pleasing song. Their enemies shall insult over them, and make a jest of their griefs, for they shall take up a parable against them. Their friends shall mourn over them, and lay to heart their calamities, and this shall be the general cry, "We are utterly spoiled; we are all undone." Note, Those that were most haughty and secure in their prosperity are commonly most dejected and most ready to despair in their adversity. 4. He finds them very rich in houses and lands, which they have gained by oppression, and therefore tells them that they shall be stripped of all. (1.) They shall, in their despair, give it all up; they shall say, We are utterly spoiled; he has changed the portion of my people, so that it is now no longer theirs, but it is in the possession and occupation of their enemies: How has he removed it from me! How suddenly, how powerfully! What is unjustly got by us will not long continue with us; the righteous God will remove it. Turning away from us in wrath, he has divided our fields, and given them into the hands of strangers. Woe to those from whom God turns away. The margin reads it, "Instead of restoring, he has divided our fields; instead of putting us again in the possession of our estates, he has confirmed those in the possession of them that have taken them from us." Note, It is just with God that those who have dealt fraudulently and violently with others should themselves be dealt fraudulently and violently with. (2.) God shall ratify what they say in their despair (v. 5); so it shall be: Thou shalt have none to cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord, none to divide inheritances, because there shall be no inheritances to divide, no courts to try titles to lands, or determine controversies about them, or cast lots upon them, as in Joshua's time, for all shall be in the enemies' hand. This land, which should be taken from them, they had not only an unquestionable title to, but a very comfortable enjoyment of, for it was in the congregation of the Lord, or rather the congregation of the Lord was in it; it was God's land; it was a holy land, and therefore it was the more grievous to them to be turned out of it. Note, Those are to be considered the sorest calamities which cut us off from the congregation of the Lord, or cut us short in the enjoyment of the privileges of it.

Expostulation with the House of Jacob; The Sin and Punishment of Oppression. (b. c.  740.)

6 Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. 7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? 8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. 9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. 10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. 11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

Here are two sins charged upon the people of Israel, and judgments denounced against them for each, such judgments as exactly answer the sin—persecuting God's prophets and oppressing God's poor.

I. Persecuting God's prophets, suppressing and silencing them, is a sin that provokes God as much as anything, for it not only spits in the face of his authority over us, but spurns at the bowels of his mercy to us; for his sending prophets to us is a sure and valuable token of his goodwill. Now observe here,

1. What the obstruction and opposition were which this people gave to God's prophets: They said to those that prophesy, Prophesy ye not, as Isa. xxx. 10. They said to the seers, "See not; do not trouble us with accounts of what you have seen, nor bring us any such frightful messages." They must either not prophesy at all or prophesy only what is pleasing. The word for prophesying here signifies dropping, for the words of the prophets dropped from heaven as the dew. Note, Those that hate to be reformed hate to be reproved, and do all they can to silence faithful ministers. Amos was forbidden to prophesy, Amos vii. 10, &c. Therefore persecutors stop their breath, because they have no other way to stop their mouths; for, if they live, they will preach and torment those that dwell on the earth, as the two witnesses did, Rev. xi. 10. Some read it, Prophesy not; let these prophesy. Let not those prophesy that tell us of our faults, and threaten us, but let those prophesy that will flatter us in our sins, and cry peace to us. They will not say that they will have no ministers at all, but they will have such as will say just what they would have them and go their way. This they are charged with (v. 11), that when they silenced and frowned upon the true prophets they countenanced and encouraged pretenders, and set them up, and made an interest for them, to confront God's faithful prophets: If a man walk in the spirit of falsehood, pretend to have the Spirit of God, while really it is a spirit of error, a spirit of delusion, and he himself knows that he has no commission, no instruction, from God, yet, if he says, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and strong drink, if he will but assure them that they shall have wine and strong drink enough, that they need not fear the judgments of war and famine which the other prophets threatened them with, that they shall always have plenty of the delights of sense and never know the want of them, and if he will but tell them that it is lawful for them to drink as much as they please of their wine and strong drink, and they need not scruple being drunk, that they shall have peace though they go on and add drunkenness to thirst, such a prophet as this is a man after their own heart, who will tell them that there is neither sin nor danger in the wicked course of life they lead: He shall even be the prophet of this people; such a man they would have to be their prophet, that will not only associate with them in their rioting and revellings, but will pretend to consecrate their sensualities by his prophecies and so harden them in their security and sensuality. Note, It is not strange if people that are vicious and debauched covet to have ministers that are altogether such as themselves, for they are willing to believe God is so too, Ps. l. 21. But how are sacred things profaned when they are prostituted to such base purposes, when prophecy itself shall be pressed into the services of a lewd and profane crew! But thus that servant who said, My Lord delays his coming, by the spirit of falsehood, smote his fellow servants and ate and drank with the drunken.

2. How they are here expostulated with upon this matter (v. 7): "O thou that art named the house of Jacob, does it become thee to say and do thus? Wilt thou silence those that prophesy, and forbid them to speak in God's name?" Note, It is an honour and privilege to be named of the house of Jacob. Thou art called a Jew, Rom. ii. 17. But, when those who are called by that worthy name degenerate, they commonly prove the worst of men themselves and the worst enemies to God's prophets. The Jews who were named of the house of Jacob were the most violent persecutors of the first preachers of the gospel. Upon this the prophet here argues with these oppressors of the word of God, and shows them, (1.) What an affront they hereby put upon God, the God of the holy prophets: "Is the Lord's Spirit straitened? In silencing the Lord's prophets you do what you can to silence his Spirit too; but do you think you can do it? Can you make the Spirit of God your prisoner and your servant? Will you prescribe to him what he shall say, and forbid him to say what is displeasing to you? If you silence the prophets, yet cannot the Spirit of the Lord find out other ways to reach your consciences? Can your unbelief frustrate the divine counsels?" (2.) What a scandal it was to their profession as Jews: "You are named the house of Jacob, and this is your honour; but are these his doings? Are these the doings of your father Jacob? Do you herein tread in his steps? No; if you were indeed his children you would do his works; but now you seek to kill and silence a man that tells you the truth, in God's name; this did not Abraham (John viii. 39, 40); this did not Jacob." Or, "Are these God's doings? Are these the doings that will please him? Are these the doings of his people? No, you know they are not, however some may be so strangely blinded and bigoted as to kill God's ministers and think that therein they do him service," John xvi. 2. (3.) Let them consider how unreasonable and absurd the thing was in itself: Do not my words do good to those that walk uprightly? Yes; certainly they do; it is an appeal to the experiences of the generation of the upright: "Call now if there be any of them that will answer you, and to which of the saints will you turn? Turn to which you will, and you will find they all agree in this, that the word of God does good to those that walk uprightly; and will you then oppose that which does good, so much good as good preaching does? Herein you wrong God, who owns the words of the prophets to be his words (they are my words) and who by them aims and designs to do good to mankind (Ps. cxix. 68); and will you hinder the great benefactor from doing good? Will you put the light of the world under a bushel: You might as well say to the sun, Shine not, as say to the seers, See not. Herein you wrong the souls of men, and deprive them of the benefit designed them by the word of God." Note, Those are enemies not only to God, but to the world, they are enemies to their country, that silence good ministers, and obstruct the means of knowledge and grace; for it is certainly for the public common good of states and kingdoms that religion should be encouraged. God's words do good to those that walk uprightly. It is the character of good people that they walk uprightly (Ps. xv. 2); and it is their comfort that the words of God are good and do good to them; they find comfort in them. God's words are good words to good people, and speak comfortably to them. But those that opposed the words of God, and silenced the prophets, pleaded, in justification of themselves, that God's words were unprofitable and unpleasant to them, and did them no good, nor prophesied any good concerning them, but evil, as Ahab complained of Micaiah, in answer to which the prophet here tells them that it was their own fault; they might thank themselves. They might find it of good use to them if they were but disposed to make a good use of it; if they would but walk uprightly, as they should, and so qualify themselves for comfort, the word of God would speak comfortably to them. Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise for the same.

3. What they are threatened with for this sin; God also will choose their delusions, and, (1.) They shall be deprived of the benefit of a faithful ministry. Since they say, Prophesy not, God will take them at their word, and they shall not prophesy to them; their sin shall be their punishment. If men will silence God's ministers, it is just with God to silence them, as he did Ezekiel, and to say, They shall no more be reprovers and monitors to them. Let the physician no longer attend the patient that will not be healed, for he will not be ruled. They shall not prophesy to them, and then they will not take shame. As it is the work of magistrates, so it is also of ministers, to put men to shame when they do amiss (Judg. xviii. 7), that, being made ashamed of their folly, they may not return again to it; but, when God gives men up to be impudent and shameless in sin, he says to his prophets, They are joined to idols; let them alone. (2.) They shall be given up to the blind guidance of an unfaithful ministry. We may understand v. 11 as a threatening: If a man be found walking in the spirit of falsehood, having such a lying spirit as was in the mouth of Ahab's prophets, that will strengthen their hands in their wicked ways, he shall be the prophet of this people, that is, God will leave them to themselves to hearken to such; since they will be deceived, let them be deceived; since they will not admit the truth in the love of it, God will send them strong delusions to believe a lie, 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11. They shall have prophets that will prophesy to them for wine and strong drink (so some read it), that will give you a cast of their office to your mind for a bottle of wine of a flagon of ale, will soothe sinners in their sins if they will but feed them with the gratifications of their lusts; to have such prophets, and to be ridden by them, is as sad a judgment as any people can be under and as bad a preface of ruin approaching as it is to a particular person to be under the influence of a debauched conscience.

II. Oppressing God's poor is another sin they are charged with, as before (v. 1, 2), for it is a sin doubly hateful and provoking to God. Observe,

1. How the sin is described, v. 8, 9. When they contemned God's prophets and opposed them they broke out into all other wickedness; what bonds will hold those that have no reverence for God's word? Those who formerly rose up against the enemies of the nation, in defence of their country and therein behaved themselves bravely, now of late rose up as enemies of the nation, and, instead of defending it, destroyed it, and did it more mischief (as usually such vipers in the bowels of a state do) than a foreign enemy could do. They made a prey of men, women, and children, (1.) Of men, that were travelling on the way, that pass by securely as men averse from war, that were far from any bad designs, but went peaceably about their lawful occasions; those they set upon, as if they had been dangerous obnoxious people, and pulled off the robe with the garment from them, that is, they stripped them both of the upper and the inner garment, took away their cloak, and would have their coat also; thus barbarously did they use those that were quiet in the land, who, being harmless, were fearless, and so the more easily make a prey of. (2.) Of women, whose sex should have been their protection (v. 9): The women of my people have you cast out from their pleasant houses. They devoured widows' houses (Matt. xxiii. 14), and so turned them out of the possession of them, because they were pleasant houses, and such as they had a mind for. It was inhuman to deal thus barbarously with women; but that which especially aggravated it was that they were the women of God's people, whom they knew to be under his protection. (3.) Of children, whose age entitles them to a tender usage: From their children have you taken away my glory for ever. It was the glory of the Israelites' children that they were free, but they enslaved them—that they were born in God's house, and had a right to the privileges of it, but they sold them to strangers, sent them into idolatrous countries, where they were deprived for ever of that glory; at least the oppressors designed their captivity should be perpetual. Note, The righteous God will certainly reckon for injuries done to the widows and fatherless, who, being helpless and friendless, cannot otherwise expect to be righted.

2. What the sentence is that is passed upon them for it (v. 10): "Arise ye, and depart; prepare to quit this land, for you shall be forced out of it, as you have forced the women and children of my people out of their possessions; it is not, it shall not, be your rest, as it was intended that Canaan should be, Ps. xcv. 11. You shall have neither contentment nor continuance in it, because it is polluted by your wickedness." Sin is defiling to a land, and sinners cannot expect to rest in a land which they have polluted, but is will spew them out, as this land spewed out the Canaanites of old when they had polluted it with their abominations, Lev. xviii. 27, 28. "Nay, you shall not only be obliged to depart out of this land, but it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction; you shall either be turned out of it or (which is all one) you shall be ruined in it." We may apply this to our state in this present world; it is polluted; there is a great deal of corruption in the world, through lust, and therefore we should arise, and depart out of it, keep at a distance from the corruption that is in it, and keep ourselves unspotted from it. It is not our rest; it was never intended to be so; it was designed for our passage, but not for our portion—our inn, but not our home. Here we have no continuing city; let us therefore arise and depart; let us sit loose to it and live above it, and think of leaving it and seek a continuing city above.

Promises of Mercy. (b. c. 740.)

12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. 13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.

After threatenings of wrath, the chapter here concludes, as is usual in the prophets, with promises of mercy, which were in part fulfilled when the Jews returned out of Babylon, and had their full accomplishment in the kingdom of the Messiah. Their grievances shall be all redressed. 1. Whereas they were dispersed, they shall be brought together again, and shall jointly receive the tokens of God's favour to them, and shall have communion with each other and comfort in each other (v. 12): "I will surely assemble, O Jacob! all of thee, all that belong to thee, all that are named of the house of Jacob (v. 7) that are now expelled your country, v. 10. I will bring you together again, and not one of you shall be lost, not one of you shall be missing. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, that remnant that is designed and reserved for salvation; they shall be brought to incorporate in one body. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah." Sheep are inoffensive and sociable creatures; they shall be as the flock in the midst of their fold, where they are safe under the shepherd's eye and care; and they shall make great noise (as numerous flocks and herds do, with their bleating and lowing) by reason of the multitude of men (for the sheep are men, as the prophet explains this comparison, Ezek. xxxiv. 31), not by reason of their strifes and contentions, but by reason of their great numbers. This was accomplished when Christ by his gospel gathered together in one all the children of God that were scattered abroad, and united both Jews and Gentiles in one fold, and under one Shepherd, when all the complaint was that the place was too strait for them—that was the noise, by reason of their multitude (Isa. xlix. 19, 20), when there were some added to the church from all parts of the world, and all men were drawn to Christ by the attractive power of his cross, which shall be done yet more and more, and perfectly done, when he shall send forth his angels to gather in his elect from the four winds. 2. Whereas God had seemed to desert them, and cast them off, now he will own them, and head them, and help them through all the difficulties that are in the way of their return and deliverance (v. 13): the breaker has come up before them, to break down all opposition, and clear the road for them; and under his guidance they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, the door of escape out of their captivity, and have gone out by it with courage and resolution, having Omnipotence for their van-guard. Their King shall pass before them, to head them in the way, even Jehovah (he was their king) on the head of them, as he was on the head of the armies of Israel when they followed the pillar of cloud and fire through the wilderness and when he appeared to Joshua as captain of the Lord's host. Christ is the church's King; he is Jehovah; he heads them, passes before them, brings them out of the land of their captivity, brings them into the land of their rest. He is the breaker, that broke through them, that rent the veil, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. The learned bishop Pearson applies it to the resurrection of Christ, by which he obtained the power and became the pattern of our resurrection. The breaker has gone up before us out of the grave, and has carried away its gates, as Samson did Gaza's, bar and all, and by that breach we go out. The learned Dr. Pocock mentions, as the sense which some of the ancient Jews give of it, that the breaker is Elias, and their King the Messiah, the Son of David; and he thinks we may apply it to Christ and his forerunner John the Baptist. John was the breaker; he broke the ice, prepared the way of the Lord by the baptism of repentance; in him the gospel began; from his time the kingdom of heaven suffered violence; and so the Christian church is introduced, with Messiah the Prince before it, on the head of it, going forth conquering and to conquer.

CHAP. II.

Verſe 1. VVO to them that deviſe iniquity,] Or, labour, affliction, vanity, a lie. The Hebrew word Aven, is of large uſe; applied to all kinde of ſinne, which cauſeth pain, ſorrow, and miſery: and here in particular to covetouſneſſe, that root of all evil to a mans ſelf, and others, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. Our Prophet flings a Wo at it, as doth likewiſe Habakkuk, chap. 2.9. calling it an evil covetouſneſſe, as the Prophet Eſay tells us, that for the uniquity of his covetouſneſſe, God was wroth with Iſrael and ſmot him, Eſay 57.17. The world counts it a light offence: and caſts a cloak of good husbandry over it, 1 Theſ. 2.5. But this diſguiſe will ſerve ſuch, no better, then that which Ahab once put on and periſhed. Let no man deceive you with vain words, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. (thoſe plaiſtered words, 2 Pet. 2.3. uſed by hels Proctours) for becauſe of theſe things (ſc. fornication, covetouſneſſe, &c. thoſe peccadillo's as they are counted) cometh the wrath of God upon the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 5.6. For why? They deviſe iniquity, cogitant quaſi coagitant, they plot and plow miſchief, being men of wicked devices, Prov. 14.2. talking eftſoons to themſelves, as that covetous caitif did, Luk. 12.17. beating their brains about their worldly projects, and reſting no more, no not upon their beds by night (a time and place appointed for reſt, when men ſhould together with their clothes put off their cares, and compoſe themſelves to ſleep; that nurſe of nature, and ſweet parentheſis) then one doth upon a rack, or bed of thorns.

Thus they work evil upon their beds,] They work hard at it, having the devil for their task-maſter, who ſhall therefore alſo be their pay-maſter. He hath their ſouls here as in a ſling, 1 Sam. 25.29. violently toſſed about and reſtleſſe: they are his drudges and dromedaries, driven about by him at his pleaſure 2 Tim. 2.26. wholly acted and agitated by him Eph. 2.2. having as many Lords as luſts,1 King. 21.4. wherewith their hearts are night and day exerciſed, 2 Pet. 2.14. without intermiſſion. See this in Felix, who at the ſame inſtant trembled and coveted a bribe: in Ahab, who ſick of Naboths vineyard, laid him down upon his bed, but reſted not. His heart did more afflict and vex it ſelf with greedy longing for that bit of earth, then the vaſt and ſpacious compaſſe of a kingdome could counter-comfort.

when the morning is light they practiſe it] And ſo they loſe no time, being up and at it by peep of day; when others are faſt aſleep, and ſo more eaſily ſurpriſed and circumvented by them. The morning is the moſt precious part of the day: and ſhould be employed to better purpoſe. But wickedneſſe proceedeth from the wicked, as ſaith the proverb of the Ancients 1 Sam. 24.13. and as they like not to have God in their heads Pſal. 10.4. nor hearts Pſal. 14.1. ſo neither in their words Pſal. 12.4. nor wayes Tit. 1.16. but the contrary: Surely ſatan is rightly called the God of this world; becauſe as God at firſt did but ſpeak the word and it was done, ſo if the devill do but hold up his finger, give the leaſt hint, they are ready preſt to practiſey.

becauſe it is in the power of their hand] The Vulgar hath it, Becauſe their hand is againſt God: and indeed the ſame word El ſignifieth God and Power. The Seventy render it, Becauſe they have not lifted up their hands to God (an exerciſe proper and fit for the morning Pſal. 5.4.) The Tigurine, Quia viribus pollent, They have ſtrength enough to do it.Nihil cogitant quod non idem patrare auſint De Monachit. Lutherus. Their hand is to power (ſo the Originall hath it) that is, ſaith Calvin, quantum poſſunt, tantum audent, they dare do their utmoſt, they will try what they can do: their hand is ever ready to rake and ſcrape together commodity; neither can they be hindred either by the feare of God, or any reſpect to righteouſneſſe.

Ver. 2. And they covet fields, and take them by violence] See here the ſeverall degrees of ſin; and what deſcents covetous men dig to hell, and beware betimes. Surely as the plot of all diſeaſes lies in the humours of the body; ſo of all ſin in the luſt of the ſoule. The Heathen could ſay, [non-Latin text not transcribed].Laertius. Covetouſneſſe is called the luſt of the eyes 1 Ioh. 2.16. becauſe from looking comes luſting, from luſting, acting, (hence luſts of the ſoule are called deedes of the body Rom. 8.13.) yea acting with violence, they covet and take, they rob and raviſh Pſal. 10. there is neither equity nor honeſty to be had at their hands: but as they take away fields, houſes, heritages ſhameleſly; ſo they beare them away boldly, and think to ſcape ſcotfree; becauſe it is facinus majoris abollae, Juvenal. the fact of a great one, whoſe hand is to power, as ver. 1.

and houſes, and take them away] though a mans houſe be his caſtle (as we ſay) yet it cannot ſecure him from theſe cormorants. Scribes and Phariſes devoured widdowes houſes Mat. 23.17 where was a concurrence of covetouſneſſe and cruelty (for theſe ſeldome go ſundred) beſides the putid hypocriſie of doing this under a pretence of long prayers. A poor man in his houſe, is like a ſnaile in his ſhell: cruſh that, and you kill him.

ſo they oppreſſe (or defraud) a man and his houſe] Either by fraud or force, by craft or cruelty they ruine a man, (a well-ſet man virum validum) and his family, [non-Latin text not transcribed] his whole progeny; which might not be done to the unreaſonable creatures Deut. 22.6. This is to be like Ʋladus that cruel Prince of Valachia: whoſe manner was, together with the offendour to execute the whole family; yea ſometimes the whole kindred.

Ver. 3. Behold againſt this family do I deviſe an evill]Turk. hiſt fol. 363 They had deviſed iniquity ver. 1. and now he deviſeth their miſery. God uſually retaliates, and proportions provocation to provocation Deut. 32.21. frowardneſſe to frowardneſſe Pſal. 18.26. contrariety to contrariety Lev. 26.18, 21. and device to device, as here. He loves to pay ſinners home in their own coyne; and to make them know by ſad experience and ſee, that it is an evill thing and bitter to forſake the Lord and his feare Jer. 2.19. Woe be to that man againſt whom the Almighty ſets himſelf to deviſe an evill: ſuch an one ſhall find, that thought is not free (as that peſtilent, proverb would make it) either from the notice of Gods holy eye, the cenſure of his mouth, or the ſtroak of his hand. See Ier. 4.14. and 6.39. Rev. 2.23. Deut. 29.19. And this, Nature it ſelf had ſome notion of, as appeareth by his cenſure who judged that Antiochus did therefore die loathſomely, becauſe he had but an intent to burn Diana's temple.Polybius. In declam. Fecit quiſque quantum voluit, ſaith Seneca: and [illegible: 1 letter]nceſta eſt, & ſine ſtupro, quae ſtuprum cupit ſaith the ſame Authour. Vaine thoughts are very ſins, and expoſe men to puniſhment: theſe ſhall either excuſe or accuſe at the laſt day Rom. 2.15. Meane-while, God is deviſing what to do to them: he is preparing his bow and making ready his arrowes upon the ſtring, even a Tophet of the moſt tormenting temper will ſhortly ſwallow them up, without true and timely Repentance.

From which ye ſhall not remove your necks] It ſhall ſo halter and hamper you, that like fiſhes taken in an evill net, and as birds caught in a ſnare, ſo ſhall ye be ſnared in an evill time, when it falleth ſuddenly upon you Eccleſ. 9.12. ye ſhall never be able either to avoide it,Sic laqueos fera dum jactat, aſtringit Sen. or to abide it. But as the bird in a gin, the fiſh on the hook, the more it ſtrives, the more it ſticks: and as the bullock under the yoke, the more he wriggles, the more he galles: ſo ſhall it be here. Your faire necks, that would not beare the eaſy yoke of Gods obedience, ſhall be ridden on by the enemy and bound to your two furrowes Hoſ. 10.10, 11. yea a yoke of iron ſhall be put upon thee, untill thou be deſtroyed Deut. 28.48.

neither ſhall ye go haughtily] Heb. Romah; and hence haply Roma had its name, from its height and haughtineſſe: according to that of the Poet —atque altae moenia Romae.Virg. 1. Aeneid. The meaning here is, God would deject and darken them, ſo as that they ſhall utterly loſe their former renown and ſplendour. He will thruſt them down, as it were with a thump on the back, and there hold them. See Ezech. 21.26, 27. the ſcene ſhall be changed, and the haughty abaſed.

for this time is evill] Both ſinfully and penally evill The Apoſtle ſemeth to allude to this text, when he ſaith, [non-Latin text not transcribed] i.e. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. R[illegible: 1 letter]deeme the time, becauſe the dayes are evill: and Sufficient to the day is the evill thereof, that is, the miſery of it, ſaith Chriſt Mat. 6.34. And againe, Thoſe very dayes ſhall be affliction (ſo the Greek text hath it) Mark 13.19. as if the time were turned into affliction: becauſe of that evill, that onely evill without mixture of mercy Ezech. 7.5. here foretold,Ideo minatur Deus ut non puniat. and therefore foretold, that it might have been prevented.

Verſe 4. In that day ſhall one take up a parable &c.] In that day, that dolefull, and diſmal day of their calamity.

ſhall One] Any one that is moved at your miſery, and would work you to a ſenſe of your ſin the mother of your miſery:

ſhall take up a parable] triſtem & querulam ſad and ſorrowfull.

and lament with a doleful lamentation] Heb. with a lamentation of lamentations, or with heigh-ho upon heigh-ho, as the word ſeemes to ſignify.

we be uttterly ſpoiled] Plundered to the life, laid naked to the very foundation, chap. 1.6. put into ſuch a condition, as that there is neither hope of better, nor place of worſe.

he hath changed the portion of my people] that is God, or the Aſſyrian by Gods appointment, hath taken away our countrey, and given it to ſtrangers. The Pope took upon him in Henry the 8. dayes to give England Primo occupaturo to him that could firſt win it This brutum fulmen came to nothing: But when Gods people changed their glory for that which profited not, Ier. 2 11. he ſoon changed their portion; he cauſed that good land to ſpew them out, he turned their weale into woe, and brought wrath upon them to the utmoſt. Neither profited it them any more to have been called Gods people, then it did Dives in flames, that Abraham called him Son; or Judas, that Chriſt called him Friend.

how hath he removed it from me?]Erah. This is Lamentation-like indeed. See Lam. 1.1. and 2.1. and 4.1. all beginning with the ſame word, How. The ſpeech is conciſe and abrupt, meet for mourners. There is an elegancy in the original not to be Engliſhed. How uncertaine are all things here! God ſits upon the circle of the earth, and ſhakes out the inhabitants qt pleaſure, as by a canvas.Eſa. 40. Perſons and things are ſaid to be in heaven, but on earth: on the outſide of it only, where they have no firm footing. Dionyſius was driven out of his kingdome:Aelian. lib. 2. which yet he thought was tied to him with chaines of adamant, ſaith the Hiſtorian.

turning away (from us as a lothſome object, being ſo incorrigibly flagitious) he hath divided our fields] ſc. to the enemy for a reward: like as he gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar for his paines at Tyre. Or thus, Inſtead of reſtoring (which now we are hopeleſſe of) he hath divided our fields, our fertile and fat countrey to thoſe that will be ſure to hold their own in it; as the Gaules and Gothes did in Italy, after they had once taſted the ſweetneſſe of it. Vatablus rendreth the text thus: How hath he taken from me thoſe fields of ours which he ſeemed ready to reſtore? he hath even divided them, ſc. to others.

Verſe 5. Therefore thou ſhalt have none that ſhall caſt a cord by lot] Fields were divided with cords of old, and inheritances alſo, See Pſal. 16.5. and 105.11. and 78.55. 2 Sam. 8.2. This hope is henceforth cut off from revolted Iſrael: the ten tribes never returned, the other two did, and ſome few of the ten amongſt them. Whether upon their converſion to Chriſt they ſhall be reſtored to the promiſed land, Time (the mother of Truth) will make manifeſt.

In the congregation of the Lord] So you were once, but now nothing leſſe. A Congregation ye are ſtill, but of malignants: a rabble of rebels conſpiring againſt heaven. A name ye have to live, but ye are dead: ye cry out Templum Domini, The Temple of the Lord are we: but in truth ye are no better then thoſe Egyptian temples, beautifull without, but within nothing to be ſeen but a cat, rat, or ſome ſuch deſpicable creature. Here they are called the Congregation of the Lord by an irony, as the Cardinall of Ravenna is ſo called by way of deriſion.

Verſe 6. Propheſie ye not, ſay they, to them that propheſie] Prodigious impudency, thus to ſilence the Prophets, or elſe to preſcribe to them, according to the other reading of the text, Propheſie not, as they propheſie, for they are too tart: therefore Drop not ye who thus drop vineger and nitre, who vex our galled conſciences, no leſſe then the cruel Spaniards do the poor Indians naked bodies, which, Sr. Fr. Drake. for a ſport they do day by day drop with burning bacon: But let theſe drop that can ſmooth us up, that can utter toothleſſe truths, that will drop oyle into our eares,byſſina verba. and give us ſilken words; theſe be Prophets for our turns &c. God cannot pleaſe ſome hearers, unleſſe he ſpeak tinkling and tickling words. Now, theſe muſt get their eares healed (as Demoſthenes adviſed his countreymen of Greece) ere they can be in caſe to hear with profit. They muſt learn of Bees, to paſl[illegible: 1 letter] by roſes and violets, and ſit upon Time; to heed, I meane, ſound rebukes rather then ſmooth ſupparaſitations. There are that note a jeare it the tearm Drop. It is well known that the word Preached is oft compared to raine Deut. 32.2. Eſay. 55.10.11. The Prophets therefore are here in deriſion called Droppers or Diſtillers, Luk. 16.1[illegible: 1 letter]. and forbidden to do their office; or at leaſt, to drop in that ſort. Thu their ſucceſſors in evill the Phariſees (who were likewiſe coverous) derided Chriſt; And thus their predeceſſours alſo in Eſay's time put a ſcoſt upon him, and his preaching, cap. 28.10. where the ſound of the words in the Original carries a taunt as ſcornfull people, by the tone of their voice, and riming words, gibe and jeare at thoſe whom they vilify.

they ſhall not propheſie to them] q. d. You ſhall have your wiſh; my droppers ſhall give over dropping, and be no further troubleſome, nor take ſhame any more by propheſying to ſuch a perverſe people, ſo ſhameleſly ſo lawleſly wicked.

that they ſhall not take ſhame] Or, ſhall they not take ſhame? q. d. though they will not heare of it, that ſhame ſhall be their promotion, and confuſion their portion, yea they ſhall ſurely feel and find it ſo.

Verſe 7. O thou that art named the houſe of Jacob] That haſt a name to live but art dead Rev. 3.1. that art called a Jew, and makeſt thy boaſt of God Rom. 2.17. that haſt a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20. and a form of godlineſſe 2 Tim. 3.5. a ſemblance of ſanctimony Luke 8.18. acting religion, playing devotion, as if it were a neme onely; or as if it were enough to be named the houſe of Jacob, or to have his voice, though the hands are the hands of Eſau, the practiſe nothing ſuitable to the profeſſion. Thus many amongſt us content themſelves with the bare name of Chriſtians: as if many a ſhip hath not been called Safe-guard or Goodſpeed, which yet hath fallen into the hands of Pirates. The devil will ſurely ſweep, and hell ſwallow all ſuch Nominaliſts: ſuch ſhall find that an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at the laſt. What was Dives the better for this, that Abraham called him ſonne, or Iudas that Chriſt called him friend, or the rebellious Iewes that God ſtileth them his people? Doth he not elſewhere diſclaim them, and call them a ſinful nation, a people laden with iniquity; the people of his wrath and of his curſe? May not all Formaliſts fear Jacobs fear? Gen. 27.12. My father peradventure will feel me, and I ſhall ſeem to him as a deceiver: and I ſhall bring a curſe upon me, and not a bleſſing. Our heavenly Father will ſurely feel us in our addreſſes: and if he find us but complementing, and contenting our ſelves to be called the houſe of Jacob, he will confute our vain confidences, and cut us out of the roll; as he did Dan and Ephraim, who were named the houſe of Jacob, and yet for their wickedneſſe are paſſed by in the reckoning up of the twelve tribes, Rev. 7. as if they were ſouldiers put out of pay, and caſhiered.

Is the ſpirit of the Lord ſtraitned] or ſhortned? Is he a penny-father? hath he but one bleſſing?Mal. 2.15. Is there not with him the reſidue of the ſpirit? plenteous redemption, an exceeding abundant goodneſſe even to a ſuperpleonaſme? [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 1 Tim. 1.14. Where then is the fault that you are no more Jacob-like, plain-hearted and perſwaſible; that ye refuſe to be reformed, hate to be healed, ſaying to me, Depart, and to my Prophets, Drop not, &c. Neither curſe ye nor bleſſe ye, as he ſaid to Balaam? wherein if they ſhould hearken to you, and be ruled by you, yea, ſhould you ſtraitly threaten them with bonds to ſpeak henceforth to no man in my name, as Act. 4.17. yet my word is not bound,2 Theſſ. 3.1. 2 Tim. 2.9. but runs and is glorified: my ſpirit is not ſtraitned, but is free and not fettered. I tell you, that if theſe (Prophets) ſhould hold their peace,Luk. 19.40. and not drop, the ſtones would immediatly cry out: which againſt change of weather do ſtand with great drops of water to confute your unyeeldingneſſe. Turn ye therefore now at my reproof; behold, I will turn out my ſpirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you, Prov. 1.23. I will do it howſoever; yea, in deſpite of you I will do it, as ſome ſenſe the foregoing verſe, reading it thus (and the original will bear it) Drop ye not, but they ſhall drop.

Are theſe his doings?) i.e. Such as God doth approve of, or rather, are theſe Jacobs doings? tread you in the ſteps of your father Jacob? did he ever ſilence the Prophets, and withſtand thoſe that were ſent unto him? Did he not rather lie low, put his mouth in the duſt and crie out, ſpeak, Lord, for thy ſervant heareth. Good is the word of the Lord which ye have ſpoken, &c. And whereas ye will be apt enough to replie that Iacob had no other cauſe: for the Prophets never ſpake but good and comfortable things to him, it is anſwered in the next words.

Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?] Heb. upright; that pondereth his paths by the weights of my word, and turneth not to the right hand nor to the left, Pro. 4.26, 27. but walketh exactly, accurately, and preciſely, Eph. 5.15. keeping within my precincts, &c. Do not my words do good to ſuch, and ſpeak they not peace to him? David felt it as ſweet as honey, Pſ. 119.103. But as honey cauſeth pain to exulcerate parts, though of it ſelf it be ſweet and medicinal: ſo doth the word of God to exulcerate conſciences. Children, though they love to lick in honey, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Al. Aphrod. Probl. yet they will not endure to have it come neer their lips, when they have ſore mouths: ſo is it here. Excellently ſaith Saint Auſtin, Adverſarius est nobis, quamdiu ſumus & ipſi nobis, &c. The word of God is adverſary to none, but ſuch as are their own greateſt adverſaries, &c. It may well be compared to Moſes rod, which whiles he held it in his hand, it flouriſhed and brought forth almonds; but being caſt on the ground it turned into a ſerpent. Did it not take hold of thoſe refractaries, Zech. 1.6. that would not take hold of Gods covenant, and chuſe the things that pleaſed him, Eſay. 56.4? Doth it not ſtill ſting wicked people with unqueſtionable conviction and horrour; when as great peace have they which love Gods law, Pſal. 119.165. and nothing ſhall offend them?

Verſ. 8. Even of late my people is riſen up as an enemy] Heb. yeſterday, no longer ago; to all their former flagitious practiſes they have now newly added this of execrable rapine and robbery, which is ſtill freſh, and as it were flagrant in mine eyes. Although the truth is, that God looketh upon former ſins as preſently committed: for as there is no beginning of eternity, ſo neither is there any ſucceſſion. But let men take heed how they heap up ſin, leſt they heap up wrath: for although God may bear with people for one or two out-ſtrayes, yet when once it comes to three tranſgreſſions and to four, he will not turn away the puniſhment, Am. 1.2. and one new ſin may ſet many old awork in the conſcience; making it like Ezekiels ſcroul,Ezek. 2.12. wherein was written lamentations, and mourning, and woe. Surely I have ſeen yeſterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his ſons, ſaith the Lord, 2 Kin. 9.26. The word ſignifieth laſt night, though it were done ſome while before. See the word yeſterday ſo uſed by the Apoſtle Hebraizing with his Hebrews, Chap. 15.8. Some read the text thus, He that was yeſterday my people is riſen up on the other ſide as againſt an enemy, viz. raging againſt God, and ranging againſt all men, biting all they come aneer as mad dogs. See Eſay. 9.21. 1 Theſſ. 2.15. they pleaſe not God, but riſe up in rebellion againſt him; and are contrary to all men, being rather Iſmaelites then Iſraelites, Gen. 16.12. and therefore not rightly named the houſe of Jacob (that plain man, Gen. 25.27. without welt or gard, guile or gall) nor could the word of the Lord do good unto them, ſo long as their deeds were evil, and they loved darkneſſe rather then light. Joh. 3.19.

Ye pull off the robe with the garment] Robbing and pillaging paſſengers with greateſt inhumanity: not leaving them a rag to cover them, or a croſſe to bleſſe them with, as the proverb is. This was common in Scotland and Africa, ſaith Da [illegible: 3 letters] here. It was in England alſo, till the dayes of king Alfred, who firſt divided the land into ſhires, and then the ſubjects into tenths or Tithings; every of which ſeverally ſhould give bond for the good a bearing of each other, &c. Heyl. Geog. 474. By this courſe men were not careful onely of their own actions, but had an eye to all the nine, for which they ſtood bound; as the nine had over each. Inſomuch that a poor girle might travel ſafely with a bag of gold in her hand, and none durſt meddle with her.

from men that paſſe by ſecurely, as men averſe from war] There are a ſort of ſuch as delight in warre, Pſal. 68.30. that make a ſport of it, as Abner, 2 Sam. 2.14. that take more pleaſure in it then in an Empire, as Iuſtin ſaith of Pyrrhus king of [illegible: 1 word]. David was none ſuch; and yet he wanted not for courage. His motto was,Nulli major ex imperio, quam illi[illegible: 1 letter]x bello fui[illegible: 1 letter] voluptar. [illegible: 2 letters]m for peace, or (as the Hebrew hath it) I am peace. He had ſeen the woe of warre, and knew well the lawleſneſſe of it. The law is no more, ſaith the Church in [illegible: 1 word] L[illegible: 1 letter]mentations, Chap. 2.9. Inter arma ſilent leges, ſaith the Heathen, The noiſe [illegible: 1 word] drowns the voice of lawes. A reverend man hath well obſerved, that as thoſe three commandments, Thou ſhalt not kill, Thoss ſhalt not commit adultery, Thou [illegible: 1 span] are ranked together in the law: ſo they are commonly violated together by unruly ſouldiers, Eſay. 13.16. Their children alſo ſhall be daſhed in pieces before their eyes, their houſes ſhall be ſpoyled, and their wives raviſhed. Theſe are the miſeries of warre. But what meant theſe miſcreants to ſhed the blood of warre in peace, 1 Kin. 2.5. to ſtrip the innocent and therefore fearleſſe paſſenger of his raiment as thoſe theeves did him, that went down from Ieruſalem to Jericho, Luk. 10.30. dreading no ſuch danger? neither to rob him onely, but to raviſh him too, Pſ. 10. that they might ſind all precious ſubſtance, and fill their houſes with ſpoyl? And what meant the corrupt Rulers to ſuffer it ſo to be, and not to brandiſh the ſword of juſtice againſt ſuch ſtigmatical Belialiſts.

Verſ. 9. The women of my people] Or, the wives; once wives, but now widdows, and therefore calamatious, friendleſſe, comfortleſſe; as a vine whoſe root is uncovered, as a wandring bird, or a neſt forſaken, Iſai. 16.2.

have ye caſt out from their pleaſant houſes] where they had long lived with their husbands in love, peace, and much ſweetneſſe, as good Naboths wife had: This was barbarous cruelty. God had taken order in the law, that none ſhould harm a bird ſitting upon her own neſt, how much leſſe a daughter of Abraham? Widdows and Orphans are his clients, Pſ. 146.9.

from their children have ye taken away my glory] i. e. My maintenance and that livelihood that I had allowed them for their better education, which might have redounded to my great glory. Whereas now, being by you bereft both of friends and meanes, gomunt, fremunt, vobis maledicunt, clamantque vindictam in coelum, ſaith Montanus, they groan, they moan, they curſe you, they crie to me for vengeance. &c.

Verſ. 10. Ariſe ye and depart] Veteres migrate coloni, make up your fardles and prepare for a deportation:Virg. here's no longer being for you, unleſſe ye were better. Behold the land is defiled; therefore I do viſit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land it ſelf vomiteth out her inhabitants Lev. 18.25.

This is not your reſt] As you falſly fancy, and vainly vaunt: binding upon the promiſe, but not performing the condition. It is the guiſe of graceleſſe men to ſtuffe themſelves with promiſes, till they have made them a pillow for ſinne: Et ſic praſumendo ſperant, & ſperando pereunt, Byrn they preſume till they periſh, as he did who died with this deſperate ſaying in his mouth, Spes & fortuna Valete, Farewell life and hope together.

Becauſe it is polluted] ſc. by your ſinne, which is of ſo ſullying a nature, that it defileth alſo the very viſible heavens, which are therefore to be purged by the fire of the laſt day: like as thoſe veſſels that held the ſin-offering were either to be broken if earthen, or to paſſe the fire if of better mettal: they muſt not think to reſt that let ſin lie unrepented of in the conſcience. But as a man that hath uſed himſelf to drink poiſon, at the 1. & 2. time he may do wel, but the laſt it overcomes and deſtroyes himſelf: ſo the next ſin, though leſſe, may ſet all the former aworking. And as two poiſons met in the ſtomack make a man reſtleſſe; ſo ſin and wrath met in the conſcience, raiſe a great garboile there. Neither muſt they think to dwell in Gods good land, that will not live by Gods good laws, Eſa. 1.19. Pſ. 107.39, 40. they walk upon fireworks every moment ready to be blown up:Euſeb. de vit. Conſt. lib 5. brimſtone alſo is ſca[illegible: 2 letters]ered upon their habitations, that if the fire of Gods wrath do but lightly touch it, they are ſuddenly conſumed. Euſebius telleth us of Diocleſian, that bloody perſecutour of the Church, that giving over the Empire, he decreed to lead the reſt of his life quietly: but he eſcaped not ſo. For after that, his houſe was wholly conſumed with lightning, and a flame of fire that fell from heaven, he hiding himſelf for fear of the lightning died within a little after.

it ſhall deſtroy you even with a ſore deſtruction] Diſſipatione roboratâ, ſaith Calvin, Perditione praecisâ, ſaith Tremellius. The land longs for a vomit to ſpue you out, and it ſhall do it effectually. Poyſon given in wine works more furiouſly then in water. Woe be to that people or perſon whom God will deſtroy with a violent deſtruction. This he doth not willingly, or from his heart, Lam. 3.35. but mens ſinnes compel him to it. Surely as many a fowl is ſhot with an arrow feathered from her own boyd: and as of the blackbirds ſlime is made the lime whereby he is taken: ſo out of the dung of mens ſinnes doth God make his limetwigs (his judgements I mean) to take them withal. Long they might reſt, would they but let him reſt: but pollution is the forerunner of perdition.

Verſe 11. If a man walking in the ſpirit, &c.] Si vir ventoſus, ſo Junius rendreth it, if a windy and falſe man lie, ſaying, &c. Let a man but feed them with vain hopes and frothy fancies, let him but make fair weather before them when the ſtorm of Gods wrath is ready to break out upon them; let him promiſe them plenty of all things, and propheſie to them of wine and ſtrong drink: as the Popiſh Prieſts in Gerſons time publikely preached to the people, that if any one would hear a Maſſe, he ſhould not on that day be ſtruck blind, nor die ſuddenly, nor want ſufficient ſuſtenance, &c. Theſe call themſelves the Spirituality, or men of the Spirit, (as Hoſea hath it) as if all others to them were carnal, and deſtitute of the ſpirit. They alſo (after the manner of thoſe falſe prophets of old) take to themſelves big-ſwoln titles, and as they increaſe in their pretended holineſſe, ſo they proceed in their titles from Padre benedicto to Padre Angelo, Specul. Europ. then Archangelo, Cherubino, and laſtly Cerephino, which is the top of perfection. But what is all this more then a light flask, or a pillar of ſmoak, which the higher it mounteth, the ſooner it vaniſheth? And what are all ſuch vain boaſters but gloriae animalia, popularis aurae mancipia vilia ac Hierome cals Crates the Philoſopher? may it not fitly be ſaid of them as Hoſ. 9.7. The Prophet is a fool, the ſpiritual man is mad: and as Ezek. 13.3. Surely theſe are fooliſh prophets that follow their own ſpirit, and have ſeen nothing. O Iſrael, they Prophets are like the foxes in the deſert, &c. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land. The Prophets propheſie falſely, and the Prieſts beare rule by their means, and my people love to have it ſo: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jer. 5.31. All will be naught no doubt. There is not a more dangerous creature then a paraſitical Prophet. Ezekiel calleth them the devils dirt-dawbers, chap. 13.10. his upholſters, for they ſowe pillowes, &c. And theſe are Prophets for this people, fit lettice for ſuch lips, dignum patellâ operculum: a ſingular plague of God upon the men of this world, who deſerve to be deceived: for why? they have deſired it, and it beſt pleaſeth their vitiated palats. Moſt people, having firſt flattered themſelves, are well content to be ſoothed up by others: and I cannot but accord him that ſaith, If there were Judges ordained for flattery, they would have no doings: there being ſo very few that will complain, that they are flattered.

Verſe 12. I will ſurely aſſemble, O Iacob, all of thee,] An Evangelicall promiſe (ſaith Diodate, after Others) of gathering together the Univerſall Church under the kingdom of Chriſt, contrary to the precedent diſperſion, verſ. 10. Aſſembling I will aſſemble, and gathering, gather them, ſc. into the boſom of the Church, called therefore Eccleſia (as culled and collected out of the world) and Church, or Kirk, of [non-Latin text not transcribed]: becauſe it belongs to the Lord Chriſt, who gathereth his together, as the hen doth her chickens: and died not for that Nation of Jews onely, but that alſo he might gather together into one, the children of God that were ſcattered abroad, Joh. 11.51, 52. Here, He is called the breaker up: and his Apoſtles likewiſe thoſe that have broken up, and have paſſed thorough the gate, &c. doing great exploits, and ſubduing ſouls to the ohedience of the faith; as here in Britain, where Ceſar himſelf could not break thorow, but Territa quaeſitis oſtendit terga Britannis, as Pompey in Lucan upbraids him. Hence Tertullian ſaith,Britannoruni inacceſſa Romanis loca Chriſti patuerunt. Chriſt brake into thoſe places of Britanny that the Romans could never come at. He is that King againſt whom there is no riſing up, Prov. 30.31. He is Jehovah on the head of his people, or in the fore-front of them, as their Captain Generall, to lead them on, and bring them off ſafely in all encounters. Habent iſta ampliſſimam promiſſionem, ſaith Gualther here: this is an excellent promiſe, and carrieth in it a moſt ſweet conſolation.Quaſi Ante ſignanus & Ductor. Lapid. But I rather think it to be a continuation of the former threatning: I will ſurely aſſemble them, ſc to the ſlaughter. I will gather them together, ſc. that they may be broken in pieces: I will put them (or pen them up) together as the ſheep of Bozrah, that are fat, and fit, and appointed for the ſlaughter. See Eſay 34.6.Eſay 8.9. Bozrah was a rich paſture countrey in Edom, from whence moſt fat ſheep, and meet for meat were ſent to the ſhambles.

As the ſlock in the middeſt of their fold,] So will God, firſt ſhut you up by ſtrait ſieges, and then number you out to the ſword: and ye ſhall all bow down to the ſlaughter, Eſay 65.12. There is a memorable ſtory of the ſuffering of certain good people in Calabria, Anno 1560. by the hands of the bloody Papiſts there. A great ſort of them being thruſt up in one houſe together, as in a ſheep-fold, the executioner comes in: and among them, takes one, and blindfoldeth him with a muffler about his eyes, and ſo leadeth him forth to a larger place, where he commandeth him to kneel down: which being done, he cutteth his throat, and ſo leaving him half-dead, and taking his butchers knife, and muffler all of gore-blood,Acts & Mo[illegible: 2 letters]. fol. 859. cometh again to the reſt; and ſo leading them one after another, he diſpatched them all to the number of eighty eight. In Ireland many like barbarous butcheries have been committed, by thoſe breathing devils the Romiſh Rebels, thoſe fat-wolves worrying Chriſts flock in the midſt of the land. But ſhall they thus eſcape by iniquity? [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Acts 20.29. No verily, in thine anger caſt down that people, O God, Pſal. 56.7. Give them blood again to drink, for they are worthy. A Lapide ſaith, that Bozrah ſignifieth Rome: and that Micah here, after a ſort foretelleth, that the Church of Rome ſhould bee the common ſheep-fold of the ſheep of Chriſt, under one chief ſhepherd the Pope. But this conceit is far fetcht: and Rome (the ſlaughter-houſe of the ſaints) is no otherwiſe Boz[illegible: 1 letter]ah, then that ſhe is of Edom (the Rabbins for Dumah, Eſay 21.11.Jegnaleg[illegible: 2 letters] dam. read Roma, and call the Court of Rome, the wicked kingdome of Edom) and that her brats, as the Vultures young ones, do glut-glut blood (ſo the Hebrew ſoundeth, Job 39.30.) and where the ſl[illegible: 2 letters] a[illegible: 1 letter]e, there is ſhe.

They ſhall make a great noiſe.] Heb. a humming noiſe. By reaſon of the multititude of men, or rather wolves, Lycanthropi, wherewith they are invironed, to their no ſmall heart-break.

Verſe 13. The breaker up is come up before them] The [non-Latin text not transcribed], breach-maker ſhall handle them hardly and cruelly, as Gally-ſlaves, or men condemned to the mine-pits.

Ʋna ſalus victis nullam ſperare ſalutem.

They have broken up] Made havock, and laid heaps upon heaps.

And their king ſhall paſſe before them] Not onely fex populi, but Rex ipſe, ſhall bee carried captive, as were Hoſhea, and Zedekiah, the city being broken up, Jer. 52.7.

And the Lord on the head of them] Jehovah, that man of warre, Exod. 15.3. going before them, as Captain of the enemies forces, to avenge the quarrell of his covenant, Levit. 26.25.