TEXT [Commentary]

black diamond   B.   Israel’s Guilt and Punishment (6:9-16)

9 Fear the LORD if you are wise!

His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:

“The armies of destruction are coming;

the LORD is sending them.[*]

10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked

filled with treasures gained by cheating?

What about the disgusting practice

of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?[*]

11 How can I tolerate your merchants

who use dishonest scales and weights?

12 The rich among you have become wealthy

through extortion and violence.

Your citizens are so used to lying

that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.

13 “Therefore, I will wound you!

I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.

14 You will eat but never have enough.

Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.

And though you try to save your money,

it will come to nothing in the end.

You will save a little,

but I will give it to those who conquer you.

15 You will plant crops

but not harvest them.

You will press your olives

but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.

You will trample the grapes

but get no juice to make your wine.

16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;

you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!

Therefore, I will make an example of you,

bringing you to complete ruin.

You will be treated with contempt,

mocked by all who see you.”

NOTES

6:9 Fear the LORD. The MT actually reads “see your name” (yir’eh [TH7200, ZH8011]) rather than “fear your name.” The same consonants may be read as “fear” (yare’ [TH3372, ZH3707]), which is the reading the NLT has opted for, along with many other modern versions (NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV). The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The word may signify terror or dread, respect, reverence, and even worship. Here the prophet may have worship in mind, since “the fear of the Lord associated with worship is characterized by obedience to his decrees and commandments” (NIDOTTE 2.530).

wise. The word tushiyah [TH8454, ZH9370] “is associated with prudence and knowledge . . . it means the successful application of sound wisdom” (Andersen and Freedman 2000:546). Perhaps the expression is an example of Micah’s sarcasm since the people had foolishly ignored the teaching of the Hebrew wisdom tradition (cf. Prov 2:12-15; 3:7). Commentators note that the text of 6:9 is badly damaged (cf. the preceding note), “too uncertain to comment upon” according to Alexander, Baker, and Waltke (1988:196-197).

6:10 cheating. Lit., “wickedness, evil” (rasha‘ [TH7563A, ZH8401]). The context of Micah’s indictment suggests the treasures of the rich were secured by dishonest means.

dishonest measures. Lit., a “short ephah” (’epath razon [TH374/7332, ZH406/8137]). The ephah was a standardized unit of dry measure equivalent to approximately one-half bushel (cf. Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas 2000:786). Defrauding consumers with false measures was a violation of Mosaic law; such practices are detestable to God (Lev 19:35-36; Deut 25:13-16; cf. Amos 8:5).

6:11 dishonest scales and weights. The “scales of wickedness” (mo’zene resha‘ [TH3976/7562, ZH4404/8400]) refers to the vendor’s trick of tampering with the balance bar and two scale pans in such a way that the consumer was shorted in the amount of product actually purchased. The “bag of false weights” (kis ’abene mirmah [TH3599/68/4820, ZH3967/74/5327]) refers to the deception of using stone weights heavier than the standard shekel weight utilized in commercial dealings. Defrauding consumers with false weights was a violation of Mosaic law (Lev 19:35-36; Deut 25:13-16).

6:12 violence. In the OT prophets the word (khamas [TH2555, ZH2805]) describes various forms of exploitation of the socially disadvantaged, accomplished by means of physical and psychological violence (cf. NIDOTTE 2.177-179).

lying. The word (sheqer [TH8267, ZH9214]) indicates pretentious behavior and deceptive words, “breaking faith with others by presenting deception/falsehood rather than truth” (NIDOTTE 4.248). The word is understood as false testimony in the ninth commandment of the Decalogue (Exod 20:16; see note on Mic 2:11).

6:13 ruin. The curses threatened against Israel for covenant disobedience include “ruin” or “desolation” (shamem [TH8074, ZH9037]; cf. Lev 26:31-32).

6:14 never have enough. The irony of the sins of selfishness like greed and covetousness is that those who fall prey to them are never satisfied (cf. Prov 27:20; Eccl 1:8; 5:10).

6:15 plant crops but not harvest them. The curses for covenant disobedience include being denied the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of one’s labors, whether in the field, orchard, or vineyard (cf. Deut 28:30, 33, 38-40).

6:16 laws of evil King Omri. Although King Omri predated Micah by more than a century, “the text assumes that the sins of the infamous Omri and Ahab have become legendary and serve as a paradigm of apostasy, turpitude, cupidity, and injustice” (Alexander, Baker, and Waltke 1988:199). The OT record preserves no specific laws or rulings exemplifying the evil character of Omri’s reign (cf. 1 Kgs 16:21-28).

example of wicked King Ahab. Micah referred, no doubt, to Ahab’s marriage to the Tyrian princess Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31), the subsequent importation of the Phoenician Baal cult into the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kgs 16:32-33), and Ahab’s murder of Naboth for the purpose of seizing his vineyard as “crown property” (1 Kgs 21).

COMMENTARY [Text]

The second message (6:9-16) in the Book of Judgment and Pardon (6:1–7:20) is a judgment oracle. The passage is a continuation of the lawsuit oracle of the preceding speech (6:1-5) and includes the indictments against Israel (6:9-12) and the sentence (6:13-16). “Micah now shuts the door that left open the possibility of restoration (6:1-8) and publicly proclaims the sentence condemning the city to destruction” (Alexander, Baker, and Waltke 1988:196).

Micah employed vocabulary connected especially with the book of Proverbs, indicating his familiarity with the Hebrew wisdom tradition (i.e., “Fear the LORD,” and “wise”; see notes on 6:9). The Hebrews understood the way of wisdom as instruction that prompted the practical outworking of godliness in human behavior. Yet, they also recognized that wisdom was more than the mere teachings of the sages or the distillation of human experience garnered over the years and passed on to the next generation. The ultimate goal of Hebrew wisdom was a proper relationship to Yahweh, the very God of Wisdom (Job 12:13; Isa 31:1-2). This “Lord who is wise” has revealed his knowledge and understanding in creation, and he continues to display his wisdom in the providential oversight of human affairs and rule of the nations (e.g., Ps 104:24; Prov 3:19; Isa 10:13). As the God of wisdom, he also grants this gift to those searching for it like hidden treasure (1 Kgs 3:28; Prov 2:4; Dan 2:21). This implies an active search for wisdom on our parts, much like the miner who extracts precious gems from the rock-cut caves of the mountains (cf. Job 28). Thankfully, the New Testament also teaches us that the pursuit of divine wisdom is ultimately an exercise in prayer, since God liberally dispenses wisdom to those who ask him for it (Jas 1:5).

The Old Testament expression “the fear of the LORD” best conveys this relational dimension of Hebrew wisdom (Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7). The fear of the Lord was the foundation of Hebrew wisdom, and the tenet represents a theological matrix of interrelated ideas, attitudes, and actions, including the following:

  1. The desire to gain understanding arising from a decision grounded in the human will (Prov 1:29; 2:5)
  2. Awe and reverence for the God of creation and redemption that prompts genuine worship and willing obedience to his commands (Prov 24:21)
  3. Dread at God’s holiness and trepidation of his divine judgment (Eccl 12:13-14)
  4. Faith and trust in God’s plan for human life, and a rejection of self-reliance (Ps 115:1; Prov 3:5-6)
  5. Hating and avoiding evil, and a refusal to envy the wicked (Prov 3:7; 9:13; 16:6; 23:17)
  6. Generally the reward of prosperity (whether material or spiritual) and long life to the prudent (Prov 10:27; 14:27; 19:23)
  7. Disciplined instruction that instills wisdom, humility, and honor (Prov 15:33; 22:4)

The personification of wisdom in the book of Proverbs also illustrates the relational aspects of the theological concept of the fear of the Lord. Wisdom is portrayed both as an itinerant female teacher seeking students at the city gates (Prov 8:1-12) and as a preexistent master architect involved in the design and implementation of God’s creative works (Prov 8:22-31). In each case, special emphasis is placed on the experience of a relationship with the person of wisdom.

The New Testament further develops this concept of the person of wisdom by identifying Jesus the Messiah as the pre-existent One by whom God created all things and in whom all things hold together (Col 1:15-17). Elsewhere the apostle Paul indicates that the Christian’s journey in the way of wisdom begins when he or she acknowledges that God made Christ to be wisdom itself for our benefit (1 Cor 1:30). Even the heavenly worshipers praise the Lamb as the only one worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, and glory (Rev 5:12). Micah subtly reminds us that in our worship of God we worship the person in whom all wisdom dwells—Jesus the Messiah.