Jamieson, Fausset & Brown :: Commentary on Micah 7

The Book of Micah

Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET

CHAPTER 7

Mic 7:1-20. THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CORRUPTION; THE CHOSEN REMNANT, DRIVEN FROM EVERY HUMAN CONFIDENCE, TURNS TO GOD; TRIUMPHS BY FAITH OVER HER ENEMIES; IS COMFORTED BY GOD'S PROMISES IN ANSWER TO PRAYER, AND BY THE CONFUSION OF HER ENEMIES, AND SO BREAKS FORTH INTO PRAISES OF GOD'S CHARACTER.

      1. I am as when, &c.--It is the same with me as with one seeking fruits after the harvest, grapes after the vintage. "There is not a cluster" to be found: no "first-ripe fruit" (or "early fig"; see on JF & B for Isa 28:4) which "my soul desireth" [MAURER]. So I look in vain for any good men left ( Mic 7:2 ).

      2. The Hebrew expresses "one merciful and good in relation to man," rather than to God.
      is perished out of the earth-- ( Psa 12:1 ).

      3. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly--literally, "Their hands are for evil that they may do it well" (that is, cleverly and successfully).
      the great man, he--emphatic repetition. As for the great man, he no sooner has expressed his bad desire (literally, the "mischief or lust of his soul), than the venal judges are ready to wrest the decision of the case according to his wish.
      so they wrap it up--The Hebrew is used of intertwining cords together. The "threefold cord is not quickly broken" ( Ecc 4:12 ); here the "prince," the "judge," and the "great man" are the three in guilty complicity. "They wrap it up," namely, they conspire to carry out the great man's desire at the sacrifice of justice.

      4. as a brier--or thorn; pricking with injury all who come in contact with them ( 2Sa 23:6, 7 Isa 55:13 Eze 2:6 ).
      the day of thy watchmen--the day foretold by thy (true) prophets, as the time of "thy visitation" in wrath [GROTIUS]. Or, "the day of thy false prophets being punished"; they are specially threatened as being not only blind themselves, but leading others blindfold [CALVIN].
      now--at the time foretold, "at that time"; the prophet transporting himself into it.
      perplexity-- ( Isa 22:5 ). They shall not know whither to turn.

      5. Trust ye not in a friend--Faith is kept nowhere: all to a man are treacherous ( Jer 9:2-6 ). When justice is perverted by the great, faith nowhere is safe. So, in gospel times of persecution, "a man's foes are they of his own household" ( Mat 10:35, 36 Luk 12:53 ).
      guide--a counsellor [CALVIN] able to help and advise (compare Psa 118:8, 9 146:3 ). The head of your family, to whom all the members of the family would naturally repair in emergencies. Similarly the Hebrew is translated in Jos 22:14 and "chief friends" in Pro 16:28 [GROTIUS].
      her that lieth in thy bosom--thy wife ( Deu 13:6 ).

      6. son dishonoureth the father--The state of unnatural lawlessness in all relations of life is here described which is to characterize the last times, before Messiah comes to punish the ungodly and save Israel (compare Luk 21:16 2Ti 3:1-3 ).

      7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord--as if no one else were before mine eyes. We must not only "look unto the Lord," but also "wait for Him." Having no hope from man ( Mic 7:5, 6 ), Micah speaks in the name of Israel, who herein, taught by chastisement ( Mic 7:4 ) to feel her sin ( Mic 7:9 ), casts herself on the Lord as her only hope," in patient waiting ( Lam 3:26 ). She did so under the Babylonian captivity; she shall do so again hereafter when the spirit of grace shall be poured on her ( Zec 12:10-13 ).

      8. Rejoice not--at my fall.
      when I fall, I shall arise-- ( Psa 37:24 Pro 24:16 ).
      when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light--Israel reasons as her divine representative, Messiah, reasoned by faith in His hour of darkness and desertion ( Isa 50:7, 8, 10 ). Israel addresses Babylon, her triumphant foe (or Edom), as a female; the type of her last and worst foes ( Psa 137:7, 8 ). "Mine enemy," in Hebrew, is feminine.

      9. bear--patiently.
      the indignation of the Lord--His punishment inflicted on me ( Lam 3:39 ). The true penitent "accepts the punishment of his iniquity" ( Lev 26:41, 43 ); they who murmur against God, do not yet know their guilt ( Job 40:4, 5 ).
      execute judgment for me--against my foe. God's people plead guilty before God; but, in respect to their human foes, they are innocent and undeserving of their foes' injuries.
      bring me forth to the light--to the temporal and spiritual redemption.
      I shall behold his righteousness--His gracious faithfulness to His promises ( Psa 103:17 ).

      10. shame shall cover her--in seeing how utterly mistaken she was in supposing that I was utterly ruined.
      Where is. . . thy God-- ( Psa 42:3, 10 ). If He be "thy God," as thou sayest, let Him come now and deliver thee. So as to Israel's representative, Messiah ( Mat 27:43 ).
      mine eyes shall behold her--a just retribution in kind upon the foe who had said, "Let our eye look upon Zion." Zion shall behold her foe prostrate, not with the carnal joy of revenge, but with spiritual joy in God's vindicating His own righteousness ( Isa 66:24 Rev 16:5-7 ).
      shall she be trodden down--herself, who had trodden down me.

      11. thy walls. . . be built--under Cyrus, after the seventy years' captivity; and again, hereafter, when the Jews shall be restored ( Amo 9:11 Zec 12:6 ).
      shall the decree be far removed--namely, thy tyrannical decree or rule of Babylon shall be put away from thee, "the statutes that were not good" ( Eze 20:25 ) [CALVIN]. Psa 102:13-16 Isa 9:4. The Hebrew is against MAURER'S translation, "the boundary of the city shall be far extended," so as to contain the people flocking into it from all nations ( Mic 7:12 Isa 49:20 54:2 ).

      12. In that day also--rather, an answer to the supposed question of Zion, When shall my walls be built? "The day (of thy walls being built) is the day when he (that is, many) shall come to thee from Assyria," &c. [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. The Assyrians (including the Babylonians) who spoiled thee shall come.
      and from the fortified cities--rather, to suit the parallelism, "from Assyria even to Egypt." (Matzor may be so translated). So Assyria and Egypt are contrasted in Isa 19:23 [MAURER]. CALVIN agrees with English Version, "from all fortified cities."
      from the fortress even to the river--"from Egypt even to the river" Euphrates (answering in parallelism to "Assyria") [MAURER]. Compare Isa 11:15, 16 19:23-25 27:13 Hsa 11:11 Zec 10:10.

      13. However glorious the prospect of restoration, the Jews are not to forget the visitation on their "land" which is to intervene for the "fruit of (evil caused by) their doings" (compare Pro 1:31 Isa 3:10, 11 Jer 21:14 ).

      14. Feed thy people--Prayer of the prophet, in the name of his people to God, which, as God fulfils believing prayer, is prophetical of what God would do. When God is about to deliver His people, He stirs up their friends to pray for them.
      Feed--including the idea of both pastoral rule and care over His people ( Mic 5:4, Margin), regarded as a flock ( Psa 80:1 100:3 ). Our calamity must be fatal to the nation, unless Thou of Thy unmerited grace, remembering Thy covenant with "Thine heritage" ( Deu 4:20 7:6 32:9 ), shalt restore us.
      thy rod--the shepherd's rod, wherewith He directs the flock ( Psa 23:4 ). No longer the rod of punishment ( Mic 6:9 ).
      which dwell solitarily in the wood, in. . . Carmel--Let Thy people who have been dwelling as it were in a solitude of woods (in the world, but not of it), scattered among various nations, dwell in Carmel, that is, where there are fruit-bearing lands and vineyards [CALVIN]. Rather, "which are about to dwell (that is, that they may dwell) separate in the wood, in. . . Carmel" [MAURER], which are to be no longer mingled with the heathen, but are to dwell as a distinct people in their own land. Micah has here Balaam's prophecy in view (compare Mic 6:5, where also Balaam is referred to). "Lo, the people shall dwell alone" ( Num 23:9; compare Deu 33:28 ). To "feed in the wood in Carmel," is to feed in the rich pastures among its woods. To "sleep in the woods," is the image of most perfect security ( Eze 34:25 ). So that the Jews' "security," as well as their distinct nationality, is here foretold. Also Jer 49:31.
      Bashan--famed for its cattle ( Psa 22:12 Amo 4:1 ). Parallel to this passage is Jer 50:19. Bashan and Gilead, east of Jordan, were chosen by Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, as abounding in pastures suited for their many cattle ( Num 32:1-42 Deu 3:12-17 ).

      15. thy. . . him--both referring to Israel. So in Mic 7:19 the person is changed from the first to the third, "us. . . our. . . their." Jehovah here answers Micah's prayer in Mic 7:14, assuring him, that as He delivered His people from Egypt by miraculous power, so He would again "show" it in their behalf ( Jer 16:14, 15 ).

      16. shall see--the "marvellous things" ( Mic 7:15 Isa 26:11 ).
      confounded at all their might--having so suddenly proved unavailing: that might wherewith they had thought that there is nothing which they could not effect against God's people.
      lay. . . hand upon. . . mouth--the gesture of silence ( Job 21:5 40:4 Psa 107:42 Isa 52:15 ). They shall be struck dumb at Israel's marvellous deliverance, and no longer boast that God's people is destroyed.
      ears. . . deaf--They shall stand astounded so as not to hear what shall be said [GROTIUS]. Once they had eagerly drunk in all rumors as so many messages of victories; but then they shall be afraid of hearing them, because they continually fear new disasters, when they see the God of Israel to be so powerful [CALVIN]. They shall close their ears so as not to be compelled to hear of Israel's successes.

      17. lick the dust--in abject prostration as suppliants ( Psa 72:9; compare Isa 49:23 65:25 ).
      move out of their holes--As reptiles from their holes, they shall come forth from their hiding-places, or fortresses ( Psa 18:45 ), to give themselves up to the conquerors. More literally, "they shall tremble from," that is, tremblingly come forth from their coverts.
      like worms--reptiles or crawlers ( Deu 32:24 ).
      they shall be afraid of the Lord--or, they shall in fear turn with haste to the Lord. Thus the antithesis is brought out. They shall tremble forth from their holes: they shall in trepidation turn to the Lord for salvation (compare Note, see on JF & B for Ho 3:5, and Jer 33:9 ).
      fear because of thee--shall fear Thee, Jehovah (and so fear Israel as under Thy guardianship). There is a change here from speaking of God to speaking to God [MAURER]. Or rather, "shall fear thee, Israel" [HENDERSON].

      18. Grateful at such unlooked-for grace being promised to Israel, Micah breaks forth into praises of Jehovah.
      passeth by the transgression--not conniving at it, but forgiving it; leaving it unpunished, as a traveller passes by what he chooses not to look into ( Pro 19:11 ). Contrast Amo 7:8, and "mark iniquities," Psa 130:3.
      the remnant--who shall be permitted to survive the previous judgment: the elect remnant of grace ( Mic 4:7 5:3, 7, 8 ).
      retaineth not. . . anger-- ( Psa 103:9 ).
      delighteth in mercy--God's forgiving is founded on His nature, which delights in loving-kindness, and is averse from wrath.

      19. turn again--to us, from having been turned away from us.
      subdue our iniquities--literally, "tread under foot," as being hostile and deadly to us. Without subjugation of our bad propensities, even pardon could not give us peace. When God takes away the guilt of sin that it may not condemn us, He takes away also the power of sin that it may not rule us.
      cast. . . into. . . depths of the sea--never to rise again to view, buried out of sight in eternal oblivion: not merely at the shore side, where they may rise again.
      our. . . their--change of person. Micah in the first case identifying himself and his sins with his people and their sins; in the second, speaking of them and their sins.

      20. perform the truth--the faithful promise.
      to Jacob. . . Abraham--Thou shalt make good to their posterity the promise made to the patriarchs. God's promises are called "mercy," because they flow slowly from grace; "truth," because they will be surely performed ( Luk 1:72, 73 1Th 5:24 ).
      sworn unto our fathers-- ( Psa 105:9, 10 ). The promise to Abraham is in Gen 12:2; to Isaac, in Gen 26:24; to Jacob, in Gen 28:13. This unchangeable promise implied an engagement that the seed of the patriarchs should never perish, and should be restored to their inheritance as often as they turned wholly to God ( Deu 30:1, 2 ).