235-46; 1889, pp. 431-53; 1892, pp. 329-60. Kosters, De Samenstelling van het boek Micha, in ThT., 1893, pp. 249-74. Volz, Die vorexilische Jahweprophetie und der Messias (1897), 63-67. K. J. Grimm, Euphemistic Liturgical Appendixes in the Old Testament (1901), 78–81, 94 f.. Stade, in ZAW., XXIII (1903), 163– 71, on Mi. 124 and 77-20. See also the literature cited in § 1 of Introduction.

3. On Interpretation.

The modern movement in the interpretation of Micah began with Ewald's commentary (1840; 2d ed., 1867). Among later commentators may be mentioned Roorda, Commentarius in Vaticinium Michae (1869), a keen textual critic. Reinke, Der Prophet Micha (1874). Hitzig-Steiner, Die zwölf kleinen Propheten (1881). Cheyne, Micah, with Notes and Introduction (1882). Orelli, The Twelve Minor Prophets (1888; 3d ed., 1908; Engl. transl., 1893). Elhorst, De Profetie van Micha (1891). Wellhausen, Die kleinen Propheten übersetzt und erklärt (1892; 3d ed., 1898). G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets (1896). Nowack, Die kleinen Propheten übersetzt und erklärt (1897; 2d ed. 1904). Marti, Dodeka propheton erklärt (1904). Halévy, in Revue sémitique, XII and XIII (1904 f.). A. van Hoonacker, Les douze petits prophètes (1908). Margolis, Micah (1908).

Special phases and passages receive consideration in the following: H. Oort, Het Beth-Efraat van Micha V: 1, in ThT., V (1871), 501-11. Kuenen, De Koning uit Beth-Ephrat, ibid., VI (1872), 45-66. Oort, Ter verklaring van Micha III-V. Nog iets over Beth-Efraat en Migdal-Eder, ibid., VI, 273-79. M. J. de Goeje, Ter verklaring van Micha III-V. Proeve van verklaring van Micha IV: 1-V: 2, ibid., VI, 279-84. Kuenen, Ter verklaring van Micha III-IV. Nalezing, ibid., VI, 285-302. Duhm, Die Theologie der Propheten (1875), pp. 178-93. Wildeboer, De profeet Micha en zijne beteekenis voor het verstand der profetie onder Israel (1884). W. R. Smith, The Prophets of Israel and Their Place in History (2d ed., 1895). Guthe's Translation and Notes in Kautzsch's Heilige Schrift des Alten Testaments (3d ed., 1909). Kent's Translation and Notes in Sermons, Epistles

and Apocalypses of Israel's Prophets (1910). M. Rahmer, Die hebräischen Traditionen in den Werken des Hieronymus. Die Commentarïï zu den zwölf kleinen Propheten. Heft 2, Obadja, Jona, Micha. (1902).

A COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK

OF MICAH.

A. CHAPTERS 1-3.

§ 1. The Superscription (11).

This states the authority of the utterance and the author's name and clan, together with the period of his activity and the subjectmatter of his writings.

1. The word of Yahweh] This term is usually employed for the work of the prophet. V. H.AH, 201 f..-Which came unto] This use of the verb is common in prophetic utterance: in the superscriptions of Ho., Jo., Jon., Zp., Hg., Zc., Je., and also Hg. 21. 10. 20 Zc. 1748 610 74. 8 81 Is. 2813 384; and exceedingly common in the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It is part of a larger usage representing the meaning come into existence, become. Cf. Gn. 13 and Mi. 7, where it is parallel to 81-Micah] Little is known of the life of this prophet, except that he was of rustic origin, preached in the days of Hezekiah and made so profound an impression as to be still remembered in the days of Jeremiah, nearly a century later (Je. 2618).-The Morashtite] Of the eight men named Micah, or Micaiah, in the Old Testament, the two leading ones are the Micah of our book and Micaiah ben Imlah (1 K. 22.), a contemporary of Ahab.* The appellation of Morashtite, distinguishing the former and occurring only here and in Je. 2618, is a gentilic adjective derived from the name Moresheth (11), which in all probability was the prophet's home.—In the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah] A later addition,† for the substantial truth of which evidence is furnished by Je. 2618; but no sufficient grounds exist for believing Micah to have prophesied in the days of Jotham.-Which he perceived] This emphasises the character

* V. H.AH, lv, lvi.

† V. i.; and Introduction, § 3.

of the prophet's message as a divine revelation.-Concerning Samaria and Jerusalem] An accurate summary of the contents of Micah's prophecies, whether the destruction of Samaria spoken of in 15-7 be already past or yet to come.

The superscription seems to be of Judean origin, since no mention is made of the contemporary kings of Israel. But it cannot in its present form be credited to Micah himself, for none of the contents of the book can be assigned to so early a date as the reign of Jotham; the use of nin in the sense of "utter" or "announce" is a sign of late origin (cf. H.AH, 4; Hoffman, ZAW., III, 95); and the latter part of the superscription is similar to the editorial additions in Ho. 1', Is. 1'. The original legend, therefore, was, The word of Yahweh which came to Micah, the Morashtite (so We., Now., Marti, Du.; cf. Che., in CB.).

1. 78 m)797] 6, and the word of the Lord came (so 2,0, A), a free rendering, rather than a different text; Jonah is the only prophetic book beginning, though isolated oracles are not infrequently so introduced, e. g., Je. 14 Ez. 31. Some codd. of 6 (87, 91, 228 and SH) reproduce literally.-] The interpretation of this name as meaning, Who is like (this child)? (Gray, Hebr. Prop. Names, 157; cf. Np, 2 S. 912), is hardly probable, for such a name leaves too much to be supplied by the imagination. It is better taken as a shorter form of (so Kt., Je. 2618); cf. pp (2 Ch. 177) and mpp (1 K. 228), meaning, Who is like Yahu? Cƒ. 17, the form of the divine name in the Assouan Papyri and the form found both as prefix and as affix on the

=

=

ostraca recently discovered at Samaria. Analogous forms are ??, and the Assyrian mannu-ki-ilu-rabu who is like the great God? and mannu-ki-Adad who is like Adad (Gray, Hebr. Prop. Names, 157; Fried. Delitzsch, Prol., 210). The longer and the shorter forms are used interchangeably in the later literature. Cf. 6, Meixalav; Kt. and Qr. in Je. 2618 2 K. 2212 and 2 Ch. 3420; and Ju. 171.4, wherein a long form appears, while the short form prevails in the rest of chs. 17 and 18; in 171.4 GB reproduces the long form of M, T has the long form in v. 1, but the short in v., and GAIS have the short form in both verses. There is no good reason to suppose that this equivalence does not rest upon sound tradition.—p] Cf. 1". 6, Tòv Toû Mwpaσbel, treating it as a patronymic; in Je. 2618 6 has 8 Mwpa@irns, several mss. omit the σ from before here; this is due to the similar pronunciation of the two letters. T, ; similarly ✪, mistakenly connecting it with the Mareshah of 115] 2 mss. of de R. prefix (any.—apım] 6 S prefix conj.; hence, and because asyndeton is uncommon in historical prose, Ro. emends to 'n; but cf. Is. 11 Ho. 1', where & again inserts kal; the fact that the form 'n occurs in Chronicles 35 times, while the shorter form

is found only 5 times, likewise argues for the full form in this late superscription.—] 6, vwèp ŵv, a rendering made necessary by the literal translation of as saw. Cf. T, which renders in, he prophesied.—1] V. i. on vv..'; on form, cf. Assy., Sa-me-ri-na.—ohann] V. H.AH, 47.

§ 2 The Doom of Israel (12-9).

This oracle resolves itself into six strophes of four lines each. (1) The announcement of Yahweh's appearance in judgment (v.). (2) The convulsions of nature attendant upon his coming (vv. 3. a. b). (3) The occasion of this punitive manifestation is the sin of Israel, especially as represented in the capital cities (v.). (4) Yahweh states that Samaria is to be razed to the ground because of her sins (v.). (5) Therefore does the prophet break forth into inconsolable lamentation (v. 8). (6) For the destruction is irremediable and will extend even to Jerusalem (v.).

HEAR ye, peoples all;

Hearken, O earth, and her fulness.

Yahweh will become a witness against you,
The Lord from his holy temple.

YEA, see! Yahweh is coming forth from his place;
He will descend upon the heights of the earth;
And the mountains will melt under him,

And the valleys be cloven asunder.

FOR the transgression of Jacob is all this,

And for the sin of the house of Judah.

What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria?
And what is Judah's sin? Is it not Jerusalem?

THEREFORE will I turn Samaria into a field,
Into a planted vineyard;

And I will pour down her stones into the valley,

And lay bare her foundations.

FOR this, let me lament and wail;

Let me go barefoot and stripped;

Let me make lamentation like the jackals,

And mourning like the daughters of the desert.

FOR her stroke is incurable.

Yea, it comes even to Judah;

It reaches unto the gate of my people,

Even unto Jerusalem.

The measure of this poem is trimeter, with an occasional rise to a tetrameter or a descent to dimeter (in v. ', where the elegiac movement appears in perfect harmony with the contents of the str.). The first three