Miquéas 7:1

Almeida Revista e Corrigida

Ai de mim! Porque estou como quando so colhidas as frutas do vero, como os rabiscos da vindima: no h cacho de uvas para comer, nem figos temporos que a minha alma desejou.

Parallel Translations

A Biblia Sagrada
Ai de mim! porque estou feito como as colheitas de frutas do vero, como os rabiscos da vindima; no h cacho de uvas para comer, nem figos temporos que a minha alma deseja.

Almeida Revista e Atualizada
Ai de mim! Porque estou como quando so colhidas as frutas do vero, como os rabiscos da vindima: no h cacho de uvas para chupar, nem figos temporos que a minha alma deseja.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

woe: Psalms 120:5, Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 24:16, Jeremiah 4:31, Jeremiah 15:10, Jeremiah 45:3

when they have gathered the summer fruits: Heb. the gatherings of summer

as: Isaiah 17:6, Isaiah 24:13

desired: Isaiah 28:4, Hosea 9:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:29 - shalt not delay Leviticus 19:10 - glean Numbers 13:20 - the firstripe Numbers 18:13 - whatsoever 2 Samuel 16:1 - summer Nehemiah 6:17 - the nobles Psalms 12:1 - godly Proverbs 12:6 - words Jeremiah 5:1 - if there Jeremiah 9:2 - that I had Jeremiah 24:2 - One basket Jeremiah 34:19 - princes Jeremiah 40:10 - summer Amos 8:2 - A basket Obadiah 1:5 - if the Habakkuk 1:3 - General Mark 12:2 - a servant Philippians 4:17 - fruit

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe is me!.... Alas for me unhappy man that I am, to live in such an age, and among such a people, as I do! this the prophet says in his own name, or in the name of the church and people of God in his time; so Isaiah, who was contemporary with him, Isaiah 6:5; see also

Psalms 120:5;

for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage; when there are only an apple or a pear or two, or such sort of fruit, and such a quantity of it left on the top of the tree, or on the outermost branches of it, after the rest are gathered in; or a few single grapes here and there, after the vintage is over; signifying either that he was like Elijah left alone, or however that the number of good men were very few; or that there were very few gathered in by his ministry, converted, taught, and instructed by it; or those that had the name of good men were but very indifferent, and not like those who were in times past; but were as refuse fruit left on trees, and dropped from thence when rotten, and when gathered up were good for little, and like single grapes, small and withered, and of no value; see Isaiah 17:6;

[there is] no cluster to eat; no large number or society of good men to converse with, only here and there a single person; and none that have an abundance of grace and goodness in them, and a large experience of spiritual and divine things; few that attend the ministry of the word; they do not come in clusters, in crowds; and fewer still that receive any advantage by it;

my soul desired the first ripe fruit; the company and conversation of such good men as lived in former times; who had the firstfruits of the Spirit, and arrived to a maturity of grace, and a lively exercise of it; and who were, in the age of the prophet, as scarce and rare as first ripe fruits, and as desirable as such were to a thirsty traveller; see Hosea 9:10. The Targum is,

"the prophet said, woe unto me, because I am as when good men fail, in a time in which merciful men perish from the earth; behold, as the summer fruits, as the gleanings after the vintage, there is no man in whom there are good works; my soul desires good men.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Woe - ^o is me! for I am, as when they have gathered the summer fruits , as the grape-gleanings of the vintage “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts,” Isaiah said at the same time, “is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plants” Isaiah 5:7. Isaiah said, brought forth wild grapes; Micah, that there are but gleanings, few and poor.

It is as though Satan pressed the vineyard of the Lord, and made the most his prey, and few were left to those who glean for Christ; “the foxes have eaten the grapes” Song of Solomon 2:15. Some few remain too high out of their reach, or hidden behind the leaves, or, it may be , falling in the time of gathering, fouled, sullied, marred and stained, yet left.” So in the gleaning there may be three sorts of souls; “two or three in the top of the uppermost bough” Isaiah 17:6, which were not touched; or those unripe, which are but imperfect and poor; or those who had fallen, yet were not wholly carried away. These too are all sought with difficulty; they had escaped the gatherer’s eye, they are few and rare; it might seem at first sight, us though there were none. There is no cluster to eat; for the vintage is past, the best is but as a sour grape which sets the teeth on edge.

My soul desired the first-ripe fig. These are they which, having survived the sharpness of winter, ripen early, about the end of June; they are the sweetest ; but he longed for them in vain. He addressed a carnal people, who could understand only carnal things, on the side which they could understand. Our longings, though we pervert them, are God’s gift. As they desired those things which refresh or recruit the thirsty body, as their whole self was gathered into the craving for that which was to restore them, so was it with him. Such is the longing of God for man’s conversion and salvation; such is the thirst of His ministers; such their pains in seeking, their sorrow in not finding. Dionysius: “There were none, through whose goodness the soul of the prophet might spiritually be refreshed, in joy at his growth in grace, as Paul saith to Philemon, “refresh my bowels in the Lord” Philemon 1:20. So our Lord saith in Isaiah, “I said, I have labored in vain, I hate spent my strength for nought and in vain” Isaiah 49:4. “Jesus was grieved at the hardness of their hearts” Mark 3:5.

Rib.: “The first-ripe fig may be the image of the righteous of old, as the Patriarchs or the Fathers, such as in the later days we fain would see.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER VII

The prophet begins this chapter with lamenting the decay of

piety and the growth of ungodliness, using a beautiful allegory

to imply (as explained in Micah 7:2)

that the good man is as seldom to be met with as the early fig

of best quality in the advanced season, or the cluster after

the vintage, 1, 2.

He then reproves and threatens in terms so expressive of great

calamities as to be applied in the New Testament to times of

the hottest persecution, 3-6. See Matthew 10:35-36.

Notwithstanding which a Jew is immediately introduced

declaring, in the name of his captive people, the strongest

faith in the mercy of God the most submissive resignation to

his will, and the firmest hope in his favour in future times,

when they should triumph over their enemies, 7-10.

The prophet upon this resumes the discourse, and predicts their

great prosperity and increase, 11, 12;

although the whole land of Israel must first be desolated on

account of the great wickedness of its inhabitants, 13.

The prophet intercedes in behalf of his people, 14.

After which God is introduced promising, in very ample terms,

their future restoration and prosperity, 15-17.

And then, to conclude, a chorus of Jews is introduced, singing

a beautiful hymn of thanksgiving, suggested by the gracious

promises which precede, 18-20.

NOTES ON CHAP. VII

Verse Micah 7:1. Wo is me! — This is a continuation of the preceding discourse. And here the prophet points out the small number of the upright to be found in the land. He himself seemed to be the only person who was on God's side; and he considers himself as a solitary grape, which had escaped the general gathering. The word קץ kayits, which is sometimes used for summer, and summer fruits in general, is here translated late figs; and may here, says Bishop Newcome, be opposed to the early ripe fig of superior quality. See on Hosea 9:10, and Amos 8:1-2. He desired to see the first-ripe fruit - distinguished and eminent piety; but he found nothing but a very imperfect or spurious kind of godliness.