Bible Commentaries
Micah 6

Verse 1

Mic 6:1. The writers of the Bible do not always adhere strietty to chronology In their treatment of subjects. The preceding chapter closes with a prediction of the return from the captivity; the present one comes back and resumes the complaints against Israel for her unfaithfulness to God. Israel is called upon to contend or defend herself if such a thing can be done truthfully. Before the 'mountains. If you have a just defence for your conduct let the whole world hear It.

Verse 2

Mic 6:2. But while the universe is to hear the defence of Israel (if she can produce any), the Lord will also make His complaints just as public. He has a controversy or accusation to make against the ungrateful naLion.

Verse 3

Mic 6:3. The Lord challenges his people to point out any fact that they can justly call mistreatment from Him.

Verse 4

Mic 6:4. We know (and Israel knew) that no truthful complaint could be made against God in his treatment of his people. On the other hand, God had clone much for Israel that should have induced her to cling faithfully to a life of true devotion. After being in bondage under the Egyptians for four centuries, the Lord brought them out a free people and started them on their way toward the land that had been promised to their fathers. And they were not left to wander in uncertainty as they journeyed toward their goal, but had the helpful presence of the three members of one family; Moses to give them law, Aaron to assist him in the addresses to kings, and Miriam to strengthen their morale with her songs and music.

Verse 5

Mic 6:5. God reminds his people of some things that were done in their defence against the enemies. After they had about completed their journey through the wilderness they were opposed by the Moabite king Balak. His iniquity was made worse in that he consulted with another wicked person who was a degenerate prophet. The Bible always regards sins that are done as a conspiracy in a worse light than done independently of others, and this sort of conspiracy was committed between Balak and Balaam.

Verse 6

Mic 6:6. This and the following verse sound like a penitent and complete confession on the part of Israel for the sins of the nation. It doubtless might have been the sincere senti-ments of some individuals in the nation, but it certainly was not an expression of the nation as a whole. I understand the passage to be the prophet's way of showing what should have been the attitude manifested, and my comments will be made on that basis. The nation as a whole had become so corrupt, that it was inconsistent to come witli the outward rituals of animal sacrifices. Such for-malities had been ordained by the law of Moses and were right in themselves, but whem they were performed in con-nection with so much abomination as these leaders practiced, the whole service was displeasing to God and he rejected it all. See the long note offered with the comments on Isa 1:10 in volume 3 of this Commentary.

Verse 7

Mic 6:7. The suggested appropriate confession is continued through this verse, but with stronger terms as to the offerings made to God. The great number of animals would not avail anywise if the corruptions in their general lives were continued. Olive oil in small amounts was prescribed by the law and the Lord blessed the service when it was accompanied by a consistent life; but if not, even thousands of rivers of it would count for nothing. God never authorized human sacrifice although some heathen people practiced it. The performance furnished an appropriate illustration to be used as a most significant, kind of emphasis. For a sinful Jew to sacrifice his child in atonement for his spiritual iniquity, would in reality be offering a part of his flesh to atone for the corruption of his soul.

Verse 8

Mic 6:8. As if the preceding two verses were the actual inquiry of a penitent man of Israel, the prophet makes an almost verbatim quotation from the wTlting of Moses in Deu 10:12. The requirements were general in their statement, hut had they been honestly respected it wouid have prevented the leaders from committing their cruelties against the poor, and then their sacrifices of animals would have been acceptable to God as a discharge of a duty enjoined by the divine law.

Verse 9

Mic 6:9. The declaration in the preceding verse is by the voice of the Lord, and a wise man will recognize the name of Jehovah in it. Hear ye the rod means to take heed to the chastening rod of the Almighty, and realize that it was He who appointed it.

Verse 10

Mic 6:10. The question form of accusation is again used in this verse. Treasures of wickedness refers to the gain the leaders held which they obtained unjustly from the poor. Scant measure signifies one of the means by which the poor were defrauded out of t.helr possessions. It was by tampering with the legal scales and weights to be used in business transactions. (See Amo 8:5.)

Verse 11

Mic 6:11, Shall 1 count them pure is rendered "shall I be pure” in the margin, and the American Standard Version also gives us that rendering. MoiTatt translates It “Song of Solomon 1 condone wrong balances?” The thought is that if God were to tolerate or accept the dishonest dealings of the people, then He would not be pure from such evils either.

Verse 12

Mic 6:12. This verse is a direct charge against the rich men in the nation. That was not because they were rich but because they had ob-tained their wealth by violence against the poor and helpless. The people were not entirely free from guilt, for they did not make the protest they should but seemed to defend the unrighteous deeds of the very ones who were robbing them, even doing it with speeches of falsehood. The explanation of the strange attitude is indicated by Jer 5:31 and chapter 3: 5 of this book. In order to avoid any unpleasant predictions and other teaching from the prophets, the people were willing to be defrauded and would even He about it. This was their “bribe” to induce the wicked leaders to keep their unpleasant and un-wanted predictions to themselves.

Verse 13

Mic 6:13. The common people were destined also to feel the wrath of God because of their falsehood In behalf of the wicked leaders. They w'ere to be made “sick” in that many disappointments would come to them in their experiences of life.

Verse 14

Mic 6:14. This verse is an indefinite list of the reverses that were to be inflicted upon the people even while they were occupying their owm land. These details could have occurred in so many forms that I do not have any specific history upon it.

Verse 15

Mic 6:15. Regardless of any disappointments that might come upon them in a general way as indicated in the preceding ver3e, we are sure that the present one was fulfilled literally when the nation was taken into exile and the foreign people reaped the benefit of the labors of their captives.

Verse 16

Mic 6:16. Statutes of Omri. He was not the only wicked king in Israel and I know of no special reason for citing him in this connection. It might be suggested, however, that he was the one who founded the City of Samaria a,s the final and permanent capital of the 10-tribe kingdom (1Ki 16:16). and a reference to that city in connection with the national policy was afterward a suggestion of evil. As a punishment for the keeping of the wicked statutes of Omri which he had adopted from Ahab, another wicked king, the Lord threatened to overthrow his people with desolation. That fact would be pleasing in the eyes of the heathen and cause them to hiss and reproach God's people.