Micah 1:9-16
Micah 1:9
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he
is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
The wound being incurable means that no matter what type
of medicine is applied to the wound it is going to be terminal and that is what
the sin of Samaria was because there was no sign of repentance and return to the
LORD. The sinful ways had begun to
infect Judah also and she was starting to turn away from the LORD and going her
own way into idolatry. Then the
Assyrians would try to sack Jerusalem which Sennacherib attempted to do a few
times but did not succeed.
Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians who had conquered the Assyrians in 605
B.C. at the Battle of Carchemish.
Micah 1:10
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the
house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
The first part of this verse is a quote from David after
the death of Saul.
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in
the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the
daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
(2 Samuel 1:20) Here
Micah is telling them to keep the situation to themselves because if other
enemies find out, they are liable to join forces with Assyrians and make the
situation even worse. The house of
Aphrah is actually “Beth Ophrah” which was on the eastern edge of the Shephela
which was near Ekron one of the chief cities of the Philistines.
The Israelites were to roll themselves in dust as one who was lamenting
in great sorrow for the coming of the Assyrian invasion where they would be
removed totally from their land.
For example in the book of Joshua.
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to
the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and
the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
(Joshua 7:6)
Micah 1:11
Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame
naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel; he
shall receive of you his standing.
The inhabitants of Saphir may point to any of the
beautiful pasture lands located in Israel.
Saphir does not indicate a specific place.
Those who were at ease would now become the property of their conquerors
and the shame of their actions will be made open for all to see.
Zaanan was probably a place where there was a garrison of soldiers.
It may be the proper name of some place but unidentified.
The city of Beth-ezel was besieged by the Assyrians but those who were in
Zanaan did not even come to help them fight off the attackers.
This will result in those who were in Zanaan will receive the same
treatment they failed to give the inhabitants of Beth-ezel in Judah.
Micah 1:12
For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good:
but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
The city of Maroth is unidentified as for its location.
They had waited for good and prosperity to come to their city but they
will be disappointed because it will not come.
The LORD had commanded the Assyrians to attack these small towns and to
take them. The Assyrian attack even
came so close to Jerusalem that it was at their gates but it was not God’s plan
for them to be taken yet.
Micah 1:13
O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the
swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the
transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
Lachish was about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Jerusalem
and about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Micah’s hometown of Moresheth.
Lachish had always been a military fortress and Rehoboam used it as a
strategically important place to protect against the Philistines and Egyptians.
To bind the chariot to the swift beast would have been an attempt to
either oppose the invasion or to make haste to leave the city before the
invasion started. The sin of the
daughter of Zion was found in Lachish because it was the first of the cities in
Judah to fall to the idolatrous ways of Jeroboam.
Not only did Lachish follow in idolatry but they also followed in the
many sins which the ten northern tribes had bathed in.
Micah 1:14
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath: the
houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
Since Israel had influenced Judah to take up the same
sins as they did, those of Judah would attempt to make an alliance with the
Philistines at Moreheth-Gath, which as different from Moresheth in Judah, they
would be sending gifts of tribute and friendship to them to help against the
Assyrians. The city of Achzib would
be a lie to the king in that it had no power to raise an army or even to help
against the invading Assyrians.
Micah 1:15
Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of
Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
Mareshah was about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Lachish.
The heir will be that of the Assyrian who will be heir by means of
conquering the town. Adullam was
famous for its strength and was also a town of defense used by Rehoboam.
Adullam was about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Lachish.
It was at one time a royal city.
The king of Libnah, one; the king
of Adullam, one; (Joshua 12:15)
The glory of Israel is Jerusalem itself which would have been about 18
miles (29 km) northeast of Adullam but Assyria did not go any further.
Micah 1:16
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children;
enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.