Micah 4:1-4 God’s Mountain Will Be Glorified

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church of Manhattan, KS, 15 Sept. 2024
Omitting greyed-out portions should bring spoken delivery down to 45 minutes.

Introduction

vs. 1-2 Exaltation & Influx of the LORD’s House in the Last Days

v. 3 The Divine Judge

vs. 3-4 The Peaceful Results of the Lord’s Rulership



Micah 4:1-7 Side-by side comparison of versionsA

DouayB (Vulgate)

LXXC

BrentonD (Vaticanus)

KJVE

NAW

MICAH4 MTF

ISAIAH2
MT

1 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the moun­tain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the moun­tains, and high above the hills: and people shall flow to it.

1 Καὶ ἔσται ἐπ᾿ ἐσχά­τωνG τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος X X τοῦ κυρίου, ἕτοιμον ἐπὶ τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων, καὶ μετεωρ­ισθήσεται ὑπεράνω τῶν βουνῶν· καὶ σπεύσ­ουσιν πρὸς αὐτὸ λαοί,

1 And at the last days the moun­tain of the X X Lord shall be manifest, established on the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the peoples shall hasten to it.

1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the moun­tain of the house of the LORD shall be estab­lished in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

1 Then it will happen in the latter days that the mountain of the house of Yahweh shall be established at the head of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and peoples will stream over it.

(א) Hוְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית יְהוָה נָכוֹן בְּרֹאשׁI הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא הוּא מִגְּבָעוֹת וְנָהֲרוּJ עָלָיו עַמִּים.

(ב) וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית יְהוָה X בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא X מִגְּבָעוֹת וְנָהֲרוּ אֵלָיו כָּלK הַגּוֹיִם.

2 And many nations shall come in haste, and say: Come, X let us go up to the moun­tain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth out of Sion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem.

2 καὶ πορεύ­σονται ἔθνη πολλὰ καὶ ἐροῦσιν Δεῦτε X ἀνα­βῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος κυρίου καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ Ιακωβ, καὶ δείξ­ουσιν ἡμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πορευ­σόμεθα ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἐκ Σιων ἐξ­ελεύσεται νόμος καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ.

2 And many nations shall go, and say, Come, X let us go up to the moun­tain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and they shall shew us X his wayX, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Sion shall go forth a law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Ja­cob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

2 Indeed, many nations will come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, even to the house of the God of Jacob, so He may teach us from His ways and we may walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the law will go forth, even the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

(ב) Lוְהָלְכוּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּיםM וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶהN אֶל הַר יְהוָה וְאֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר יְהוָה מִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם.

(ג) וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר יְהוָה Xאֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר יְהוָה מִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם.

3 And he shall judge among many peo­pleX, and re­buke X strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plough­shares, and their spears into spades:
nation shall not take sword against na
­tion: neith­er shall they learn war any­more.

3 καὶ κρινεῖ ἀνὰ μέσονO λαῶν πολ­λῶν καὶ ἐξελέγξει ἔθνη ἰσχυ­ρ ἕως [εἰς γῆνP] μακ­ράν, καὶ Qκατα­κόψ­ουσιν τὰς ῥομφαίαςR αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα καὶ τὰ δόραταS αὐτῶν εἰς δρέπανα, [καὶ] οὐκέτιT μὴ ἀντUάρῃ ἔθνος ἐπ᾿ ἔθνος ῥομφαίανV, καὶ οὐκέτι μὴ μάθωσιν πολεμεῖν.

3 And he shall judge among many peoples, and shall rebuke X strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plough­shares, and their spears into sickles; [and] nation shall no more lift up sword against ntion, neither shall they learn to war any more.

3 And he shall judge among many peo­pleX, and re­buke X strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning­hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against na­tion, neith­er shall they learn war any more.

3 And He will judge between many peoples, and He will bring justice to bear toward mighty nations far away; and they shall blacksmith their swords into tillers, and their spears into pruning-tools; nation will not raise a sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.

(ג) Wוְשָׁפַט בֵּין עַמִּים רַבִּיםX וְהוֹכִיחַ לְגוֹיִם עֲצֻמִים עַד Yרָחוֹק וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא יִשְׂאוּ גּוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּןZ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה.

(ד) וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים
X X
X
וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָXם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא יִשָּׂאX גוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה.

Douay (Vulgate)

LXX

Brenton (Vaticanus)

KJV

NAW

MICAH4 MT


4 And every man shall sit under his vine, and under his fig tree, and there shall be none to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken.

4 καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἕκαστοςAA ὑποκάτω ἀμπέλου αὐτοῦ καὶ [ἕκαστοςAB] ὑποκάτω συκῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσταικφοβῶν, διότι τὸ στό­μα κυρίουAC παντοκράτο­ρος ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα.

4 And every one shall rest under his vine, and [every one] under his fig-tree; and there shall be none to alarm them: for the mouth of the Lord Almighty has spoken these words.

4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

4 And each will reside under his grape-vine and under his fig-tree, and there will be no cause for trembling, because the mouth of Yahweh Commander of armies has spoken.

(ד) וְיָשְׁבוּAD אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִידAE כִּי פִי יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר.


5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god: but we X will walk in the name of the Lord, our God, for ever and ever.

5 ὅτι πάν­τες οἱ λαοὶ πορεύσον­ται ἕκαστος τὴν ὁδὸν XAF αὐτοῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲ πορευ­σόμεθα ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου θεοῦ ἡμν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ἐπέκεινα.

5 For all [other] nations shall walk everyone in his own X way, but we X will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we X will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

5 Whereas each and every one of the peoples conduct themselves in the name of their god, as for us, we will conduct ourselves in the name of Yahweh our God for ever and ever.

(ה) כִּיAG כָּל הָעַמִּים יֵלְכוּ אִישׁ בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהָיו וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵלֵךְ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶדAH.


6 In that day, saith the Lord, I will gather up her that halteth: and her that [I] had X cast out, I will gather up: and her whom I had afflicted.

6 ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, λέγ­ει κύριος, συνάξω τὴν συντετριμ­μένην καὶ τὴν ἐξωσμένην εἰσδέξομαι καὶ οὓς ἀπ­ωσάμηνAI·

6 In that day, saith the Lord, I will gather her that is bruised, and will receive her that is cast out, and those whom I rejected.

6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I as­semble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

6 During that time, declares Yahweh, I will gather-in the one who is limping, and I will bring the outcast into the assemblyeven the one to whom I had brought something terrible,

(ו) בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה אֹסְפָהAJ הַצֹּלֵעָהAK וְהַנִּדָּחָהAL אֲקַבֵּצָה וַאֲשֶׁר הֲרֵעֹתִי.


7 And I will make her that halted, X a remnant: and her that had been afflicted, X a mighty nation: and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Sion, from this time now and forever.

7 καὶ θήσομαι τὴν συντε­τριμ­μένην εἰς ὑπόλειμ­μα καὶ τὴν ἀπωσμένην εἰς ἔθνος ἰσχυρόν, καὶ βασιλεύσει κύριος ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἐν ὄρει Σιων ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἕως εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

7 And I will make her that was bruised X a remnant, and her that was reject­ed X a mighty nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth, even for ever.

7 And I will make her that halted X a remnant, and her that was cast far off X a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

7 and I will position the one who is limping to be the one that remains and the one who was far off to become a strong nation, and Yahweh will reign over them at Mt. Zion from now even to forever!

(ז) וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת הַצֹּלֵעָה לִשְׁאֵרִיתAM וְהַנַּהֲלָאָהAN לְגוֹי עָצוּםAO וּמָלַךְ יְהוָה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּהַר צִיּוֹןAP מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.






1Owen quoted Newcome, who in turn cited Lowth with the tentative opinion that Micah copied Isaiah based on Isa. 2:1 “The word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw...” but that seems hardly conclusive. Keil commented, “The originality of the passage in Micah is open to no question,” citing Delitzsch’s Commentary on Isaiah. and Caspari's Micha, pp. 444-5. B. Waltke cited C. Nagelsbach, J.T. Willis, and E. Nielsen in support of Micah being the original, but supported G. von Rad in claiming it was copied from Isaiah. He also cited Hitzig, Ewald, R. Vuillemuier, L. Allen, A.S. Kapelrod, and H. Wildberger in favor of both Isaiah and Micah copying from an anonymous earlier prophet and ably refuted the claims of B. Renaud and G. Wanke that a postexilic editor inserted this into Isaiah and Micah’s books.

2We also see that phenomenon of the Reconstruction blending into the Messianic age in the latter chapters of Isaiah.

3Ezekiel 38:16 is another significant one, the fulfillment of which is debated, but is perhaps future to our modern time.

4Peter adds the phrase “days says God” as reflected in the single quotes I have added to Joel 2:28. The next word “that” is added by the NKJV translator, not a separate word in the original Greek (although it is in the original Hebrew).

5cf. multiple instances in vs. 39-54 and Martha’s statement of faith in that “last day” of resurrection in 11:24.

6Commentators on “last days”
Ibn Ezra (1060 AD): “Not the end of time,” but “during the Messianic era” (quoted by Cohen)
Kimchi (1220) “Whenever the latter days are mentioned in Scripture, the days of the Messiah are always meant.” (quoted by Owen who was quoting Lowth) So also Abarbanel (1500).
Anthony Gilby (1551): “[T]hese tymes of Christe maye worthelye bee called the laste tymes and as Paule calleth it to the Galathians and Ephesyans the fulnesse of tyme, wherein all thinges were fulfilled. The laste tymes also may they be called, because they are mooste neare to the commynge of christ vnto iudgement, whiche shalbe the laste daye of al flesh…” Gilby added that the “last days” would include the time when the Jews come to faith in Jesus as per Romans 11.
J. Calvin (1559): “The extremity of days the Prophet no doubt calls the coming of Christ… this prophecy has been fulfilled… the calling of the Gentiles and consequently our salvation is included in this prophecy. (1 Cor. 10:11)”
M. Henry (1714): “in the last days; that is, as some of the rabbin themselves acknowledge, in the days of the Messiah”
C. F. Keil (1891): “‘at the end of the days’ ... always denotes the Messianic era when used by the prophets (see at Hos. 3:5).”
B. Waltke (2007): “denoting the final period of history so far as the speaker’s perspective reaches… It is not a technical expression for the end of history… rather… [it] varies… seems to mean’the future’ … ‘days to come.”

7“In a figurative, not a physical sense; Zion will be the religious metropolis of the world, the focus of men’s spiritual desire (Kimchi).” ~Cohen cf. Calvin “he speaks here of the eminence of dignity… it would be a spiritual kingdom” Owen’s footnote in Calvin’s commentary: “Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine, interpret it of Christ; while others, namely, Origen, the two Cyrils, and Chrysostom, regard it as signifying the Church; and with the latter most modern commentators [including Owen and Marckius] agree.” Keil, however, wrote, “The mountain of the house of Jehovah is the temple mountain, strictly speaking, Moriah, as the distinction made between the mountain of the house and Zion in Mic. 3:12 clearly shows… [But] This exaltation is of course not a physical one, as Hofmann, Drechsler, and several of the Rabbins suppose, but a spiritual (ethical) elevation above all the mountains. This is obvious from Mic. 4:2, according to which Zion will tower above all the mountains, because the law of the Lord issues from it.” Waltke added: “symbolic significance that it, and the God worshipped there, will be established as the true place of worship in contrast to pagan temple-mountains that rival it… symbolized his universal kingdom (cf. Ps 68:15–18)... higher than any other mountain, showing that I AM’s rule extends throughout the whole earth.”

8Gilby turned it on its head to suggest that it referred to the future repentance of Jews toward faith in Jesus Christ, but Henry saw it clearly depicting the gospel age of the church: “in gospel-times many nations shall flow into the church.”
cf. Waltke: “[T]hese prophecies... embrace a beginning of fulfillment in Israel’s restoration from the exile, a victorious fulfillment in the church age stretching from Christ’s first advent to his parousia, and a consummation in the eschatological new heaven and earth when the spiritual kingdom is coextensive with creation… The “latter days” in Micah 4–5 include the remnant’s restoration from Babylon (4:9–10), the birth of the Messiah (5:1[2]), and his universal rule and everlasting peace (4:1– 4; 5:3[4]).”

9And he will teach us of his ways. Here the Prophet in a few words defines the legitimate worship of God…” ~Calvin

10cf. Anthony Gilby: “fulfylled partlye when it pleased him at the time appointed to send his sonne so to be exalted that he shuld drawe al thinges vnto hym… The ‘hyll of my house’ (my chosen I do meane) ...thys churche and house of the faythfull…. Thus lo the true temple of God and the house wherin the holy gost dwelleth, which ar we, so manye as do beleife.”

11od rechuk, ‘afar off’ ... may intimate a length of time as well as distance of place.” ~Calvin

12Figs and Grapes as blessing are in: Deut. 8:8, 1 Ki. 4:25, 2 Ki. 18:31, Cant. 2:13, Isa. 36:16, Joel 2:22, and Zech. 3:10.

13This in vivid contrast to the panicked flight Micah probably had to make from his unfortified hometown of Moresheth into the walled city of Jerusalem when Sennacherib attacked.

14Keil saw it as future to the “Christian dispensation,” commenting, “the predicted exaltation of the temple mountain is assigned to the period of the completion of the kingdom of God.” Calvin, however, took this prophecy as poetic overstatement and limited these promises only to the church in this age, mostly in a figurative sense, saying, “We now then understand the meaning of the Prophet to be that under the reign of Christ the faithful shall enjoy true and full happiness, as they shall be exempt from trembling and fear.” Calvin’s editor, Owen, quoted Marckius approvingly: “All these predictions must be confined to the nations converted by the word of Jehovah, and brought into Zion, that is, such as truly repent and believe, and must not be extended to all nations indiscriminately.” I prefer Waltke’s take: “The pilgrimage of the nations to Jerusalem symbolized their coming to Mt. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22)… Micah does not have in view a universal carnal kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom that originates in heaven, is directed by the law of heaven, and is journeying heavenward... O.T. worship had, from its beginning, primarily in view the eternal heavenly realities behind the symbols (Ex. 25:9, Heb. 8:5).”

15An allusion to 1 Kings 4:25 “And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.” (NKJV) but projected beyond the peace of Solomon in time and degree.

16“Make America Great Again” – his U.S. Presidential campaign slogan in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

AMy original chart includes the following copyrighted English versions: NASB, NIV, ESV, Bauscher’s version of the Peshitta, and Cathcart’s version of the Targums, but I remove these columns from my public, non-copyrighted edition of this chart so as not to infringe on their copyrights. NAW is my translation. When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics or greyed-out text, I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular. I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scrolls containing Micah 4 are 4Q82 containing part of verses 1-2 and dated between 30-1 BC, The Nahal Hever Greek scroll, containing parts of vs. 3-10 and dated around 25BC and the Wadi Muraba’at Scroll, containing parts verses 1-13 and dated around 135 AD. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX/Vulgate/Peshitta with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

BDouay Old Testament first published by the English College at Douay, A.D. 1609, Revised and Diligently Compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner, Published in 1582, 1609, 1752. As published on E-Sword.

C“Septuagint” Greek Old Testament, edited by Alfred Rahlfs. Published in 1935. As published on E-Sword.

DEnglish translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton, 1851, “based upon the text of the Vaticanus” but not identical to the Vaticanus. As published electronically by E-Sword.

E1769 King James Version of the Holy Bible; public domain. As published electronically by E-Sword.

FFrom the Wiki Hebrew Bible https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%94_%D7%91/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA .
DSS text comes from https://downloads.thewaytoyahuweh.com

G“Modern Bible students should not be misled by the word eschatos … and should not read eschatological meanings into contexts which do not anticipate any kind of an end.” ~G. W. Buchanan (as quoted by Waltke)

HThis verse is word-for-word the same as Isaiah 2:2, except the last word, instead of “peoples,” is “all nations” in Isaiah (and an extra “who”), but no substantial difference in meaning. Calvin made a big deal in his commentary about this address being to the faithful after the previous chapters of warning to the wicked, but I see no emphasis on this in the text, even if it may be a logical deduction.

Iבְּרֹאשׁ, upon (not at) the top of” ~Keil
This word “chief” stands in positive contrast to the corrupt “heads” of the nation criticized in the previous chapter!

JBesides this passage in Micah and Isaiah, this verb only occurs in Jeremiah 31:12 and 51:44.

K“all” is in Isaiah and in the Syriac versions of this verse in Micah, but not in the Hebrew MT or Greek or Latin of Micah (Owen mentions three manuscripts which contain the word “all” but doesn’t identify them.).

LThis verse is word-for-word the same as Isaiah 2:3 except that the first goyim is ammim (“peoples”) in Isaiah – and there is an extra vav conjunction, but no substantial difference in meaning.

M“many” or “great” - Abarbanel, Keil, & Waltke accepted both, but most English versions rendered “many.”

Nʿlh is a technical term for making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem as in Jer. 31:6; Zech. 14:17; Ps. 122:4.” ~Waltke

OAquilla & Symmachus = μεταξυ – synonym for “between/in the middle of.”

PThis phrase is not in Nahal Hever or MT or any other ancient version.

QNahal Hever uses the prefix συν- which doesn’t change the meaning.

RLarge, broad-sword. Nahal Hever uses the synonym μαχαιραν (“sword/saber/knife”).

S“Spears.” Nahal Hever uses the synonym σιβυ- (subsequent letters being illegible); Fields found other manuscripts which used the synonym sibunas (“spears”).

TEti (“yet/still”) not in Nahal Hever. No significant difference in meaning, though.

UN.H. spelled this word with a theta instead of a tau – probably no difference in meaning, as they are related phonemes. The LXX of the parallel passage translates this phase with synonyms: ου ληψεται (“does not take”).

VLarge, broad-sword. Nahal Hever uses the synonym μαχαιραν (“sword/saber/knife”).

WThis verse is almost word-for-word the same as Isaiah 2:4, except for switches between the words for “peoples” and “nations” and the adjective “great” that goes with some of those two words. Micah also adds the adjectives “far and wide” at one point to describe these nations.
Peshitta changes the first verb to 2nd person “you shall judge,” but that is not corroborated by any other manuscripts. (Bausher translated correctly. Lamsa either translated incorrectly or was looking at some other Peshitta edition unknown to me.) Conversely, Calvin’s editor, Owen, cited Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Marckius in support of his opinion that the subject “he” should be “it” - the word of the Gospel” rather than Christ, but Calvin translated it “He.”
Waltke noted that these verbs for “judge” and “teach” in this verse offer a positive contrast to the “judging” and “teaching” of the wicked political and spiritual leaders in the previous chapter.

XThis word is dropped in the Peshitta of Micah and in the Hebrew of Isaiah.

Y“until far away” is not in Isaiah’s edition. It is only found three other places in the HOT as a phrase:
2 Chronicles 26:15 “And he made devices in Jerusalem... So his fame spread far and wide,” (NKJV)
Ezra 3:13 “...the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.” (NKJV)
Isaiah 57:9 “You... sent your ambassadors unto faraway (places)…” (NAW)

ZThis paragogic nun is not in Isaiah. Waltke suggested that it “may denote the certainty of the vision.”

AA“each” cf. Nahal Hever ανηρ (“a man”)

ABNahal Hever, Aquilla, and Theodotion did not repeat this word here as the LXX did, neither did the MT, Vulgate, Peshitta, or Targums.

ACNahal Hever uses YHWH in paleo-Hebrew letters (jwjy) to render the Hebrew name for God. The little that is legible in the following word appears to be a synonym to the LXX “all-powerful” – των δυναμενων (“the powerful one” – greyed-out letters being illegible).

AD“Again (cf. yiśʾ û in 4:3Abα) the [plural] verb is in ad sensum agreement with the singular subject. As gôy … gôy in 4:3Abα broke down gôyim of 4:2A and 4:3A into individuals, so ʾîš (man) (cf. 2:11) breaks down gôy even further to each of its individuals.” ~Waltke

AEWaltke commented that the “Participle… emphasizes a durative situation.”

AFNahal Hever is mostly illegible at this point, but it is about 10 characters shorter than the LXX. Dropping out the “each man” (which is in the MT, but which N.H. dropped out earlier) and then following the MT (and other ancient versions ) with “in the name of its god” would fit. Fields found other Greek manuscripts reading with the MT εν ονοματι θεου.

AG“consessive… ‘even if’” ~Waltke

AH“unending perpetuity” ~Waltke

AIN.H. reads the synonymous phrase ‘αν εκακωσα (“whom I had harmed” - greyed-out letters being illegible).

AJThe paragogic/cohortative he endings on the verbs in this verse (“let me gather… let me assemble”) carry an emphasis that is hard to translate into English.

AKThis verb “to limp” is only found in Gen. 32:32 and Zeph. 3:19. This and the next word for “outcast/exiled” are both feminine in Hebrew, which is hard to bring over into English, but perhaps is intended to connote weakness and to elicit compassion. Israel is sometimes referred to in the feminine gender in the Old Testament, and the church is always feminine in the New Testament. There is only one ancient manuscript (Vulgate) which agrees with this word in the MT, and there is no DSS with legibility at this part of the verse to corroborate the MT, so the fact that the LXX (“crush”), the Peshitta (רחיקא “those far away”), and Targums (‎מְטֻלטְלַיָא “the homeless ones”) say something slightly different than “she who limps/is lame” is considerable, but the corroboration of Zeph. 3:19 with the MT of this passage in Micah is also considerable.

ALThis Hebrew verb for “outcast/exile/driven out” is used frequently to denote the Israelites driven out of Israel by the Assyrians and Chaldeans in God’s chastisement of His people (Deut. 30:1, Isa. 8:22, Jer. 8:3, 24:9, 27:10-15, 29:18, 43:5, 46:28, 49:5, 50:17, Ezek. 4:13, Dan. 9:7, Joel 2:20), and it is also in the passages promising a return from exile to reconstruct the nation (Deut. 30:4, Neh. 9:1, Isa. 11:12, 27:13, Jer. 16:5, 23:3, 29:14, 30:17, 32:37, 40:12, Ezek. 34:16, Zeph. 3:19). The KJV is correct, by the way; the Hebrew and Greek don’t read “they” but “her [feminine singular] who is driven out.”

AMcf. Mic. 5:6-7, Rom. 9:27 (which uses the same word for “remnant” as the LXX of Micah).

ANHapex Legomenon. BDB sees derivation from הלאה, which is used in Amos 5:27 where the LORD says, “Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus" (NKJV) – clearly referencing the same idea of being sent “far away,” “beyond” the Euphrates River in Babylon. NASB followed the Targums in the assumption that this word was supposed to be the same as הַנִּדָּחָה from v.6, but there are too many different letters for that supposition to be plausible. It is a synonym at any rate.

AOLike the “mighty nations” mentioned in v.3! Also in Isa. 60:22 and Zech. 8:22.

APAlthough Lamsa’s English translation of the Peshitta omits it, the Peshitta inserts “and Jerusalem,” but this insertion is not in any other manuscript.

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