Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church of Manhattan, KS, 3 November 2024
Omitting greyed-out text should bring presentation time down to about 50 minutes
My driver’s license expired earlier this year, so I had to go to the DMV to renew it. I knew that they were very particular about what sorts of documents I would have to show them, so I brought my old driver’s license and a posted letter to prove my current address. I even brought my passport, just for good measure. When I got there, I discovered that I didn’t need proof of address or a passport, but what I needed was an appointment. They told me that the next available appointment was about a month out! Because I did not know what was necessary to get a license renewal, I was not able to obtain one that day. But when I came back later, I knew everything that was necessary, so I got my license without any trouble. Understanding what is – and what is not – necessary for a good relationship with God is kinda similar: It’s not necessarily intuitive; you need God to orient you. So, listen to what Micah has to say about it in chapter 6.
Read
my translation, starting at Micah 6:1:
Y'all give heed
please to what Yahweh is saying: "Stand up, sir; bring
accusations before the mountains, and let the hills hear your
voice." Mountains and steady foundations of the earth, listen
to Yahweh's accusation, because Yahweh has an accusation against His
people, and He will bring justice to bear against Israel. "My
people, what have I done against you, or how have I exasperated you?
Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt – indeed,
from the house of slaves I ransomed you, then I commissioned Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam to be in front of you. My people, please remember
what Balak King of Moab planned and how Balaam son of Beor answered
him. [Remember] from Shittim to Gilgal so as to recognize the
righteousnesses of Yahweh."6 With what shall I come before
Yahweh – bend myself before the High God? Shall I come before him
with whole-burnt-offerings – with the year-old calves? Will Yahweh
be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of streams
of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression – the fruit
of my womb for the sin of my soul? Man, Yahweh has communicated to
you what is good and what He is seeking from you, namely: to do
justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. It is
the voice of Yahweh that calls out to the city, so, it is the one
who is prudent who will respect Your reputation. Y’all give heed
to the rod, indeed, who will partner with her?
The Hebrew verb aqaddeim which occurs twice in v.6 and is translated “come before” is about pursuing a face-to-face meeting1. It includes the pursuit of the relationship as well as the face-to-face meeting.
In other words, this isn’t about clarifying the mechanics of how to manipulate divine power to get what you want, as though God were some cosmic slot-machine that dispenses a certain product when you put the right coins in the slot, rather this is about a God who is personal and who cares about the relationships He builds with His people. 2
Like all relationships, it involves pursuit of the other person to show interest in the relationship, it involves a heart attitude of loving them, and it involves enjoying doing things together where there are common interests.
Both parties have to be engaged in this pursuit, this love, and this meeting-together or else there is no mutual relationship.
God reveals in the Bible that He is fully-engaged relationally:
He loves people (John 3:16, 1 John 4:16, etc.)
He pursues those He loves (Matt. 18:12, Luke 19:10, John 4:23, Rom. 8:28-30),
and He reveals in the Bible the kinds of things He loves and makes Himself available to us and is “with” us.
Those who are His people respond
with love (“We love because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19, and we know that’s what He wants because He told us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” Mark 12:30)
His people respond with seeking Him (“He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” Heb. 11:6 (NKJV)3
And God’s people enjoy fellowship with God, walking with God and doing what God is doing: “...the fellowship which is ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3 (cf. 1 Cor. 1:9; Philip. 1:5; 2:1; 3:10).
The middle of v.6 paints a unique picture using words not found together anywhere else in the Bible: it is the picture of a lowly creature encountering its exalted God. This is important to take in.
Our relationship with God is not a peer relationship where He is your boyfriend or your buddy,
and it is certainly not a business relationship where you hire Him and you call the shots.
It is a relationship with open communication and deep love and faithful commitment, but God remains nevertheless the High, holy, exalted one, and it is only fitting and proper for us to “bow ourselves” humbly before Him.
But the question is, “If God has a complaint against me – if I have offended Him (as the opening verses of chapter 6 indicate), then what can I do to repair the broken relationship?4
He has saved me from slavery to sin and rescued me and provided for me time and again, and I need Him to keep being my God and saving me and providing for me,
but He has gotten wind of the fact that I have felt dissatisfied with Him, and He’s caught on to the fact that I feel He asks too much of me. Stupid of me, I know – I shouldn’t have let such lies take root in my mind, but I did, and now I’m regretting it and I want to get back right with God, but how do I do that?
The go-to answer for an Old Testament Jew was to make atonement with God by means of a burnt offering!
A “yearling calf” is the type of animal listed in Leviticus 9 as what the people would have to offer as an atoning sacrifice: Leviticus 9:3&7 “Then you shall speak to the children of Israel saying, ‘Take... a calf and the lamb – perfect yearlings – for a whole-burnt-offering...’ 7 And to Aaron, Moses said, ‘Come near to the altar and make... the people's offering and so make atonement with regard to them just as Yahweh commanded.’” (NAW)
But Micah realizes that merely killing an animal could not be the whole picture of a restored relationship with God.
Anyone with the means to do so could sacrifice an animal simply to be seen by others around the temple and not out of a desire to pursue intimacy with God.
Anyone with the means to do so could sacrifice an animal for the enjoyment of perpetuating a nostalgic religious experience while yet harboring hate toward God and man in their heart.
Anyone with the means to do so could sacrifice and partake of the fellowship meal afterwards in front of the holy place in the temple just because they liked barbecued meat and wine, and not out of any desire for fellowship with God. (cf. Hos. 8:13)
If merely killing an animal were all it took to make up with God, then God would be little more than a cosmic slot machine that dispensed blessings if you killed the right animal with the right ceremony.
Micah, of course, was not the first Prophet to address this issue:
We could go as far back as Cain and Abel (in Genesis chapter 4) to see that God accepted some offerings with favor and had no appreciation for some other offerings.
1 Samuel 15:22 The old Prophet Samuel said to the first king of Israel, "Is there pleasure for Yahweh in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, like there is in your giving heed to the voice of Yahweh? Look, to give heed is better than sacrifice; to be attentive is better than the fat of rams!” (NAW) That phrase “give heed” should sound familiar; it was in Micah 1:2, Micah 3:1 & 9, Micah 5:15 & 6:1, and we’ll see it again in v. 9!
David, the second king of Israel, got it. He wrote in Psalm 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in a sacrifice (which I would have donated!); a whole-burnt-offering is not what pleases You. God's sacrifices are of a broken spirit. A heart broken and contrite, God will not despise.” (NAW, cf. Ps. 40:6, Psalm 50:8-9) David realized that it was his self – his “heart” – that was the key factor in getting right with God after he had sinned.
When Micah was just a child, the Prophet Hosea was preaching the same thing: Hosea 6:1-6 “Come, and let us return to the LORD... Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD... For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets... For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (NKJV, cf. Amos 5:22)
And yet, animal sacrifices still had to accompany the heartfelt worship of God’s people because, in God’s system of justice, no matter how sorry they were for their sins, their sins still had to be punished by death – either their own death or the death of a perfect substitute, so they killed animals to symbolize a substitute paying the price of their sin.
In v.7, Micah lists three more categories of sacrifices in addition to the burnt offering which were mentioned in the Mosaic law and likewise were not magic bullets for fixing the problem of having offended God:
The “ram” was the category of animal required in Leviticus 5 for a “guilt-offering,” as a way of dealing with a specific sin which you had committed and wanted to make right with God in addition to the general burnt offering that atoned in a general way for sin.
Leviticus 5:15 “In the case where a person commits treachery and has sinned in error against the holy things of Yahweh, he shall then bring his guilt-offering to Yahweh: a perfect ram from the flock... for a guilt-offering…” (NAW)
Likewise, “oil” was a key ingredient in another category of sacrifices called the grain-offering. It was a way of offering the fruits of your labor as a symbol of offering yourself in service to the Lord:
Leviticus 2:1 “Now when anyone of you shall offer a grain offering to Yahweh, fine flour shall be his offering, and he shall pour oil upon it...” (NAW)
The Hebrew word ribboth, which stood for “tens of thousands,” was mostly used in census counts, so I think that what is behind Micah’s “tens of thousands of streams of oil” is literally tens of thousands of household heads lined up at the altar in Jerusalem during their annual harvest festival to pour out their jars of oil onto their grain offerings. If God were really about the oil, then thousands of gallons of olive oil would have probably worked, but ultimately it is the people, not their oil that He is looking for.
Isaiah 1:11 "To what purpose of mine is the multitude of your sacrifices?" says Yahweh, "I have had-my-fill of whole-burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of feed-lot-animals; and in blood of bulls and lambs and goats I do not delight… Isaiah 40:16 “Even Lebanon would not be enough fuel and its livestock would not be a sufficient burnt-offering.” (NAW)
The offering of firstfruits and firstborns was another category of Old Testament sacrifices:
The firstborn of cattle were to be sacrificed to God (Gen. 4:4, Lev. 27:26, Deut. 14:23).
But since Micah uses the word “my firstborn” in parallel with the phrase “fruit of my womb/body” (which always describes human offspring) we must conclude that Micah is talking about the firstborn of human sons, not of cattle.
The firstborn of children were considered to be God’s property since He had redeemed them at the first Passover from being killed by the Angel of Death. Human firstborns were simply to be “given” (not sacrificed!) to the Lord or else redeemed by a substitute from the priestly tribe of Levi or, if there weren’t enough Levites to make substitutes, a firstborn son could be redeemed by paying a fee to the priests. (Numbers chapter 3 describes how this was done.) Most folks opted to pay the redemption price, but Samuel’s parents might be an example of folks who opted to give up their son to temple service.
Now, in the mind of a superstitious Israelite, the thought might well occur that if one ram or one jar of oil was pleasing to God, then two might be even better, or, if you could afford it, a thousand, or even ten thousand! And if dedicating your firstborn was pleasing to God, then offering a human sacrifice might be even more effective5.
And therein lies another problem: If it’s my sacrificial gift that fixes my relationship with God, then how can I ever know whether I have offered enough to appease Him?
It is a conundrum shared by religions where they believe that humans save themselves. If my good works are what save me; how much is enough? Is it even possible to offer enough?
If I am trying to make myself a good person by feeding hungry people, how many hungry people do I have to feed before I’m good? 100? 1,000? 1,000,000? No conscience can ever be satisfied because our sin keeps us from ever being good enough.
If it’s up to me to save the planet from climate change catastrophe, how much sacrifice is enough? If, by some miracle, we could get the earth’s temperature down to 35 degrees by outlawing meat and electricity and childbirth, what’s to say that 34 degrees or 33 degrees might be more ideal? No satisfying conclusion is possible.
This pagan sort of thinking has led too many people in the direction of making extreme sacrifices – even to the point of ritually killing their own children! – in order to make a sacrifice extreme enough to convince God once-and-for-all to be favorable to them.6
Sadly, what they don’t realize is that their efforts to earn God’s favor instead of accepting His grace are the very thing that God finds offensive. He has already sacrificed His Son on the cross to pay for sin. To reject what He has done and insist on earning it yourself by making more and more sacrifices only perpetuates your offensiveness to God because it is effectively telling God that His plan – His Son – wasn’t good enough for you.
The New Testament book of Hebrews revealed with deeper clarity that all those animal sacrifices were not actually sufficient substitutes for the lives of human sinners in God’s justice system; as it says in Hebrews 10:4 “for it is impossible for blood from bulls and from goats to take away sins.” (NAW) Only the death of a perfect human could pay the price for the sins of a human being.
The singular Greek word from the LXX of this verse is only ever used of Jesus in the Greek New Testament (Lk. 2:7; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5). (It occurs in the plural twice, referring to the “destroyer of firstborns” in Heb. 11:28; and the “church of firstborns” in Heb. 12:23.)
So if all the ceremonies of all the temples, both godly and pagan, are not what God is looking for, then what IS He looking for?
First off, Micah tips us off that God has already given this information before. “He has [already] shewed/told/communicated to you what is good and what He requires/is seeking.”
“what is good7”
Deuteronomy 30:15-16 "See, I have set before you today life and good … in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments…” (NKJV)
Job 34:4 associates “justice” with what is good: “Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good.” (NKJV)
Psalm 37:3 associates faithfulness with what is good “Believe Yahweh and do what is good. Settle down on the land and associate with faithfulness…” (NAW)
Proverbs 16:20 “He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.” (NKJV)
“what the LORD requires/seeks” There are about nine verses in the Bible which tell us what God seeks/requires8:
One third of them teach that God seeks/requires the death sentence for murderers
Genesis 9:5 "Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.” (NKJV)
Psalm 9:12 For the One who is out for blood has remembered them; He did not forget a [single] cry of lowly ones.” (NAW)
Luke 11: 50-51 "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” (same Greek word used to translate Micah 6:8)
One third of them speak more generally of God seeking/requiring justice be done to punish all kinds of evil:
Job 10: 5-7 Are Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man, That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin, Although You know that I am not wicked, And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?” (NKJV)
Psalm 10:13 Why did the wicked man despise God? He said in his heart, ‘You will not be a seeker.’ … 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; search out his wickedness [until] you find none." (NAW)
Isaiah 16:5 “and a throne will be established in lovingkindness, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.” (NAW)
And the other third have to do with God seeking/requiring integrity in His relationship with His people:
Deuteronomy 23:21 "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.” (NKJV)
1 Chronicles 28:9 "...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” (NKJV)
Isaiah 62:12 “and they will be called The People of the Holy One, The Redeemed Ones of Yahweh, and you will be called Sought After, the Un-Forsaken City.” (NAW)
So, God has not left us to guess what pleases Him; He has revealed His will and His standards throughout history, but here Micah summarizes “what is good and what the Lord seeks” in 3 points:
“do justice”
This included civil justice, for instance in Exodus 21:31 it says9, “...justice shall be done,” if a domestic animal kills someone. God said that the animal must be put down, and if it had injured someone else before, the owner was also to be put to death, although a judge could accept a ransom payment from the owner instead. Leviticus 19:35 says, “Y'all may not do what is unfair in justice with the measurement of size, with the measurement of weight, or with the measurement of volume.” (NAW)
It also included social justice, for instance in Exodus 21:9 it says,10 “...do according to justice...” regarding how men were to treat women in the home. Women were not to be marketed as slaves, and if a man married a slave girl, his parents were commanded to treat her with the same dignity they would show to their own daughter. And in Leviticus 19:15 God tells civil judges: “Y'all may not do what is unfair in the justice-system. You may not tilt the cases of the needy, and you may not inflate the cases of the great; it is with righteousness that you must judge your fellow-man.” (NAW, cf. Isa. 1:17)
“doing justly” also included making sure that the worship of God was conducted with integrity. For instance, Leviticus 5:10 says11 that when a priest offered a whole-burnt-offering on the altar to atone for somebody’s sin, it had to be “done according to justice” – which required not only the payment of death for sin but also required following the laws God had given. Observing Passover as a religious holiday was also part of doing justly in Numbers 9:3.12
This phrase “do justice” occurs over and over throughout the Old Testament13. Why? Because God “does justice,”
Deuteronomy 10:17-18 "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.” (NKJV, cf. Gen. 18:25, Psalm 9:4&16)
Psalm 103:6 “The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.” (NKJV)
Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.” (NKJV)
It is also important to note that justice is therefore not what satisfies our personal desires for revenge, nor is justice what at least 51% of a population thinks is fair, justice is what God says justice is, so we find what justice is by studying the Bible, not our feelings or the opinion polls.
And Jeremiah in particular revealed that doing justice would be the Messiah’s mission on earth: Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth… 33:15 `In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.” (NKJV)
And so, “doing justice” will be characteristic of the New Covenant people as well: Ezekiel 37:24 "David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them…. 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (NKJV)14
Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:23 “...y'all are tithing your mint and your dill and your cumin, yet y'all are letting go of the weightier matters of the law: the justice and the mercy and the faithfulness. Now, it was necessary to do these things, while not letting go of those things either.” (NAW)
“not that God casts aside that which is principal — the worship of his name; but he shows, by evidences or effects, what true religion is.” ~J. Calvin, 1559 AD
“love mercy/kindness”
This chesed-mercy is a characteristic of God, not of man. (The Bible doesn’t talk about people being merciful unless they are God’s people who are following God’s ways.)
In Exodus 20:6 God describes Himself as “showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (NKJV) and that statement is repeated over and over again throughout the rest of the Bible (Deu. 5:10; 7:9; Neh. 1:5; Dan. 9:4).
Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the lovingkindness of Yahweh!” (NAW, cf. Jer. 31:3)
In Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant (in Matthew 18), the servant was forgiven of a great debt, but he didn’t love mercy, so he didn’t accept the mercy of pardon which he had been given, therefore he started demanding payments from those who owed him money. And that didn’t sit well with his master who had just shown such mercy to him!
Ephesians 2:4-7 explains how God has shown His merciful-kindness toward us: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)
The first step in “loving mercy” is to receive and accept God’s merciful kindness toward you, like parched ground soaks in healing rain:
Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” (NKJV)
Proverbs 3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart” (NKJV)
Then, as Jesus said, “...be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." (Lk. 6:36, NKJV15)
The Apostle Paul followed up on that in Colossians 3:12 “Start clothing yourselves therefore like God-chosen, holy and beloved ones with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (NAW, cf. James 2:13, Hosea 12:6) When we have received kindness from God, we can reflect the gracious character of our God beyond ourselves to others.
Zechariah 7:9 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.’" (NKJV)
Note, Micah did not say “do mercy” but “love mercy.” This is not about one more thing to add to your to-do list (although it will ultimately lead to actions); it is a heart attitude God is looking for. Do you love what God loves?
“walk humbly with your God”
Love for God’s mercy will also lead us into humility in our walk with God, as Jesus illustrated in His parable of the Two Men In The Temple: The Pharisee, who saw no need for God to have mercy on him, was proud and did not get right with God, but... “the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13-14, NKJV) Loving God’s mercy made the tax-collector humble, and he is the one God justified.
The word Micah uses for “humbly” only occurs one other time in the Bible, and that is Prov. 11:2 where it is the opposite of pride: “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.” (NKJV)
Hebrew scholars bring out further nuances of this word in terms of “modesty” and “discreteness,” which are characteristic of humility16.
In Isaiah 66:2 “...the LORD declared ‘But to this one will I look: to the lowly17 and stricken of spirit, who trembles over my word.’” (NAW, cf. Zeph. 2:3)
Matthew 5:3 Jesus said, "Blessed are the ones who are lowly18 in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs." (NAW)
1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore let yourselves start being humbled [ταπεινόω] under the mighty hand of God, in order that He may exalt y'all in His appointed time” (NAW, cf. James 4:6)
Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly [wisely, with sound judgment - σωφρονεῖν], as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (NKJV)
But it’s not just about being humble. As I was looking for graphics to go with this sermon, most of the calligraphies of Micah 6:8 read simply, “Do justice, Love mercy, and Walk humbly,” but they omitted the all-important phrase “with your God,” which is essential for context.
Secular humanists like to be perceived by other people around them as humble, but they don’t walk humbly with God. They want nothing to do with our God; they arrogantly try to create their own truth and goodness and purpose in life.
Secular humanists purport to be all about justice and love, but none of it is in reference to God, therefore they are unable to arrive at true love or justice.
The ultimate question is, “Are you pursuing justice and mercy and humility because you want to be with God or because those ideals happen to suit you? How you answer that question is a matter of heaven or hell for the rest of eternity!
“Walking with God” is defined in God’s law, especially in the book of Deuteronomy: Deuteronomy 5:33 “You shall walk in19 all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess…. 10:12 ...what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul... 13:4 “You shall walk after20 the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.” (NKJV)21
Conversely, “walking with God” means not walking with other gods on other religious paths: Deuteronomy 8:19 "Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish… 29:16-19 “(for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them-- wood and stone and silver and gold); so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying,`I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'…” (NKJV)22
The New Testament is particularly explicit that “walking with God” is not merely rule-following, but the carrying out of an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus23:
Colossians 2:6, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (NKJV)
Galatians 5:16&25 “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh… 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (NKJV)
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we are having fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son is cleansing us from all sin.” (NAW)
Colossians 1:10 “...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (NKJV)
So, there it is; that’s what is good and what God wants: not Old Testament sacrifices, not schemes to manipulate Him, not impersonal religious formalities but obedience in doing what is right, heartfelt love for God and His mercy that loves to share that mercy, and humble walking in a personal relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, obeying His lordship and loyally following Him instead of any other religious path.
DouayB (Vulgate) |
LXXC |
BrentonD
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KJVE |
NAW |
Masoretic
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6
What shall I |
6
ἐν τίνι καταλάβω τὸν κύριον,
|
6
Wherewithal
shall I reach
the Lord, [and]
|
6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? |
6 With what shall I come before Yahweh – bend myself before the High God? Shall I come before him with whole-burnt-offerings – with the year-old calves? |
(ו) בַּמָּה אֲקַדֵּםI יְהוָה אִכַּףJ לֵאלֹהֵי מָרוֹםK הַאֲקַדְּמֶנּוּ בְעוֹלוֹת בַּעֲגָלִיםL בְּנֵי שָׁנָה. |
7
May the Lord be appeased with thousands
of rams, or with many thousands of fat |
7 εἰ προσδέξεταιM κύριος ἐν χιλιάσιν κριῶν [ἢ] ἐν μυριάσιν χειμάρρων πιόνωνN; εἰ δῶ πρωτότοκά μου ἀσεβείας X, καρπὸν κοιλίας μου ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας ψυχῆς μου; |
7
Will the Lord accept
thousands of rams, or ten thousands of fat |
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? |
7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression – the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul? |
(ז) הֲיִרְצֶה יְהוָה בְּאַלְפֵי אֵילִים בְּרִבְבוֹת נַחֲלֵי שָׁמֶן Pהַאֶתֵּן בְּכוֹרִיQ פִּשְׁעִי פְּרִי בִטְנִי חַטַּאתR נַפְשִׁי. |
8
|
8
|
8
|
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? |
8 Man, Yahweh has communicated to you what is good and what He is seeking from you, namely: to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
(ח) הִגִּידU לְךָ אָדָםV מַה טּוֹב וּמָה יְהוָה דּוֹרֵשׁW מִמְּךָ כִּי אִםX עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַתY חֶסֶדZ וְהַצְנֵעַAA לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ. |
9
The voice of the Lord crieth to the city, and salvation
[shall be to
them that]
fear thy name: hear |
9
Φωνὴ κυρίου τ |
9
The Lord's voice shall |
9
The LORD'S voice crieth unto the city, and |
9 It is the voice of Yahweh that calls out to the city, so, it is the one who is prudent who will respect Your reputation. Y’all give heed to the rod; indeed, who will partner with her? |
(ט) קוֹל יְהוָה לָעִיר יִקְרָא וְתוּשִׁיָּהAC יִרְאֶהAD שְׁמֶךָ שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּהAE וּמִי יְעָדָהּAF. |
1“קִדֵּם does not here mean to anticipate, or come before, but to come to meet, as in Deut. 23:5.” ~C. F. Keil, 1891 AD
2“God had hitherto contended with them for no other end and with no other design, but to restore the people to the right way; for if his purpose had only been to condemn the people for their wickedness, there would have been no need of these questions... whenever God chides his people, he opens to them the door of hope as to their salvation, provided those who have sinned repent.” ~J. Calvin, 1559 AD
3cf. Mat. 6:33, 7:7, Acts 17:27, Col. 3:1 – Many more references could be added from the O.T.!
4“Being made sensible of the justice of God's controversy with them, and dreading the consequences of it, they were inquisitive what they might do to be reconciled to God and to make him their friend. They apply to a proper person, with this enquiry, to the prophet, the Lord's messenger, by whose ministry they had been convinced.” ~M. Henry, 1714 AD
5This
was even being practiced in Judah during Micah’s lifetime (2 Kings
16:13 “But he [Ahaz] walked in the way of the kings of Israel;
indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the
abominations of the nations...”)
“But the farther manne
wadeth in hys fonde intentes and fantastical imaginacion, the
farther he slydeth from God, vnsure that he hathe done any thing
acceptable in the sight of God. Therfore must we which are seruaunts
and creatures, learning our own weaknes by ye fal of others, turne
to our master, lord and creator, to know what his word cōmaundeth.”
~A. Gilby, 1551 AD
“Being yet unwilling to be regarded as
alienated from God, they, at the same time, obtrude on him their
meritorious works, to prevent his judgment, and to exempt themselves
from the necessity of doing the principal thing, that which he
especially requires — to bring a sincere heart.” ~J. Calvin,
1559 AD
6cf. Leviticus 18:21, Jeremiah 7:31, Ezekiel 16:20-21& 23:37
7“[T]hey
are not, as ceremonial observances, good because they are commanded,
but commanded because they are good… The good which God requires
of us is not the paying of a price for the pardon of sin and
acceptance with God, but doing the duty which is the condition of
our interest in the pardon purchased.” ~M. Henry, 1714 AD
“[W]hat
is good = ‘the good things to come’ under Messiah, of which ‘the
law had the shadow.’ The Mosaic sacrifices were but suggestive
foreshadowings of His better sacrifice (Heb. 9:23; 10:1).” ~A. R.
Faussett, 1871 AD
8Most of the time this verb occurs in the Bible, it is describing men seeking either a false God or the True God.
9“Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.” (NKJV)
10“And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.” (NKJV)
11“Then he shall deal with the second [as] a whole-burnt-offering according to the regulation, and the priest will make atonement…” (NAW)
12“On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” (NKJV) Underlined words match the Hebrew root words for “do” and “just” in Mic. 6:8. It is also interesting how closely Ezekiel 18:5-8 parallels the study I did on the specific citations of “doing justice” in the Law.
13In Deuteronomy alone it occurs at 4:1, 5, 14; 5:1, 31; 6:1; 7:11-12; 11:32; 12:1; 17:11; 26:16. (Cf. also Gen. 18:19, Lev. 18:4, 1 Kings 2:3, 6:12, Isaiah 56:1, Jer. 22:3, Ezek. 20:19, Zech. 7:9, 8:16, etc.)
14In the New Testament, “doing justice” (κριμα) doesn’t show up, but “doing good” (αγαθα) does (Mat. 5:44; 12:12; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9,27,33,35; Rom. 7:21; Gal. 6:10; 1Ti. 6:18; Heb. 13:16; Jas. 4:17; 1Pe. 2:14,20; 3:6,11, Mark 14:6-7, Rom. 13:3, Gal. 6:9, 2Th. 3:13, Heb. 13:21, 3 John 1:11).
15“The whyche worshyppe is so greate, that he wyl aske accomptes of none other thynge at the daye of iudgemente, but if we haue clothed him, when we did see him naked, if we haue fedde him when he was hongry and so foorthe. Math. xxv. For because theese dedes of mercye and loue, doothe presuppose, boothe faythe and feare of God… For of thys doth God make tryal whether we do loue hym or no. If we do not loue our brother whom we se, how can we loue God whom we se not? Ihō .iiii.” ~A. Gilby , 1551 AD
16Cohen: “The lexicon turns to Rabbinic Hebrew for elucidation of its meaning, and there the word signifies “modesty, decency, chastity, personal purity.”
17 עני – the more common Hebrew word for “humble,” a synonym for the word צנע in Micah.
18Πτωχος (“poor/lowly”). The LXX translation of Micah’s word was ἕτοιμον (“prepared”), and of the other use of that Hebrew word in Prov. 11:2 was ταπεινος (“humble/low”).
19-ב , a synonym for Micah’s preposition עם.
20 אַחֲרֵי, another synonym for Micah’s preposition.
21There are many other passages which state the same thing, including Deut. 8:6, 31:16, Josh 22:5, 1 Ki. 2:3, 8:61; Ezek. 20:19, etc.
22Many other passage could be listed, such as Deut. 4:3, 11:28, Josh. 23:16, 1 Kings 15:3, Titus 2:12, Jude 16-18, etc.
23Many other passages could be listed, such as Rev. 3:4, Acts 9:31, 2 Cor. 5:7, Gen. 5:24, 6:9, etc.
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
Scroll containing Micah 6 is the Wadi Muraba’at Scroll, containing
parts verses 1-7 & 11-16 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
GPerhaps the LXX translator misheard the Hebrew as from the root עקב (due to the similarity of ‘aqav to akaf) or perhaps he was unfamiliar with the rare כפף root and thought it was related to כף (“hand”). I think the former more likely.
HAbout 500 years after Micah, the LXX translator read the final yod in the Hebrew word as a first person pronoun (“my”), which is a valid interpretation of the unpointed Hebrew text. About a thousand years after the LXX, the Masoretic scribes added pointing which instead interprets the yod as a masculine plural construct form (“God of”), also a valid way to interpret the unpointed Hebrew text. Neither interpretation contradicts the rest of Biblical revelation, so it is not an important controversy. Latin and Aramaic traditions agree with the Masoretic interpretation.
IThis
word is not so much about “offering” (Vulgate offeram) or
“worshiping/serving” (Targums אַפלַח)
as it is about pursuing (cf. LXX καταλάβω) a face-to-face
meeting (the LXX and NASB translations don’t seem to capture the
“meeting” aspect as much). (The LXX word is used in describing
Christian relationship with God in the GNT in Rom. 9:30; 1 Cor.
9:24; Eph. 3:18; and Phil. 3:12-13, whereas the other verb in the
LXX – αντιλαμβανομαι – is
not.)
Waltke commented that this is a “Torah liturgy” like
that of Psalms 15 and 24 (and Isa. 33:14-15) where a questions is
posited as to what the requirements are for entering a temple, and
an answer is given, catechism-style. Waltke puts verses 6-7 in the
mouth of a haughty, impious king, but I don’t see how it couldn’t
be Micah using a question-and-answer style of teaching.
JUncommon word for “bow/double over” found only here and Ps. 57:7; 145:14; 146:8; and Isa. 58:5 – always of the human body, and mostly in the context of grief rather than of worship. This could indicate a genuine crisis rather than traditional worship ritual. Waltke commented, “Willis notes… The ‘exaggerated, extreme, absurd’ questions in vv 6–7 are to be explained in light of a very severe crisis threatening the Jewish community, perhaps Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. The worshippers may have reasoned that the great destruction which threatened the land was an indication of Yahweh’s wrath, which could be appeased only by an abundance of sacrifices… One can plausibly reconstruct the setting at the temple as follows: besieged worshippers are seeking access to I AM’s presence to win his favor and protection against the attacking Assyrians. The King-Priest, however, through his envoy, Micah, judicially accuses them of breaking covenant and invites them to renew it. They blindly and unrepentantly respond by offering costly gifts as their sin offering. I AM’s envoy reproves them for their ignorance and reasserts the terms of the covenant: I AM requires justice from renewed hearts that understand the nature of the covenant.”
KThis
phrase “God of exaltation/highness” does not occur anywhere else
in the HOT.
There is only one phrase which is even similar,
and that is in Ps. 71:19
וְצִדְקָתְךָ
אֱלֹהִים
עַד־מָרוֹם
“Also Your righteousness, O God, is very
high” (NKJV). The Greek phrase θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου,
however does occur a few times in the GNT: thrice in the mouth of an
evil spirit (Mark 5:7 || Luke 8:28 "...What have I to do with
You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? …" and Acts
16:17 "These men are the servants of the Most High God…"
~NKJV) and once in Hebrews 7:1 “... Melchisedek -- king of Salem,
priest of The Highest God…” (NAW) Owen of Thrussington
asserted that it means “‘the God of the height,’ that is, of
heaven.” Fifty years later, C. F. Keil commented, “The God of
the high place is the God dwelling in the high place (Isa. 33:5;
57:15), or enthroned in heaven (Ps. 115:3).” In the 21st
Century, Waltke also agreed that it speaks of “heaven.”
LLev. 9:3 – the people’s whole-burnt-offering
MThis word is used in the GNT to describe devout persons who are “receiving” the kingdom of God, but never of God “receiving” a person, for the latter, the words χαριτόω (Luke 1:28; Eph. 1:6), παραλαμβανω (John 14:3), and the simple root δεχομαι (Luke 16:9) served. This could be explained, however, in terms of vocabulary shifts over centuries of time.
NThe reading of the LXX matches the plain reading of the MT, Targums, and English versions, and the Greek versions of Aquilla (χειμαρρων ελαιου) and Symmachus (‘ρειθρα ελαιου) substantiate “torrents of olive-oil.”
OThe LXX reads χειμαρρων (“torrents”) but Vaticanus reads χιμαρων (“goats”), perhaps a visual copy error or a misheard dictation error, or perhaps even intentional to adjust to the Vulgate (or was it vice versa?).
PDespite the reading of the Peshitta (“hosts of heifers”) and the Vulgate (“fat of he-goats”), all the Greek versions, Targums, and standard English versions agree with the MT (“rivers of oil”). Waltke noted that the minchah offerings only required a scant pint to a quart of oil per person.
QThe firstborn of cattle were to be sacrificed to God (Gen. 4:4, Lev. 27:26, Deut. 14:3). The phrase “my firstborn” in parallel with the phrase “fruit of my womb/body” ( a phrase also found in Gen. 30:2; Deut. 7:13; 28:4, 11, 18, 53; 30:9; Ps. 127:3; 132:11; and Isa. 13:18 – always describing human sons) indicates that this is the firstborn of human sons. These were also holy to God, but they were to be “given” (נתן), not “offered as sacrifices” (זבח ,שחת ,קטר ,קרב) like the pagan Molech worshippers did. (Exodus 22:29 "You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.” ~NKJV) God considered all the firstborn Jews His special possession since He made the provision of the Passover lamb’s blood to spare them from the angel of death who killed the firstborn son of every family that did not paint the sacrificial lamb’s blood on their door. In the Law, God claimed the whole population of the tribe of Levi as His special possession as a substitute for the firstborn sons in all the other tribes. In Numbers 3, a census was taken of the Levite tribe, but the population of Levi was less than the total of firstborn sons in all the other tribes, so those extra firstborns were allowed to pay a fee to ransom themselves and stay with their families. If they couldn’t (or didn’t want to) ransom themselves, they would become a servant in the temple, like Samuel did. Interestingly, the singular Greek word from the LXX of this verse is only ever used of Jesus in the Greek New Testament (Luk. 2:7; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5). (It occurs in the plural twice, referring to the “destroyer of firstborns” in Heb. 11:28; and the “church of firstborns” in Heb. 12:23.)
ROwen of Thrussington suggested the plausible alternative of interpreting the “tresspass” and “sin” as the “tresspass offering” and “sin offering.” (“Shall I make my first-born my trespass-offering, The fruit of my loins a sin-offering for my soul?”) Waltke agreed with Owen, but noted that T. Robinson, T. Lescow, J. T. Willis, A. Deissler, and R. Renauud disagreed. My objection lies in assigning the meaning “make” instead of “give” to the Hebrew word that normally means “give.” The lack of prepositions in the Hebrew text does makes this challenging to translate, though.
SLXX interpreted the initial he in the Hebrew as an interrogative he, but the Hebrew word would have been spelled without a yod in it if that had been the case. Aquilla, Theodotion (ερρεθη), and Symmachus (ειπε) corrected this in their versions with the simple translation, “he said.” (Lucian and Cateneram editions of the LXX omit ει, but it doesn’t change the meaning.)
Tcf. Theodοtian ασφαλιζου (“guardedly”), Symmachus επιμελεσι (“careful”), and E. φροντιζειν (“to be thoughtful”).
UKeil (and Waltke, who also cited Wellhousen and the passive in the LXX in support) saw this 3rd person subject as “impersonal, ‘one has told,’ or ‘they have told thee,’ namely Moses in the law.” Keil suggested that since Yahweh isn’t mentioned until later in the verse He shouldn’t be considered the subject here, but it could be just as reasonably argued that since no other 3rd person subject is mentioned in the context, Yahweh should be considered the subject of the first verb too.
VI take this as Man – the clay-creature, the opposite of God. Waltke quoted L. Allen as also holding this position, but Waltke preferred Renaud’s position that this was a covenant term for the human party to the divine covenant, and that is not objectionable.
WWaltke agreed with my interpretation of this participle as “durative” – God continues “seeking” for these things from His worshippers; He is not merely requiring a one-time performance of these things.
XI interpreted this phrase as introducing a list. C.F. Keil interpreted it instead as a reduction of expectation: “The use of כִּי אִם... may be accounted for from the retrospective allusion to the gifts mentioned by the people: not outward sacrifices of any kind, but only the fulfilment of three following duties: namely…” Waltke agreed with Keil that it was “restrictive” and further emphasized that it was adversative “but rather.”
Y“‘Love’ (ʾahăbat) is the language of ancient Near Eastern international covenants, of covenant obedience, and of covenantal spiritual commitment. W. L. Moran demonstrated that the term ‘love’ in covenant relationship between I AM and Israel is the juridical language of international law. It is also the language of obedience, for it can be commanded (Deut 11:13, 22; Mic 6:8). Finally, as D. Hillers has shown, it is the language of emotional/spiritual commitment.” ~B. Waltke, 2007 AD
Z“Ḥesed connotes at one and the same time faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, and kindness... The word occurs commonly in a context where one of the parties finds himself in a weaker situation and is utterly dependent upon the stronger party to meet his need. The stronger party accepts freely the responsibility of providing deliverance and protection to the one in need... the practice of ḥesed is closely related to mišpāṭ: both pertain to the deliverance of an oppressed, weaker party by the stronger party, but whereas mišpāṭ puts the emphasis on the action, ḥesed puts it on the attitude behind the action.” ~B. Waltke, 2007 AD
AAAncient versions (except for Vulgate iet sollicitum) read as though they saw a verb of being in the original which is not in the MT: Targums וִהוִי צְנִיַע (“and be discrete” Cathcart = “be modest”), LXX ἕτοιμον εἶναι (“be prepared” Brenton = “be ready”), Peshittaותהוא עתיד (Bauscher “and you shall be prepared,” Lamsa “and be ready”). This verb occurs only one other place in the HOT: Prov. 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.” (NKJV)
ABΑquilla rendered this word actively καλεσα (“called”) like the MT. The root common to the LXX and Aquilla is a better translation of the Hebrew than the English word “proclaimed” (which would be rendered with a different Greek root such as αγγελω). The Hebrew word Micah used implies greeting, meeting, and initiating conversation rather than unilaterally making an announcement.
ACRelatively-rare wisdom word found only here and Job 5:12; 6:13; 11:6; 12:16; 26:3; and Prov. 2:7; 3:21; 8:14; 18:1 (where English versions translate it: success, enterprise, deliverance, judgment, plans, what is, common sense, sound wisdom, advice, knowledge, prudence, insight, and counsel); and Isa. 28:29 “… Yahweh Commander of armies: He makes counsel wonderful; He increases sound wisdom.” (NAW) It is feminine (agreeing with the feminine “city”), so the Geneva/KJV “man of wisdom” (following Kimchi and Ibn Ezra) is not technically accurate. Vulgate and LXX mistakenly related it to the root ישע (“save” - the LXX erroneously making it a verb), while the Aramaic versions translated it more in terms of “teaching/doctrine.” Malbim suggested “deeds performed according to the rules of wisdom.”
ADWestminster Morphology, Davison’s Critical Lexicon, Owens’ Analytical Key, Beall/Banks/Smith Parsing Guide, Geneva Bible, KJV, NKJV, ASV, and AJV all considered the root of this word to be ראה (“see”), whereas the OSHB Parsing website, Vulgate, LXX, Peshitta, Targums, NASB, NIV, ESV, NLT, NET considered the root to be ירא (“fear, respect”). It is easy to see that the former considered the last three letters of Micah’s word to be the root, making the initial yod an imperfect verb prefix, while the latter considered the first three letters of Micah’s word to be the root, making the final he a feminine ending. Either can be supported in the unpointed text, but the weight of history as well as the grammar is in favor of “fear,” because “wisdom” is feminine and must be the subject of the verb, but if the verb were interpreted as from the root “see” it would require a masculine subject.
AEAll the ancient versions (plus the NASB) interpreted this as “tribe” (with the exception of the Targums “king[s]”). “Tribe” is a figurative extension of the literal meaning of this Hebrew word, “rod,” which is what the KJV, NIV, and ESV went for. Additionally, the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts read singular (although the Vulgate and one of the Targums reads plural “tribes”). LXX and Peshitta (followed by NASB) changed the plural imperative (“y’all hear”) into a singular (which would require removing the last consonant from the Hebrew text) in order to make the “tribe” the vocative of the command (“Hear, O tribe”), but in Hebrew (and the majority of the English traditions), the plural form requires that the “tribe/rod” be the object (“Heed the rod”).
AFThe feminine singular ending on this verb (dropped out of the Peshitta) rules out the masculine “rod/tribe” or the plural “you” as the antecedent. The feminine singular “city” and “wise one” must therefore link up with this and be the party which is “met with” when it “regards” the “call” of God. LXX made this explicit by repeating the word “city” (and perhaps the Targums as well, which inserted the word “people” but butchered the Hebrew). NASB (and Gilby), on the other hand, inserted the feminine singular word “time,” upon the critical theory supposition that Micah originally delivered his prophecy with the word for “time” as well as the word for “appointed/partnered” here, but since those two words are spelled the same in Hebrew, a careless scribe skipped over the word “time” thinking he had already copied it. This probably would have to have happened in the first 500 years after Micah, because no manuscript in existence shows any evidence of there having been an extra word that was skipped, and the manuscripts we have are based on manuscripts from the first centuries BC. Why didn’t NASB adopt the alternative critical theory that the harder reading is more likely the original?