1:15a
In this verse part, Micah talked about Mareshah, another town in Judah. The LORD will send an enemy to conquer that city also.
I will again bring a conqueror against you: In Hebrew, there are three ways to interpret the word again :
(1) It means “furthermore” or “also.” In 1:10–14, Micah said that an enemy army would attack several Jewish cities. Here in 1:15a, the LORD said that in addition to those other cities, he would also send an enemy army to conquer Mareshah. For example:
People of Mareshah: I will send someone to conquer you also.
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And you too, people of Mareshah, I shall send others to take your place… (Revised English Bible)
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And besides that, I will send an army to conquer you too, people of Mareshah!
(2) Some scholars think this word means “again,” or “one more time.” God will send a conqueror to Mareshah again. This implies that this is not the first time that God had sent a conqueror to Mareshah.
I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. (English Standard Version)
(3) Some scholars think that this word mean “yet” or “still.” God had not yet sent an army to conquer them, but he would still do it. For example:
Yet must I bring to you the conqueror (New American Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most commentaries.
Many English versions (the New International Version and Good News Translation are two examples) leave this word untranslated. If the recommended interpretation is clear in your language, you may do the same thing.
I: This pronoun refers to the LORD. Micah spoke the LORD’s words here, like he did in 1:6.
In all of the rest of 1:10–16 Micah is the speaker. Only here at 1:15a is the LORD the speaker. A literal translation of 1:15a may confuse your readers. They may think that I refers to Micah. There are several ways you can translate this:
• Translate the pronoun I literally. Your readers may need to study and think about the verse to understand that the LORD is the speaker, not Micah. Many English versions do this.
• Translate the pronoun as I and also add a footnote to indicate who the speaker is. For example:
1:15a: The Lord is the one who is speaking here.
• Translate the pronoun as I and also include a phrase such as “The LORD says,” or “This is what the LORD says” at the beginning or end of the sentence, wherever it is natural in your language. For example,
The LORD says, “You people of Mareshah, I will send enemies to conquer your town also…”
• Translate 1:15a as an indirect quote. For example:
The LORD says that he will send a conqueror against you people in Mareshah.
• Translate 1:15a as Micah’s words. For example:
People of Mareshah, the Lord will hand you over to an enemy, who is going to capture your town. (Good News Translation)
-or-
People of Mareshah, the Lord will send someone to capture your town. (Contemporary English Version)
Choose an option that is clear, natural, and appropriate in your language.
bring a conqueror against you: There are two ways to interpret the word conqueror here:
(1) It refers to an enemy army that will fight against Mareshah and conquer it. For example:
an enemy, who is going to capture your town (Good News Translation)
(2) It refers to an enemy army that will take possession of Mareshah like an heir takes possession of an inheritance. For example:
the one who takes possession (New American Standard Bible)
Most commentaries prefer interpretation (2). But it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. It is not known whether enemy soldiers or people from other countries dispossessed the people of the town. A more general translation such as conqueror allows for both interpretations.
conqueror: This word is singular. It probably refers to an enemy army. If it is clearer in your language, you can translate this word as plural. For example:
I will bring against you people who will take your land, you who live in Mareshah. (New Century Version)
you: In Hebrew, this pronoun is singular. It refers by personification to the town of Mareshah. In some languages, it may be clearer to use a plural pronoun here. Translate this pronoun in a natural way in your language.
O dweller of Mareshah: If it is more natural in your language, you can translate it as plural, as in the New Revised Standard Version (“inhabitants of Mareshah”).
In Hebrew, the phrase dweller of Mareshah is at the end of 1:15b. In some languages, it may be better to have this phrase at the beginning of the sentence. For example:
O people of Mareshah, I will bring a conqueror to capture your town. (New Living Translation (2004))
Do whatever is natural in your language.
Mareshah: Mareshah was a town in Judah. It was about seven kilometers southwest of Achzib and five kilometers south of Moresheth.
Micah used a pun here. The Hebrew word for “conqueror” (yoresh) has a similar sound to the name Mareshah. If you use footnotes in your translation, here are some suggested footnotes:
The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.” (NET Bible footnote)
-or-
[Mareshah] This name sounds like the Hebrew word for a person who captures other cities and lands. (New Century Version footnote)
If you do not use footnotes and you feel it is important for your readers to understand that this is a pun, here is a way to translate this verse part so that the pun is explicit:
You people in Mareshah! ⌊The name of your town sounds like the word “conqueror.” So⌋ to you the LORD says, “I will send enemies to conquer your town also!”
1:15b
The glory of Israel will come to Adullam: During the time of Micah, Adullam was an important fortified town. It was part of Rehoboam’s defense system along with Lachish (2 Chr. 11:6–10) and was located not far from Achzib between Lachish and Moresheth-gath.
Micah is probably the speaker here. Even if the speaker is the LORD instead of Micah, it does not affect the meaning. There are two ways to interpret the meaning of the phrase The glory of Israel :
(1) It refers to the leaders of the nation. For example:
The leaders of Israel (Good News Translation)
(2) It refers to a single king. For example:
Israel’s glorious king (Contemporary English Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with a majority of versions and commentaries. The Hebrew word for glory is also used to mean leaders in Isaiah 5:13; 17:3–4.
glory: Micah called these leaders Israel’s glory because they were important people. The other people in the nation were proud of them. Here is another way to translate this phrase:
Israel’s respected/famous leaders
will come to Adullam: The historical context of this phase is that over 200 years earlier, when King Saul and his army were searching for David to kill him, David and his men hid in a cave near the town of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1).
Here in Micah 1:15b, Adullam is a symbol for running away and hiding from danger. Micah’s words mean that Israel’s leaders will be in danger. They will run away and hide, just like David had done long ago.
Here are some ways that you can translate the phrase will come to Adullam :
• Translate the verb will come literally. For example:
the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam (NET Bible)
If you do this, you may want to add a footnote to explain the meaning. For example:
Adullam is the place where David hid in a cave when he was in danger. See 1 Samuel 22:1. Micah’s words in 1:15b indicate that Israel’s leaders will hide from danger just like David did.
-or-
…This probably means that the nation’s leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam… (NET Bible footnote)
• Translate the verb will come in a way that will help your readers understand the symbolic meaning. For example:
The leaders of Israel will go and hide in the cave at Adullam. (Good News Translation)
Here are some other ways to translate the name Adullam :
the town of Adullam
-or-
the cave at Adullam (Good News Translation)
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Adullam Cave (Contemporary English Version)
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