Paragraph 1:10–16
In this paragraph, Micah mentioned the names of eleven towns in Judah in addition to the city of Jerusalem (v.12). These towns were located in the foothills between the low coastal area and the mountains of Judah.
In many English versions as well as TN, 1:10–16 forms one paragraph. Some versions divide it into two or three paragraphs. For example, the Good News Translation has two paragraphs (10–14 and 15–16). The New Living Translation (2004) has three paragraphs (10–12, 13–15, and 16). Use whatever paragraph structure is appropriate for your language.
Here are some of the poetic variations of Micah’s lament in 1:10–16:
(a) In some verses, he spoke to the people in a particular town. In other verses, he spoke about them.
(b) Sometimes he used plural nouns or pronouns to refer to the people in a particular town. At other times, he used singular nouns or pronouns.
English versions consistently use either plural or singular forms throughout these verses. For example, in 1:11b, the New Jerusalem Bible uses singular pronouns:
She has not left her city, she who lives in Zanaan. (New Jerusalem Bible)
The New International Version uses a plural pronoun:
Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. (New International Version)
You may use either singular or plural forms or a combination of the two, depending on what is natural and appropriate in your language.
In 1:10–16, Micah used past tense verbs to describe what was still in the future. See the notes on 1:9b and 1:9c for more details.
Micah also made puns with the names of several of the towns or cities. A pun is a figure of speech in which a person uses a word that has two meanings or a word that sounds like another word.
(a) In some verses, he used a word that sounded like the name of that town.
(b) In other verses, he said something about a town that was related to the meaning of its name.
Here is a brief summary of the puns in each verse and some general advice on how to translate puns. Complete notes on each verse will start with 1:10a.
Beth-leaphrah (1:10b): The name of this city sounds like the Hebrew words that mean “house of dust.” Micah commanded those who live in that town to roll in the dust.
Shaphir (1:11a): This name means “beautiful” or “pleasant” in Hebrew. Micah said that the lives of the people in that town will not be pleasant.
Zaanan (1:11b): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “come out.” Micah said that the people there will not come out of their city.
Beth-ezel (1:11c): This name probably means “nearby house” in Hebrew. Micah said that Beth-ezel would no longer be nearby to serve as a “standing place” (protection, refuge) for Jerusalem.
Maroth (1:12a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.” Micah said that the people in that town will suffer bitterly.
Lachish (1:13): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “team of horses.” Micah told the people in that town to flee like running horses.
Moresheth (-gath) (1:14a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “betrothed” (engaged to be married). Just like a young woman departs from her family when she gets married, so the people in that town would soon depart from Judah.
Achzib (1:14b): This name means “deception” in Hebrew. That town will be a deception to the kings of Israel. These kings had hoped in vain that the people of Achzib would help them fight the enemy.
Mareshah (1:15a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.” The LORD will bring an enemy to that town who will conquer them.
In addition to the above puns, Micah also included the names of two places (Gath 1:10a) and Adullam (1:15b) that are famous in Jewish history. Their significance will be discussed in the notes on those verses.
The people to whom Micah spoke over 2,700 years ago understood the puns. They also understood the historical significance of Gath and Adullam. But most people today do not understand these things. That is the reason it is difficult to translate these verses clearly. Here are some general options to consider in translating the puns:
• Ignore the puns. Most English versions do this in the actual translation. Just translate the name in the Hebrew text. Those who read your translation will understand the basic meaning of each verse, but they will not know that there was a pun in Hebrew.
• Use footnotes to explain the puns. Many English versions with footnotes do this. For example, the New International Version uses footnotes at 1:10a, 11b, 12a, 13a, and 15a to explain that a name sounds like another Hebrew word. It uses other footnotes at 1:10b, 11a, and 14b to explain the meaning of the name of a town.
• Explain in your translation the meaning or the sound of the names for the cities. If you use this option, you will need to clearly indicate in some way that this information is not part of your translation.
Choose an option that is appropriate for the readers in your language area.
1:10a
Do not tell it in Gath:
Micah spoke the words in 1:10a to the people in Judah. In some languages, it may be helpful to make this information explicit. For example:
You people of Judah! Don’t tell our enemies in Gath how we have been defeated.
it: This word refers to the news that God would punish his people. Some versions make this explicit. For example:
Don’t tell our enemies in Gath about our defeat (Good News Translation)
Gath:
Gath was one of the five main cities of the Philistines. The Philistines were enemies of the Jews. Some versions make this explicit. For example:
Don’t tell our enemies in Gath about our defeat (Good News Translation)
In 2 Samuel 1:20–27, David sang a song to mourn the death of King Saul and Jonathan. David’s song began: “Tell it not in Gath.” David did not want anybody to tell the Philistine people in Gath about Saul’s death, because he did not want the Philistines to be happy about it. Micah deliberately quoted the first verse of David’s song here with a similar meaning.
If you use cross references in your translation, you may want to cross-reference that verse here. You may also want to include a footnote to explain some of the background information. For example:
Gath was a Philistine city (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The people in Gath were Philistines, enemies of the Jews. Micah did not want them to hear about the terrible things that would happen to the cities in Judah. He did not want them to be glad about it. This part of the verse is a quote from David’s words in 2 Samuel 1:20.
do not weep at all: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “weeping do not weep.” This repetition gives additional emphasis. Here are some other ways to emphasize this command:
Don’t even cry. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Don’t shed even a single tear! (NET Bible)
1:10b
Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah: Micah spoke these words to the people who lived in the city of Beth-leaphrah. The last part of the name Beth-leaphrah sounds like the Hebrew word for dust (ʿapar). Some scholars think that this name means “House of Dust.” Many English versions supply a footnote to explain this pun. For example:
Beth Ophrah means house of dust. (New International Version)
-or-
Beth-Leaphrah is unknown, but in Hebrew it sounds like “House of Dust.” (Contemporary English Version)
If you do not use footnotes, you may want to include this information in your translation. For example:
You people in Beth-leaphrah! ⌊The name of your town means “house of dust,”⌋ so you will roll in the dust.
Roll in the dust: This is a symbolic action that shows extreme sadness. When the Jews mourned, they sometimes scattered dust or ashes on their heads and bodies. Sometimes they lay down in the dust or ashes and rolled around to cover themselves with the substance.
If people who read your translation do not understand this symbolic action as a sign of mourning, you may want to make the purpose of the action explicit in your translation. For example:
People of Beth Leaphrah, show your despair by rolling in the dust! (Good News Translation)
Another option is to use a footnote instead. For example:
To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphra means “house of dust.” (NET Bible footnote)
Beth-leaphrah: The name of this town is spelled in several ways in English versions. For example:
Bethleaphrah (Revised Standard Version)
Beth Leaphrah (Good News Translation)
Beth Leaphra (NET Bible)
Beth-Leaphrah (New Jerusalem Bible)
Beth-le-aphrah (English Standard Version)
Beth Ophrah (New International Version)
Beth-aphrah (Revised English Bible)
You may want to use a spelling that fits the phonetic rules of your language or a spelling that is used in a language of wider communication in your country.
© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.