In verse 13 God is no longer speaking but is referred to in the third person. In some languages it may sound strange or awkward to switch suddenly from God’s speech in verse 12 to the prophet’s speech in verse 13. Since the prophet is speaking on behalf of God, some translators may consider translating verse 13 as part of God’s speech, and changing the third person references to first person. However, this will not be easy in many languages because God is called here Their king and the LORD. If translators prefer to keep this verse in the third person and take it as the prophet’s speech, then it is important to make clear that God’s speech ends in verse 12. This should be done in whatever way is natural in the language.
In verse 13 Good News Translation identifies the actor as God who will open the way for the people and lead them out of exile. In the Hebrew, God, the leader, is described as “He who opens the breach” (Revised Standard Version; Good News Translation will open the way for them), and this verb is repeated in the next clause in reference to the people who follow: they will break out of the gates of the city of their captivity and thus go free. Their leader is finally revealed as Their king, not a human figure, but the LORD himself. The very one who punished them and caused their defeat, captivity, and exile will be the one who rescues them and leads them back to their own land.
The reference to God opening the way is explained by the next sentence in Good News Translation. It means that God will help the people to break … free. There may be some confusion about whether God or the people actually break open the gates. If this is a problem, a translator can say that God breaks open the gates of the city so that the people can follow him out. Gates will probably be translated literally here, even if it was not in 1.9. It can be translated as “doors in the city wall.” Although cities sometimes had several sets of gates, it is best to assume that this means just one set of two gates that fit into a single doorway. Some translators may want to say “the city where they were held as captives.” To be in exile means to be forced to leave your own country and live in a different one. It may be translated as “imprisoned in a foreign country,” although the people were not actually kept in prisons but were allowed to have their own homes.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .