Paragraph 6:3–5

In 6:3–5, the LORD stated his charge/accusation against the people. In 6:3, he asked how he had wronged them. The people had no answer. In 6:4–5, he related significant events from Israel’s past that show how he had blessed them, not wronged them. The implicit charge/accusation is that the LORD had kept the covenant but they had not.

6:3a

My people: Starting with this clause, the LORD addressed his people directly. Some versions make it explicit that the LORD is speaking. For example:

The Lord says, “My people…” (Good News Translation)

Here the phrase My people is a term of address (vocative). Some versions have added the word “O” to make it explicit that this is a vocative. Use a term of address that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people.

The pronoun My probably drew attention to the covenant relationship between the LORD and his people. He was their LORD and they were his people.

what have I done to you?: In this question the meaning of the Hebrew word for done is broad and can refer to many actions. However, in this context the phrase to you means “against you.” So with this question the LORD asked in what way he had done something against them. Some versions make this meaning explicit. For example:

“My people! What wrong have I done you? (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
“My people, how have I wronged you? (NET Bible)

6:3b

Testify against Me: In Hebrew, this phrase means “respond to me” in many contexts. However, in the context of legal actions it means “give evidence against me.”

Many versions translate this phrase as “Answer me.” However, if your language has a specific legal term for a response during a court trial, consider using that term here. For example:

Testify against Me. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
Bring your charges! (Revised English Bible)

how I have wearied you!: In Hebrew, the word wearied means to cause someone to become impatient or frustrated. The LORD asked in what way he had done this to them.

Here are some other ways to translate this question:

What have I done to make you tired of me? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
How have I been a burden to you? (Good News Translation)

© 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.

7:19a–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

19a
He will again have compassion upon us ;

19b
He will vanquish our iniquities.

19c
You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

In these lines, Micah continues to talk about God’s love, which he shows by showing compassion and forgiving sin. The first line is a general statement. The second and third lines give more detail.

In Hebrew, the pronouns in these lines vary. Micah refers to God as “He” in 19a–b, and “You” in 19c. This variety of pronouns may be a characteristic of the poetry of this hymn. However, in some languages, it may be preferable to use a second-person pronoun to refer to God in all three lines, and a first-person pronoun to refer to the people in all three lines. For example:

You will again have compassion on us.

You will overcome our wrongdoing.

You will throw all our sins into the deep sea. (God’s Word)

7:19a

He will again have compassion on us: In this general statement Micah expresses his confidence that the LORD will again have compassion on the people of Israel.

again: In Hebrew, this word means “turn” or “return.” In this context it means to return to a previous condition, when he formerly showed compassion to Israel.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

once again (NET Bible)
-or-
Once more (Revised English Bible)

compassion: In Hebrew, this word means “have compassion,” “show mercy,” or “take pity.” The word is used to describe the love and care that a mother gives to her children.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

have mercy (NET Bible)
-or-
have pity (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
love (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

7:19b

He will vanquish our iniquities: This line is a metaphor that compares the LORD’s forgiveness of the people’s sin to a warrior who conquers an enemy.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

you will conquer our evil deeds (NET Bible)

• Translate with a simile. For example:

You will take away the guilt from our sins as if you were a warrior sending away a defeated foe.

• Translate the meaning directly. For example:

You will forgive our sins.

our iniquities: See the note on “pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression” under 7:18b–c.

7:19c

You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea: This line is a metaphor that compares the LORD’s forgiveness of the people’s sin to the total removal of something by throwing it into a deep part of the sea. It means that the LORD will forgive completely.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea (New International Version)

• Translate with a simile. For example:

You will remove our sins completely as if you threw them into the deepest ocean

• Translate the meaning directly. For example:

You will totally remove our sins from us

© 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.

6:14–15

Verses 14 and 15 consist of a series of curses. Each curse describes a hypothetical situation in which a normal activity, such as eating or farming, has an unexpected, undesirable outcome.

These curses are figures of speech that add emphasis to the previous statements in 6:13. The curses indicate how complete and serious the punishment from the LORD will be.

Each curse is addressed to “you(sing),” which continues to refer collectively to the people of Jerusalem and Judah as in 6:9–13. In some languages, it will be more natural to use “you(plur) ” for a group of people.

6:14a–b

Notice the parallel lines that are similar in meaning:

14a
You will eat but not be satisfied,

14b
and your hunger will remain with you.

There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted phrase) in 6:14b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 6:14a. For example:

14b
⌊you shall eat,⌋ and your hunger will remain with you.

Together, these parallel lines are a curse about hunger. The underlined part describes the normal activity of eating food. The parts in bold print describe the unexpected, undesirable result.

6:14a

You will eat but not be satisfied: This clause probably means that a person will remain hungry after eating.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

You will eat, but you won’t become full (New Century Version)
-or-
You will eat but never have enough. (New Living Translation (2004))

6:14b

and your hunger will remain with you: The phrase your hunger will remain with you is another way to describe a lack of satisfaction from the food.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

So you will always be hungry. (God’s Word)
-or-
your stomach will still be empty (New International Version)

General Comment on 6:14a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these lines. For example.

You will eat, but still be hungry (Contemporary English Version)

6:14c–d

The Revised English Bible has been used as the source line for 6:14c–d because it allows for the recommended interpretation.

6:14c

(Revised English Bible) you will come to labour: There is a combined textual and interpretation issue with the Hebrew word that the Revised English Bible translates as you will come to labour. Here are the two main options:

(1) The Hebrew word is a form of nāśag, “to reach,” or “attain to.” Here it means to reach the time for a child to be conceived or born. For example:

You have been conceiving without bearing young, and what you bore I would deliver to the sword. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

(Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised English Bible)

(2) The Hebrew word is a form of sûg, “to remove, carry away.” Here it means “put away” as in storing food or property for safekeeping. For example:

you will store up but never keep safe; what you do keep safe I shall hand over to the sword (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option/interpretation (1). It has good support from commentators, both traditional and modern. Option/interpretation (2) assumes an unattested meaning for the Hebrew word.

This phrase is part of a curse on childbirth. It describes the process of pregnancy that normally would result in childbirth.

(Revised English Bible) but not bring forth: This phrase is more literally “and/but not you will bring to safety.” There is an interpretation issue with the Hebrew word that the Revised English Bible translates as bring forth. The same Hebrew word also occurs in 6:14d. Both occurrences are underlined below. Here are the main interpretations:

(1) The word means “bring an infant to safety” as in a safe delivery from a womb. For example:

14c You will come to labour, but not bring forth ; 14d even if you bear a child I shall give it to the sword (Revised English Bible)

(Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised English Bible)

(2) The word means “bring something to store in safety” as in storing food or treasures in a safe place. For example:

14c you will store up but never keep safe; 14d what you do keep safe I shall hand over to the sword (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It has good support from commentators. See also Job 21:10.

This phrase describes the undesirable outcome of the pregnancy. The child is not safely born. Some language groups may have euphemisms to refer to miscarriage or to a stillborn child. Translate this phrase in a culturally appropriate way.

6:14d

(Revised English Bible) even if you bear a child I shall give it to the sword: This clause continues the curse on childbirth from 6:14c. This is a conditional clause. When the condition, you bear a child, is true, the result is that the LORD will give it to the sword.

Verse 6:14c says that no more children will be born. This verse part, 6:14d, describes an imagined situation in which someone was still able to give birth to children. Even if that could happen, the children would nevertheless be killed. See Hosea 9:11–12, 16 for similar curses.

(Revised English Bible) give it to the sword: This expression means to give the child to an enemy to be killed.

(Revised English Bible) the sword: This phrase refers to violence and destruction in war. Some versions make the context of war explicit without using the word sword. For example:

I will give it to those who conquer you (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I will destroy in war (Good News Translation)

© 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.