2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people. 1
You steal a robe from a friend, 2
from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. 3
3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, 4
but he will not answer them.
He will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have done such wicked deeds.”
3:8 But I 5 am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,
and have a strong commitment to justice. 6
This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,
and Israel with its sin. 7
4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning;
they do not understand his strategy.
He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed 8 at the threshing floor.
7:18 There is no other God like you! 9
You 10 forgive sin
and pardon 11 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people. 12
You do not remain angry forever, 13
but delight in showing loyal love.
1 tc Heb “Recently my people rise up as an enemy.” The MT is problematic in light of v. 9, where “my people” are the object of oppression, not the perpetrators of it. The form וְאֶתְמוּל (vÿ’etmul, “and recently”) is probably the product of fusion and subsequent suppression of an (ע) ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to וְאַתֶּם עַל (vÿ’attem ’al, “and you against [my people]”). The second person plural pronoun fits well with the second plural verb forms of vv. 8b-10. If this emendation is accepted, then יְקוֹמֵם (yÿqomem, the imperfect of קוּם [qum]) should be emended to קָמִים (qamim; a participle from the same root).
2 tc Heb “From the front of a garment glory [or perhaps, “a robe”] you strip off,” but this makes little if any sense. The term מִמּוּל (mimmul, “from the front of”) is probably the product of dittography (note the preceding word, which ends in [ם] mem) and subsequent suppression of ע (ayin). The translation assumes an emendation to מֵעַל (me’al, “from upon”). The translation also assumes an emendation of שַׂלְמָה אֶדֶר (salmah ’eder, “a garment, glory [or robe]”) to שֹׁלְמִים אֲדֶרֶת (sholÿmim ’aderet, “[from] a friend the robe [you strip off]”). The MT’s אֶדֶר (’eder) is the result of misdivision (the article has erroneously been attached to the preceding word) and haplography (of the final tav, which also begins the following word).
3 tc The passive participle שׁוּבֵי (shuvey) is unattested elsewhere and should be emended to a participle שָׁבִים (shavim).
tn Heb “from those passing by peacefully, returnees from war.” Actual refugees, however, are probably not in view. The second line compares those who pass by peacefully with individuals returning from war. The battle is over and they do not expect their own countrymen to attack them.
4 tn Heb “then they will cry out to the
5 sn The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the
6 tn Heb “am full of power, the Spirit of the
7 tn Heb “to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.” The words “this enables me” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
8 tn The words “to be threshed” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the
9 tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”
10 tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.
11 tn Heb “pass over.”
12 tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”
13 tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”