Micah 4:2

4:2 Many nations will come, saying,

“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple of Jacob’s God,

so he can teach us his commands

and we can live by his laws.”

For Zion will be the source of instruction;

the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem.

Micah 4:10

4:10 Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!

For you will leave the city

and live in the open field.

You will go to Babylon,

but there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will deliver you

from the power of your enemies.

Micah 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 10 

They will live securely, 11  for at that time he will be honored 12 

even in the distant regions of 13  the earth.

Micah 5:7-8

5:7 Those survivors from 14  Jacob will live 15 

in the midst of many nations. 16 

They will be like the dew the Lord sends,

like the rain on the grass,

that does not hope for men to come

or wait around for humans to arrive. 17 

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey 18  and there is no one to stop it. 19 


tn Heb “house.”

tn Heb “ways.”

tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”

tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

tn Or perhaps “scream”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “groan.”

tn Or “redeem” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

tn Heb “hand.” The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.

tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

10 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

11 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

12 tn Heb “be great.”

13 tn Or “to the ends of.”

14 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).

15 tn Heb “will be.”

16 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).

17 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”

sn Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the Lord, not men, so the remnant of Israel will succeed by the supernatural power of God and not need the support of other nations. There may even be a military metaphor here. Israel will overwhelm their enemies, just as the dew completely covers the grass (see 2 Sam 17:12). This interpretation would be consistent with the image of v. 7.

18 tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

19 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”