Micah 1:15

Residents of Mareshah, ¹  a conqueror will attack you, ²  the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. ³ 

Jos 15:35; Jos 15:44; 1Sa 22:1; 2Ch 11:7; Isa 7:17-25; Isa 10:3; Isa 10:5,6; Jer 49:1

¹ sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”

² tn Heb “Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah.” The first person verb is problematic, for the Lord would have to be the subject (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). But the prophet appears to be delivering this lament and the Lord is referred to in the third person in v. 12. Consequently many emend the verb to a third person form (יָבוֹא, yavo’) and understand the “conqueror” as subject.

³ tn Heb “to Adullam the glory of Israel will go.” This probably means that the nation’s leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam. Cf. NIV’s “He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam,” which sounds as if an individual is in view, and could be understood as a messianic reference.