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Micah Chapter
Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 7
This
chapter begins with a lamentation of the prophet
in the name of the church and
people of God
concerning the general depravity and corruption of the times in
which he lived
Micah 7:1; then
declares what he was determined to do for his relief in such circumstances
Micah 7:7; comforts
himself and the church with a good hope and firm belief of its being otherwise
and better with them
to the shame and confusion of their enemies that now
rejoiced
though without just reason for it
Micah 7:8; with
promises of deliverance
after a desolation of the land for some time
Micah 7:11; and
with the answer returned to the prayers of the prophet
Micah 7:14; which
would issue in the astonishment of the world
and their subjection to the
church of God
Micah 7:16; and the
chapter is concluded with admiration at the pardoning grace and mercy of God
and his faithfulness to his promises
Micah 7:18.
Micah 7:1 Woe is me! For I
am like those who gather summer fruits
Like those who glean vintage grapes; There
is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
YLT
1My wo [is] to me
for I
have been As gatherings of summer-fruit
As gleanings of harvest
There is no
cluster to eat
The first-ripe fruit desired hath my soul.
Woe is me!.... Alas for me unhappy man that I am
to live in such an age
and among such a people
as I do! this the prophet says in his own name
or in
the name of the church and people of God in his time; so Isaiah
who was
contemporary with him
Isaiah 6:5; see
also Psalm 120:5;
for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits
as the
grape gleanings of the vintage; when there are only an apple or a pear or
two
or such sort of fruit
and such a quantity of it left on the top of the
tree
or on the outermost branches of it
after the rest are gathered in; or a
few single grapes here and there
after the vintage is over; signifying either
that he was like Elijah left alone
or however that the number of good men were
very few; or that there were very few gathered in by his ministry
converted
taught
and instructed by it; or those that had the name of good men were but
very indifferent
and not like those who were in times past; but were as refuse
fruit left on trees
and dropped from thence when rotten
and when gathered up
were good for little
and like single grapes
small and withered
and of no
value; see Isaiah 17:6;
there is no cluster to
eat; no large number or society of good men to converse with
only
here and there a single person; and none that have an abundance of grace and
goodness in them
and a large experience of spiritual and divine things; few
that attend the ministry of the word; they do not come in clusters
in crowds;
and fewer still that receive any advantage by it;
my soul desired the first ripe fruit; the company
and conversation of such good men as lived in former times; who had the
firstfruits of the Spirit
and arrived to a maturity of grace
and a lively
exercise of it; and who were
in the age of the prophet
as scarce and rare as
first ripe fruits
and as desirable as such were to a thirsty traveller; see Hosea 9:10. The
Targum is
"the
prophet said
woe unto me
because I am as when good men fail
in a time in
which merciful men perish from the earth; behold
as the summer fruits
as the
gleanings after the vintage
there is no man in whom there are good works; my
soul desires good men.'
Micah 7:2 2 The
faithful man has perished from the earth
And there is no one
upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother
with a net.
YLT
2Perished hath the kind out
of the land
And upright among men -- there are none
All of them for blood lie
in wait
Each his brother they hunt [with] a net.
The good man is perished out of the earth
.... Here the
prophet expresses in plain words what he had before delivered in figurative
terms. The "good" or "godly" man
as in Psalm 12:1; is one
that has received the grace of God
and blessings of grace from him
and lives
a godly life and conversation; who has the good work of grace begun in him and
is found in the performance of good works
and does his duty both to God and
man from godly principles; and particularly is kind and merciful to the poor
and needy
and those in distress. The complaint is
that there were few
or
scarce any
of this character in the earth
in the land of Israel
where there
used to be great numbers of them
but now they were all dead and gone; for this
is to be understood
not of the perishing of their graces or comforts
much
less of their perishing in their sins
or perishing eternally
but of their
corporeal death:
and there is none upright among men; that are upright
in heart and life; that have right spirits renewed in them
are Israelites
indeed
in whom there is no guile; and walk uprightly
according to the rule of
the divine word
truly honest
faithful men; very few such were to be found
scarce any; see Psalm 12:1;
they all lie in wait for blood; for the substance
wealth
and riches of men
which is as their blood and life; is their
livelihood
that on which they live; this they wait for an opportunity to get
from them
and
when it offers
greedily seize it; and stick not even to shed
blood
and take away life
for the sake of gain:
they hunt every man his brother with a net; as men lay
nets for fish
and fowl
and beasts
and hunt them till they have got them into
them; so these men laid snares
not for strangers only
but for their own
brethren
to entangle them in
and cheat and defraud them of their substance;
and this they would do
even to the destruction of them
as someF19חרם "ad necem"
Tigurine version; "anathema
caedes"
Drusius; "ad occasuinem"
ibid. render it; for the word
also signifies "anathema"
destruction
as well as a "net".
So the Targum.
"betray
or deliver his brother to destruction.'
Micah 7:3 3 That
they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts
The
judge seeks a bribe
And the great man utters his evil desire; So
they scheme together.
YLT
3On the evil [are] both
hands to do [it] well
The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for
recompence
And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul
And they
wrap it up.
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly
.... Or
"well"F20להיטיב
"bene"
Drusius.
strenuously
diligently
to the utmost of their
power
labouring at it with all their might and main; as wicked men generally
are more industrious
and exert themselves more to do evil than good men do to
do good; and even weary themselves to commit iniquity: or
"instead of
doing good"
as Marinus in Aben Ezra
take a great deal of pains to do
evil; work with both hands at it
instead of doing good. The Septuagint and
Arabic versions render it
"they prepare their hands for evil"; the
Syriac version is
"their hands are read? to evil
and they do not do
good"; with which agrees the Targum
"they
do evil with their hands
and do not do good.'
Some
make the sense to depend on what goes before and follows; "to do evil
both hands" are open and ready
and they hurt with them; "but to do
good the prince asketh
and the judge for a reward"F21So
Grotius. ; forward enough to do evil
but very backward to do any good office;
the prince asketh
and the judge asketh for a reward; and
if they
do it
must be bribed
and have a reward for it
even persons of such high
character; but this sense is not favoured by
the accents; besides
by what
follows
it seems as if the "prince"
by whom may be meant the king
upon the throne
and the "judge" he that sits upon the bench under
him
sought for bribes to do an ill thing; to give a cause wrong against a poor
man
and in favour of a rich man that will bribe high:
and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desire; the
depravity
corruption
and perverseness of his soul; who is either some great
man at court
that
being encouraged by the example of the prince and judge
openly and publicly requires a bribe also to do an ill thing; and without any
shame or blushing promises to do it on that consideration; or a counsellor at
the bar
who openly declares that he will speak in such a cause
though a bad
one
and defend it
and not doubt of carrying it; or else this is some rich
wicked man
that seeks to oppress his poor neighbour
and
being favoured by
the prince and judge he has bribed
does without fear or shame speak out the
wickedness of his heart
and what an ill design he has against his neighbour
whose mischief
hurt
and ruin
he seeks:
so they wrap it up together; or
"twist it
together"F23יעבתוה
"contorquent"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius;
"contorquere solent"
Burkius; "contortuplicant"
Junius
Grotius; so R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed
fol. 38. 2. ; as cords are
which thereby
become strong; slid so these three work up this mischievous business
and
strengthen and establish it; and such a threefold cord of wickedness is not
easily broken or unravelled: or
"they perplex it"F24"A
radice עבת quae intricare significat
atque confusum
reddere
atque perplexum"
Sanctius
; as thick branches of trees are
implicated and wrapped together; so these agree to puzzle and perplex a cause
that they may have some show of carrying it with justice and truth. So the
Vulgate Latin version renders it
"they trouble it"; confound the
matter
and make it dark
dubious
and difficult. The Targum is
"they
corrupt it"; or deprave it; put an ill sense on things
and make a wrong
construction of them.
Micah 7:4 4 The
best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a
thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be
their perplexity.
YLT
4Their best one [is] as a
brier
The upright one -- than a thorn-hedge
The day of thy watchmen -- Thy
visitation -- hath come. Now is their perplexity.
The best of them is as a brier
.... Good for
nothing but for burning
very hurtful and mischievous
pricking and scratching
those that have to do with them:
the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; which
if a
man lays hold on to get over
or attempts to pass through
his hands will be
pricked
his face scratched
and his clothes tore off his back; so the best of
these princes
judges
and great inch
who put on a show of goodness
and
pretended to do justice
yet fetched blood
and got money out of everyone they
were concerned with
and did them injury in one respect or another; or the best
and most upright of the people of the land in general
that made the greatest
pretensions to religion and virtue
yet in their dealings were sharp
and
biting
and tricking; and took every fraudulent method to cheat
and overreach
and hurt men in their property:
the day of thy watchmen; either which the true
prophets of the Lord
sometimes called watchmen
foretold should come
but were
discredited and despised
will now most assuredly come; and it will be found to
be true what they said should come to pass: or the day of the false prophets
as Kimchi and Ben Melech; either which they predicted as a good day
and now it
should be seen whether it would be so or not; or the day of their punishment
for their false prophecies and deception of the people:
and thy visitation cometh; the time that
God would punish the people in general for their iniquities
as! well as their
false prophets
princes
judges
and great men; who also may be designed by
watchmen:
now shall be their perplexity: the prince
the judge
and the great man
in just retaliation for their perplexing the cause of the
poor; or of all the people
who would be surrounded and entangled with
calamities and distresses
and not know which way to turn themselves
or how to
get out of them.
Micah 7:5 5 Do
not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the
doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom.
YLT
5Believe not in a friend
trust not in a leader
From her who is lying in thy bosom keep the openings of
thy mouth.
Trust ye not in a friend
.... This is not said to
lessen the value of friendship; or to discourage the cultivation of it with
agreeable persons; or to dissuade from a confidence in a real friend; or in the
least to weaken it
and damp the pleasure of true friendship
which is one of
the great blessings of life; but to set forth the sad degeneracy of the then
present age
that men
who pretended to be friends
were so universally false
and faithless
that there was no dependence to be had on them:
put ye not confidence in a guide; in political matters
in
civil affairs
as civil magistrates
judges
counsellors; or in domestic
matters. The Targum renders it
in one near akin. Kimchi interprets it of an
elder brother; and Aben Ezra of a husband
who is to his wife the guide of her
youth; and in religious matters as prophets
priests who were false and
deceitful. It may design a very intimate friend
a familiar acquaintance
who
might of all men be thought to be confided in; of whom the word is used
Psalm 55:13;
keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom; from a wife
and much more from a concubine or harlot. The Targum is
"from
the wife of thy covenant keep the words of thy mouth;'
divulge
not the thoughts of thine heart
or disclose the secrets of it
to one so near;
take care of speaking treason against the prince
or ill of a neighbour; it may
be got out of such an one
and who may be so base as to betray it: or utter not
anything whatever that is secret
the divulging of which may be detrimental;
for
in such an age as this was
one in so near a relation might be wicked enough
to discover it; see Ecclesiastes 10:20.
Micah 7:6 6 For
son dishonors father
Daughter rises against her mother
Daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own
household.
YLT
6For a son is dishonouring a
father
A daughter hath stood against her mother
A daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law
The enemies of each [are] the men of his house.
For the son dishonoureth the father
.... Speaks contemptibly
of him; behaves rudely towards him; shows him no respect and reverence; exposes
his failings
and makes him the object of his banter and ridicule; who ought to
have honoured
reverenced
and obeyed him
being the instrument of his being
by whom he was brought up
fed
clothed
and provided for; base ingratitude!
the daughter riseth up against her mother; by whom she
has been used in the most tender and affectionate manner; this being still more
unnatural
if possible
as being done by the female sex
usually more soft and
pliable; but here
losing her natural affection
and forgetting both her
relation and sex
replies to her mother
giving ill language; opposes and
disobeys her
chides
wrangles
and scolds
and strives and litigates with her
as the Targum: or rises up as a witness against her
to her detriment
if not
to the taking away of her life:
the daughter in law against her mother in law; this is not
so much to be wondered at as
the former instances
which serve to encourage
and embolden those that are in such a relation to speak pertly and saucily; to
reproach and make
light of mothers in law
as the Targum; or slight and abuse
them:
a man's enemies are the men of his own house; his sons and
his servants
who should honour his person
defend his property
and promote
his interest; but
instead of that
do everything that is injurious to him.
These words are referred to by Christ
and used by him to describe the times in
which he lived
Matthew 10:35; and
the prophet may be thought to have an eye to the same
while he is settling
forth the badness of his own times; and the Jews seem to think be had a regard to
them
since they sayF25Misn. Sotah
c. 9. sect. 15.
that
when the
Messiah comes
"the son shall dishonour his father"
&c. plainly
having this passage in view; and the; whole agrees with the times of Christ
in
which there were few good men; it was a wicked age
an adulterous generation of
men
he lived among; great corruption there was in princes
priests
and
people; in the civil and ecclesiastical rulers
and in all ranks and degrees of
men; and he that ate bread with Christ
even Judas
lifted up his heel against
him. The times in which Micah the prophet here speaks of seem to he the times
of Ahaz
who was a wicked prince; and the former part of Hezekiah's reign
before a reformation was started
or at least brought about
in whose reigns he
prophesied; though some have thought he here predicts the sad times in the
reign of Manasseh
which is not so probable.
Micah 7:7 7 Therefore
I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my
salvation; My God will hear me.
YLT
7And I -- in Jehovah I do
watch
I do wait for the God of my salvation
Hear me doth my God.
Therefore I will look unto the Lord
.... Here the prophet
in
the name of the church and people of God
declares what he would do in such
circumstances
since there was no dependence on men of any rank
in any
relation or connection with each other; he resolved to look alone to the Lord
and put his trust in him; look up to the Lord in prayer
use an humble freedom
with him
place a holy confidence in him
expect all good things from him
and
wait for them; look to Christ in the exercise of faith
which is
in New
Testament language
a looking to Jesus; and the Targum interprets this clause
of the Word of the Lord
the essential Word
who is to be looked unto
and
believed in
as the Son of God
who is the true God
and eternal life; as the
Lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world; as the Mediator between God
and men: as in all his offices of Prophet
Priest
and King; as the Lord our
righteousness
and as the only Saviour and Redeemer of men; and that for all
things; when in darkness
for light; when weak
for strength; when sick
for
healing; when hungry
for food; when disconsolate
for comfort; in short
for
all supplies of grace here
and for eternal glory and happiness hereafter; and
though he is in heaven
and not to be seen with our bodily eyes
yet he is held
forth in the word of the Gospel
and the ordinances of it; and is to be seen
there with an eye of faith:
I will wait for the God of my salvation; who is the
author both of temporal
and of spiritual
and eternal salvation; for the light
of his countenance
when he hides himself; for the performance of promises he
has made; for answers of prayer put up to him; for discoveries of pardoning
grace
having sinned against him; for help and assistance in all times of need;
for the salvation of the Lord
for an application of it
for the joys and
comforts of it; and for Christ the Saviour
his coming in the flesh
which all
the prophets and Old Testament saints were looking and waiting for: and who
doubtless
was upon the mind and in the view of the prophet when he uttered
these words
my God will hear me; this is the language of
faith
both to say that God was his God
and that he would hear and answer him;
the former is the ground of the latter; God has an ear to hear when his people
cry; and sooner or later it appears that he does hear
by giving an answer of
peace unto them
which issues in their salvation they have been praying
looking
and waiting for. The Targum is
"my
God will receive my prayer.'
Micah 7:8 8 Do
not rejoice over me
my enemy; When I fall
I will arise; When I sit in
darkness
The Lord will be a light to me.
YLT
8Thou dost not rejoice over
me
O mine enemy
When I have fallen
I have risen
When I sit in darkness
Jehovah is a light to me.
Rejoice not against me
O mine enemy
.... These are
the words of the prophet in the name of the church
continued in an apostrophe
or address to his and their enemy; by whom may be meant
literally
the
Chaldeans or Edomites
or both
who rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem
and the calamities the people of the Jews were brought into at it; see Psalm 137:7;
spiritually
Satan the great enemy of mankind
and especially of the church and
people of God
to whom it is a pleasure to draw them into any sin or snare
and
to do them any hurt and mischief; and also the Inert of the world
who hate and
persecute the saints; and watch for their haltings
and rejoice at their falls
into sin
and at any calamity and affliction that may attend them
though there
is no just reason for it; since this will not always be the case of the saints
they will be in a better situation
and in more comfortable circumstances; and
it will be the turn of their enemies to be afflicted
punished
and tormented:
when I fall
I shall arise; or
"though I
fall"F26כי נפלתי
"quamvis cecidi"
Drusius
Burkius.
or "have fallen";
into outward afflictions and distresses
which come not by chance
but by
divine appointment; or into the temptations of Satan
and by them
which
sometimes is suffered for wise and purposes; or into sin
which even a good
man
a truly righteous man
is frequently left unto; but then he does not fall
from real goodness
from true grace
nor from his justifying righteousness
which is everlasting
and connected with eternal life: he may fall from a
lively exercise of grace
from steadfastness in the faith
and a profession of
it; but not from the principle of grace
nor a state of grace; or from the love
and favour of God: he may fall
but not totally or finally
or so as to perish
everlastingly; nor is he utterly cast down
the Lord upholds him
and raises
him up again; he rises
as the church here believes she should
out of his
present state and condition
into a more comfortable one; not in his own
strength
but in the strength of the Lord
under a sense of sin
by the
exercise of true repentance for it
and by faith in Christ
and in a view of
pardoning grace and mercy; see Psalm 37:24;
when I sit in darkness; or "though"F1כי אשב "quamvis
sedero"
Drusius; "quamvis sedeam"
Burkius. . The Targum is
"as
it were in darkness;'
not
in a state of unregeneracy
which is a state of total darkness
but in
affliction and distress; for
as light often signifies prosperity
so darkness
adversity
any afflictive dispensation of Providence; and especially when this
attended with desertion
or the hidings of God's face; it is to be
not without
any light of grace in the heart
or without the light of the word
or means of
grace; but to be without the light of God's countenance; which is very uncomfortable
and makes dark providences darker still; see Isaiah 50:10; yet
notwithstanding all this
the Lord shall be a light unto me; by delivering
out of affliction; by lifting up the light of his countenance; by causing
Christ the sun of righteousness to arise; by sending his Spirit to illuminate
refresh
and comfort; by his word
which is a lamp to the feet
a light to the
path
a light shining in a dark place; see Psalm 27:1. This
passage is applied by the JewsF2Debarim Rabba
parash. 11. fol. 245.
3. to the days of the Messiah.
Micah 7:9 9 I
will bear the indignation of the Lord
Because I
have sinned against Him
Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He
will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.
YLT
9The indignation of Jehovah
I do bear
For I have sinned against Him
Till that He doth plead my cause
And
hath executed my judgment
He doth bring me forth to the light
I look on His
righteousness.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord
.... The
Targum prefaces these words with
"Jerusalem
saith;'
and
they are the words of the prophet
in the name of Jerusalem or the church
resolving in the strength of divine grace to bear the present affliction
which
had at least some appearance of divine indignation in it; not against the
persons of God's people
who are always the objects of his love
and towards
whom there is no fury in him; but against their sins
which are displeasing and
abominable to him; and this is not in a vindictive way
for such indignation
they could never bear; nor can any creature stand before it
or bear up under
it; and
besides
Christ has bore the wrath and indignation of God in this
sense for them but it here means the displicency and indignation of God in
fatherly chastisements
consistent with the strongest love and affection for
them; and to bear this is to be humble under the mighty hand of God
quietly to
submit to it
and patiently to endure the affliction
without murmuring and
repining
till the Lord pleases to remove it. The reason follows
because I have sinned against him; the best of men sin; sin
is the cause and reason of all affliction and distress
whether temporal or
spiritual. The consideration of this tends to make and keep good men humble
and quietly submit to the chastising rod of their heavenly father
which they
see it is right and proper should be used; and as knowing that they are
chastised and afflicted less than their iniquities deserve; and that it is all
for their good; a sense of sin stops their mouths
that they have nothing to
say against God. The word חטא here used sometimes
signifies the offering an expiatory sacrifice for sin to God; and GussetiusF3Ebr.
Comment. p. 923. thinks this is the meaning of it here; and observes
that with
the oblation of a contrite heart
and works of charity
the satisfaction of
Christ is to be pleaded
and in our way to be offered up to God the Judge
through faith flying to it; whereby the mind is disposed to bear correction
patiently
in hope that favour will quickly shine forth in help and
deliverance:
until he plead cause
and execute judgment for me; Christ the
mighty Redeemer
and powerful and prevalent Mediator
not only pleads the cause
of his people with God his Father
and obtains all blessings of grace for them;
but he also pleads their cause against their enemies
an ungodly people that strive
with them
persecute and distress them; and will in his own time do them
justice
and execute vengeance
his righteous judgments
on those that hate
them
and rise up against them
as he will on all the antichristian party:
he will bring me forth to the light; like a person taken out
of prison
or out of a dungeon
to behold and enjoy the light of the sun and
day. The sense is
that he will openly espouse the cause of his church
and
give her honour and glory publicly before men; bring forth her righteousness as
the light
and her judgment as the noon day; and make her innocence appear as
clear as the day
and bring her at last to the light of glory; see Psalm 37:6;
and I shall behold his
righteousness: the equity of his proceedings with his people
in chastising and
afflicting them
that they are all right and good; his justice in punishing
their enemies
and executing judgment on them; his goodness and beneficence to
the saints
all his ways being mercy and truth; his faithfulness in the
fulfilment of his promises; and the righteousness of Christ
which justifies
them before God
renders them acceptable to him
will answer for them in a time
to come
and introduce them into his everlasting kingdom and glory.
Micah 7:10 10 Then
she who is my enemy will see
And shame will cover her who said to me
“Where
is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like
mud in the streets.
YLT 10And see doth mine enemy
And cover her doth shame
Who saith unto me
`Where [is] Jehovah thy God?' Mine
eyes do look on her
Now she is for a treading-place
As mire of the
out-places.
Then she that is mine enemy shall see it
.... The
Chaldeans and Edomites shall see people of the Jews rising out of their
calamities
brought out of the darkness of their captivity in Babylon
and
enjoying the light of peace and prosperity in their own land. Some editions of
the Targum
and Jarchi and Kimchi
have
in their glosses on this verse and Micah 7:9
Rome
of
whom they interpret this enemy
as Mr. Pocock observes; and so R. EliasF4In
Tishbi
p. 227. says the Targum is
"then shall Rome see"; by which
they mean the Christians
in opposition to the Jews; otherwise it would not be
amiss to interpret it of Rome Papal
or antichrist
in opposition to the church
of God; seeing the antichristian party will see witnesses of Christ
slain for
his sake
rise again
and ascend to heaven
or be brought into a glorious and
comfortable state; see Revelation 11:12;
and may be applied to any age of the church
and to any particular saints
raised out of a state of darkness and affliction into a prosperous one
in the
sight of their enemies
and in spite of them
to their great mortification; see
Psalm 23:4;
and shame shall cover her which said unto me
where is the Lord
thy God? as the Heathens; the Chaldeans
did to the Jews
Psalm 115:2; and
which must be very cutting to them
as it was to David
Psalm 42:10; when
they flouting and jeering said
where is thy God thou boastedst of
and didst
put thy trust and confidence in
that he would deliver and save thee? what is
become of him
and of thy confidence in him? The Targum is
"where
art thou that art redeemed by the Word of the Lord thy God?"
but
when they shall see that the Lord God has returned unto them
and wrought
salvation for them
they will be ashamed of their flouts and jeers; and by
reason of their sad disappointment
add the change of things for the worse to
them
who now will be brought into calamity and distress themselves:
mine eyes shall behold her; the enemy: their fall
as the Targum; being in a most despicable and ruinous condition
under the
vengeance of the Almighty; and that with pleasure and satisfaction
not from a
private spirit of revenge
but because of the glory of divine justice
which
will be displayed in their righteous destruction; see Psalm 58:10;
now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets; that is
entirely conquered
and utterly destroyed; reduced to
the utmost meanness
and
had in the greatest contempt: this was fulfilled when Babylon was taken by the
Medea and Persians; and when the Edomites were conquered and brought into subjection
to the Jews by the Maccabees; and will be the case of all the enemies of Christ
and his church
of all the antichristian states
one day.
Micah 7:11 11 In
the day when your walls are to be built
In that day the decree shall go
far and wide.[a]
YLT
11The day to build thy walls!
That day -- removed is the limit.
In the day that thy walls
are to be built
.... These words are not spoken to the enemy
as some think;
either the Chaldeans
the walls of whose city
Babylon
being demolished by the
Persians
it would be a long day or time before they were rebuilt and when
their power of sending their decrees abroad among the nations would be far off:
or to the enemy that should think to build up their walls with the spoils of
Israel
in the time of Gog and Magog
and when their decree determined over the
nations and Israel would also be far off; but they are the words of the prophet
to the church and people of God
comforting them with observing
that there
would be a day when the walls of Jerusalem
and the temple
which would lie in
ruins during their captivity
would be rebuilt; and which was fulfilled in the
times of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah; and so the Targum
"that
time the congregation of Israel shall be built;'
and
which had a further accomplishment
in a spiritual sense
in the first times of
the Gospel
when the church of Christ was built up
and established in the
world and will still have a greater completion in the latter day
when the
tabernacle of David
or church of Christ
shall be raised that is fallen
and
its breaches closed
and ruins repaired
Amos 9:11;
in that day shall the decree
be far removed; which
as it literally respects Jerusalem
and the rebuilding of
that after seventy years captivity
may signify either the decree of God
concerning that captivity
which would then cease
according to the time fixed
by it; or the cruel laws and edicts of the Babylonians
which should no more
bind and press the Jews
and be as a heavy yoke upon them; those statutes
which were not good
that were given them. So the Targum
"at
that time the decrees of the nations shall cease;'
or
the decree of Artaxerxes
forbidding and hindering the rebuilding of the city:
but if the phrase "far removed" signifies its being divulged and
spread far abroad
as it is interpreted by some; then it may refer to the
decree of Cyrus for rebuilding the city and temple; and which was revived and
confirmed by Darius Hystaspis
and by Darius Longimanus
and which was
published everywhere; and by means of which the Jews from all parts were
encouraged to come up to their own land
and proselytes with them; and which
sense suits well with what follows: and as this
in a spiritual sense
may have
regard to the church of Christ in Gospel times
it may signify the removal of
human laws
traditions
rites
and ceremonies
respecting religious things
among the Gentiles
and their giving way to those of God and Christ; or the
promulgation of the Gospel in all parts
called a decree
Psalm 2:6; because
a revelation of the decrees of God
respecting the salvation of men
and to
which it owes its efficacy; by means of which many would be brought to the
church
and the kingdom of Christ be enlarged
and spread everywhere
as
follows:
Micah 7:12 12 In
that day they[b] shall come
to you From Assyria and the fortified cities
[c] From the
fortress[d] to the
River
[e] From sea
to sea
And mountain to mountain.
YLT
12That day -- even unto thee
it doth come in
From Asshur and the cities of the fortress
And from the
fortress even unto the river
And from sea to sea
and mount to mount.
In that day also he
shall come even to thee
.... Which words also are not directed to the enemy
as some
interpret them; as to Chaldea or Babylon; and the sense be
that Cyrus should
come thither
and take it; or any more remote enemy of the Jews in the latter
day
to whom the day of the Lord should come
or his decree of vengeance or
judgment upon them
or any enemy to waste and destroy them; but they are a
continued address to Jerusalem or the church
signifying that "he"
the people of the Jews
the body of them
with the proselyted Gentiles
should
come from all parts to Jerusalem to rebuild it upon the decree of Cyrus; and
that multitudes of all
or at least many nations
should flock to the church of
Christ
upon the publication of the Gospel:
from Assyria: where many of the Jews
and even of the ten
tribes
were
whither they were carried captive:
and from the fortified cities; in Assyria
and other countries
where the Jews might be placed
either as prisoners
or to
do servile work
as repairing the fortifications; or for the defence of the
country
from which they were to be and were released upon Cyrus taking of
Babylon; and was a type of the redemption by Christ from greater bondage. It
may be rendered the cities of Egypt
as Kimchi observes
here and in 2 Kings 19:24; and
so Ben Melech: it is interpreted by some Matzor
being the same with Mitzraim
which is the name for Egypt; and the sense would be more easy
as well as the
words run more smoothly
thus
"shall come from Assyria even to the cities
of Egypt": and then it follows
and from the fortress even to the river; or from
Egypt
to the river Euphrates
which was one of the boundaries of the land of
Israel:
and from sea to sea; from the Persian sea to
the Mediterranean sea
or from the Red sea thither
and from the several
maritime parts where they inhabited:
and from mountain to mountain; from Mount
Taurus to Carmel
or Lebanon
or Hor; or from the several mountains to which
they had fled to
safety
and where they had dwelt. It may respect the extent
of the church and kingdom of Christ in the latter day
enlarged by the numerous
conversions of Jews and Gentiles in all parts of the world. The Jews shall be
gathered from all places where they are
and join themselves to the church of
Christ; and these several places
particularly Assyria
Egypt and the islands
of the sea from whence they shall be brought
are mentioned in other
prophecies; see Isaiah 11:11;
though this may respect
not barely the conversion and gathering of them to
Christ and his church
but of the Gentiles also in those several countries
thus; they "shall come from Assyria
and the fortified cities"; that
is
from the Turkish empire; the land of Assyria
and its fortified cities
being in the possession of the Turks
and in whose dominions many Jews at this
day reside; and not only they
but multitudes in the Ottoman empire
shall be
converted in the latter day
and become members of Christian churches;
signified by the flocks of Kedar
and the rams of Nebaioth
that shall be
gathered to the church
and minister there
Isaiah 60:7; and
they shall come "from the fortress even to the river"; from everyone
of the fortified cities before mentioned to the river Euphrates
which will be
dried up to make way for the kings or kingdoms of the east
for their
conversion to Christ
and embracing his Gospel; even the large kingdoms of
Persia
Tartary
China
&c. Revelation 16:12;
or "from Egypt to the river Euphrates"; and so signifies the same as
before
Egypt being part of the Turkish dominions; or else the Roman
jurisdiction
spiritually called Egypt
may be meant
Revelation 11:8;
and in several Popish countries are many Jews
who will be called from thence;
as well as many of the Papists themselves shall be called out of mystical
Babylon
and embrace the true religion of Christ: "and from sea to
sea"; this is a well known description of the amplitude of Christ's church
and kingdom in Gospel times
especially in the latter day; see Psalm 72:8; or
as
it may be rendered
"the sea from the sea"F5וים מים "et mare a
mari"
Montanus
Burkius. ; that is
the inhabitants of the sea
or of the
islands of it
shall come from thence to the church
see Isaiah 11:11; these
are the same with the abundance of the sea
that shall be converted to Christ
and join his people in the latter day
as in our isle and others
Isaiah 40:5;
"and from mountain to mountain"; or rather
"and mountain
shall come to the mountain"F6והר ההר "et mons veniet ad montem"
Cocceius
Burkius. ; that is
the inhabitants of the mountain
or of Rome
that is
situated on seven mountains
of mystical Babylon
the great mountain; these
shall be called from hence to Mount Zion
the church of the living God
where
Christ with the 144
000 will be; and which shall then be established on the top
of the mountains
and all nations shall flow unto it
Revelation 14:1.
The Targum is
"at
that time the captives shall be gathered from Assyria
and the strong cities
and from Churmini (or Armenia)
the great and the fortified cities
even unto
Euphrates
and the western sea
and the mountains of the mountain.'
Micah 7:13 13 Yet
the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it
And for the fruit
of their deeds.
YLT
13And the land hath been for
a desolation
Because of its inhabitants
Because of the fruit of their doings.
Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate
.... Not the
land of Chaldea
as some; or the land of the nations
as Jarchi and Kimchi; but
the land of Israel. That part of it
which was possessed by the ten tribes
was
made desolate by Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and that which was inhabited by
the two tribes
by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and this desolation was to
be
"notwithstanding" the above prophecies
and prior to the
fulfilment of them. So some render the words
as in the margin of our Bibles
"after the land hath been desolate"F7והיתה
הארץ לשממה "postquam
fuerit haec terra desolationi"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Tarnovius
Drusius. ; and it is observed
partly to prevent wicked men
promising themselves impunity from the above prophecies; and partly to prevent
despair in good men
when such a desolation should be made. And then again it
was made desolate by the Romans
previous to the spread and establishment of
the church of Christ
by the success of the Gospel in the Gentile world
in the
first times of it; and by the conversion of the Jews
and bringing in the
fulness of the Gentiles
in
he last times of it;
because of them that dwell therein
for the fruit of their doings: because of
the sins of the inhabitants of the land of Israel: the desolation made by the
kings of Assyria and Babylon was for the idolatry of Israel and Judah
and
other sins; and the desolation made by the Romans for the Jews rejection of the
Messiah.
Micah 7:14 14 Shepherd
Your people with Your staff
The flock of Your heritage
Who dwell solitarily in
a woodland
In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
As
in days of old.
YLT
14Rule Thou Thy people with
Thy rod
The flock of Thine inheritance
Dwelling alone [in] a forest in the
midst of Carmel
They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.
Feed thy people with thy rod
.... These are either the
words of God the Father to Christ
the great Shepherd of the sheep
calling
upon him to do his office as such; to feed the people he had given him
the
sheep of his hand
the flock of his pasture
by his Spirit
and with his word
and ordinances; see Zechariah 11:5; or
of Christ to his ministers
his undershepherds
to feed his sheep and his lambs
the people committed to their care and charge
with wholesome words
with sound
and good doctrine
by faithfully preaching the Gospel
and administering the
ordinances to them: or rather the words of the prophet
a prayer of his to God
or Christ
to take care of the people of God in their desolate state
in
captivity; to guide and lead them
protect and defend them
by his power and
providence
as a shepherd directs
leads
governs
and preserves his flock with
his pastoral crook or rod; or
as before
to feed the church of God as a
shepherd does his flock
lead them into good pastures
and secure them from all
their enemies: and this
being a prayer of faith
may be considered as a
prophecy or prediction of what would be; and so some render the words
"thou
shalt feed thy people"
&c.F8רעה
"pasces"
so some in Vatablus. . The Targum is
"feed
thy people with thy word
the people of thine inheritance
in the age which is
to be renewed;'
in
the new world
the world to come; plainly referring to the times of the
Messiah;
the flock of thine heritage; who are like to sheep
for their harmlessness and innocence
and to a flock of them
being associated
together
and folded in the church; and though but a little flock
yet the lot
the portion
the inheritance of Christ; all which is a strong reason for his
feeding
keeping
and preserving them
being committed to his care and charge
for that purpose:
which dwell solitary in the wood; dwell alone
in the world
which is like a wood and a wilderness; separated from the men of
the world; distinguished by the grace of God
chosen and called out from among
them
and different from them both in principle and practice: this may have
respect to the Jews
in their dispersion
living separate from and unmixed with
the nations of the world; or rather to their dwelling in safety and security
under the protection of the great Shepherd
the Messiah
David their Prince
when they shall be returned to their own land in the latter day:
in the midst of Carmel; or of a fruitful field
as Carmel was; enjoying all happiness and prosperity
temporal and spiritual:
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old; places in the
land of Israel famous for rich and fat pastures; and so express the great
plenty of good things wished for
and which will be enjoyed by the Jews when
converted to Christ
and replaced in their own land; and are an emblem of those
spiritual good things
and of those rich and green pastures of the word and
ordinances
which the great Shepherd is desired to lead
and does lead
his people
into; see Psalm 23:1; these
places are now in the hand of the Turks
and so the words may be a petition for
their conversion
as well as for the Jews
that this country may no more be
inhabited by Heathens
but by the Israel of God
as GulichiusF9Apud
Burkium in loc. very well observes.
Micah 7:15 15 “As
in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt
I will show them[f] wonders.”
YLT
15According to the days of
thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt
I do shew it wonderful things.
According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt
.... This is
an answer of the Lord to the prayer of the prophet
assuring him
and the
church he represents
and on whose account he applies
that there would be as
great a deliverance wrought for them
and as wonderful things done
as when
Israel was brought out of the land of Egypt
which was effected with a mighty
hand
and an outstretched arm
and was attended with amazing events; as the
plagues in Egypt; the passage of the Israelites through the Red see
and the
destruction of the Egyptians in it:
will I show unto him marvellous things; that is
unto
the people of the Lord
the flock of his heritage
the solitary and peculiar
people
fed and preserved by him: as the deliverance out of Egypt; was the
Lord's work
so the deliverance from Babylon; as the one was the work of his
power upon the heart of Pharaoh to let the people go
so the other as great an
act of his power working upon the mind of Cyrus
stirring him up to let the
captives go free
without price or reward; yea
to furnish them with
necessaries by the way
and to rebuild their city and temple: and as Pharaoh
and his host were drowned in the Red sea
so the kingdom of Babylon was
swallowed up by the Medes and Persians; yea
in some respects the latter
deliverance exceeded the former
and erased the remembrance of it; see Jeremiah 16:14; and
that redemption by Christ
which both these were typical of
was greater and
more marvellous than either
being a deliverance from
and an abolition and
destruction of sin
Satan
the law
hell
and death
and attended with things
the most wonderful and surprising; as the birth of Christ of a virgin; the
miracles done by him in life
and at death; the doctrines of the Gospel
preached by him and his apostles
and the amazing success of them
especially
in the Gentile world
being testified and confirmed by signs
wonders
miracles
and gifts of the Holy Ghost. This passage
both by ancient and modern
JewsF11Zohar in Gen. fol. 16. 1. 2. & in Exod. fol. 4. 2. &
in Deut. 99. 2. & 118. 3.
Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. c. 32. p. 277.
is applied to the times of the
Messiah. So in an ancientF12Zohar in Exod. fol. 4. 2. Vid. ib. in
Gen. fol. 16. 1. 2. & in Numb. fol. 99. 2. & in Deut. 118. 3. book of
theirs
speaking of the times of the Messiah
they say
"from
that day all the signs and wonders
and mighty works
which the Lord did in
Egypt
he will do for Israel
as it is said
"according to the days of thy
coming out of the land of Egypt"
&c.'
It
is also said
by a modern writerF13R. Isaac Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1.
c. 32. p. 277. of theirs
"because
of the miracles and wonders which shall be in the days of the Messiah
such as
the gathering of the captives
the resurrection of the dead
and the
destruction of Gog and Magog
besides other miracles and wonders
the end of
the redemption is called the end of wonders in Daniel 12:6; and
this is that which God has promised by his prophets
particularly Micah
Micah 7:15;
"according to the days"
&c. and from what follows
with the rest
of the verses to the end of the book
it is manifest that these promises are
not yet fulfilled
but will be fulfilled in the days of the Messiah.'
From
whence it appears
that it was the sense of the ancient Jews
as well as some
modern ones
that miracles would be wrought in the days of the Messiah; though
some of them reject them
and look not for them; particularly MaimonidesF14Hilchot
Melachim
c. 11. sect. 3. says
"let
it not enter into thine heart that the King Messiah hath need to do signs and
wonders; as that he shall renew things in the world
or raise the dead
and the
like; these are things which fools speak of; the thing is not so.'
But
however
certain it is
the ancient Jews expected miracles to be done by the
Messiah; hence some
in the times of Jesus
said
"when Christ cometh
will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" John 7:31; and
accordingly the miracles Jesus did were full proofs of his being the Messiah
and were wrought for that purpose
and owned as such; wherefore the above Jew
though he is right in the application of this passage to the times of the
Messiah
yet is wrong in saying these promises are not yet fulfilled
since
they have had a full accomplishment in the Messiah Jesus; nor is another to be
looked for
or such miracles to be hereafter wrought.
Micah 7:16 16 The
nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their
hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf.
YLT
16See do nations
and they
are ashamed of all their might
They lay a hand on the mouth
their ears are
deaf.
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might
.... The
Chaldeans or Babylonians
when they shall see the wonderful things done by the
Lord in the deliverance of his people out of their hands
shall be ashamed of
their own power and might
in which they trusted
and of which they boasted;
but now shall be baffled and defeated
and not able to stop the progress of the
arms of Cyrus
or detain the Jews any longer their captives; or they shall be
confounded at the power and strength the Jews will have to repossess their
land
rebuild their city and temple
under the encouragement and protection of
the king of Persia; and as this may refer to a further accomplishment in Gospel
times
it may respect the confusion the Gentile world would be in at the mighty
power and spread of the Gospel
in the conversion of such multitudes by it
and
in the abolition of the Pagan religion. Kimchi interprets this of the nations
that shall be gathered together with Gog and Magog against Jerusalem in the
latter day; see Ezekiel 38:15;
they shall lay their hand upon their mouth: be silent
and boast no more of themselves; nor blaspheme God and his word; nor insult his
people; nor oppose his Gospel
or open their mouths any more against his truths
and his ordinances:
their ears shall be deaf; hearing so much of the
praises of God
of the success of his interest
and of the happiness of his
peopled dinned in their ears
they will be stunned with it
and scarce know
what they hear; become deaf with the continual noise of it
which will be
disagreeable to them; and will choose to hear no more
and therefore through
envy and grief will stop their ears at what is told them.
Micah 7:17 17 They
shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like
snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God
And
shall fear because of You.
YLT 17They lick dust as a
serpent
as fearful things of earth
They tremble from their enclosures
Of
Jehovah our God they are afraid
Yea
they are afraid of Thee.
They shall lick the dust
like a serpent
.... Whose food is the dust of the earth
according to the curse
pronounced on it
Genesis 3:14; and
which is either its
natural food it chooses to live on
as some serpents
however are saidF15Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 44.
col. 27. to do; or
going upon its belly
it cannot but take in a good deal of
the dust of the earth along with its food; and hereby is signified the low
mean
abject
and cursed estate and condition of the seed of the serpent
wicked
and ungodly men
the enemies of Christ and his people; who wilt be forced to
yield subjection to him and his church
and will pretend the most profound
respect for them
and the highest veneration of them. The allusion seems to be
to the manner of the eastern nations
who
in complimenting their kings and
great men
bowed so low to the ground with their faces
as to take up with
their mouths the very dust of it. Particularly it is said of the Persians
that
they first kiss the pavement on which the king treads
before they speak unto
him
as Quistorpius on the place relates; and Valerius MaximusF16L.
7. c. 3. sect. 2. says
that when Darius Hystaspis was declared king by the
neighing of his horse
the rest of the six candidates alighted from their horses
and prostrated their bodies to the ground
as is the manner of the Persians
and saluted him king; and HerodotusF17Polymnia
sive l. 7. c. 12.
observes the same
custom among the Persians; and to this custom the poet
MartialF18"Et turpes humilesque
supplicesque
Pictorum sola
basiate regum". Epigram. l. 10. Ep. 71. refers; and Drusius says it is a
custom in Asia to this day
that
when any go into the presence of a king
they
kiss the ground
which is a token of the great veneration they have for him. The
phrase is used of the enemies of the
Messiah
and of the converted Jews and
Gentiles at the latter day
and is expressive of their great submission to
them; see Psalm 72:9;
they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth; who put out
their heads and draw them in again upon the least notice or approach of danger;
or like serpents
as Jarchi and Kimchi
which lurk in holes
and creep out of
them oft their bellies
or any other creeping things. The wordF19ירגזו "contremiscent"
Munster
Tigurine version
Cocceius; "frement
sive tumultuabuntur"
Calvin; "trepide
prorepent"
Burkius. here used signifies a tremulous and tumultuous
motion
like the wriggling of a worm out of the earth; or the hurry of ants
when
their nests are kicked or thrown up: this is expressive of the confusion and
perturbation of the enemies of the Lord and his people; of the Babylonians
who
were obliged in a hurry to leave their palaces
as the Targum and Aben Ezra
interpret their holes
and their fortresses and towers
and deliver them to the
Medes and Persians; and of Gog and Magog
and the antichristian states
who
will be obliged to abandon their places of abode
and creep out of sight
and
be reduced to the lowest and meanest condition;
they shall be afraid of the Lord our God: because of
the glory of his majesty
the greatness of his power
and for fear of his
judgments:
and shall fear because of thee; O God
or Israel
as
Kimchi; the church of God
whom they despised and reproached before; but now
shall be seized with a panic
and live in the utmost dread of
because of the
power and glory of God in the midst of them
and lest they should fall a
sacrifice to them.
Micah 7:18 18 Who
is a God like You
Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression
of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever
Because
He delights in mercy.
YLT
18Who [is] a God like Thee?
taking away iniquity
And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His
inheritance
He hath not retained for ever His anger
Because He -- He
delighteth [in] kindness.
Who is a God like
unto thee
.... There is no God besides him
none so great
so mighty
as
he; none like him for the perfections of his nature; for the works of his
hands; for the blessings of his goodness
both of providence and grace; and
particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy
as follows:
that pardoneth iniquity: that "lifts"
it up
and "takes" it away
as the wordF20נשא "tollens"
Montanus
Tigurine version
Calvin;
"aufercus"
Drusius; "qui aufers"
Grotius. signifies; thus
the Lord has taken the sins of his people off of them
and laid them on Christ
and he has bore them
and carried them away
as the antitype of the scapegoat
never to be seen and remembered any more; and whereas the guilt of sin lies
sometimes as a heavy burden upon their consciences
he lifts it up
and takes
it away
by sprinkling the blood of Christ upon them
and by applying his
pardoning grace and mercy to them: pardon of sin is peculiar to God; none can
forgive it but he against whom it is committed; forgiveness of sin is with him
promised by him in covenant
proclaimed in Christ
by him obtained and
published in the Gospel:
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? the people of
God are his portion
his lot
and his inheritance; they are a remnant according
to the election of grace
chosen of God
taken into his covenant
redeemed by
Christ
and called by grace
and brought to repent and believe; these God
forgives
even all their transgressions
sins
and iniquities of every kind;
which is here expressed by another word
"passing them by"
or
"passing over them": sin is a transgression or passing over
the law
and pardon is a passing over sin; God taking no notice of it
as if he
saw it not; not imputing it to his people
or calling them to an account for
it; or condemning and punishing them according to the desert of it; but hiding
his face from it
and covering it:
he retaineth not his anger for ever; that which he seemed to
have against his people
and appeared in some of the dispensations of his
providence
is not continued and lengthened out
and especially for ever
but
it disappears; he changes the course of his providence
and his conduct and
behaviour to his people
and
hews them his face and favour
and manifests his
forgiving love; which is a turning himself from his anger; see Psalm 85:2;
because he delighteth in mercy; which is
natural to him
abundant with him
and exercised according to his sovereign
will and pleasure
very delightful to him; he takes pleasure in showing mercy
to miserable creatures
and in those that hope in it
Psalm 147:11; this
is the spring of pardon
which streams through the blood of Christ.
Micah 7:19 19 He
will again have compassion on us
And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast
all our[g] sins Into
the depths of the sea.
YLT
19He doth turn back
He
pitieth us
He doth subdue our iniquities
And Thou castest into the depths of
the sea all their sins.
He will turn again
.... From his
anger
and show his face and favour; which is not inconsistent with his
everlasting and unchangeable love; for anger is not opposite to love
and is
only a displicency at sin
and not at the persons of his people; and
properly
speaking
is not in God; is rather in appearance than in reality; when his
people sin against him
he shows himself as if he was angry; he turns away from
them
and withdraws his gracious presence and sensible communion from them; but
when they are brought to a sense of sin
and acknowledgment of it
he returns
to them
manifests his love to them again
and applies his pardoning grace
which is the thing believed would be done; it is only another expression of that
as all the rest that follow are: the prophet
or the church
dwells on this
article of grace
and heaps up words to express it by
as if they could never
say too much or it
or sufficiently explain it. The Targum is
"his
word shall return;'
he will have compassion upon us; the Lord is naturally
compassionate; he is full of compassion
he has a heart of compassion; these
are tender mercies
and never fail
and which are exercised in a sovereign way;
pardon of sin flows from hence; every manifestation or it is a display thereof:
sin brings afflictions on the saints
and then the Lord pities them
and is
afflicted with them; sin grieves them
and he is as it were grieved for them;
it wounds them
and then
as the good and compassionate Samaritan
he pours in
the oil and wine of pardoning grace
and heals them; they are
while in this
state
in such circumstances often as need his compassion
and they may be
assured of it
Psalm 78:38;
he will subdue our iniquities; which maybe understood
also as a further explanation of the grace of pardon: sin is an enemy to God
and his people; it is too strong and mighty for them; it reigns over them in a
state of nature; they are under the power of it
and cannot get rid of it
its
influence
guilt
and punishment; Christ has conquered it
made an end of it
and took it away; God tramples upon it
as a conqueror does upon the necks of
his enemies; it ii subdued by him
and is under his feet; which he treats with
contempt
disdains to look upon
keeps it under
so that it shall never rise
again to the condemnation of his people; he overcomes the provocation of it
removes the guilt by pardon
and secures from the punishment of it: or this may
be considered as the effect of pardon; as what is done in consequence of it
by
the Spirit and grace of God in sanctification; when not only the deeds of the
body are mortified through the Spirit
or the outward conversation reformed
but the inward power of sin is weakened; it is laid under the restraints of
efficacious grace
and is kept under by it; so that it shall not and cannot
have the dominion over the saints again
of which they may be confident
Romans 6:14;
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea; never to be
seen any more; though they are seen with the eye of omniscience
and taken
notice of by the eye of providence
yet not beheld with the eye of avenging
justice
that being satisfied by Christ; besides
all the sins of God's people
have been removed from them to Christ
and by him carried away into the land of
oblivion; so that they are no more to be seen on them
who are through his
blood and righteousness without fault
spot
or wrinkle
or any such thing;
and
being out of sight
they are out of mind
never remembered any more
and
like things cast into the sea
destroyed and lost: perhaps there may be some
allusion to the Egyptians drowned in the Red sea; and what is cast into the
sea
especially into the depths of it
is irrecoverable
not to be fetched up
again
nor does it rise more; and so it is with the sins of God's people
forgiven for Christ's sake
even "all" of them; for they have all
been bore by Christ
and are covered
blotted out
and pardoned
not one
remains unforgiven; see Isaiah 38:17. This
is an apostrophe of the prophet unto God. The Targum is
"and
he will cast into the depths of the sea all the sins of Israel;'
and
it may denote their being loathsome and abominable to him
and therefore here
cast by him. It is very common in Jewish writings to say of anything that is
useless
abominable
accursed
and utterly rejected
that it is to be east into
the salt sea. For instance
"Aquila
the proselyte divided an inheritance with his brother (a Gentile)
and he cast
the profit of it into the salt sea: three doctors there were; one said
the
price of the idol he cast into the salt sea; another said
he cast the price of
his part of the idol into the salt sea; and the other said
he cast the idol
itself into the salt seaF21T. Hieros. Demai
fol. 25. 4. .'
Again
it is saidF23Ibid. Sotah
fol. 19. 1. Vid. ibid. Avoda Zara
fol.
39. 2. & Nazir
fol. 53. 1.
"a
sin offering
whose owner is dead
goes into the salt sea.'
The
Heathens used sea water for the purgation and expiation of sin; hence the poetF24"Suscipit
O Gelli
quantum non ultima Thetis
Nec genitor lympharum abluit Oceanus".
Catullus.
to aggravate the wickedness of a very wicked man
observes
that
the ocean itself could not wash away his sins. And CiceroF25Oratio
2. pro Sexto Roscio.
speaking of the law of the Romans for the punishment of
parricides
which ordered that they should be sewed up alive in sacks
and cast
into the river
observes the wisdom and propriety of it; they would not
says
he
have them cast naked into the river
lest
when they should be carried into
the sea
they should pollute that by which other things that are defiled are
thought to be expiated. So Iphigenia is made to sayF26Euripides in
Tauro. that the sea washes away all the sins of men. These are the Jewish and
Heathenish notions; whether there is any allusion to them may be considered;
however
certain it is
that nothing short of the fountain opened for sin and
uncleanness
or the sea of Christ's blood
can wash away sin; that cleanses
from all sin; and happy are they whose sins are cast in thither
or are
expiated and purged away thereby!
Micah 7:20 20 You
will give truth to Jacob And mercy to Abraham
Which You have sworn to
our fathers From days of old.
YLT
20Thou givest truth to Jacob
kindness to Abraham
That thou hast sworn to our fathers
from the days of
antiquity!
Thou wilt perform the
truth to Jacob
.... That is
the promise made to Jacob
the Lord would
faithfully perform and make good to his posterity
natural and spiritual
especially to those who are Israelites indeed;
and the mercy to Abraham; the gracious
promises made to him
which sprung from mere grace and mercy; all respecting
his natural and spiritual seed; and especially the promise of the coming of the
Messiah
that seed of his in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed;
and which is the eminent instance of the mercy and grace of God to Jews and
Gentiles
that walk in the steps of Abraham; see Luke 1:68;
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old; or the
promises both of multiplying the seed of Abraham
and of giving them the land
of Canaan
and of the Messiah springing from them
were confirmed by an oath
Genesis 22:16. The
Targum is
"thou
wilt give the truth of Jacob to his sons
as thou hast sworn to him in Bethel;
the goodness of Abraham to his seed after him
as thou hast sworn to him
between the pieces; thou wilt remember to us the binding of Isaac
who was
bound upon the altar before thee; thou wilt do with us the good things which
thou hast sworn to our fathers
from the days of old;'
which
Kimchi interprets of the three fathers
Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)