1:16
In this verse, Micah addressed the people of Judah. The Good News Translation makes this explicit by starting the verse with the words “People of Judah…”
This verse has two pairs of parallel lines that are similar in meaning. The first line is parallel to the third line. The second line is parallel to the fourth line:
16a
Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair
16b
in mourning for your precious children,
16c
make yourselves as bald as an eagle,
16d
for they will go from you into exile.
In some languages, this kind of parallelism may cause confusion. If that is true in your language, it may be possible to combine the similar verse parts. For example:
16a,c People of Judah, shave your head as bald as a buzzard and start mourning. 16b,d Your children whom you love will be dragged off to a foreign country. (similar to Contemporary English Version)
1:16a-c
Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning…make yourselves as bald as an eagle: Here Micah talked about a symbolic action. One way that the Jews mourned when they were very sad was to cut off some of the hair on their heads.
The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions make explicit the meaning of the action by using the words “in mourning” or “ in sorrow” or something similar, usually in 1:16a. For example:
Division 6:1–7:20
Third Message: The LORD accuses and comforts Israel
See Overall structure of the book in the Introduction for more details about the three divisions.
Section 6:1–8
The LORD brought a lawsuit against his people
In this section, the LORD (speaking through Micah) conducted a lawsuit or a court trial against the people of Israel. The LORD accused the people of Israel of failing to keep his requirements. Some scholars refer to this accusation as a “covenant lawsuit” because his requirements were based on his covenant with Israel. Scholars point out, however, that this lawsuit was not conventional in some ways. For example, there was no judge, the witnesses were silent, and there was no pronouncement of punishment.
Here are some other examples of section headings:
The Lord ’s case against Israel (New International Version)
-or-
God Challenges Israel (New Revised Standard Version)
Paragraph 6:1–2
The lawsuit/trial began with these verses. Micah called on the people to hear the LORD’s case against them and called on the mountains/hills to be witnesses.
6:1a
Hear now what the LORD says: This command to hear/listen starts a new prophecy/oracle in which Micah introduced the LORD’s lawsuit.
Hear: The word Hear is plural. Micah was speaking to the people of Israel. In some languages, it may be more natural to make the addressee explicit. For example:
Listen to what the LORD says to his people
In Hebrew, the word Hear is followed by a particle that indicates emphasis or insistence. Many versions leave this particle implied. Some English versions translate it as “now.” For example:
Now listen to what Yahweh says: (New Jerusalem Bible)
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
what the LORD says: This phrase refers to the charge/case that the LORD will present. Some versions make this meaning explicit. For example:
Listen to the Lord ’s case against Israel. (Good News Translation)
6:1b–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. The New International Version (2011) has been used as the source line for 6:1b, because it follows the recommended interpretation:
1b (New International Version (2011)) “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains ;
1c and let the hills hear your voice.
These lines are more literally “Arise conduct a case with the mountains and let hear the hills your voice.” The literal Hebrew commands in 6:1b do not have an explicit pronoun such as “my” or “your.” Most versions supply one of these pronouns in 6:1b to make their interpretation clearer.
There are three main interpretations of the identity of the participants in these parallel commands:
(1) The LORD commanded Micah to rise and conduct the LORD’s case against the people of Israel. The mountains and hills were to hear Micah’s voice. For example:
Come, present [My] case before the mountains, and let the hills hear you pleading (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
(New International Version (2011), Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
(2) The LORD commanded Israel to rise and conduct Israel’s case against him. The mountains and hills were to hear Israel’s voice. For example:
Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. (New Living Translation (2004))
(3) Micah told the LORD to rise and conduct the LORD’s case against the people of Israel. The mountains and hills were to hear the LORD’s voice. For example:
Arise, O Lord, and present your case; let the mountains and the hills hear what you say. (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation)
Some versions that translate 6:1b with “your case” are ambiguous. In these versions, the referent of “your” could be either Israel or the LORD.
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with the majority of commentaries.
the mountains…the hills: In 6:1–8, the mountains and the hills are parallel figures of speech (personification). Here they represented witnesses at a trial in a court of law. They were fitting witnesses because they were present throughout all of Israel’s history. Thus, they had figuratively seen everything good that the LORD has done for Israel as well as the people’s acts of disloyalty.
Here are some ways to translate this figure of speech:
• Keep the personification. This is the best option if the figure is natural in your language and people will understand the meaning correctly. For example:
Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. (New International Version)
• Change the personification to a simile. Consider making the similarity of the mountains and hills to witnesses explicit. For example:
Arise and state my case. Speak as if the mountains and hills can hear you like witnesses in the trial.
6:1b
(New International Version (2011)) Stand up: This command often functions as a call to action. In the context of a legal case the gesture signifies the start of the court session.
(New International Version (2011)) plead my case: This phrase means “to fight with words,” as in a quarrel or a legal case. Here it refers to a legal case or lawsuit.
6:1c
and let the hills hear your voice: In this clause, the phrase let the hills hear does not mean to allow or give permission to hear. It means that the LORD wanted the hills to hear his case against Israel. The words your voice refer to the voice of Micah as he presented the LORD’s case.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Present my case before the hills
-or-
and also before the hills
General Comment on 6:1b–c
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel statements. For example:
Rise and plead my case before the mountains and hills.
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